From V.T. - Holland - who visited the property in july 2009 We were extremely pleased with our stay at Villa Villa Lean! The villa was very clean, spacious and nicely furnished. The cooking of the owner was excellent and she was always ready with advice on visiting the region. Three perfect visits. From B. . - - who visited the property in september 2005 My husband and I have been to Villa Lean three different times and have loved each time more than the next. The location is ideal with easy day trips to Pisa, the Cinque Terre, Florence and Siena; a quick and easy drive to the town of Lucca; easy day trips to the mountains and small towns just north of Lucca; an easy day trip to the beach at Viareggio; and one of the best views in Tuscany from the house itself. The pool at the house is delightful, and Monica's cooking is out of this world! The best part for us has been having Monica there - not only is she an excellent cook, but she is also just an enjoyable person to have as your host. I highly recommend it! The Magic of Villa Lean From R.T. - England - who visited the property in september 2006 For us, Villa Lean is a very magical place and more than just a beautiful villa thanks to warm hospitality and helpfulness of it's beloved owner, Monica. After much research and visits of villas within the Lucca area we knew as soon as we reached Villa Lean and met Monica that this was the special place for us and where we could also hold our wedding reception. Villa Lean has the most breathtaking views that will stay for you forever. Always dreaming of when we can come back to stay. The Best From T.T. - United States - who visited the property in july 2007 I spent my 50th Birthday in Lucca staying at Villa Lean. Monica made us feel like her own family and the food she prepared for my birthday feast was incredible. We still talk about our vacation and hope to return there someday. We found a second home From S.A. - USA - who visited the property in july 2007 Villa Lean felt like home from the minute we arrived and with Monica's warmth, cooking and charm the group just fell in love with the place. I wish I never had to leave, but I took with me a taste of Lucca and the people of the area. I will return someday soon, because it will always be the best time in our lives when it comes to finding "family" in another country. From I.L. - USA - who visited the property in january 2009 Our family had the best time at Al CARLI in July 2007. We were there with our two adult children and their spouses. The beauty of the setting and the warmth of Monica's hospitaltiy made for a perfect vacation. It was ideal. PERFECT From J.R. - USA - who visited the property in january 2009 We've stayed at Villa Lean twice - couldn't wait to go back after our 1st visit about 5 years ago. I dreamed of returning to this extraordinary place with all the people I love, our children and grandchildren to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. Villa Lean is a place infused with warmth, generosity, beauty and comfort. You can look at the photos and get a good idea of the physical attributes of Villa Lean: a fantastic setting, lovely bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. As soon as you unpack in one of the truly unique cozy bedrooms - all with a view, there is a sense of peace. Our family was there for 2 full weeks in July 2008 and all 10 of us ranging in age from 10 to 72 were happy! We read, we swam, we walked up the road to the little restaurant, we ate, we cooked, we explored places like Lucca (often), Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, etc. and NEVER felt rushed as all these places are close enough to the villa to allow us to spend half the day just "hanging" around Villa Lean and loving every moment. One of the advantages not to be minimized is that our hostess, Monica, is totally there for her guests without being intrusive. She is also a great cook and is ready to make you a fabulous meal on any chosen night. If you like animals, Pippo the pet boar and the dogs Billy and Lola become part of your family fun. Villa Lean is a gem in every way. From L.L. - Usa - who visited the property in january 2007 It’s been over a week already since our return from staying at Villa Lean. I wanted to tell you that we had a WONDERFUL WONDERFUL time. The villa was lovely, the views spectacular and Monica most special… warm, welcoming, a fantastic cook and dear person. It was great. Thanks for the help in arranging everything. From J.N. - Usa - who visited the property in january 2008 We recently returned from a family vacation to Villa Lean near Luccca. It was an amazing trip for all of us and a special time for my mother in law to revisit Tuscany with her 5 “children” and 3 out of 5 spouses. Monica was fabulous and in fact, is a real asset to the