Area
Tuscany needs little introduction. Cradle of the Italian Renaissance and home to some of the most inspiring landscapes, architecture, art, recipes and wines on Earth, it has become one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. Tourists and culture aficionados pour in from Europe, the USA, South America, Japan, Australia and, more recently, Russia and China.
While the region’s world-famous cities pull the crowds with their monuments and museums, the countryside enjoys burgeoning interest. Guests are keen not only to visit Tuscany’s exquisite views and villages, savouring local produce and hospitality, but also to stay in an environment away from the hectic heat, bustle and expense of the medieval cities, now affected by the trappings of modern life.
Villa San Rocco offers the perfect setting from which to explore. The historic walled city of Lucca and nearby Pisa (with its recently upgraded international airport) are a 25-minute drive; Florence is little over an hour, and Siena lies barely an hour beyond that. To the west, the coast is half an hour, and the idyllic villages and beaches of Cinque Terre lie 50km further on. In winter, the ski resort of Abetone is under an hour’s drive to the north.
The village of Benabbio is itself of late undergoing a renaissance. Situated amidst wooded hills with stunning views over Bagni di Lucca (literally “The Baths of Lucca” – its bubbling hot springs once hosted poets Byron, Shelley and Keats and are still in use today) the village has recently witnessed a resurgence of foreign interest. At one time, the region was host to generations of ‘Grand Tourists’, who came from England and other parts of Europe to “take the air” and steep themselves in the rich culture. In Medieval times, it was on the pilgrim trail from Canterbury to Rome, and from Rome to Santiago in Spain (hence the association with San Rocco – more to follow…).
Now it appears another cycle has begun. Already there are several holiday lets in the village. Since the start of renovations on Villa San Rocco, two restaurants have opened – one in the village square opposite the church, and a pizzeria, just down the road from the house itself. It may be that merely seeing scaffolding around the villa, itself long an emblem of the village’s prosperity and for so many years forlorn, has helped inspire the mood. Indeed, the local community has been immensely supportive and friendly during reconstruction to date, and Benabbio’s inhabitants will continue to play a vital role in the villa’s future.
