Tuscan life magazine

Informations and activities offered daily in Villa Daniela Grossi and Villa La Volpe

www.villadanielagrossi.it - www.villalavolpe.it

www.tuscanlife.net

Welcome to

YOUR HOME away from HOME

This reference book is intended to give you useful information on the villas and it’s surrounding area.

Should you require assistance or service at any time, please don’t hesitate to contact your Villa Host.

Summary Breakfast in villa Light lunch Dinner served or buffet Cooking classes Day tours Kitchen and Culture week program Wine and oil tasting Birthday celebrations Anniversary celebrations Musical entertainment Weddings and elopements Bicycle tours Horse riding tours Bicycle rentals

Get the most out of your stay here www.tuscanlife.net

Welcome To really get to know Italy, and Tuscany in particular, one needs to experience it, not just visit it.This magical land sometimes likes to display itself in all its glory, while at other times it keeps its attractions concealed.

There is only one way to really experience Italy, and that is to explore it with those who know it best.

And that is where we come in handy: to make you live the best possible experience on your stay here at Villa Daniela Grossi and Villa La Volpe.

The in-house staff will help you (to experience and) live magical moments with in-house activities and excursions and tours to discover Tuscany. We call this Tuscan Life and we Welcome you to your home away from home.

Daniela and Narciso

Fresh . Genuine . Homemade Breakfast with Chef You can enjoy a rich Italian breakfast prepared by our chef every morning to start your day in the best possible way.

It usually includes scalding hot espresso or American coffee, cappuccino or caffè latte, orzo (noncaffeinated roasted-barley beverage that looks like cocoa) as well as a variety of teas and freshly squeezed juices.

There is also a selection of freshly baked Italian pastries such as cornetto (Italian croissant with jam, cream, chocolate or just plain), crostata (tart with fruit jam), and other local sweet buns. Those of you who love a continental type of breakfast will be happy to taste our daily selection of local cold cuts and fresh fruit from the farmer’s market.

Book your daily breakfast and enjoy your stay!

Please inquire at info@tuscanlife.net or directly at our concierge

Excellent traditional dishes?

Cooking Class with Chef Respect for nature is paramount, and is so fundamental to Tuscan home cooking. We pay the utmost attention to the seasonality and authenticity of all the ingredients. We choose our local suppliers according to the highest standards of quality.

Do you want to taste some excellent traditional dishes?

Introducing the Kitchen and Culture Week in a Luxury Villa in Tuscany. You are welcome to be our guest on this unique experience where food, leisure and new corners of the Tuscany countryside are king.

Our kitchen and culture week is a special program for families and friends that combines cooking lessons with selected tours in Tuscany.


Thanks to the collaboration of our Chef, Tuscan Life we can organize cooking lessons in which you can learn in a fun way to be deft and creative in the kitchen. The possibilities are varied and flexible and can be adapted for all requirements, from typical local dishes of the Lucca area to refined specialities of Italian cuisine.

All of this is possible thanks to our professional kitchen, which has been planned and fitted out to satisfy even the most discerning guests.

Book your cooking class today!

Please inquire at info@tuscanlife.net or directly at our concierge

Cooking Class A holiday in Tuscany would not be complete without an entertaining cooking class with dinner to learn how to cook traditional Tuscan dishes such as freshly-made pasta, pizza and other Tuscan specialties in a homely ambiance to prepare again once back home.

The Menu The cooking class you will attend at Villa Daniela Grossi or at Villa la Volpe is focused on the traditional Tuscan home cooking based on genuine products . The menu is agreed with the participants and it is possible to arrange for vegetarian or vegan cooking classes. The chef will take care of the grocery shopping.

Sample menu: • •

Handmade egg noodles with fresh tomato sauce Ravioli with ricotta and spinach with butter and sage

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Baked vegetables with parsley, extra virgin olive oil

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Roast pork

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typical tartar soup sweet from the time of the Grand Duke of Tuscany The castagnaccio was prepared for the first time in 1500 by Pilade da Lucca, as an old manuscript, titled “Commentario delle più notabili et monstruose cose d’Italia ed altri luoghi” (Commentary of the most noticeable and monstrous things in Italy and other places), by Ortensio Lando, says.There are many variations of this ancient dessert, both in the ingredients and in the preparation process. For example, there was no rosemary in the ancient recipe and the castagnaccio was supposed to be 6 cm wide.

The dessert has been modified during the years, improving the unique taste of this delicious dessert, typical in the Lucchese area.

The salmì of boar is a very savoury main dish. It’s a typical recipe from Tuscany where the boar meat is cooked in red wine. In some recipes they add a piece of dark chocolate; with it, the dish is named “boar in dolceforte” (sweet and sour boar). The long process timing is necessary to eliminate the strong taste of the meat, due to the boar nutrition, based on berries, mushrooms, tubers, roots and wild fruits. The 3 hour cooking lets the meat to become tender. It is suggested to serve the salmì of boar with mashed potatoes, cornmeal mush or grilled vegetables.

