761Villa, farmhouse, garage, chapel & grounds, Castiglione, Lucca.

Property description

Period villa, large farm house with balconies, outbuilding, private chapel and 10’000m2 of walled gardens.

The property was built in the late 1800s by a shipping magnet on the outskirts of the then noble hamlet of Pian di Cereto, in the Garfagnana, Lucca.

The property has the original gates with the original marble plaque ‘Villa Isabella’. The path leads down to a paved courtyard directly in front of the main entrance.

A villa consists of 1’300m2 of usable space set on 4 levels.

Ground floor; very large central reception room with frescoed ceilings, 2 studies, kitchen, former kitchen used as dining room, lounge and a bedroom.

First floor; this level has a central frescoed ballroom with balcony overlooking the courtyard. At present there are 6 spacious bedrooms, walk-in-wardrobe, two bathrooms, lounge area and theatrical staircase that leads onto an ornate balcony with glorious views of the valley beyond.

Loft / attic spaces. The staircase concludes with at the attic. Here we find pleasing spaces with characteristic chestnut beams and terracotta. This area has has been used as to store a collection of theatrical clothing.

Cellars; again the staircase leads directly to with access directly into this very large almost open-plan space is where wine was made and stored. There is access to the gardens.

On the same level as the cellars but with separate access is a room with original bread oven most probably served as a bakery for the estate.

The grounds; there are gardens and courtyard at the front of the villa and larger gardens at the rear of the property a total of cerca 10’000 m2 of walled grounds. At the movement the present owner keeps horses and ponies in the land that in the past served as vegetable gardens.

Private chapel; This building located on the edge of the grounds, this was used for daily prayer and Sunday mass, the space consists of a space chapel and an area where a priest would lodge.

Outbuilding; there is a ‘Limonaia’ this is a structure set on 2 levels, part of the ground floor was used to house lemon trees in the winter months and above was storage space. In the past a carriage was housed here.

Farm House; this very large building, situated near the villa, has its own independent access to the grounds and served as servants quarters. The structure, with its very pleasing balconies over looking the grounds, is now in a state of dis-repair . The building has a footprint as large as the villa its self. The potential is truly great!