Villa Giola

Set high in the idyllic landscape of the hills south-east of Pisa, this patrician country house is approached by an age-old alley of birch trees which, beyond the tall gates, leads into the spacious and well-kept gardens of the villa.

This was once home to two brothers, renowned artists and philanthropists who for many years invited leading exponents of the Italian impressionist movement “the Macchiaioli” to spend their summers here. It was from here that these painters could venture out into the open countryside, capturing the play of light on nature in all its many hues and facets and transferring them to canvas.

The villa is surrounded by extensive lawns, century old holm oaks, an orchard and a vegetable garden. Beyond the garden walls lie olive groves and fields. 

On the ground floor, the large main living room opens onto an extensive lawn bordered by English roses and hydrangeas. Large holm oaks lend their shade to an outdoor living area. The upper floor of the villa also has a very comfortable living room.

Above the painter's atelier, on top of the tower of the villa, a stunning loggia with arches on all four sides gives you marvellous views onto the surrounding landscape.

There are six large and airy bedrooms, all of which enjoy a splendid view. They have been decorated in a traditional Tuscan country house style with iron bedsteads, lively cotton print upholstery as well as with paintings and other family antiques.

The private pool of Villa Giola is located in a sunny and secluded part of the garden.

In the summers of a century ago aristocrats and academics from the ancient University of Pisa as well as naval officers from the nearby port of Leghorn retreated to their patrician country residences built on the gentle hillsides shouldering Pisa. One of these, the Villa Giola, was built in the 1700's. Originally a hunting lodge, the villa acquired its actual dimensions in the second half of the 1800's, when the owners, two brothers, renowned for their philanthropy, descendants of a whealthy aristocratic family from Pisa, whose life was dedicated to the arts, added the tower which was to become their artists' atelier at their country house villa in Tuscany. The two brothers invited for many years leading exponents of the Italian impressionist movement to spend their summers here.

This was the golden era of the impressionists, known locally as the "Macchiaioli", derived from "macchia" which means as much as "dot" or "stain" and is a reference to the impressionistic stroke of the brush. This powerful, though at the time controversial, movement embraced some of the leading painters of the day, many of whom had studied in Paris. This was a time when artists were venturing beyond the confines of their studios into nature and the constantly fluctuating light and colours of the surrounding countryside, breaking with academic traditions, seeking new frontiers. There was a pressing urge to congregate among fellow artists to exchange ideas and derive strength from each other's inspiration. The wife of one of the two painting brothers, offered these striving artists a haven. Intelligent, cultivated and well-read, she flung open the doors of the Villa Giola to the most avant-garde artists, intelligentsia and writers of the time. Among these Fattori, Lega, Signorini, Kienerk and Cecconi came and stayed in the villa for many a long summer.

The present owners are direct descendants of the two brothers. They treasure their inheritance and one their most fervent wishes is to safeguard and upkeep this house which has such an important past. The spirit of those times has remained to this day.

Villa Giola, with sun pouring in through the French windows, its pastel colours and spacious gardens is still a place to find fulfilment and inspiration. The house and gardens in their bucolic surroundings will give you a taste of some of the best that Tuscany has to offer: art and elegance, luxury and leisure among gently rolling hillsides. And from a more mundane point of view: fruit and vegetables from the villa garden as well as excellent restaurants in the vicinity specialised either in fish menus or Tuscan cuisine. There is a small trattoria in 15 minutes walking distance, and many more are to be found in the country villages surrounding the estate.