Gonzola lies in the middle of open farmland, surrounded by wheat and sunflowers to one side and some woods and the famous crete senesi to the other. As you approach the house from a 1 km. private gravel road bordered by oak trees, you will enter into the spirit of the remote bucolic atmosphere which surrounds the house.
Gonzola is a long rectangular house built in the local alberese stone, overgrown with rambling roses, honeysuckle, solanum, and rosemary, lavender and thyme. Secular oak trees grow in front of it on both sides of the stream, which runs just below the house. To the left of the house lies the pool house and the pool itself.
The pool house, a low building, also made of local stone, was once the chicken coop and pigsty. A rambling pergola in vine and wisteria stretches out from the building and casts its shade over an old wooden table and chairs. A shady spot, exposed to a light breeze, this is where most of the meals are likely to be taken. The layout of the house follows a plan by Cecil Pinsent, where the main quarters were on the first floor while the ground floor, what was used as a cow shed, has been transformed into a spectacular summer living room with seven large windows. The external staircase leads into the large living room with an open fireplace which has been color washed in a sunny light chalk wash and is furnished with a large sofa and comfortable chairs, as well as a table for games, writing or reading. The adjacent kitchen / dining room has a typically Tuscan kitchen range and fireplace covered in local travertine stone. The fireplace has been built at a waist high level - a local feature which makes cooking over the open fire easier. The walls of the kitchen have been painted with a stunning blue chalk wash, which is characteristic of old Tuscan peasant kitchens, as blue was known to keep the flies away. The hues of the bedroom walls were equally inspired by traditional peasant color schemes of light pinks, yellows, and transparent blues.
The garden area of Gonzola was landscaped by Peter Curzon. The plants he chose blend in naturally with the surrounding fields and create a gentle harmony with the pergola for al fresco dining, the rustic pool house, and the pool itself, which is exposed to the sun all day long and has sun beds and deck chairs.
Facilities: Washing machine, dishwasher, telephone, TV, CD-stereo, 16 x 32 ft. pool.
Maid service of two hours per day. Extra hours and cook available.
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