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- Elevated, spacious retreat
- Stunning panoramic views
- Comfortable interiors
- Simpson family extras available
- Shops/restaurants 15-minute drive
Deep in the Garfagnana Mountains, Casa al Colle resides in one of the most soul stirring, authentically Italian parts of northern Tuscany. With its gorges, forests, rivers, medieval villages and churches, the region captured the hearts of the poets Byron and Shelley – and from this elevated, spacious retreat, it’s easy to see why.
Parts of Casa al Colle date back to 1761 and over the centuries since, it’s evolved into a welcoming and extremely spacious summer home. As well as 300 olive trees, the grounds feature a swimming pool, including a handy fridge, and an outside dining area with a wood-fired pizza oven and barbecue nearby. An inner courtyard provides extra seating that’s open to the stars and the generous panoramic balconies are perfect for losing yourself in a good book.
The interior living areas, with their heavy wooden beams and light, comfortable interiors, offer ample space for a large family gathering or two families holidaying together – and the three separate entrances to the house make this an even easier arrangement. A clever sliding partition on the ground floor allows you to create an extra sleeping space and, complete with a sofabed, shower room and TV, it makes a great den for a teenager who wants to feel more independent.
Casa al Colle overlooks the 16th-century hamlet of San Romano, home to about 50 people. The villa's Swiss/Italian owner, Thomas lives in the village and is on hand to ensure that your stay here is as comfortable as possible. Roberto, who takes care of the garden and swimming pool, also lives in the village. Guests may also use the services of the housekeeper and Maura, the cook, who can conjure up not only legendary pizzas but also a whole host of delicious Tuscan specialities or teach you how to make Italian pasta (on request, payable locally). So while you enjoy the wonderful seclusion, you need never feel cut off amongst such hospitable company, and for anything else you need, there are several supermarkets a 15-minute drive away, open seven days a week.
The local area
San Romano (formerly Castello di Spulizano) doesn’t have shops or restaurants, but does host a local summer festival at the beginning of August. Barga, a 25-minute drive away is part of the ‘Cittaslow’ movement and has excellent places to eat, as well as opera and jazz festivals in the summer.
Also 25 minutes away is Bagni di Lucca, where you’ll find the spa once enjoyed by Shelley and Lord Byron, and in Borgo a Mozzano, 15 minutes away, you’ll find the Devil's Bridge (Ponte del Diavolo), a fine example of medieval architecture that, legend has it, was built by the devil himself in a night. The bustling walled city of Lucca is 45 minutes away – perfect for strolling with an ice cream – and famous Pisa and Florence are both within a two-hour drive.
There’s also plenty to do off the beaten track with the areas numerous mountain walking trails, as well as guided canyoning and climbing adventures. For stunning natural beauty, explore the area around Isola Santa up in the mountains, with its lake, caves and atmospheric abandoned villages.
Explore our pre-bookable experiences in Tuscany
Accommodation
Layout
- 5 bedroom villa (sleeps 2-10)
Ground Floor
- Formal sitting/dining room
- Informal sitting room with fireplace
- Kitchen includes hob, oven, fridge-freezer, dishwasher
- Library (with books in English)
- Master bedroom
- Twin bedroom
- Shower room
- Bedroom (no a/c) with bunk beds with en-suite shower room and washing machine. Bedroom is accessed via an interior courtyard.
- Stairs to interior gallery/balcony above the kitchen with sofa (can be locked if required)
Lower ground floor
- Sitting room with small kitchenette and access to garden
- Double bedroom
- Twin bedroom
- 2 bathrooms
- TV room with sliding door and sofabed
General
- Simpson Travel telephone representative
- Complimentary WiFi
- Air-conditioning in all bedrooms except bunk bedroom
- TV/DVD
- Outdoor dining area
- Barbecue and pizza oven
- Table tennis
- Private saltwater-filtered swimming pool 12m x 6m ( depth 1.20m – 1.60m)
- Additional mid-week light cleaning service included
- The last 200 metres leading up to the villa after the entrance gate are along a very steep and narrow road
- In Italy, a daily tourist tax applies for the first week of your stay only, which means that an average of €1.50 per person (12+ years) may be charged. This should be paid in cash to your villa or hotel owner during your stay.
- Dogs welcome by arrangement and subject to size and breed. A daily charge will apply. Please call us if you wish to take your dogs with you.