Roasted Pork: Buy a nice loin still with the bone (weighing at least 1 Kg), which must be studded with garlic, rosemary and some cloves. Season with salt and pepper, then put it in a baking-pan, slightly greased with oil, and bake for about 2 hours. The grease developed during the cooking is ideal for frying potatoes and for cooking vegetables, especially turnip and red cabbage. The “arista” is excellent also cold, therefore it is worth preparing a big piece of meat sufficient for several meals.

Tuscany and its Wines Wine tasting with a professional Sommelier Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine.

While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onwards.

Here at the villa you can enjoy a wine tasting session with our professional sommelier (one of the best sommeliers in Tuscany), along with cheese and cold cuts served outdoors or inside the Villa.

It is also possible to schedule an oil tasting session during your stay here. It is also possible to schedule a visit in a nearby winery where you can see how it is made and enjoy local wines.

Learn the story behind the production of each bottle of wine, from the time of the pruning, to the vendemmia or harvest, through to the fermentation and aging. Learn what makes each vintage different and delicious. Each season will offer you unforgettable memories as you tour historic wine cellars, acres upon acres of vineyards and end your personalized explanation and tour with a wine taste testing. Buy and ship home wines that will delight friends and family at home while on site in Chianti.

Book your Wine Tasting session with our professional Sommelier

Day Tours Not the usual spots

Here at Tuscan Life we’re able to organize day tours to various destinations for big groups and also smaller parties who would like to spend a day outside the Villa and see some interesting spots in Tuscany. Here are some destinations that can be reached easily and offer a relaxing and at the same time fun time for you.

Lucca For those who have already visited the city and in more depth those who have never been before, this is a great tour to get to know the city (more) in depth, to appreciate its history, art, traditions and culture. This three hour walking tour will not only tell about legends and traditions that are not to be found in tour books but will also show you the best food-shops and typical recipes of the area.

Schedule: Breakfast will be prepared by our Chef. The day is dedicated to a guided tour in Lucca, accompanied with a tasting of typical food and beverage from Lucca.

09.00 – Breakfast in Villa 10.00 – Lucca Tour with guide 15.00 – return to Villa. Relax, swimming pool and free time 19.00 - Aperitif, and dinner buffet (appetizer, first course, main course and dessert). Wines are included. Service on request.

Pisa The Carthusian Monastery is a hidden jewel nestled in the gracious valley of Pisa, founded in 1366 it is one of the most interesting and special monuments in the area.

Pisa is mainly renowed for the leaning tower, but it is not the only beautiful and interesting monument in the city. The museum of San Matteo and the precious little church of La Spina are two of many examples of other amazing places Pisa houses in Pisa.

Schedule: Breakfast will be prepared by our Chef. A guided tour in Pisa where you will see the main spots of the city. Lunch break. Transportation is included from and to the Villa. For this tour there is a minimum of 7 guests required.

09.00 – Breakfast in Villa 10.00 – Pisa Tour with guide 15.00 – return to Villa. Relax, swimming pool and free time 19.00 - Aperitif, and dinner buffet (appetizer, first course, main course and dessert). Wines are included. Service on request.

Please inquire at info@tuscanlife.net or directly at our concierge

Day Tours Not the usual spots

Pistoia A quaint little city between Lucca and Florence, it preserves a medieval center. famous for its beautiful nurseries which ship plants all over the world and for becoming the recent European capital of culture. We will discover together the hidden treasures of the city.

Schedule: Breakfast will be prepared by our Chef. The day is dedicated to a guided tour in Pistoia, accompanied with a tasting of typical food and beverage.

09.00 – Breakfast in Villa 10.00 – Pistoia Tour with Guide 15.00 – return to Villa. Relax, swimming pool and free time 19.00 - Aperitif, and dinner buffet (appetizer, first course, main course and dessert). Wines are included. Service on request.

Torre del Lago - Forte dei Marmi Forte dei Marmi, the fortress of marble is one of the most exclusive areas along the coast in the province of Lucca. Its great market is one of the best in Italy as people come from all over to buy Made in Italy. clothes shoes and much more.

Torre del Lago Puccini, not far from Forte dei Marmi is famous for its picturesque lake but mainly for Puccini’s villa. We’ll be able to see the insides of the Villa and understand why the great composer loved that place so much he wanted to be buried there.

Schedule: Breakfast will be prepared by our Chef. The day is dedicated to a guided tour to Torre del Lago and Forte dei Marmi.