villa in so many ways. She is a fabulous cook, as well as tour guide, arranging a wine tour for us, as well as a special lunch of local samplings in a mountain resort and gave us lots of great ideas and tips. She is warm and sweet, more of a special caretaker than a “housekeeper” as she is described in your description of the villa. Housekeeper in the Usa has a sense of a cleaning person and she was hardly that. We all agreed that having Monica as an on hand resource was a large part while our trip when so smoothly and why our trip was so special. Thanks again for your help. From G.A. - Usa - who visited the property in january 2008 We want to thank you for a wonderful experience at Villa Lean. We absolutely loved everything. You are such a lovely hostess and represent Italy is the most positive way. One of our group stated that she felt she had fallen into a postcard, and she was right. Your home is so beautiful, the vineyards, the hills, the villages. Everything was just as we had imagined it would be. We cannot say enough nice things about you and your home. Again, we want to tell you how beautiful our stay in your home was. I hope we can come again and not run all over the countryside. Perfect, Perfect,Perfect saraer Dublin, Ireland Review Submitted: October 21, 2009 Date of Stay: September 2009 Villa Lean/Villa Lean is the perfect holiday retreat. We spent a week there at the end of September 2009 and the house and surroundings could not have been better. The house is very comfortable and decorated in keeping with tradition but will all mod cons. Our group of 12 family and friends including an 88 year old and 5 year old where all comfortably accomodated and all their needs where met. The house is divided into 3 self contained units which is ideal as groups holidaying together can also have their own space but there are also plenty of communal space for dining and socializing together. The gardens are also wonderful mature and well maintained with many nooks and crannys for privacy and also shady retreats from the sun. The resident dogs and cats and boar are also wonderful additions to the charm of this house.The owner of the villa, Monica lives on site and is on hand to help with anything you may require including lots of advice and ideas,. She speaks very good English and is so warm and friendly. We spent the week of our wedding here and the day after the wedding ceremony Monica cooked an amazing feast of Tuscan food for all our 35 guests it was one of the highlights of our wedding week! We are still dreaming of the pate, knocci and chocolate tart. We would definitely recommend this villa for groups of family or friend looking for something different in Italy. The scenery is breathtaking, house is beautiful, owner so helpfull and location so peaceful. We cant wait to go back. The only thing I would warn people about is that you need to be able to drive to stay in this villa there a small bar/cafe within walking distance, but driving in and out of Lucca (less then 30 minutes!)is no problem once you have found your way once and besides once you get to the villa you wont want to leave anyway Rating 5 out of 5 Fabulous Tuscany Holiday Villa Phil - Cheshire, UK Cheshire, UK Review Submitted: September 28, 2009 Date of Stay: August 2009 We rented the whole of Villa Lean at the end of August 2009 with family friends and it surpassed our expectations in every respect. The position of the villa is stunning with fabulous views over the neighbouring vineyard, Lucca and surrounding area and the mountains beyond. The property was comfortable, clean, well equipped and provided everything we needed. There are numerous options for day trips and sightseeing from the villa with something for everybody depending on your preference - Lucca is a real gem and should not be missed but away from the towns and cities (Florence and Sienna also within easy reach) you have the choice of good clean beaches or a wealth of interesting mountain villages. Alternatively, just relax by the pool and enjoy the view and the peace and quiet. What really made the holiday for us was the welcome and hospitality afforded to us by Monica & Giovanni; it is very rare in our experience to find hosts who provide such a warm welcome and are so friendly and helpful. Most of all, Monica's cooking was simply outstanding. We thought we might 'eat in' once or twice during our stay but ended up doing so almost every night. If you want high quality, affordable Tuscan / Italian cooking made with fresh local ingredients then look no further. Villa Lean is a truly special location and needless to say we hope to be visiting again before too long. Rating 5 out of 5 New Year Treat in Tuscany - more details E Helen Malaga, Spain Review Submitted: April 20, 2009 Date of Stay: December 2008 I’ve just