​VILLA

Al Palazz Artists' Gallery: 
​click here to see how our visitors and friends see Al Palazz

"Al Palazz" is a centuries-old house with magnificent views, at the heart of a small, welcoming community in Northern Tuscany. Hillside villages developed with houses close together and gardens on the surrounding slopes. You’ll have Italian neighbours – Al Palazz (‘the big house’ in dialect) faces the square and the farm restaurant, and shares walls with adjoining houses and the church tower (chimes midday, 8pm and weekly Mass).

The Villa is on the first & second floors. It sleeps up to four people. External stairs and a small terrace lead into a fully equipped kitchen, dining and sitting room. Upstairs there's a large comfortable sitting room with heavenly views, two luxury double bedrooms and bathrooms.

​If you need more space you can add the Cantina, a self-contained ground floor apartment, and sleep up to six people. The Cantina offers a third luxury bedroom and shower-room, with sitting/study area and galley kitchen. 

Pool & Gardens: Cross the path leading off the square and go through our gate to reach our private pool and gardens. There's an acre of south-facing landscaped gardens to wander in, with wonderful views, many sitting areas, a salt-water solar-heated 11 x 4 pool with changing facilities, showers and toilet,  and a covered terrace with kitchen bar, dining area, barbeque and table tennis.

The kitchen

Traditional-style units contain an induction hob, electric oven, dishwasher, washing machine, comprehensive cooking and serving equipment, basic ingredients and cleaning materials. There's also a fridge/freezer.

​The marble sink and drainer are 18th century. The kitchen table - built to measure in traditional country style using a slab of local Carrara marble – seats up to six.

The kitchen terrace is a perfect place to perch with a coffee or an aperitivo.
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There are excellent food shops in nearby Bagnone and Villafranca, providing a wide range of local meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables. Parma ham and parmesan, porcini mushrooms and chestnut products are local specialties. Our House Books give you a guide to shops, restaurants, and eating like a local.

THE DINING/sitting ROOM

Two arched doorways lead from the kitchen into the first floor dining/sitting room. Originally two small vaulted store rooms, we replaced a wall with a beam to make one large space.

On one side there's a 19th century 'tavolo libro' dining table that opens out to seat six, with a dresser full of china and glass. The traditional Tuscan dining chairs are stained to match the table.

On the other side there's a four-seater snug - cool in summer. It has a TV with an Amazon Fire stick, DVD, cookbooks, maps, guidebooks, board games, and a selection of DVDs (including a collection of Italian films).

Stairs up lead to the sitting room. A lockable door and internal stairs lead down to the Cantina. 

TOP FLOOR sitting room

The sitting room runs the full width of the house. The views from the two large picture windows change subtly with every hour of every day. It's easy to while away many hours here, gazing at the trees and meadows, Bagnone castle, the setting sun, and the blue hills which shut out the world beyond.

There's comfortable seating for six people. The blue cupboard is made from old doors left in the house, and contains a range of books including our collection of Italy-themed books and novels.

Two large glass lightshades hang from the original oak roof beams and sway gently in the breeze, giving the feeling of a ship in full sail.

This room is directly joined to the campanile (belltower) so when the bells ring (not often) you know the time!

bedroom 1

The main bedroom and bathroom are up a step to the left of the sitting room. They have high ceilings and exposed roofbeams.

There is a luxury super-kingsize bed - the perfect place to have breakfast and look at the view of the castle in the morning.

The bathroom has a shower, washbasin, bidet, toilet, shaving point, heated towel rail, and whirlpool bath. The window overlooks the roof of the church with the mountains and sky above.

There are various weights of duvets and a fan for the hottest summer nights. Linen and house towels are changed weekly.

bedroom 2

The second bedroom and adjoining shower-room are to the right of the sitting room.

It has the same style of luxury kingsize bed (which can be made into two singles) as the main bedroom. The room is traditionally furnished, with two windows that look out over the village square.

The shower-room has a large walk-in shower, bidet, washbasin, toilet, shaving point, and heated towel rail. It was created out of the original room in a way that leaves the traditional oak beams to view above a storage area in the bedroom.

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