Villa Gonzola Tuscany

Visconti is a large Tuscany Villa built in the local stone, overgrown with rambling roses, honeysuckle and ivy, and is surrounded by a garden where Mediterranean aromatic plants such as rosemary, sage, lavender and thyme flourish. The pool is set against a backdrop of the typical Siena clay hillocks; wild rose and broom bushes growing in the garden blend into the surrounding countryside.

On one side of the house lies the pool house, which also contains a garden kitchen for outdoor meals. A pergola covered in vines and wisteria provides shade over a large table.

The main living quarters are on the first floor, which is reached by an external staircase leading into a large living room with an open fireplace. The walls have been lime-washed in a sunny light shade. The adjacent kitchen has a typically Tuscan kitchen range and hood, with a fireplace at the same level to make cooking over the fire easier. The walls have been painted a stunning blue lime wash, in the characteristic style of old kitchens in peasant farms, as blue was supposed to keep the flies away in the summer.

The cow-shed on the ground floor has been converted into a large summer room which looks out onto the garden. A double room with 2 original antique beds and its en-suite bathroom are also on the ground floor.