Stylish contemporary beach house on the Tuscan coast

OVERVIEW Villa Le Palme

The sea and sun are reflected throughout this bright and airy beach house a short walk from a stunning beach of the Maremma coast. When you’re not on the beach, you can soak up the sun on the villa’s rooftop terrace or relax in its wonderful outdoor living areas.

Located on an aristocratic estate bordering the coastline and within the world-famous Bolgheri wine appellation, the villa is surrounded by a Mediterranean cactus garden, a manicured lawn and a large pine grove. The central open plan living and dining room echos its natural setting, decorated in various shades of blue and hints of oranges and reds. Beyond the inviting seating area with a fireplace is the kitchen and marble island where guests can sit for breakfast or a snack. French doors lead directly onto the villa’s main terrace.

The four bedrooms, two ensuite doubles and two twins with their own shower rooms, are found on each side of the living room. Their white walls are juxtaposed with sections of color and include contemporary floral prints and details. The bedrooms also have large wardrobes and direct access onto the terraces.

The three terraces beckons at all times of day, whether it’s for a sunny breakfast on the open patio, a refreshing aperitivo or dinner on the covered terrace or an afternoon of taking in the sun on the gorgeous rooftop terrace with a serene view over the pines. The pristine beach is reachable via the property’s private path through the pine grove. Here guests have access to their own private cabana, parasol, towels and sunbeds.

The Villa Le Palme shares the same tree-lined driveway as the Villa La Loggia, which is located nearby although privacy is maintained by bushes and trees.

Amenities and services

Floorplan of the villa

Ground Floor

Open-plan Living, Dining and Kitchen

2 Doubles (king-size beds), each with en suite bathroom (shower)

2 Twins, each with en suite bathroom (shower)

Three Terraces

Garden :

The garden has a unique cactus garden and lawn. There is also a barbecue and outdoor furniture. The beach with a private cabana, sunbeds and parasol are a short walk from the villa.

ESTATE: Tombolino Bolgheri

The Tombolino estate is the summer residence of a well known Florentine aristocratic family. This marvellous stretch of land which runs along the famous Maremma coastline lies 1 hour south of Pisa very close to the famous village of Bolgheri which The New York Times ranked 11th out of 44 places to go in 2009.

This is what the New York Times wrote: „Four words: George Clooney was here. The Italian coast of Maremma, a raw landscape of pebbled beaches in southern Tuscany, has, for some years, been the summer playground of Italian and English aristocrats. But now the beau monde is all abuzz about Mr. Clooney’s visit; he rented the 16th-century Montepergoli villa in the village of Bolgheri. And Bulgari is reportedly looking at the coastline for a resort. A clubby waterfront bar in San Vincenzo, or the two Michelin-star restaurant next door, Gambero Rosso, which the estimable food critic of Le Figaro, François Simon, once called his favorite restaurant in the world.“

The estate is made up of the main Villa, a separate apartment in the Villa, and two small houses, with their own private garden.

The villa and the houses have their own access to the beach which is reached by a path leading through e beautiful pineta (umbrella pine-tree wood). Guests are given their private key to the beach.

ACTIVITIES

• Beaches: The coast between Livorno and Piombino is a succession of famous resorts and well-maintained clean beaches, many of which have been awarded Europe’s Blue Flag various times.
• It is here that Bolgheri DOC wines are produced – world-class wines such as Sassicaia, Guado al Tasso and Ornellaia as well as numerous others of the highest quality. This “Eldorado of Italian wine” as it has been called, is the result of nature’s generosity, the climate and the talent of its wine makers. Bolgheri has become one of the most interesting and gifted areas in the whole universe of wine thanks to some illuminated personages, among such as Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, the oenologist Giacomo Tachis and the Marchesi Piero and Lodovico Antinori. The experimental use of “international” grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and the constant research for innovation and quality has attracted the interest and support of the best world wine critics such as Veronelli, Marvin Shenker and well know national and international wine producers.
• Massa Marittima. Here, in one of Etruria’s oldest and most prosperous communities, the same minerals that were extracted 2,500 years ago are still being mined. The first miner’s code in Europe was drawn up here in 1310. Three years earlier, the graceful Romanesque-Gothic cathedral was completed. Decorated with three orders of arches and slender columns supported by lion-headed capitals, it stands on a steep flight of stairs above the square that contains Massa’s medieval buildings, an architectural grouping characteristic of 13th-century Tuscan cities: the travertine Palazzo Pretoria of 1230 with its escutcheons of former mayors, the Palazzo Communale, formed of three crenelated tower-houses and decorated with frescoes, among them a Lorenzetti Madonna.
• An excellent Spa – The Tombolo Talasso Resort belonging to the Antinori family – lies in the next village.
• Castagneto Carducci: An enchanting medieval village built around the Gherardesca Castle. In 1907 the name of this municipality was changed in honour of poet Giosuè Carducci who spent a year here with his family. The medieval castle has been enriched in time and offers stunning views of the valley. Each spring Castagneto is the venue for a major gourmet festival which attracts enthusiasts from all over Italy.
• The Parks of the Val di Cornia: The parks stretch along the coastal strip opposite the Island of Elba. The various archaeological and natural sites of the Parks make this area an interesting alternative to the traditional tourist destinations: a place where nature and archaeology converge to let you discover the charm of the “Toscana Minore”. More information on www.parchivaldicornia.it
• Everyone knows the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but the city of Pisa is not just the Tower, nor the marvellous Piazza dei Miracoli . Some of the less-visited attractions include one of Pisa’s oldest churches, San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno located in the middle of a magnificent garden by the river Arno. The Sinopias Museum with its magnificent collection of fresco sketches.  Don’t miss a walk  on Le Piagge, a tree-lined boulevard running along the river , beginning at Ponte della Vittoria and ending at Ponte delle Bocchette.  It is very popular among the locals, Le Piagge makes for a nice off-the-beaten-path walk in Pisa, and a perfect way to discover Pisa away from the crowds of the main sites. More information on www.pisaunicaterra.it

RATES

GUEST REVIEWS, Villa Le Palme, Tombolino Bolgheri

LOCATION

Unspoilt beaches fringed with dunes are backed by hillsides covered in Mediterranean scrub and olive groves, crested by charming hill-top villages. The reclaimed flatlands where cattle used to roam herded by the local cowboys have today largely been given over to well-husbanded vineyards yielding some of the most prestigious vintages in Italy (Sassicaia, Ornellaia).