Simpson family extras
- Complimentary cot and highchair available
- Car seats and booster seats can be provided at a supplement, subject to availability
- To pre-book any of our family extras please call 020 8392 5747
WiFi
- All properties with WiFi are able to support basic functionality such as web browsing and email checking. We aim to offer an uninterrupted service but sometimes due to factors beyond our control reliability can be affected.
Access times
- Check in time – 4-8pm
- Check out time – 10am
Location
- Fornaci di Barga (shops/restaurants) 15min drive
- Borgo a Mozzano (shops/restaurants) 15min drive
- Gallicano (shop/supermarket) 15min drive
- Barga (shops/restaurants/theatre) 20min drive
- Bagni di Lucca 25min drive
- Lucca 45min drive
- Florence 1hr 45min drive
- Pisa airport 1hr 10min drive
Flights
This property is priced on an accommodation-only basis. To view details of recommended flights please click here.
Car hire
We are happy to arrange your car hire in Italy; please click here to view options and prices. All hire cars booked with us include:
- Fully inclusive insurance, with zero excess*
- Free additional driver
For further information regarding travel arrangements click here.
* For this particular destination, the undercarriage is not included in the cover.
Customer Feedback We spent a wonderful week at Casa al Colle with our family. Waking up to the beautiful and scenic views of the Tuscan landscape, having fun playing family games by the pool, enjoying peaceful breakfasts on the terrace… It was all a dream that went too fast! Visiting the historic city of Lucca was one of the highlights of our trip, as well as eating the delicious pizzas during a ‘pizza party’. To our hosts: thanks again for everything – it was all perfect!
Casa al Colle has been the centre-piece for a truly unforgettable holiday. From the first moment, we were enchanted by the beauty of the house, the pool and all the private locations around the grounds to gather for a meal, a glass of wine or just to gaze at the amazing view. We loved to cook outside on the barbecue and eat by the pool, and very much enjoyed the nights when Maura from the village came to cook for us. As predicted, her pizzas were legendary and her seafood pasta magnifica. Our concierge, Amanda, did a wonderful job with recommendations – where to eat, drink, shop; making bookings for us, organising cabs for us and even being available late at night when one of us got locked out. A visit on our final day from Thomas, the owner, for a glass of wine and a chat about the history of the villa was an unexpected treat, and rounded out our time in San Romano perfectly. Thank-you, thank-you for everything.
Thank you for welcoming us to your lovely villa and making us feel so much at home. We leave with very fond memories of a week mostly spent enjoying wonderful views and the odd glass of wine!
What a special week spent in the Tuscan hills, with its dramatic scenery, the mists hovering in the early morning, breaking into glorious sunshine for the afternoon. We return with wonderful memories of swimming, zip lining, rock pool diving and drinks by the pool to the amber glow of sunset. We hope to return soon.
Thank you Thomas for the use of your lovely house. We had a wonderful stay. Many happy hours spent in the pool escaping the heat. Great trips to Lucca and Barga.
We have had a totally brilliant 2 weeks at Casa al Colle - it really is the most perfect place. Evenings spent sitting on those beautiful balconies or by the pool, playing games and eating gorgeous Italian food will stay in our minds forever.
I loved Casa al Colle because of the relaxing pool. If you taste salt water it's because it's a salt water pool! We had so much fun with cooking pizza and pasta. I really want to come back again.
Fabulous week staying at Casa al Colle. Spectacular views, v comfortable house. Thomas was delightful, a terrific host and gave us some very helpful information. Weather was perfect all week and the air conditioning at night was heavenly. Thank you.
What a fantastic week! The views from the villa were even better than Yorkshire! We will have some wonderful memories to take home with us.
The house, the views, the pool, the nice chats and the natural ambiance of the house and the surroundings... just wow! We had wonderful evenings at the pool with pizza, shared moments by the fireplace and discovered the valley from Lucca to Castelnuevo. What a marvellous stay at Villa Colle. Lukas and friends, 2022 Staying at Casa al Colle was a real delight. A spacious villa with good grounds including salt water pool, good sized bedrooms and bathrooms and a number of spaces where one could eat both inside but mostly outside. Good BBQ and pizza oven, ability to use outside catering ladies for evening meals which were brilliant. We used the villa for a family holiday with 10 people - grandparents , our children and partners and four grandchildren. Thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Have experienced a lovely week away with all the family. Grandparents, children and grandchildren. All loved the week in what is a delightful setting. Very relaxing away from everything but near enough to shops etc. Pool was great.
