Sweet house with a magnificent terrace, restored to retain all the rustic charm, in the little village of Taponecco in the Lunigiana hills of northern Tuscany.

The house is approached with a short walk from the village parking, through the beautiful, pedestrian cobbled village lane, passing under stone arches, alongside the village water fountain and twisting up to the house. The front door opens into a large living room, with feature fireplace and with exposed stone walls and wooden beamed ceiling. A couple of steps down to the lovely little kitchen, with original marble sink. All on this one level are also two good double bedrooms, a modern bathroom with shower and washing machine. There is a wonderful, sociable terrace with open countryside views. The railings on the terrace will need to be replaced.

With an old wooden door forming a separate entrance is a cantina (store room) below the house.

In very good order throughout, this is a lovely house to revel in the slow pace of rural village life, but it is also very accessible and is a perfect 'pied a terre' to serve as a gateway to all the art, architecture and culture of Tuscany. Lucca is an hour away, Florence about an hour and a half and the airport run is an easy zip on the autostrada, to Pisa in just over an hour. The stunning Ligurian coastline is perfect for a day and can easily be reached in 40 mins or so.

Comano is at the head of the Taverone valley with a backdrop of the breathtaking Apennine Mountains. There are many walking trails leading from Comano and the surrounding villages to the hills. The town which is surrounded by the farming community hosts an annual horse festival in the summer and offers a good selection of shops, restaurants and sport facilities. Just down the Taverone valley is Licciana Nardi, a town with a 13th century pedestrian street flanked with local shops. Central in the town is the Piazza del Municipio which hosts the 16th century Malaspina castle and many festivals such as the Chestnut Festival in the autumn. There are also a bank, schools, restaurants and medical facilities. The nearby village of Monti has a castle on the hill above and offers a good selection of amenities. Lunigiana is a magical part of Tuscany. The hills which encircle Lunigiana create an intimate and relaxed atmosphere whilst the blend of the mountains and sea are extremely inviting to those who enjoy the outdoors. The rolling landscape is liberally sprinkled with castles of Medici or Malaspina vintage and for lovers of the coast the sea is only half-an-hours drive away. The golden sandy beaches around Lerici and the pebble coves of the Cinque Terre (UNESCO World Heritage Site) are ideal for swimming and sailing. The area is criss-crossed with marked footpaths for walks to the hills and mountains. The airports of Pisa, Parma and Genova are all just over an hour away.

Distances : Licciana Nardi 5 km, Aulla (autostrada, supermarkets) 12 km, Beaches 35 km, Pisa (airport) 90 km, Lucca 90 km, Florence 150 km.