Casa Joanna, Vorno, Lucca

The old school house is nestled in the centre of the beautiful village of Vorno, with views to the south towards the mountains and Lucca to the north. Vorno is superbly located with Pisa International airport approximately 35 minutes away. Lucca is approximately 12 minutes by car, Florence about 1 hour and the coast is 35 minutes. There is plentiful parking for up to 8 cars.

Our beautiful villa can be rented to sleep 12 people, with 6 ensuite bedrooms. The west wing has a very large open plan reception room with a traditional Tuscan kitchen at one end. The kitchen is extremely well equipped with Villeroy Boch tableware for your use. There is also a downstairs washroom and utility room. The east wing has a separate sitting room and separate kitchen. The villa is interconnected at ground floor level. There are two staircases, one in each wing. Each bedroom has a double bed with provision for two separate single beds in our Volterra and Chianti bedrooms. The sanitary ware within each bathroom is Villeroy Boch. The Sleepeezee mattresses are wool and cashmere for warmth in the winter and for cooling in the summer. We use premium Egyptian cotton percale sheets for your comfort. All bedrooms have air-conditioning and mosquito nets at the windows.

The villa is full of beautiful paintings and has an excellent library of both classical and contemporary texts and good collection of local guidebooks and art books for your interest. We are a family friendly place. There are two travel cots available, a stairgate, car seat and children's toys for inside and outside play. We have recently purchased an upright piano which is tuned annually and provide music for your enjoyment.

Outside, the south facing garden gives you plenty of space where you can lounge, play, dine and swim. The outside terrace has dinning for put to 12 people and there is a barbecue for your use. There are loungers and chairs by the pool, where you can chill down and relax. The child friendly, salt-water pool (11m x 5m), can be heated upon requested. There are integrated steps into the pool in the north corner and an integrated bench where you can sit under the mulberry trees, that provide a natural shade. We have a table tennis table, yoga mats and outside boules for your enjoyment. We also have an organic vegetable garden for you to use during your stay with us. On the corner of the garden, by the road, is a pump where you can get fresh spring water to drink. We also have the same water running through our taps.

The village has a wonderful family restaurant which you can walk to within minutes. They serve traditional Tuscan food and have a beautiful garden in which to dine. You can also take away pizzas for your convenience. There is a splendid, award winning, organic restaurant which you can walk to along the riverside. The views from the terrace to the mountains are magnificent. They produce their own award-winning wines, olive oil and vegetables. There is also a theatre and art gallery within the same ownership, where there are exhibitions and a variety of activities during the season. You can drive to another excellent traditional family run Tuscan restaurant in the next village. Indeed, there are plentiful places to eat extremely well. The local supermarket, patisserie, pharmacy and other shops are in the next village. There is an excellent butcher about 10 minutes’ drive away.

Airport transits can be arranged through Roman, our house manager, who also runs a local taxi company. He is also a tour guide if you would like to arrange, for example, a wine tasting at a Tuscan Vineyard during your stay. We can also arrange for a local chef to prepare food for you, for special meals or cooking schools upon request. The area is renowned for excellent off-road biking and for trekking. Walk east out of the village to the observatory where you will find wonderful views across the valley toward Lucca and see the old aqueduct that was used to deliver water to Lucca.

We really want you to relax and enjoy your time with us and endeavour to provide the best service we possibly can. Our motto: 'Dolce Vita!'