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Club Pini was originally built as
the elegant sea side villa of turn of the century artist
Galileo Chini. Today it has been transformed into an
elegant small hotel, two blocks from the beach and surrounded
by a luscious mature garden.
 Versilia
is a part of Tuscany that Europeans have known and loved
for decades. Unlike the Chianti, Florence and Siena,
which tempt the visitor to rush from one renowned artistic
treasure to another, this coastal region invites you
to slow down and relax. Those who love it dream of it
on dreary northern days, feeling the warm breezes as
they waft through the pine forests, picturing the sun-drenched
Liberty-style villas and hearing the lazy buzz of crickets.
Versilia is a uniquely European type of resort area,
a tranquil combination of beauty, culture, history,
nature and great food that has been the beloved retreat
of many fine artists beginning with maestro Giacomo
Puccini, who built a home you can still visit today
in nearby Torre del Lago.
Another artist who made his home
here was Galileo Chini. You may never have heard of
this Florentine, nor seen any of his works, but you
have witnessed the effects of his talent all over the
country. In the early part of this century,  Chini was
largely responsible for introducing the art nouveau
style into Italy (where it is usually referred to as
"Liberty"). He
founded a ceramics factory that created colourful objects
which soon made their way into thousands of homes, he
painted canvases that were hung in museums ranging from
the Uffizi to Rome's Modern Art Gallery, and he designed
sets for his close friend Puccini. Chini's stage designs
for Turandot are the epitome of the Liberty style; perhaps
because of them he was asked to fresco the Royal Palace
of the King of Siam. Chini lived in the Orient for two
years. When he returned to Italy he built a vacation
retreat in Versilia and called it Villa Chini. Its large
sunny rooms, delightful ornamentation and century-old
park were the height of luxury.
ACCOMMODATION: Today the estate is a charming small
hotel where guests return faithfully year after year
to enjoy warm family-type hospitality. Many of Chini's
paintings, frescoes and decorations, such as a colorful
stained-glass fruit basket, are displayed throughout
the common rooms where guests can  congregate in several
sitting areas. His furniture and personal belongings
are everywhere, including in the simple guest rooms,
all of which have private bathroom, telephone and television.
Some also have balconies overlooking the spectacular
garden, whose towering trees and profuse sweet-smelling
flowers make it a tranquil oasis completely protected
from the bustling seaside resort town of Lido di Camaiore.
At Charming Hotel Club I Pini, each
day starts with a hearty buffet breakfast. Afterwards,
you can stroll a short 200 yards to the broad sandy
beach, which stretches for miles in each direction.
Italian beaches come with lounges and umbrellas for
hire. Club I Pini has a deal with the beach concession
closest to the hotel, where guests can get a discount.
Or you might take a pleasant hike through the pine forests
that line the shore.
If you're ready to travel farther
a field, jump in the car and drive inland to the Apuan
Alps (a breathtaking spectacle few people know about)
or the  Garfagnana Mountains (one of the last remaining
off-the-beaten-path parts of Tuscany). Or drive less
than an hour south to the quasi-deserted, pristine nature
reserve beaches between Castiglioncello and Punta Ala.
Also within an hour's drive are Lucca, the Cinqueterre
and the marble quarries of Carrara. If you're here in
the summer, be sure to take in an outdoor opera performance
at the home of Giacomo Puccini. Or stop in at a night
club, discotheque or cocktail lounge in the neighbourhood.
Please note that Club i Pini has full
internet acsess for it's guests.
LOCATION: Club Pini is at the Sea side near to Lucca,
Pisa, Cinque Terra and Carerra as well as with easy
reach of most important Tuscan places of interest. The
nearest airport is Pisa (25 minutes by car). Florence
airport is one hour and Rome airport about 4 hours.
 OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE
NEAR BY: Tennis, golf, the beach, horse riding,
bike riding, hiking, wine tasting, fabulous dining,
thermal spas, designer out let shopping, Etruscan ruins
and Renaissance and medieval art and architecture.
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