Our holiday farm
Our holiday farm is surrounded by anawesome landscape, on a hilly area with a panoramic view that, on clear days, extends over almost 100 kilometres of land. The property is at the edge of a wooded area, which extends over thousands of acres of land. The property includes four different sized villas: “Uccelliera”, of about 800 square meters, “Giulia” and “Sulle soglie del bosco”, of about 200 square meters each, and lastly “Belvedere”, of about 120 square meters. However, the holiday farm apartments are only “Uccelliera” and “Giulia”; the other villas are intended for residential or agricultural use.
Our holiday farm is located on the ancient silk road that leads from Lucca to Florence.These places are increasingly popular thanks to their proximity to the most popular tourist areas of Italy and their very interesting views, hitherto unknown.
The property includes about 12 hectares of land around the villas and other 11 hectares of wooded land upstream. The latter includes a 5-acre farm, completely surrounded by the woods that separate us from Collodi; this amazing places takes its name “podere della casetta del Valicone” from a smal stream flowing through it.
Apart from a certain amount of fruit and vegetable production for self-consuption, ours is a monoculture of biological extra virgin olive oil. We have more than 1000 plants with a production of about 1000 liters per year.
My name is Sisto Firrao and I “should” be the head of the company. I say I should as I share duties with my son Paolo; I take care of the tourist activity and Paul takes care  of the farming activity. I hold a degree in Engineering and I taught textile technologies at the Polytechnic of Milan. I was manager and director  of major textile companies, such as the Susa Valley Cotton Mill, the Rossari and Varzi Manufacture, the Associated Sardinian Textiles, and others. Then I retired to this idyllic place where I started the current holiday farm activity with my son Paolo.
Therefore my son Paolo, who hold a degree in law bur doesn’t want to work as a lawyer, is the second in the company. He produces a very high quality oil that reaches its apex of goodness as soon it is pressed: at that time in our homes there’s great consumption  of bruschetta. And then there is Paul’s girlfriend, Morena, whose nickname is Menora, who is the wizard of flowers. If you come to visit us, any color that you will find around is by Menora. Then there are my granddaughters Giulia and Chakira, my personal secretaries, who takes care of the apartments and will receive you upon arrival.
Our surroundings
If we imagine to trace circles of increasing  diameter, centered in our farm, in each gradually farther circle we would find extraordinary objects that are offered to our eyes, feelings and thoughts in terms of landscape beauty, art and more generally, culture. Of course, already Monte a Pescia and especially our farm, offers gorgeous views, which in our website we have given some photographic representation and worth a look even the old parish church of St. Bartholomew. Along the road that from Pescia leads to Mount Pescia is the convent of Colleviti dating back to 1496.
In Pescia you can visit the very ancient Church of Saint Francis, with its frescoes that date back to 1200, the Church of Saints Stephen and Nicholas which dates back to 1068, the baroque Cathedral, which dates back to 1700, the Palace of the Vicar which dates back to 1200, and the Church of Our Lady of Piè di Piazza which dates back to 1447; the last two are both located in Piazza Mazzini.
The first circle, within 15 kilometres.
We are surrounded by the same wood that surrounds Collodi, the town of Pinocchio, where you may be lucky enough to meet the Cat and the Fox, but also wild boars, deer and, if you’re very, very lucky, even the Blue Fairy. We suggest you to follow the Pesciatina State Highway that, in a few minutes, will bring you to Collodi, a very charming town thanks to the feudal Villa Garzoni and its famous Italian garden, but also as rare, uncontaminated example of the ancient peasant villages of medieval Tuscany. Here you can also visit the Pinocchio Park with works by famous artists, and have lunch at one of the many restaurants in the immediate surroundings of Collodi. You can enjoy landscapes of extraordinary beauty not only in Collodi but also in the contiguous hamlets of San Gennaro and Petrognano, under the municipality of Capannori.