seen what my husband (Bob) posted onto the Villa Lean website after our New Year stay – fine, but he forgot to write about Monica’s cooking! Being public holidays and off-season when we stayed, we planned all along for Monica to do dinner for us every night, and I'm so pleased we did. Monica is a professional cook and poor Giovanni the washer-up! Monica cooks divine food both Italian and special local Tuscan fare. Every night was special, and our traditional New Year's Eve Dinner absolutely unforgettable. We had a few friends in our group who were following special diets for various reasons. Monica was so helpful and understanding and managed to cater for all our various food requirements seamlessly! Monica also gave us cookery lessons in her kitchen, a definite “must”, even for a non cook. The lessons were very inspiring and most certainly well worth doing. It isn’t necessary to use her cooking skills if you stay at the villa, as you can self cater, but as she is such a wonderful cook it would be a waste not to eat some of her excellent Italian dishes! She has a menu of delicious Italian recipes and it is possible to choose exactly what you would like to eat from day to day. Rating 5 out of 5 This is Tuscany at its best Vivia London Review Submitted: March 21, 2009 Date of Stay: December 2008 Wow! What a wonderful place in which to live the Tuscan dream. It ticked all the boxes on my list of everything I would look for in the perfect Tuscan holiday: - beautiful, historical villa lovingly restored with all mod-cons to a high level of comfort and design; - breathtaking views down into a valley, across a classic Italian landscape of grapevines, olive trees and lines of tall, thin cypress trees (I kept expecting Russell Crowe's 'Gladiator' to appear over the horizon at any moment!) - friendly hosts who spoke excellent English and were there when we needed help but otherwise gave us privacy and made us feel the villa was our own for the week of our stay. - fantastic gourmet, traditional Tuscan food cooked by Monica who also gave us cooking lessons in her well-equipped kitchen. - villa set in quiet, tranquil hillside from which one can enjoy some great walking or mountain biking. - villa is well positioned to visit Lucca, Livorno, Pisa and Florence as well as Viareggio and the little seaside towns alone the Tuscan coastline. Also accessible is Carrara, famous for marble, and if you are an opera lover, then an evening at an open-air performance at Puccini's villa at Torre de Lago is a must. Basically, my friends and I loved every moment of our stay at Villa Lean with Monica and Giovanni and will definitely return for more. Rating 5 out of 5 Magic Charles from Singapore Singapore Review Submitted: March 20, 2009 Date of Stay: May 2008 We stayed at Villa Lean in May 2008. I'm just looking for this year's choice and checked up on Villa Lean for old time's sake. We've decided to go to the south this year, but I doubt we'll find such a magic and well-run place as Villa Lean. I've been looking at our photos and reminiscing. Monica and Giovanni run the villa very well, and they are both very helpful and speak perfect English. The property is in excellent condition, well appointed and cleaned. Its description on the website here is accurate, but the pictures cannot do justice to it. We self-catered breakfasts with food Monica bought in for us, went out for most lunches and some dinners, but otherwise ate Monica's excellent cooking and drank fine local wines she provided. The location for outdoor eating in early summer was just magic. It's close to Lucca, which is a hidden gem in my view, and an easy drive to lots of other interesting places up in the hills. An easy stroll to the ocal village of Valgiano, where there's a shop and another restaurant, etc. I've no hesitations at all to recommend Villa Lean, in fact it's tough not to go there again, but maybe next year...? Rating 5 out of 5 New Year at Villa Lean Bob - regular visitor to Tuscany Malaga, Spain Review Submitted: February 23, 2009 Date of Stay: December 2008 A group of us treated ourselves at Villa Lean over the New Year 2009 and had a wonderful time. There were 11 of us, and we hired the whole villa. The website is very accurate in the detail it gives, but the pictures can't do justice to the beauty of its location, nor of the property. It has been beautifully decorated in Tuscan style by Monica who runs the villa. Parts of the villa date back to the 12th Century, or perhaps earlier, and Monica and Giovanni have not only restored it very sympathetically, but run it sensitively in its special location. The ancient, thick walls made the villa very cosy in the winter, and we can well believe it keeps good and cool in the summer too. (There was also a very efficient heating system throughout, and open