09.00 – Breakfast in Villa 10.00 – Torre del Lago & Forte dei Marmi Tour with guide 17.00 – return to Villa. Relax, swimming pool and free time 19.00 - Aperitif, and dinner buffet (appetizer, first course, main course and dessert). Wines are included. Service on request.

Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924) Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924) was an Italian opera composer who has been called "the greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi”. Puccini's early work was rooted in traditional late-19th-century romantic Italian opera. Later, he successfully developed his work in the realistic verismo style, of which he became one of the leading exponents. Puccini's most renowned works are La Bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904), and Turandot (1924), all of which are among the important operas played as standards.

Day Tours Not the usual spots

Cinque Terre Cinque Terre is a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. In each of the 5 towns, colourful houses and vineyards cling to steep terraces, harbors are filled with fishing boats and trattorias turn out seafood specialties along with the Liguria region’s famous sauce, pesto. The Sentiero Azzurro cliffside hiking trail links the villages and offers sweeping sea vistas.

Schedule: Breakfast will be prepared by our chef. The day is dedicated to a guided tour in Cinque Terre, accompanied with our guide.

The guests will be accompanied along with the guide to the Spezia train station. From Spezia, the tour of the cinque terre begins. At the end of the tour the guests will be picked up at Levanto and accompanied to the Villa.

07.00 – Breakfast in Villa 08.00 – Cinque Terre Tour with Guide 18.30 – return to Villa. Relax, swimming pool and free time 19.30 - Aperitif, and dinner buffet (appetizer, first course, main course and dessert). Wines are included. Service on request.

Siena - San Gimignano Siena, a city in central Italy’s Tuscany region, is distinguished by its medieval brick buildings. The fan-shaped central square, Piazza del Campo, is the site of the Palazzo Pubblico, the Gothic town hall, and Torre del Mangia, a slender 14th-century tower with sweeping views from its distinctive white crown. The city’s 17 historic “contrade” (districts) extend outward from the piazza.

San Gimignano is an Italian hill town in Tuscany, southwest of Florence.

Encircled by 13th-century walls, its old town centers on Piazza della Cisterna, a triangular square lined with medieval houses. It has a skyline of medieval towers, including the stone Torre Grossa. The Duomo di San Gimignano is a 12th-century church with frescoes by Ghirlandaio in its Santa Fina Chapel.

08.30 – Breakfast in Villa 09.30 – Cinque Terre Tour with Guide 14.00 – Free Lunch 20.00 - Aperitif, and dinner buffet (appetizer, first course, main course and dessert). Wines are included. Service on request.

Florence Florence, capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. The Galleria dell'Accademia displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture. The Uffizi Gallery exhibits Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation.”

08.30 – Breakfast in Villa 09.30 – Cinque Terre Tour with Guide 14.00 – Free Lunch 20.00 - Aperitif, and dinner buffet (appetizer, first course, main course and dessert). Wines are included. Service on request.

Events

Birthdays . Anniversaries . Parties Are you planning a surprise party for your loved one? Here at the Villa we can help you organize your special event. From birthday parties to anniversaries, from musical entertainment to fun games.

All you have to do is tell us the date and your event type. Our staff can help you set-up a surprise party or birthday with decorations, lighting, a special menù for the event and also musical entertainments. From classical music to solo singers, from live bands to DJ sets.

List of services •

Birthday

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Anniversary

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Barbeque

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Pizza party

• •

Classical music entertainment Live Band

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Solo acoustic singers

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DJ Set

•

Medieval party

Please inquire at info@tuscanlife.net or directly at our concierge

Please inquire at info@tuscanlife.net or directly at our concierge

Weddings

Full planning and Catering service Villa Daniela Grossi and Villa la Volpe, participating in the “Villa Weddings” project of the Comune di Capannori, offers you the perfect setting for your wedding in a unique and atmospheric location.

The splendid Italian garden creates an evocative setting which will render the event especially unforgettable.

Our management company, Tuscan Life Srl, can work with you on the personalized details. Choose the color and theme of your wedding and we will be happy to reflect these details in our arrangements.

We can assist you and share with you our best ideas, giving you all the information necessary to create a fabulous wedding: we will always be at your side to ensure that your dreams become reality.

The ceremony and reception can be organized in the rooms of the villa, the Lemon House and the garden, ensuring a refined and intimate wedding.

List of services •

Hair dresser

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Make up artist

• •

Flower design Photographer

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Videomaker

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Catering

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Light Design

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Wedding Cake

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Celebrant

•

Music

Please inquire at info@tuscanlife.net or directly at our concierge

Outdoor Gazebo The perfect setup in case of bath weather.

Gazebo

Plan B for your outdoor events When you are planning an outdoor event, whatever it my be (anniversary, wedding, birthday, party), it is always a good idea to have a plan B. In case of bad weather, wind or rain, you can always have a second option like the outdoor gazebo to go ahead with your event.

