Our Story
WHY WE FELL IN LOVE WITH NORTHERN TUSCANY
Interview with Bill and Lynn Taylor
Bill
“After holidays exploring Italy, we decided to buy a holiday home in Tuscany.
1989 was pre-internet, so viewings were arranged by estate agents advertising in the Sunday Times; flying on Friday evening to Pisa, we’d view 5 or 6 properties over the weekend and fly home on Sunday. Did many weekends before discovering Lunigiana, a beautiful mysterious and unspoilt land drenched in history. Over 100 castles, towers and fortresses positioned to command the valleys. We absolutely fell in love with Lunigiana. Then it was just a case of finding the right house. All in all, it took a year.
The reason we bought the house in Irola was it ticked all the boxes and felt right.
On our second viewing, a lovely old gentleman Gino smoking untipped cigarettes while sitting on a stone seat by his front door invited us into his home for coffee, our Italian was not good enough for conversations, even with a brandy to ‘clean the cup’ so his wife Nella got the wedding album out and we had a lovely time ooohing and aaahing. Later another old gentleman Constantino took us to his olive grove and cut a sprouting lump off an ancient olive tree insisting we plant at the house we had not yet purchased. That was the start of our journey in Irola. I suspected these old guys were related to the seller; their motivation was attracting young people to the village."
Lynn
"It felt very romantic and meant to be. There are handmade bricks in the vaulted ceiling with finger and thumb prints dating from 1760. As we placed our finger, we touched history; we felt charmed."
Bill
"Irola is a small medieval very magical village. The older men wanted me to like their wine, so there was plenty of wine tasting and fun. It was a brilliant small community.
Lynn and I decided to move to Italy and manage the renovation doing as much work as possible. We spent six months renting in Irola before moving into the house we named ‘Felicita’, which translates to happiness and describes how we felt during the project. When the house was finished, we both wanted to stay in Italy but had commitments in the UK.
A few years later, with a growing desire to return to Irola, we decided to learn about the holiday rental market and rent out ‘Felicita’. The internet was in its infancy. We built our website, did our cleaning, washed and ironed sheets and learnt a lot. We had a very successful and enjoyable time renting the house to holidaymakers. Three years later, in 2005, we sold ‘Felicita’ fully furnished with a website and bookings. We invested this money in the Vicarage; this property is much larger with land, repeating our earlier adventure. We again moved to Italy to be involved in and manage the renovation. We rented ‘Felicita’ from her new owners and spent 14 months transforming an abandoned property into Villa Ariola. It came with 5 acres of land and forestry."
Lynn
"Bill is a talented visualiser. One damp, cloudy spring day, when my mother was on holiday, he asked us to walk around the vicarage. A tree was so close to the house that its branches had bent the balcony railings. Windows without glass cats living in the cellar. Abandoned building showing years of neglect with nature about to shroud it with foliage. My Husband described his vision for the building and garden; I thought he’d lost the plot. We talked, he sketched, I dreamt, we estimated costs, and our plans for Villa Ariola gradually crystallised."
Bill
"The initial renovation was completed in 2009, and the second upgrade in 2016 when we refreshed the villa and created our outdoor kitchen. I’m a Mechanical Engineer with a passion for the property; I get great satisfaction from property renovation, repairing the ‘Vecchia Canonica’ and creating Villa Ariola also had a positive influence by improving the village. The name Ariola was chosen by our Italian priest Don Pietro, who likes our work so much he invited the Bishops to dinner at Villa Ariola."
Lynn
"Our ethos and values. We are proud of our Villa and passionate about our service; we aim to create a memorable and positive experience for each guest. To share our love of Italy and Lunigiana while respecting our environment and staying in tune with the surroundings. Exceeding Guests Expectations."
Bill
"Lunigiana is in the Tuscan National park, and Irola is an area of special scientific interest. Most villages and towns have preservation orders. It is a historic region nestled between the Apennine and Apuane mountain ranges, its lush green valleys and clear rivers are punctuated by unique medieval settlements. This is the authentic Italy. Very traditional. Not geared up for mass tourism. Loads to see and do. Visiting our part of Tuscany includes those who love Italy and want a genuine Italian experience. We have unrivalled local knowledge ready to share, ensuring your visit is as enjoyable as possible. If you want to visit the cities, go to concerts, and swim in the sea we are only an hour away. Cinque terra and the sites of Tuscany are within reach., In Lunigiana we have some excellent European initiatives which encourage tourism as a butterfly landing without leaving a mark. Increasing tourism without causing damage.”
Lynn
"Right from the start, it's been about quality and respecting the Italian style of the villa, installing Carrara marble stairs, retaining original terrazzo floors, and building modern bathrooms. We chose beautiful furniture in keeping with the heritage of the building. We handpicked everything in the interior, paying homage to classic Italian design. Excellent mattresses, high thread count white bed linen, and good quality towels, and our guests love it, making us happy. In keeping with our ethos of exceeding our guests’ expectations.”
Bill
Lynn
Our favourite things to do:
Walks in the forest admiring the flora and fauna foraging and hunting.
Local markets are shopping for fresh vegetables, bread, cheese and cured meats.
Cooking on wood-fired BBQs and ovens and entertaining friends are expanding our knowledge of Italian wines.
Eating out at Villa Brignola, Pizza at Antica Pieve, Lerici for Fish
Coffee and aperitive, people watching in Pontremoli and Bagnone
Favourite City to visit is Lucca shopping or rent a bike and ride round the walls
Water taxi from La Spezia, the Cinque Terre
Cooling off in the pool and star gazing from the hydro massage spa.