The scenery, with steep-sided valleys wooded with chestnut and European oak and overlooked by mountain crags and ruined fortresses, is unexpected and breath-taking, yet the unspoilt villages and towns of Lunigiana are close to the sea and the resorts of the Golf of the Poets (where Byron and Shelley stayed) and less than an hour from the marvellous walled city of Lucca and from Pisa airport. And the nearby autostrade take you to Florence in less than two hours. 

While it is just becoming discovered by discerning foreigners who want to enjoy Italy in a truly Italian way, there are still great opportunities to acquire stunning properties at a fraction of the prices demanded in central Tuscany and the ‘Chiantishire’ area.

And some properties, such as the beautiful converted watermill complex at Posara, give you the opportunity to ‘live the dream’, enjoy a true Italian lifestyle and run a successful people-orientated business as well.

The Watermill At Posara

Lovingly restored, the watermill complex stands beside the River Rosaro in the small village of Posara, a mile or so from the walled medieval town of Fivizzano.

Around the courtyard, an elegant Tuscan house and some of the historic mill buildings, have been carefully converted into five spacious apartments, all with views of the gardens and the river. 

(There is planning permission for a sixth.) There are sun-filled terraces and, beside the courtyard, millstone tables under the vines for meals outdoors. The secluded gardens extend for about a quarter of a mile beside the river and along the millstream.

There’s a bright and airy artists’ studio and characterful outbuildings, in which the 17th and 19th century millstones and machinery are still intact.

Fivizzano, with its imposing defensive walls, was designated a ‘noble town’ by the Grand Dukes of Tuscany and is the place to enjoy Italian life, with its cafes, shops and restaurants. Above the town, the scenery becomes spectacular, with beautiful views over the mountains, olive groves and chestnut forests.

You can spend days exploring the area by car or on foot: there are miles of paths through the hills to be walked. But most of the watermill’s many guests spend much of their time simply relaxing at the mill, sunning themselves in the garden and enjoying convivial meals in the open air.

Income

While the watermill is being offered as a private house, the current owners have run a successful holiday business there for many years.

Current contacts, a website (www.watermill.net), as well as goodwill from guests, suppliers and agents, are also available with the sale of the property.

The current owners live in a Scottish castle, also a successful holiday business, which is occupying much of their time, so they are not visiting Posara as often as they would wish. But the watermill would be ideal for those who would like to live in unspoilt Tuscany and make a good income as well.