fires which made our stay very romantic.) The villa is run brilliantly by Monica and Giovanni. They are both lovely people and nothing was too much trouble for them as far as trying to make our visit as enjoyable as possible. It's the little things that count, like helping one of us who'd broken his glasses. Monica and Giovanni both speak excellent English and were very helpful in suggesting where to go and what to see in the area. The villa is in the Tuscan hills above the wide valley overlooking the town of Lucca, itself a fascinating local place to visit with lots to see. The villa is less than 30 mins drive to Lucca, less than an hour to Pisa (the nearest airport, as well of course as a very special city), and say 90 minutes to Florence (all these estimates include parking -- always a bit of a trial as regular visitors to Tuscany will know). By the way, New Year was a great time of year to go. It wasn't cold and there were relatively few tourists -- great to be able to see the sights, rather than being swept past them. Having been off on various trips, it was always great to get back to the tranquility and hospitality of the Villa. We love walking and found many long walks locally through vineyards and olive groves, and to nearby villages up unbusy roads. We had an absolutely fabulous time and we can’t recommend Villa Lean and Monica and Giovanni highly enough. They are very special people and their villa is a very special place too – definitely not to be missed if staying in that area of Tuscany. We're planning to go again -- in Autumn perhaps -- what could be a better recommendation? Rating 5 out of 5 wonderful place to relax annesoda munich Review Submitted: September 3, 2008 Date of Stay: August 2008 Villa Lean is a wonderful place to relax. The rooms are charming and with lovely details, everything is very clean and comfortable, cleaning two times a week is included and the kitchens are fully equipped. Lovely owner monica ferrucci helps you with everything and can cook a wonderful dinner if you like. You are near to the beach and to beautiful lucca but you are completely separated from noise in the mountains with a beautiful view over the valley. This is a place to be! Rating 5 out of 5 Einfach traumhaft Joerg und Evelyn Bamberg, Berlin Review Submitted: October 5, 2008 Date of Stay: September 2008 Als langjährige Toskana-Fans bzw. Toskana-Kenner dachten wir eigentlich, uns kann nichts mehr überraschen. Viele tolle Quar- tiere durften wir bereits kennenlernen. Aber die Eigentümer Mo- nica und Giovanni mit ihrer Villa Lean haben alle unsere Erwar- tungen nocheinmal übertroffen. Das ganze Anwesen ist noch schöner, als es bereits die Bilder unter Fewo zeigen. Alles war blitzsauber und mit viel Liebe zum Detail ein- bzw. her- gerichtet. Wir haben während unseres Urlaubs mehrere Tage sowohl im "Nest" als auch in der "Scheune" übernachtet und uns fallen keine anderen Begriffe ein als "romantisch, bezaubernd, idyl- lisch, einmalig". Jede Wohnung hat ihren eigenen großzügigen Freisitz mit traumhaftem Blick über das luccesische Tal. Der Kontakt zu den beiden Eigentümer war von der ersten Minute an unglaublich herzlich und unkompliziert. Wir hatten von Anfang an das Gefühl, als würden wir uns schon lange kennen. Die Besitz- erin Monica ist eine begnadete Köchin. Auf Wunsch kocht sie für ihre Gäste. Wir sind in den Genuss originaler, traditioneller toskanischer Gerichte in Form eines Mehrgängemenüs gekom- men und träumen noch heute davon. Monica verwendet aus- schließlich heimische, regionale Produkte der Saison, viele auch direkt von ihren Nachbarn. Gleiches gilt für den Wein. Wir kön- nen nur jedem empfehlen, lasst Euch einmal oder mehrmals verwöhnen. Das gesamte Anwesen besteht aus drei Gebäude- teilen (Nest für 2 Pers., Scheune für 2 Pers. und das Haupthaus für 8 Pers.). Der Komplex kann entweder vollständig (also für bis zu 12 Personen) oder in Einzelteilen gemietet werden. Nach Lucca gelangt man problemlos in ca. 20 Min. Der Pool ist top ausgestattet mit sehr guten Liegen, Schirmen und Sonnenstühlen. Das Becken liegt auf einer schönen, sonnigen Geländestufe (Terrasse) oberhalb der Gebäude. Wir hatten ihn ganz für uns alleine. Zusätzliche Attraktion: Wildschwein Bibo, dass Monica vor fünf Jahren als verletzten Frischling aufgenommen und aufgezogen hat. Aber keine Angst: Erstens ist es handzahm, hoch intel- ligent und lebt die meiste Zeit in seinem riesigen Freigehege. Das gesamte Anwesen ist in einem Top-Zustand und wir können es nur jedem wärmstens empfehlen. Wir haben uns bereits wie- der für das nächste Jahr angemeldet und dann bleiben wir noch länger. Auch das Miteinander zwischen den verschiedenen Gästen war super. Wir glauben, dafür sind insbesondere Monica und Giovannia als auch das einmalige Ambiente verantwortlich. Fazit: 1a !!! |
 |