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A gorgeous Tuscan dream, this villa
is pretty near perfect in our opinion.
 Villa
Casa Rossa stands on the top of a hill at the end of
a tree-lined road. The newly restored villa was used
in the past as a stable and then as the farm managers
house. Today it is called “La Casa Rossa”
or the red house because of it’s very beautiful
red plaster work. It is located next to the big house
which is a grand and nobile Medici Hunting Villa. Today
the owners live there. Whilst being very respectful
of your privacy, if desired, they can also be informative
and charming hosts, providing a wealth of local information.
The original owners were the Count
Bardi Family. Historians think that the architect Buontalenti
projected and built the villa on ancient ruins. There
are many very suggestive old stories about the Bardi
Family: some legends tell of ghosts wandering in the
villa and riding white horses in the countryside around,
especially in winter time with the snow. You will have
a view of the exciting, imposing Villa from the beautiful
glass kitchen glass door of the Red House every day.
 The estate is a farm of 300 hectares
located on the southern hills of Pisa in the Volterra
area. The owner raise cattle and horses, and grows cereal
and hay.The
surrounding landscape is gently rolling hills carpeted
with verdant fields between wooded areas where the livestock
grazes wild and in winter time hunters with their hunting
dogs go shooting pheasants and grey partridge. On the
ridges cypress lines delineate the borders of the property.
Many old olive trees are cultivated
in the traditional way and the owners pay particular
attention to produce the best possible quality 100%
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. On the top of a hill there is
a landing strip as the owner likes to fly and has a
small airplane (a P-92 for 2 pax). If you have the courage
to fly with him it is a splendid way to admire the beauty
and variety of the region. Guests with their own private
planes are also welcome.
 ACCOMODATION: The
210 m² (about 2,260 sq ft) villa has 2 floors:
On the ground floor, at the entrance, you will find
a sunny veranda, with a small dining table. To the left
is a double sitting room-study with a fireplace, satellite
television, sprawling sofas, a library well stocked
with books and magazines, a DVD player and Persian carpets.
To
your right is a large, beautiful eat-in kitchen very
well equipped with dishwasher, oven, microwave, toaster,
mixer, American coffee machine etc. This is a kitchen
for serious cooks and toast makers alike and opens directly
on to the out door eating area that is shaded by a pergola
and has a BBQ.
Next to the kitchen there is the laundry,
with a washing machine, tumble dryer and an iron. There
is also a big bathroom with a bath tub.
 Upstairs you will find 4 beautiful
bed rooms that can either be made up as twin or double.
The largest bedroom has a sofa which can be used as
a third bed.
There are 2 bathrooms, each with a
large walk in shower. Everything in the house is very
functional (there is even a central vacuum) but at the
same time Vicky and Giovanni (the owners) have done
a painstaking job, furnishing the house with beautiful
art and antiques. It has also been carefully made child
friendly.
From the roof, which is a terrace,
you will be delighted with the very beautiful sight
of the surrounding hills, some topped with ancient villages.Volterra
is the most impressive. Here there is even a telescope
and at night you will be able to admire the beautiful
starry skies, unpolluted by the lights of big cities.
All bathrooms have shoe closets in
them.  There is a hair dryer on each floor.
All bedrooms have ceiling fans which
due to the elevation (about 180,000 m or 590,551 ft
above sea level) and thick walls of the villa are sufficient
to keep you cool in all but the most appalling heat
waves. All bedrooms have a phone line with normal internet
access. If a faster line is required the owner will
let you use the ISDN line at the main villa.
THE GARDEN AND SURROUNDING
ENVIRONMENT: The gardens and grounds around
the villa are beautiful. The pool has the most amazing
views and a black interior which creates very beautiful
reflections. It is 5m x 10 m (about 16 1/2 x 33 ft).
The owners are avid hunters and would
love to have you accompany them during the season which
is in winter. In the spring and summer time there is
a clay pigeon shooting range which operates on Saturdays
and Sundays.
The
property produces its own olive oil and its own vegetables
during the spring and  summer, the produce is available
to guests. You can also rent one of the 4 mountain bikes
available.
LOCATION: Nearby
you can find shops, banks, a post office, supermarkets
and so on. The villa is located between four of the
main art cities of Tuscany (Florence, which is only
½ an hour by train, Pisa, Lucca, Siena). You
are also near to historical small towns and villages
like S.Gimignano and Volterra. In Castelfalfi, a little
village in the adjacent hill (5 Km) there is a beautiful
golf club with 18 holes and a tennis court.
The nearest airport is Pisa (about
45 minutes by car). Florence airport is about one hour
and Rome 3 hours by car.
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