CASA EMILIA

Description:
Elisabeth Travel is an Italy-specialist, so it will not surprise you when, over and over again, we get into raptures about locations and accommodations in this country. But we have become spoilt for choice, over the years. We saw so much beautiful nature, breathtaking views and absolutely lovely furnishing already.
So when we leave aside our spoilt side of “saw that, done that, so what…” because we experienced something quite new and wonderful, then this is absolutely and honestly meant.

We went to the Emilia Romagna,lat in Autumn, to visit several accommodations. Of course, we kept to the route descriptions, and booked a hotel in the town of Faenza. The following morning, we took a secondary route to our above destination and could hardly believe our eyes. What bliss! What beauty! All those vineyards, for example. Why has this route not been described as one “which you must have driven” in all descriptions on Italy? And why, for heaven’s sake, did we not fall in love with the Emilia Romagna long ago already? Only now, we fully understood why the notorious Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI, was so intent on adding the Emilia Romagna to the Papal Estates. Live here is good!

Now, you perhaps comment, oké, we grant you this enthousiasm, but we are particularly interested in Tuscany. And right you are: Tuscany has the most beautiful art, the most beautiful cities and the most “Italian” landscapes. But the Emilia Romagna is very close-by. A day-trip to Florence can easily be done, for instance. Moreover, this region itself has quite a lot of cultural and architectonic beauty (e.g. the cities of Ravenna, Ferrara and Bologna). You can have a perfect holiday here, enjoy the beauties of Tuscany and the Emilia Romagna to your heart’s content and come back to the village of your location for a perfect meal – more often than not cheaper than in Tuscany.

We reached the estate on which this holiday home is situated via a mountain road, well taken care of, and bordered by cypresses. The house is up-high a mountain, and offers really beautiful views. The nearest village, where you can do your shopping, at about 3,5 km. from the house, is not the place where you can go for your souvenirs and you will not find posh shops – it is but small and quiet – but the restaurants put delectable dishes in front of you for very reasonable prices. Here, you will find the Palazzo Fantini with a beautiful garden to be visited, and concerts in the summer season.
On the other side of the mountain – or hill, because it’s not as high as all that – you will find the ancient, Medieval village Brisighella, with new experiences and discoveries to be enjoyed. And the drive towards it is beautiful, too!

Some more particulars about the estate: The estate is 400 ha. large and situated on the border of two regions. On the one side, the Tuscan Lutirano valley and on the other side the hills of the Emilia Romagna. The estate counts three very comfortable holiday homes, all perfectly restored, modernised with all modern comforts and situated in such a way that the one cannot see the other. The owner has been very careful to do justice to the original structure. The roofs have been renovated, but by making use of the classic clay tiles. The walls have been restored with local stone, and the shutters are new, but made like they used to be, from chestnut wood. The houses have their own swimming pool, with garden furniture. Once more: the views are spectacular and as far as Casa Emilia is concerned: from all rooms!

Casa Emilia is an old-fashioned farmer’s house with two stores, as it were. Due to the terrain, there are two “ground levels”, one a bit higher than the other. The house is adapted to all modern comforts and also the furniture is comfortable. There is a lot of space around the house, there is a pergola with garden furniture and a covered terrace next to the beautifully situated swimming pool.

The owner is an artist, who specialises in the industrial arts. Her tastes, with special and personal touches, can be felt all over. She lives, for several months of the year, in a villa on the same hilltop, yet too far to see from the Casa Emilia. Halfway the hilltop there is also the family manor, the “Villa Padronale”, which she showed us. Here she was baptised and married, buried her parents and hopes to celebrate the marriage of her children. And here she will, when her time has come, be buried, too. When you spend a holiday in these surroundings you will realise that age-old family traditions are still striving, and appreciate their charm and continuity.

Lay-out:
First ground level: Entrance with dining area, large living with fire place and French windows opening unto the garden, a simple but fully equipped kitchen with a 4-burner stove, micro-wave, oven, dish washer, coffee maker and fridge/freezer, a double bedroom with en-suite bathroom with basin, toilet, bidet and shower.
Second ground level (to be reached via a spiral staircase): 2 bedrooms with each 2 beds (upon request, and please, beforehand – the beds can be put together). One of the bedrooms has an en-suite bathroom with basin, bidet, toilet and shower. There is a separate bathroom with basin, bidet, toilet and bath. From both bedrooms, entrance to the garden. Separate laundry room with washing machine.

Facilities:
Parking space, garden, swimming pool), 2 covered terraces with garden furniture, washing machine, pizza oven outdoors, TV-sat., stove with 4 burners, oven, refrigerator/freezer, dish washer, micro-wave, coffee maker, WiFi-Internet. Mobile phone upon request (extra costs). The gardener checks the pool and the garden every day. Pool towels are available.

Possibilities for sports/excursions:
Although you have to realise this is very hilly terrain, you can make quite a lot of lovely biking tours here. There is a tennis court in the village. If you do not mind driving about 133 km, please go to Ferrara and enjoy this city. You could bike along the ancient city-walls! The wonderful and world famous museum of faience earthenware in Faenza should be visited as a matter of course. Many artists and students of the arts come here; it is quite a “must”. Of course, the big cities such as Ravenna, Florence and Bologna (o dear, the shops there…) make fantastic day-trips. And about the food in this region: you should taste it before you can agree with us: out of this world! (And, once more, you will find a better price/quality here than in the tourist-spoilt regions of Tuscany.) Try the lasagna, tortellini, the chees from Parma, the balsamico! Also the wines and olive-oils are wonderful, too. Take a trip in your car, stop where you see signs of cantina’s selling wine and/or olive oil. Go and taste. Enjoy yourself, and buy only if your taste-buds allow you to do so. Memories are made of this!

Distances: (approx. kms.)
Closest-by village with grocery shops, restaurants, post office and bank at 3,5 km, Modigliano 10, Brisighella 23, Faenza 31, Borgo San Lorenzo (in Tuscany) 56, Ravenna 69, Florence 86, Bologna 86, San Marino 99, beaches at Rimini 100, Ferrara 133.

TIP:
Take the car on a sunny, very early morning and drive the route to Brisighella; beautiful views are your reward….