We had a lovely week here with our friends. The villa was so comfortable, the pool had tremendous views. We fell in love with it all.
This house provides it all. Space, comfort, views, dining areas, the pool, seats to ponder life but best of all is the balcony at the front for my aperitif which I had each evening with my dad. Days to remember. A house full of love with our wonderful family.
We had a wonderful week celebrating our honeymoon. The views are stunning and we could not have asked for more peaceful surroundings. Thomas could not have been more welcoming – we had the opportunity to meet him a few times and he was lovely. He gave us great recommendations and went out of his way several times to gives us a hand whether it was advising on local transport or providing flour when we needed it for pizza-making! The tomatoes from his garden were delicious and made the perfect pizza sauce! We really advise using the pizza oven which was quite easy and a lot of fun! Thomas also gave us a delicious honeymoon cake which was very generous and made our stay extra special. We hope to come back and stay again some day.
We had a wonderful week celebrating our honeymoon. The views are stunning and we could not have asked for more peaceful surroundings. Thomas could not have been more welcoming – we had the opportunity to meet him a few times and he was lovely. He gave us great recommendations and went out of his way several times to gives us a hand whether it was advising on local transport or providing flour when we needed it for pizza-making! The tomatoes from his garden were delicious and made the perfect pizza sauce! We really advise using the pizza oven which was quite easy and a lot of fun! Thomas also gave us a delicious honeymoon cake which was very generous and made our stay extra special. We hope to come back and stay again someday.
Many thanks for a wonderful stay – three generations all had a fabulous time.
Many thanks for a wonderful stay – three generations all had a fabulous time.
A 2-week respite from all the madness! Beautiful, tranquil and the perfect place for relaxation and pressing the reset button. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, thank you.
A 2-week respite from all the madness! Beautiful, tranquil and the perfect place for relaxation and pressing the reset button. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, thank you.
We return again after two years – why wouldn’t you? What a perfect place to neutralise – a most strange and unusual year with Covid-19. We leave feeling totally relaxed and at peace ready to face the world again. Thomas was an excellent host and Leonardo produced some magic with his pizzas and at every meal. Veronica was forever helpful. Thank you, Thomas, for sharing your magnificent villa. We shall be back no doubt.
Thank you, Thomas, for letting us stay in your fabulous house. We had a wonderful time, perfect place to hide away in these strange Covid-19 times. Plenty of opportunities for chilling, swimming, eating, chatting, singing and tasting the local wine! We had an amazing pizza night with Leonardo and Anya – a really special evening. We made good use of the barbecue – fantastic meat from Antica Macelleria Nutini in Piano di Coreglia. We had lovely meals out and ice cream in Barga and a great day in Lucca. Thomas was a fabulous host and made sure we had everything we needed and more. Anya’s tomatoes were delicious. Thanks also to Veronica for looking after us. We wouldn’t hesitate to return to this beautiful house and area.
We booked to go to France but when the quarantine rules changed Simpson Travel was extremely helpful in finding us an alternative villa in a different country. The booking was easy and communications good. Prior to our arrival in Italy I asked Jonathan, the local representative, numerous questions about restaurants, bike hire, places to visit and activities. His replies were prompt and thoroughly researched and well informed. The villa was very impressive, well-apportioned and had a large pool with fantastic views. The local support from the owner was tentative but not intrusive. This is the perfect villa for some R&R set in a spectacular location.
Delighted with our stay. Casa al Colle is in an area of outstanding beauty. We received a very warm welcome and were very well looked after throughout our stay. We are sad to leave today.
After a week in Milan, we enjoyed our week at Casa al Colle, very relaxing and fabulous views! Two days of thunderstorms and torrential rain gave way to sunshine and blue sky for the rest of the week. Thank you for a wonderful stay!
A lovely house and pool area – with a fantastic view! We didn’t need to go anywhere – we just had a week of relaxing. Thank you Thomas, Assunta and Veronica for looking after us.
What a beautiful house, what a wonderful area to explore. We’ve had such a happy, peaceful time and were so well looked after by Assunta, Veronica and Roberto and of course Thomas. We would love to come back and will try very hard! Thank you.
Fantastic, quiet and a beautiful location – views all round. Nine adults and two young children easily accommodated and never felt cramped. Extensive gardens to enjoy. Really enjoyed the barbecue and pizza oven. Loads of wood available. Sitting on the arched balcony overlooking San Romano was magical. Veronica always available to help with any problems.