The outdoor gazebo can accomodate up to 70 guests for a formal dinner and up to 80 guests for parties. It is also possible to perform wedding and blessing celebrations inside the gazebo (always as a plan B).

Please inquire at info@tuscanlife.net or directly at our concierge

Church

Private church for celebrations and concerts In the nearby church, part of the Villa Daniela Grossi property it is possible to celebrate intimate weddings and anniversaries, as well as hold private concerts.

The high ceiling with its wonderful frescos is a delight for the eyes and its unique acoustics allow for classical musical singers and musician to express their work at the maximum.

You can enjoy a private concert with classical music, inside the church.

Please inquire at info@tuscanlife.net or directly at our concierge

USEFUL NUMBERS EMERGENCY SERVICE NUMBERS: Ambulance (Ambulanza)

118

Police (Carabinieri)

112

Fire (Pompieri)

115

SECURITY NUMBERS: Local Police Via dell’Ave Maria n° 2 - 55012 Lammari. Tel (+39) 0583962 066.

Generally officers do not speak English. If you need to contact the police, please speak to your Villa Host who can assist you.

EMERGENCY ROOM INFORMATION: ‘Pronto Soccorso’ at the hospital San Luca, Via Carlo Piaggia, 55100 Lucca.

BANK IN CAPANNORI Banco BPM - Via di Piaggiori. Banks are usually open from 8.30 am to 1.30pm and from 2.30pm to 3.15pm Monday through Friday. Cash machines operate 24/7.

AIRPORTS Peretola Aeroporto di Firenze, Florence:

Tel: 055 306 1830

Lost and Found Florence Airport:

Tel: 055 306 1302

Pisa International Airport, Pisa:

Tel: 050 849 300

Lost and Found Pisa Airport:

Tel: 050 849 400

US Embassy Rome:

British Embassy, Rome:

Tel: 06 4 67 41

Tel: 06 4220 0001

US Consulate General, Florence:

Brazilian Embassy, Rome:

Tel: 055 266 951

Tel: 06 683 981

Brazilian Consulate, Florence:

Australian Embassy, Rome:

Tel: 055 222 336

Tel: 06 852 721

Canadian Embassy Rome:

Mexican Embassy, Rome:

Tel: 06 854 441

Tel: 06 441 161

VILLA INFORMATION YOUR VILLA STAFF: Daniela, Villa Owner.

Cell (+39) 337 34 83 31

Medhanie, assistant manager

Cell (+39) 348 192 9651

Andrea, Chef.

Cell (+39) 342 186 15 00

Benedetta, concierge

Cell (+39) 348 987 5040

Laura, concierge.

Cell (+39) 339 236 3768

Alphabetical Order Air-Conditioning: The villa is fully air-conditioned. The cost is not included in the villa rental. The cost for using it is calculated by meter to be paid locally at the end of the week.

CD Player/Hi-Fi/i-pod: There is an ipod docking station and a CD player available at the villa.

Check-In / Check-Out: On the arrival we ask clients to check-in between 4pm-7pm. On your departure day, check-out is at 10.00a. Please request in advance an early check-in or late check-out.

Damages: You are responsible for any losses or damages that you or members of your party may cause to the villa or its contents. You are required to report any damage to the villa manager and to bear the cost or repair and replacement.

Dish Washer: The villa has 2 dishwashers. You must provide the detergent for the dishwasher.

DVD Player: The villa has a DVD player available.

Electricity: The national voltage is 220V. Sockets can have 2 or 3 pins. Please remember to bring and adaptor as they can be difficult to find locally.

Internet: The property is equipped with high-speed wireless internet. The cost of using it is included in the villa rental. Please, be advised that due to the rural location of the property the internet connection might be intermittent and at inferior speed that what you are used to.

Maid Services: There are 4 hours daily maid-service, 5 days a week (not available on Sundays). The maid will make the beds, clean the bathrooms, and general tidying up depending on the time available. Extra maid service can be arranged at â‚Ź18/hour to be paid locally.

Max. Villa Occupation: The villa can accomodate a maximum of 22 adults and 5 children. The villa is also available at a reduced occupancy for 14 people and access to 7 bedrooms only.

Should your party at any time exceed the occupancy, the owner could ask for extra compensation or worst yet evict the entire group from the villa. Please get written permission before booking the villa if you wish to exceed maximum occupancy any time during the villa rental.

Pool: The swimming pool is open during mid and high season. It can be heated. It is enclosed. Please, see additional information about the pool.

Smoking: Guests are kindly requested to refrain from smoking inside the property.

Daniela and Narciso

Daniela and Narciso

www.tuscanlife.net - info@tuscanlife.net

Welcome to your holiday in Tuscany