As you enter the woods in direction opposite to Collodi, you can take a walk and easily reach Medicina, which, if you are coming from the Colonne, is the first of the so-called “Castella”, a group of ancient medieval villages worth visiting for their beauty, for their character and for the emotion aroused by immersing into the life of our ancestors and by tasting ancient flavors. The Castella are 10: Pietrabuona, Vellano, Fibialla, Aramo, Medicina, San Quirico, Castelvecchio, Pontito, Stiappa, Sorana; in order to appropriately talk about these wonders, I would need a much wider space than these short notes and you would need much more time during your holiday. Having to “compress” time, you might choose Castelvecchio, where every street corner is a picture, where landscapes are breathtaking, where you can visit the Parish Church of Saints Ansani and Thomas whose first news date back to 879 and is thus the oldest religious building in the province of Pistoia. I suggest you to observe the mysterious image at the center of the façade, which has nourished many legends, the crypt and the bell tower. Although there is still a lot to say about the other Castella, especially Sorana, which produces beans considered by local growers as the best in the world, and that are certainly the best I’ve ever tasted, and Pontito, with its beautiful landscapes, I cannot help but mention Montecarlo and Montecatini, two superb tourist areas both included in the first circle and reachable in a 15-20 minute-drive.
Montecarlo is very different from Collodi; the latter mirrors the poor medieval Tuscany while in Montecarlo lived the lords of the time, who there had built a delightful little theater, the “theater of the reassured people.” Now it would be trivial to talk about the beautiful scenery you can enjoy from the balustrade of the square in the center of the village, opposite the Cathedral, because, in this corner of Tuscany, all places offer incomparable views. And since this is not a tourist guide, but a chat with the guests of our holiday farm, I’m not going to describe the beauty of the cathedral or the fortress-castle, left by the horsemen of Castruccio Castracani and Azzo Visconti on September 23rd, 1325 to fight against the Florentines in the Battle of Altopascio.
I want instead to talk about Montecatini, the most important village in the Valdinievole, reachable in about twenty minutes (in absence of traffic) and that, for many years, has been one of the most elegant and sophisticated centers for thermal tourism and has been visited by illustrious guests, coming from all over the world. Its former grandeur is still clear in the large hotels, in shops and in its huge lodging capacity. It is still a living city that offers artistic and recreational events; destination of those who still believe in the miraculous virtues of thermal cures, which have never been denied, although downsized by science.
But above all I want to focus your attention on the hamlet of High Montecatini, a charming residential area which can also be accessed via a small cable railway. Its central square, invaded by restaurant tables, is the perfect destination for a pleasant and relaxing gastronomic trip.
The surroundings of Montecatini are simply fabulous; within a range of 15 km from our house, you can visit the village of Buggiano, another architectural gem, and the valley leading to the Castle of Cozzile
The second circle, between 15 and 35 kilometres
Pistoia, the Della Robbia city, has wonderful things to show, just think of the pulpit by Giovanni Pisano in the Church of St. Andrew, the pulpit by Gugliemo da Pisa in the Church of St. John Fuoricivitas, the Cathedral Square, the Sala Square with the Lion’s well, but surely, the fact of being stuck between three large cities rich in art and culture and with a leading role in history like Florence, Lucca and Pisa, makes it less eye-catching.
The Padule of Fucecchio, just beyond Montecatini, will surely stimulate your interest since the territory resembles the mouth of the Po, a rare swampy nature with spots of romantic beauty. In the Swamp live some rare species of animals. Many are the lovers of this area, where you can do long horse rides; I remember a friend of mine who had a hut there, where he spent most of the time, despite he had a beautiful villa in the center of Montecatini. You cannot miss taking a walk.
As you certainly already know, Lucca itself is a great work of art that has had passionate admirers; every corner of this city is like a painting by a famous artist thanks to its huge heritage in works of art. Name a few would do wrong to the others, therefore I will just mention the beautiful Church of St. Michael, that made a special impression on me; the bike ride around the walls, that I did several times when I was younger, along with a dear friend of mine, now deceased, and finally the amphitheater square, where I paused several times in my solitary mornings, to take a coffee and read the newspaper. On the hills surrounding Lucca there are many beautiful villas, some of which Patrician, such as Villa Mansi, available for visits, albeit at scheduled times.
Garfagnana and Abetone are 35 km from here as the crow flies; however the actual distance, driving along these winding mountain roads, ranges between 50 and 60 km. These are beautiful places too, but I need to choose in order to suggest you a schedule practicable in a reasonable time. Before leaving Pescia, you should however take a look at the Devil’s Bridge, along the road to Garfagnana, which dates back to year 1000.