What a fantastic holiday! The villa itself is nestled in outstanding landscape, the views are magnificent and it could not be any more peaceful. From the balconies our nightly ‘wildlife watch’ entailed sightings of multiple deer, owls, eagles, buzzards, foxes and bats. Huge thank you to everyone for looking after us so well. From Veronica’s friendly smile on arrival to Roberto’s great discretion while maintaining the pool/gardens every morning – we barely knew he was there. We cannot forget Assunta and her fabulous cooking – best restaurant in town and a massive privilege to taste such authentic Italian cuisine. All in all we absolutely loved our time spent in this ‘perla nascosta’ (hidden gem).
What a fantastic two weeks we’ve had at Casa al Colle. The villa itself is nestled in an outstanding landscape, the views are magnificent and it could not be any more peaceful. From the balconies our nightly ‘wildlife watch’ entailed sightings of multiple deer, owls, eagles, buzzards, foxes and one particular bat that we took to naming ‘Bertie’. Huge thank you to Thomas, Veronica, Roberto and Assunta for looking after us so well! From Veronica’s friendly smile on arrival to Roberto’s great discretion while maintaining the pool/gardens every morning – we barely knew he was there! We cannot forget Assunta and her fabulous cooking – best restaurant in town and a massive privilege to taste to have such authentic Italian cuisine. We especially loved her lasagne and pizzas cooked in the outdoor pizza oven! We’d definitely recommend a trip to Lucca and a day or two in Siena is definitely worth the drive! We also really enjoyed some pony trekking and an afternoon in Castelnuovo was time well spent – go to the little coffee shop through the main gate – they have chocolate spoons! All in all we absolutely loved our time spent in this ‘perla nascosta’.
What a stunningly beautiful place – heaven! After a long journey with two young children we were delighted to arrive here. Long days by the pool, a trip to Lucca and Borga, plenty of wine and Assunta’s fabulous suppers is just what the doctor ordered. Both sets of grandparents came to stay and went away brown and very happy – we don’t want to leave.
What a stunningly beautiful place – heaven! Long days by the pool, a trip to Lucca and Borga, plenty of wine and Assunta’s fabulous suppers is just what the doctor ordered.
Thank you, Thomas, for such a magical week in your beautiful Casa a Colle. The weather has been amazing, picking and harvesting olives has been an amazing and memorable experience. We loved exploring Barga. Assunta and Patties cooking was delicious. We even managed a few dips in your beautiful pool. We will be heading home very happy and with some wonderful memories. Thank you to veronica and Roberto also – delighted to be heading home with some of the first press. Many Thanks.
Had a lovely time – It’s a truly special place, so tranquil, beautiful long distance views and gorgeous sunsets. Especially loved the wide selection of well thought places to appreciate the beautiful surroundings. Loved the original features of the house and homely touches. Can’t recommend Lucca highly enough for a day trip. We’re very sad to be leaving such a wonderful place.
Wow! What a stunning place. Loved everything about the house. The pool, the terraces and all the nooks to explore. Thank you, Thomas, for keeping an eye on us and Assunta & Simone for the pizzas and Tuscan dinner. Florence was beautiful, Lucca was a gem and just being at Casa al Colle was the best bit by far. Thank you!
After a cancelled flight and a very long drive from London, we made it to this beautiful location. Lovely days by the pool, trips to Lucca, Pisa and Florence. Recommend Marameo (thank you Thomas!) and Assunta’s pizza. Eagles, deer and baby fox – sad to be leaving for home already.
Casa al Colle was rented for 10 friends and it was perfect. Everything was catered for and cooking facilities were excellent in the kitchen as well as the outside barbecue, pizza oven and fridge-freezer by the pool. There is plenty of room in the villa and there are breath-taking views from every window and balcony. The gardens are very well maintained, as is the pool. The fireflies which lit up the night time sky were a dream come true. We were also blown away the hospitality of Thomas, the villa owner.
Thank you so much for an amazing two weeks! The house and surrounding country are so beautiful, we never got tired of waking up to the wonderful view. If you are reading this and you have toddlers, we highly recommend a day in Lucca – hire a bike and cycle around, there are a couple of playgrounds and plenty of places for ice-cream. Also, lots of wild strawberries around of you are up for some foraging – along the drive and by the pool are good places to start. Plus, mint and oregano along the footpaths. A wonderful holiday and we will be coming back!
