undiscovered Italy
Casa Castagna - Chestnut House
about the property
This beautiful C17th hillside cottage surrounded by gardens and woods is in a tiny hamlet in the Apennines between Bologna and Florence.
Stone-built, it has chestnut-wood floors and ceilings, antique furniture, an open fireplace and bedrooms with views. 3 bed. Sleeps 8. |
about the area
The house is on the Emilia/Tuscany border, 1hr or less from Florence, Bologna, Pistoia, Lucca and Pisa. A 20-minute drive away is the pretty Roman spa town of Porretta Terme with its shops, bars, restaurants, an openair swimming pool with loungers, music festivals and an excellent weekly food market.
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things to do
Perfect for wild swimming, mountain-walking, mountain biking, visiting Tuscan towns and Etruscan ruins, sampling local food markets and festivals, avoiding the crowds, eating extremely well and just relaxing!
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Happy Visitors
Philippa - August 2015
Absolutely delightful. This is the second time we've been, returning this year with more people, including 10-and 12-year-olds who were in heaven, able to clamber freely through the woods. Whenever I'm stressed now I imagine myself back on the terrace listening to the sound of the breeze in the treetops. Christian, August 2018 Old charming house in a small village with very nice people in the middle of the mountains. Have enjoyed our stay with the kids and the dog very much! Especially recommend for hikers and nature lovers: lots of fauna around around - we have seen snakes, scorpions, deer, pheasant, weasels, fat dormice and many porcupine dens Gabriele and Patrizia, July 2021
Abbiamo soggiornato nella Casa Castagna con i nostri tre nipotini nel mese di luglio e ancora altri 12 giorni in agosto da soli piacevolmente appagati dalla pace e silenzio. Unici rumori gli uccelini e il vento. Siamo rinati per l'aria buona respirata e per le rustiche commodita' della casa. Credo che torneremo appena possibile. |
Ellen - August 2013
We had a fantastic time here - eating dinner in the garden under the stars, wandering around the pretty little village, learning about the rich partisan history of the area from locals in the know. The owners gave us a detailed description of the route and it wasn't hard to find. The property was clean and well-maintained. The house feels cosy and welcoming and the views are gorgeous (and there’s an amazing new treehouse in the garden). There's a beautiful lake a 20-minute drive away – perfect for a day out with the kids. There are some excellent local restaurants not to mention the fabulous local produce and the thermal baths found in nearby Porretta Terme. The charming medieval town of Lucca is a 30-min drive across the Tuscan border. If you're looking for a tranquil hideaway far from the madd(en)ing crowds, Casa Castagna is for you. We had never been to this region before but will definitely be back. I feel very grateful to the owner for showing us the unique and unspoilt corner of Italy. Cecilia, July 2020 I love this place. It's amazing. Truly beautiful and an overwhelming feeling of peace. Seriously, Casa Castagna left a mark in our hearts. By the time we left our children were crying and we felt we belonged there. |
Donat, August 2021
Das Haus ist wunderschon, toll eingerichtet und mit allem ausgerustet, was man fur einen erholsamen Familienurlaub braucht - selbst im Falle von schlechtem Wette. Die Nachtbarn sind uberaus liebenwurdig und man fuhlt sich sofort "angekommen" :) Die Gegend ist malerisch und est gibt zahlreiche hubsche Wanderwege. Essen kann man auch wunderbar: absolute empfehlenswert ist bspb. das "Molino di Berto". Bademoglichkeiten sind erwanderbar/erfahrbar. Wenn wir weider in der Gegend sind, waren wir gern wieder zu Gast in Candida's Haus :) Carlotta, January 2019
Luogo magica, casa molto bella e accogliente. Eravamo due famiglie con 4 bambini dai 5 ai 10 anni..che si sono divertiti tantissimo ed esplorare da soli questo borgo incantato..torneremo sicuramente Sam and Greg, August 2022
We are getting ready to leave Casa Castagna tomorrow and wanted to thank |
Vibeke, July 2019
We absolutely enjoyed our stay and can highly recommend it to others. The old stone house is very charming, has lots of space and is beautifully located in the mountains near small villages and a nice river where we went swimming several times Roberto, August 2019
La casa di Candida e' situata in un tipico borgo dell'Appennino Tosco Emiliano. Abbiamo trascorso una settimane in Agosto e ci siamo trovati meravigliosamente, anche grazie ai vicini molto accoglienti e simpatici. Zoe, July 2022
What an amazing place Casa Castagna is! We enjoyed wine under the stars last night, and this morning we walked up to the ruined village, picking wild mint and camomile on our way. It’s completely idyllic. What a lovely time ... It was the most relaxing, welcoming place; yours is the kind of home that feels as if it is giving a hug to whomsoever enters it. We were exceptionally lazy, read lots of books, cooked with the amazing local produce and went on long walks, all of which was exactly what we needed. |