The third circle, between 35 and 80 kilometres
If you go beyond the second circle, you can visit some very popular tourist areas such as Florence, Pisa and the Versilia. This circle also includes the city of Livorno, the first part of the Etruscan Coast and the city of Volterra.
Pisa is about 54 km far from Pescia and can be reached in a 45 minute-drive by the motorway. I’m afraid to talk about this city and its Piazza dei Miracoli, since you might be offended and tell me: “What do you take us for? How could we ignore the leaning tower, the cathedral, the baptistery etc, etc? I just want you to know that with a day trip, coming back home in time to take a dip in the swimming pool, you can see or see again, but surely enjoy again some of the most beautiful things in the world, in this city, where lived Galileo, the founder of modern science, who in a sense is the symbol of the Italian intelligence.
At this point maybe you are fed up with works of art and hilly landscapes and you are longing for the sea, that can be reached in a very short time. Viareggio is in fact about 50 km far from Pescia, and is reachable in a 45 minute – drive (mainly by the motorway), so you can make a day trip. Viareggio, besides the sea, has a hinterland dotted with towns; on one side Lake Massaciuccoli with Torre del Lago, that was the residence of Puccini; on the other side, along the sea, you can visit the most important places of Versilia, such as Camaiore , Pietrasanta, Forte dei Marmi. This latter location is 62 km far from Pescia.
Florence is about 60 km far from Pescia and is reachable in 1 hour – drive (by the motorway). After Rome and Venice, Florence is the third Italian city for tourist flow and takes on great importance both in the history of Italy and of the whole world. The renaissance of civilization after the Dark Ages of the Medieval un-culture had started from Florence and, more generally, from Tuscany and then, starting from the century of “Enlightenment”, has spread all over the world. In terms of tourism, of course, the most important aspect is the amazing concentration of cultural and artistic heritage, the subtle charm that comes from its stones. And I do not dare delving into the beauties of this wonderful city on the banks of the Arno river, reminding you not to miss a visit to the Uffizi Gallery (one of the most beautiful museums in the world) while you are chasing the city beauties, maybe lingering in Piazza della Signoria.
Volterra has a very special charm and what makes it so unique are Tuscany’s different realities. Built on the ruins of the Etruscan city, Volterra still well preserves the medieval city walls and its urban structure. It will be an unforgettable visit..I suggest you to visit the Etruscan museum and to observe the statuette called “Evening shadows” that, despite being ancient, looks very modern, as if it was Manzu’s work. Volterra is reachable in one hour and a half – drive and is therefore a perfect destination for a day-trip. If you reach it passing through Pontedera, therefore along the Via delle Colline per Legoli, you will encounter villages full of charm such as Palaia (with the beautiful Parish Church of St. Martin, which dates back to year 1200), Castelfalfi (with a beautiful golf course), Forcoli, Montefoscoli etc., and you will enjoy landscapes that, in my opinion, are the most beautiful in Tuscany.
The fourth circle, beyond 80 kilometres
In the light of the foregoing, you might think that if you exceed the threshold of 80 km the concentration of things to admire will decrease, but that would mean you don’t really know Tuscany. In this extraordinary region every place is worth visiting or has a story to tell. Beyond a range of 80 km you can visit Siena, 130 km far from Pescia, and the Cinque Terre, whose further town, Monterosso, is 140 km far from Pescia. And further away is the Maremma.
I realize that, in order to visit these places, the day trip would take two hours-drive to go and two hours-drive to come back, especially if you wanted to visit some of the beautiful towns in the Maremma; it would certainly be tiring, but for young and passionate people this may not be a problem.
As for the Cinque Terre coast I will just tell you that, along with the Amalfi Coast, it is considered the most beautiful Italian coast; there you will enjoy views of extraordinary beauty that have a universal appeal and to which have succumbed great figures of culture. To name just a few Shelley, Byron, Lawrence, Sem Benelli, Carducci, D’Annunzio; that’s why the Gulf of Lerici took the name of Gulf of Poets. I am sure you will never forget the walk along the path of love between Riomaggiore and Manarola, overlooking the sea, with breathtaking views, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Especially, if you did it with your love. Because beauty is  desire to merge within cosmos, is love.
Your hotelier wishes you a happy stay.