We have had a thoroughly enjoyable week in this wonderful villa with its spectacular scenery. We enjoyed the pool and table tennis. Pizza and lasagne evenings by the pool provided by Assunta was well worth it. Well worth a hiring bikes in Lucca and we all had a fun filled evening at Fattoria al Dotto. Casa al Colle Villa itself is fun to explore – there are many places to sit and marvel at the Vista! I am sure we will be back again!
Perfect Villa, perfect hosts, thank you for your hospitality. This was our first trip to Tuscany and it exceeded all our expectations!
Thank you so much for providing a wonderful place for a much-needed family get together. Despite the rainy weather, we had a lovely stay and enjoyed exploring the area around San Romano, Lucca and Florence. We loved the scrabble, pick – up sticks and table tennis tournaments, as well as relaxing by the pool on the beautiful sunny days. We are all heading home very relaxed and very well fed! We thoroughly recommend Assunta’s cooking.
A delightful week for two families in this lovely house. The pool has been much enjoyed by all but the wonderful surroundings have inspired at every turn. Thank you.
Had a wonderful time in the 30-degree Tuscan sunshine. Had delicious ice-cream in Barga high street, only €1 each! Took a day out in Lucca. San Romano Village Hall was a great find, very cold beer, table football and lovely bar lady. Thanks for a beautiful stay.
Set in the most spectacular of locations, this villa really is a little gem. Temperatures had soared into the 40s during our stay so the first few days were spent by the beautiful pool. This was rather on the cold side as not heated but certainly did the job of cooling us down. After much internet research the males in our group absolutely perfected the use of the pizza oven, which is a wonderful feature of the property. You couldn't eat dinner in a nicer location. Air conditioning in bedrooms is very effective and a life saver for us in the heat. The beds were exceptionally comfortable – very supportive – as were the sunbeds by the pool. In fact they really were in a league of their own – very light to move, but very strong, supportive and had overhead shades – just perfect. Loads of wild life including wild boar, deer, lizards, golden eagle. A day trip to Pisa was well worth doing. Overall a wonderful holiday with lots of memories. Thanks.
Sadly, heading home after a glorious week at Casa al Colle. We loved the pool and spent many hours playing and just enjoying the amazing views. The pizza oven is a must and Assunta and Pattie’s pizzas should not be missed. We recommend a day trip to Lucca and Pietrasanta. Look (and listen) out for Giovanni the ghiro. Our thanks to Veronica, Roberto and Assunta for their kind attentions and help during our stay at this lovely house.
Just heading home after a wonderful stay at Casa al Colle. What a stunning and quiet place. Our highlights included the pizza oven, which makes amazing pizza. You just need to stack it up with wood and let it heat for around 90 minutes and then go! The ice-cream shop on the outskirts of Bagni di Lucca is a must and lastly, Pietrasanta which is quiet and quaint. It is lovely for a leisurely walk and some lunch. Thanks to Veronica and Roberto for helping out around the house.
A lovely peaceful stay with the excitement (we think) of seeing a pair of Golden eagle’s hunting along the valley. A much needed rest after sightseeing in Florence and Lucca (do not miss!).
Perfect week in every way from the tranquil, beautiful surrounding, the gorgeous sunshine, the stunning Italian countryside and the delicious food and wine. We loved nearby Barga where we ate at Caffe Capaetz and L’Osteria, both of which were superb. We had lots of fun using the pool and barbeque and were very impressed with our pizzas which we cooked in the pizza oven. We were very well looked after by Roberto and his family who provided a fantastic service and loved Casa al Colle and hope to be able to return in the not too distant future.
Our choice of Italian properties is diverse, ranging from simple charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal.
To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.
* For further clarification on Facilities and Amenities, please view the 'Details' tab for each property or speak to one of our experienced sales consultants.
From the moment you arrive in Tuscany, you are invited to share in its grand passions and indulgent pleasures – world-famous wine, mouth-watering food and epic histories. Each of Tuscany’s ten provinces has its own unique personality, but wherever you stay, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a verdant patchwork of olive groves, cypress trees and vineyards. From the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence, to the narrow streets of hilltop San Gimignano, Tuscany makes for a stunning escape.
To complete the picture, explore our collection of handpicked villas and charming apartments.
Explore our pre-bookable experiences in Tuscany
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