My husband and I are both Italians, but we spent half of our lives in London. Although we speak Italian, the locals call us "the inglesi", and since we moved to Zurich, "the svizzeri". We were both professionals in the City, but grew tired of the fast-paced rythm of life and were looking for a place to relax, unwind and show our children what it was like to live in the countryside.
We have found in our house the ideal combination: it is countryside, but very close to the sea and the mountains, quiet but still close enough to a city if you get nostalgic. We love going there, and listen to the local people talking about porcini mushrooms and grapes. The children love it too, they are always out exploring, and in summer spend the entire day in the pool.

We bought the house in 2003 when the only thing still standing were the external walls. It laid empty and abandoned for more than fifty years and it showed ! But the view was magnificent and the area so lovely, we just took the plunge. And every time we go there, we know why we did it: the space, the light, the food, everything is telling you to relax and enjoy. We lived for many years in London, and we loved coming here, it was a chance to get away from the stress and the concrete of a big city. Here you wake up and there are pheasants roaming the fields, and a family of roe deer living in the bush by the river.
You can chill by the pool and look at the spectacular Apuan Alps, and in the evening have a barbecue or go looking for the excellent local cuisine.
This year we have added the first floor of the stable that faces the main house. With this addition we can now hosts three families. The stable, located in front of the pool, has beautiful views of the Apuan Alps and the nearby fields

The house is easily accessible from the motorway, and the road does not have many sharp turns, a godsend since one of our children suffers from car sickness.
There are a few houses on the north side, but all are at least 200 yrds away, and we fenced and put bushes to create more privacy. On the south side you see the local village in the distance and above that the Apuan Alps. The property has 38,000sq.m of its own land, so you feel you have privacy without being too isolated. The main house has all the features of a lived in house, with a fully equipped kitchen, a library and a piano on the first floor