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The Estate Villa Gioli  view villa details
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In the summers of a century ago aristocrats
and academics from the ancient University of Pisa,
as well as naval officers from the nearby port of
Leghorn retreated to their patrician country residences
rising on the gentle hillsides shouldering the city
of Pisa. One of these, the Villa Gioli, was built
in the 1700's. Originally a hunting lodge, villa Gioli
acquired its present style and dimensions in the second
half of the 1800's when the brothers Francesco and
Luigi Gioli, descendants of a wealthy aristocratic
family from Pisa, whose life was dedicated to the
arts, added the tower which was to become the artists'
atelier at their country house villa in Tuscany.
The lavish gardens of Villa Gioli
offer different areas for different times of the day.
The Villa is surrounded by a generous lawn bordered by
ancient holm oaks.
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This was the golden era of Italian
impressionists, known locally as the "Macchaioli",
derived from "macchia" which means as much as dot or
stain and is a reference to the impressionistic stroke
of the brush. This powerful, though at the time
controversial, movement embraced some of the leading
painters of the day, many of whom had studied in Paris.
This was a time when artists were venturing beyond the
confines of their studios into nature and the constantly
fluctuating light and colours of the surrounding
countryside, breaking with academic traditions, seeking
new frontiers. There was a pressing urge to congregate
among fellow artists to exchange ideas and derive
strength from each |
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other's inspiration. Matilde Gioli, wife
of one of the two artist brothers, offered these striving
artists a haven. Intelligent, cultivated and well-read,
she flung open the doors of the Villa Gioli to the
most avant-garde artists, intelligentsia and writers
of the time. Among these Fattori, Lega, Signorini,
Kienerk and Cecconi came and stayed in the villa Gioli
for many a long summer. |
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The surrounding
area of Villa Gioli offers many interesting
excursions, which you will be able to alternate
with relaxing moments around the private
pool. | |
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The present owners, the
Marquis Cerrina Feroni family, are direct descendants of
the Gioli brothers. The spirit of those times has
remained to this day. The Villa Gioli, with sun pouring
in through the French windows, its pastel colours and
spacious gardens, is still a place to find fulfilment
and inspiration. The house and gardens in their bucolic
surroundings will give you a taste of some of the best
that Tuscany has to offer: art and elegance, luxury and
leisure among gently rolling hillsides. And from a more
mundane point of view: fruit and |
| vegetables from the villa Gioli garden
as well as excellent restaurants in the vicinity specialised
either in fish menus or Tuscan cuisine. There is a
small trattoria just down the road, and many more
are to be found in the country villages surrounding
the estate. |
THE SURROUNDINGS
OF VILLA GIOLI
Pisa and Livorno within a
radius of 20 minutes by car Volterra and San Gimignano
45 minutes away Lucca and Firenze both 45 minutes by car
Siena an hour's drive away
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Lucca: At forty five minutes by
car from Villa Gioli, Lucca is one of the most enchanting
towns in Tuscany. Whether you stroll along the wide
avenues cresting the top of the ancient city walls
or wander through the narrow streets punctuated by
its ninety nine churches, visit one of the richly
endowed museums or browse among the old-fashioned
little boutiques, sip a cappuccino at one of the many
traditional coffee houses and sample some of the best
ice cream in Tuscany, this is a sheer delight.
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| | The celebrated villas around Lucca: Some
of these historic villas are open to the public and a few have
internationally renowned gardens, offering an inimitable
glimpse of gracious living which has endured until the present
day.
The seashore: the nearest sea
resorts are at approximately 20 minutes from Villa Gioli.
At a 40 minute drive north are sandy beaches along the coast
of Versilia at turn of the century Viareggio and fashionable
Forte dei Marmi with their trendy bars, designer shopping
and some of the best seafood restaurants in Italy. You will
find amore natural coastline in the Maremma, which is at a
40 minute drive to the south.
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Carrara:
a visit to the nearby marble caves, still active since
the times of Michelangelo, jagged white slopes high
up in the surrounding hills is a fascinating experience,
while artists can still be seen working in the marble
workshops below.
AIRPORTS
AND TRANSPORT
The Pisa airport is at 15 kilometres, a 20 minute
drive away from Villa Gioli. The Florence airport
is at 80 kilometres, less than an hour's drive away.
The Rome international and intercontinental airport
is at a 3 and a half hour's distance from Villa Gioli. Pisa has a well-connected
train station. |
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