The beauty and history of Tuscany, Italy

The owners and managers of Villa Michaela hope to share with you the beauty and history of Tuscany and especially the Lucchesia.

Walk in the time aged village of Vorno down quaint little paths overlooking verdant vegetable gardens

Glimpse toward gracious faded villas looking down on the city of Lucca and its famous towers.

Dine al fresco by the pool under the mulberry trees or under a canopy of wisteria overlooking the olive groves, on indoors in the ornate frescoed dining room where the table seats 36.

Exhaust yourself on the floodlit tennis court or mountain biking up the hill through the olive groves

Dip into the Villa Michaela "Recommended Italian Reading List" and feel the Tuscany of Byron, Shelley, Heine and Russkin.

Cool off in our vast limpid pool or treat yourself to a trip back into the civilization of the Renaissance

Guided tours with a professional English speaking guide of

• LUCCA
• FLORENCE
• PISA
• SIENA
• SAN GIMIGNANO
• CARRARA
• CINQUE TERRE.
• CHIANTI.
• GARFAGNANA

WEDDING PLANNING

• Consecrated chapel
• Organising religious ceremonies.
• Help with official paperwork
• Flowers
• Hairdressers
• Photographers and video service
• Parking
• Security
• Stylists
• All catering
• All types of music , live or otherwise
• Marquees.
• Limousines and air conditioned buses.
• Fireworks
• Soloists and choirs.

ECO ADVENTURE - rent of professional MOUNTAIN BIKES either with or without guide — these can be brought to the villa by Alessandro our ECO specialist

HORSE RIDING — Our eco specialist  will bring your steed to the villa for a mountain ride or meet him down at the coast for a sea on the sand through the pine forest followed by a picnic lunch.
Outings in 4 x 4 car to remote places for hiking and picnics including guide.

TENNIS COACHING with English speaking coach.

CONCERTS:
"In House" OPERA NIGHT   (Puccini, Verdi , Boccelli , and Neapolitan songs)
It is also possible to have other musical groups
Pop music for dancing
Gospel
Classic rock
Soul
Blues
Surprise "Singing Chef"

IN HOUSE BEAUTY TREATMENTS
Facials, manicure and pedicure, massage.

Trips to FACTORY OUTLETS ( Gucci , Prada etc)

GOLF
At Montecatini Terme  or Forte dei Marmi

Do a Wine-tasting   in  the wonderful   Cellar (cantina)  of Villa Michaela and listen to some opera whilst whipping up a few culinary delights with LUCA our SINGING CHEF

WALK or BICYCLE the ramparts of Lucca — one of the world’s 50 most famous walks- these were started in 1100 and finished in 1650 and are 5 kms round this elliptical city

PICNICS in the olive grove or further afield — catch a TUSCAN SUNSET. MUSHROOM AND TRUFFLE

HUNTING at the right time of year.

CHEESE TASTING IN THE GARFAGNANA
Visit to small ORGANIC cheese farms.

RESTAURANTS — the villa has an extensive list and reviews of all kinds of eateries BEACHES at Tirrenia, Forte dei Marmi, Viareggio and Torre del Lago.

BOAT TRIPS — a perfect way to visit the Cinque Terre and Porto Venere and the Blue Grotto.

Visit  VINCI and dream of LEONARDO AND buy fabulous CERAMICS.

SPAS AND THERMAL TREATMENTS at Montecatini Terme and Bagni di Lucca — everything from massage to mudbaths! The Spas themselves, largely built between 1890 and 1910, are monuments, if not “altars” to water worship! Beautifully ornate they are well worth a visit and in the afternoons have at least a pianist if not a full orchestra playing

CARS! The celebrated FERRARI museum at Maranello is worth a visit for aficionados

For FLOWER LOVERS visit PESCIA devoted to flowers — the FLOWER MARKET is an impressive glass dome which is considered one of the most important modern buildings in Italy.

WINE TASTING AND LECTURE at a working wine farm or "fattoria". TASTE some VIRGIN OLIVE OIL — Lucca is world famous for it.

Drive NORTH and park in the Tereglio village carpark and look down the FEGANA VALLEY where HANNIBAL tramped 2,200 years ago

HISTORICAL CORTEGE for a different aperitif in the garden of Villa Michaela
Procession of musicians in old Lucchese mediaeval costume with drums and tambourines

see where PINOCCHIO really came from in case you thought it was California! Go to
COLLODI and see the gardens of Villa Garzoni where the author of Pinnochio was a boot boy! The precipitous gardens took 100 years to build and are most impressive.

