A living being leads to a new life!
Villa Rosita
Santa Maria a Monte
Toscana
Hospitality - Art - Inspiration - Room for peace of mind - Good conversations
In the middle of the corona pandemic in the spring of 2020, we decided that we wanted to move to Italy to spend our retirement here. Perhaps not the best time to come up with such an idea, but sometimes life takes directions you can't dream of.
We scanned the web for properties, primarily focusing on the Liguria coast even though we were actually dreaming of Tuscany. After a lot of looking and a couple of prospects that almost made it, we shelved the whole thing. We enjoyed the summer in Norway as much as we could. We enjoyed our new greenhouse and had an art exhibition in Per's garden. Autumn came, the days got darker and the desire to travel came knocking on the door again.
Then one evening we found it - our dream house!
Villa Rosita - in Tuscany, near the small village of Santa Maria a Monte. The name alone convinced us. And the price was completely affordable, with a location that suited us perfectly. Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Livorno, the beach and white mountains can all be reached in less than an hour by car. The train stops in Pontedera, 10 minutes away. We can take a morning walk, with the dogs, Killa and Snow, to the village for a coffee. Although we always take the coffee on the terrace and enjoy the view instead.
Just the way it should be.
Now you can join the journey too!
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Fancy a lazy holiday in Italy?
Villa Rosita is located close to the old medieval town of Santa Maria a Monte.
Here you're in the middle of the Tuscan countryside while avoiding mass tourism. Prices are lower, the pulse slows down and you can choose whether you want to take a bike ride in the surrounding area or rent a car and visit Villa Rosita, Pisa, Lucca, Livorno, Florence or the sea.
We have partnered with English-speaking Isabella and Giorgio who run Casale i Lecci, a B&B 7 minutes away from us. The beautiful house consists of 3 apartments, all with 1 double bed and 2 single beds, kitchen, bathroom and living room. The house is set in a lush garden with a swimming pool, barbecue, seating, tall trees that provide shade on hot days and you can borrow a bike for free. If you're attending a course with us, this is where you can stay if you don't choose to find your own accommodation.
If you book via their website, you'll get the best prices and if you say you're a friend of ours at Villa Rosita, you'll also get a 10% discount on your stay. Read more here about Casale i Lecci
If, on the other hand, you'd like to stay closer to a big city, at a vineyard or by the sea, you can check out the website of our good friend and neighbor, Karine, who arranges holiday homes via the website Sitoscana
Now we're also sharing some of our favorite hotels on a separate page - take a look here