Our beautiful stone house in Vergemoli is set in 10,000 square metres of land in a national park in the Garfagnana, the magnificent mountains near Lucca and Bagni di Lucca in northern Tuscany.
The house sits alone on a terraced hillside overlooking Vergemoli. We hear nothing but the sounds of birds. Lie in the sun on the terrace, cook a barbecue, walk along the woodcutters track or down to the village to chat to the locals.
Vergemoli is an ancient village. The road to Vergemoli was only completed in the 1960s. Prior to that it I was reachable via a track up the mountain from Gallicano in the valley below.
Afternoon tea at Casa Debbio.
The views from the house are wonderful in any season.
We bought a ruin which was too far gone to repair, so the original house was demolished and the new one was begun in March 2011. We are delighted with the results.
The large pines that were in front of the house are now gone and we have added a pergola at the front of the house. We are hoping wisteria will cover it in a year or 2.
On the ground floor is the large kitchen and living room.
On the first floor is a study, toilet and the main bedroom and ensuite.
On the top floor are 2 more bedrooms, each with an ensuite.
Work on the garden is an on going project. The property was originally a working farm and the terraced land has fig, walnut, chestnut, olive and fruit trees and we have planted lots more. There are more than 300 lavender plants, 60 peonies, roses, hydrangeas, wisteria and much more.
We have a great barbecue and a vegetable garden with tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries and herbs beside the house. The photo below was taken a few years ago when the first grass began to grow.
We have a mountain spring which supplies water to the house, and feeds the frog fountain.
There are hundreds of beautiful villages in the area to explore, many with excellent restaurants where you can enjoy fresh, local food, and discover some wonderful local festivals.
If you click here you can see the house in its original state and the building progress. Look in the Casa Debbio category on the blog to see all the posts about the house.
Here are some more views from the house. The view changes constantly and is spectacular in any season.