VIAREGGIO CARNIVAL — visit to the "Cittadella del Carnevale" to see all the past floats of the Viareggio carnival
The actual Carnival takes place every February - it is a mega show for 4 Sundays in succession — a huge parade of even huger floats all made of papier mache — highly artistic political and 134 years old. Also free if you don’t mind standing Otherwise hotel rooms overlooking the parade can be booked in advance. See www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com

Take the CHILDREN to the "GROTTA DEL VENTO" at FORNOVOLASCO an enormous complex of stalactites and stalagmites

AERIAL VIEW OF LUCCA — take a trip in a small plane for 2 to 3 people including the pilot

SEE the BOTTICELLI’S at the UFFIZI but make sure you ask the staff to order you pre booked tickets so you don’t have to stand in line

.
MARKETS — visit the most famous and characteristic markets — Pistoia (Wednesday) and Lucca (Wednesday) and Forte dei Marmi (Wednesday).


Visit PUCCINI’S BIRTHHOUSE complete with his grand piano in the centre of Lucca

Visit to the LUCCA ANTIQUE MARKET — the third weekend of every month.

Guided tour of the MASTER ARTISANS of Lucca ( gilders, restorers, etc)

See the LIBERTY ARCHITECTURE IN Lucca, Forte and Livorno.

The LANDSCAPE Many great men of letters, and not only Italians, have spent years writing about the Tuscan landscape and its inimitable colours and light — Michelangelo said "this is Tuscany’s greatest work of art"

FISHING in lakes or the River Serchio or sea fishing at Viareggio. See the worlds best yachts being built in Viareggio.

Can you sing? Are you shy? If the answers are yes and no or even if you think the answers are yes and no, try the kareoke at the bar in Vorno every Friday and Saturday night in the summer

CLIMB the newly restored LEANiNG TOWER OF PISA - must book in advance.
Take in some classical VILLAS AND GARDENS in the "COLLI LUCCHESI
(Lucchese hills )- see where the rich silk merchants of Lucca set up house VILLA
OLIVA, VILLA GRABAU, VILLA REALE, VILLA MANSI , VILLA TORRIGIANI

For fans of NAPOLEON BONAPARTE visit ELBA for the day — nearby is perhaps the best restaurant in Italy "IL GAMBERO ROSSO" in San Vincenzo

SKI- ING in Abetone ( winter only).

HIKING in national parks. — the Garfagnana, the Omdo dei Botri, Monte Rondinaio, San Pellegrino and Pania di Corfino are just a few of the wonderful places to hike — many of them have little huts "rifiugi" for stopping or overnight stays.

HORSE RACING AND TROTTING at Pisa and Montecatini.

FESTAS AND SAGRE
These are celebrations and feasts which take place in the villages from the end of May to
mid September and are so numerable they are impossible to list
Some of the more important ones are as follows:
February Carnevale
March Camellia festival
Easter Passion processions of all diocese with the cross
April Borgo a Mozzano — "La Baldoria"— A vast. bonfire to celebrate the end of winter
Ascension Day Florence "Festa del Grillo" — grasshoppers in wooden cages.
Last Sunday in May All over "Cantine Aperte"— every vineyard opens its doors for wine tasting
June 8 Camigliano- "Corpus Domini"- streets decorated with petals
June 5 "Luminara" — 12 million candles light up the buildings of Pisa — fireworks.
June 24 "Calcio Storicoe" — a mediaeval football match commemorating a similar match in I 530
in Florence
June 28 "Gioco del Ponte" - A "Push of War" on the central bridge preceded by a huge procession.
July 2h1(1 Siena — The Palio — Italy’s most famous horse race around the Campo — book early
July 1 2 Lucca “ Palio di san Paolino - parade and crossbow tournament.
July / August Opera Festival Barga
August 12 Montepulciano "Brario delle Botti" a barrel rolling race with a parade.
August 15 All over "Festa di Assunzione di Santa Vergine" A principal religious holiday — ranks with Christmas and Easter.
August 16 Siena — the Palio — second running
August Puccini Opera festival — Torre del Lago
August 8 Ponte a Serraglio — a tug of war with an elephant in the middle you can take part
September 4 Pescia — "Ii Palio di Pescia" — pageant
September l San Marcello Pistoiese- hot air ballooning

September 13 Lucca — Festa di S . Croce — candlelit —city, parade — fireworks

October 3 l Borgo a Mozzano — "La Notte delle Streghe The witch is thrown from the bridge. Fireworks.

The above excludes Lucca’s annual outdoor concerts (Summer festival)which in the past have included
Joan Baez, Elton John, Lionel Ritchie, Simon and Garfunkel , Pink, Eric Clapton   etc.

There is also the Capannori and Florence Music Festivals which starts early June and
the LUCCA JAZZ DONNA  from  3 TO 9 of MARCH

Please ask Michela to organize any of the above for you.. She will also be fully abreast with all current events , concerts, operas etc for which she can obtain tickets