La Casa Della Nonna – Monzone Alto, Tuscany, Italy

La Casa Della Nonna is nestled in the strikingly beautiful Mountain Village of Monzone Alto, Tuscany. The name is particularly fitting because it was the house of Grandma Boni,  and even though I never met her, the house, I feel, gives a reflection of what a lovely lady she was and I’m confident that she would be offering a very warm welcome to guests in her home. It really does feel like staying at Grandma’s house and there is a beautiful sense of comfort and homeliness in that and was partly the basis upon which I chose this property. In fact her close family members still live in the village, her son Giuseppe (Beppe) just on the outskirts (from whom I bought the house) and her sister in law,  Anna in the house next door on the corner. They tell me that originally the Boni family occupied all of the houses in the central part of the village.

About the house

La Casa Della Nonna is a two bedroom terraced property that will sleep 4 (one double bed, 2 camping beds)  located in the stunning village of Monzone Alto, nestled in a valley in the midst of the Tuscan Apennines, in the region of Tuscany and sub region of Lunigiana.  The house is a traditional terraced property arranged over two floors with downstairs bathroom featuring bath, sink, bidet and shower over bath, upstairs kitchen and sitting room, and a master bedroom with a double bed and two camp beds that can be placed either in the sitting room or the dressing room adjacent to the master bedroom. There is a large outdoor space that comprises a patio and long thin terraced garden, with a lovely shaded table underneath a fig tree at the end. The house is equipped with everything you will need to have a comfortable stay including a fridge, washing machine, barbecue, inflatable paddling pool, crockery, cooking equipment etc. You just need to take your own towels.

Because of a recently replaced combi boiler, the house has central heating and therefore is a viable option all year round.  There is however no air conditioning in the property although the stone construction and shutters maintain comparatively cool temperatures to the outside in the hotter summer months.

It is very important to note that the house does not have WI-Fi or a television although an array of games and books are provided and growing in their numbers. This is purposive, but also if we did add in Wi-Fi it would result in a much higher price per night, as would an end of stay cleaning fee. Our objective is to keep our prices as low and affordable as possible based upon our costs.

It is advisable that you either rent a car or drive to the property to be able to access it most easily and importantly to explore the wonderful surrounding area. it is possible to access the property via public transport, a connecting train from La Spezia or Lucca and then a 1.5 kilometer of walk up the hill from Monzone train station to the village of Monzone Alto, but anybody choosing this option should do so fully cognisant that their mobility aside from this will be limited to walking or train connections from Monzone station. 

Location

A pin using Google Maps will be shared of the precise location of the property but the location is https://maps.app.goo.gl/gDMK65BMCwrk7Lt36

It is not possible to park in front of the house, and the house is accessed via a short walk (5mins) up a steep hill. So mobility should be considered when booking this property. But the parking area is a few hundred meters away from the front door.

In the village of Monzone which is seven minutes walk there is a cafe and a restaurant hotel (Da Remo) where you could connect to Wi-Fi and Bar Ricci in Fivizzano (where I use) Is a wonderful place to base yourself if you’ve got more substantive work to do that spans beyond your mobile data hotspot tethering. They also serve the best coffee and devine pastries! A word to the wise though, if you have to log on to any video calls whilst at Bar-Ricci (or any other Italian cafe to be fair), then I would recommend noise isolating headphones as It gets quite busy and quite noisy.

In the village itself there is a mobile Grocer that arrives daily in his van selling fresh fruit and vegetables, he will sound the horn when he’s there. alternatively a very short drive or 7-10-minute walk down to the village of Monzone will give you access to a restaurant, a couple of cafes and small shops as well as a train connecting to Lucca.

The bigger towns close by of Fivizzano and Gragnola have small supermarkets and a wider range of restaurants.

The large working town of Aulla (30 mins) has a Lidl and the smaller town of Pallerone (20 mins) has a Conad store so within the surrounding areas you’re very well supplied indeed, but if there’s anything that you are looking for and don’t know where to find it please just drop me a WhatsApp + 44 7429706635.

Please follow us on instagram @faye.thebrave or You-Tube https://www.youtube.com/@faye.thebrave for lots of images and videos of what the property and surrounding areas are like.

The low price point accounts for the fact that the experience differs to that that you may experience in other holiday homes (although probably not drastically from many Air BnBs). That means that there is an expectation you’ll keep the place clean and tidy and at the end of the stay ensure that everything is clean and put away, that the sheets are stripped, put through a wash cycle and dried. If time doesn’t permit, then please get in contact and I’ll explain what to do. You will find cleaning products under the kitchen sink, and cleaning equipment and a washing machine downstairs.

Please also bring your own towels with you.