Casa Amici

Would you like to have a holiday in Italy for a reasonable price? In 2025 there will also be a discount on a longer stay: three weeks only 950 Euro. Our house is suitable for people who feel comfortable in an ordinary village and do not need tourist fuss. It is a simple apartment with a nice garden, located on a village square in the car-free old part of Boccheggiano, 35 km from the sea. From the borgo you have picturesque views and all around you will find chestnut forests and rolling hills for hiking or mountain biking. There are electric charging stations within walking distance.
If you don't always want to cook, there is a pizzeria with a terrace, a restaurant with traditional Tuscan cuisine and a sunbathing area with swimming pool as well as a very renowned restaurant. There is also a supermarket, pharmacy, bakery, post office and ATM. All this can be reached on foot. For stays in early or late season, the house has electric radiators, a wood stove and a cozy fireplace. 
Located in a palazzo built against the hill, the apartment downstairs has a modern kitchen with patio doors (2020) in what used to be the stable. From the kitchen there is a spiral staircase to the living room. The apartment shares the stairwell with two other apartments.  From the kitchen you walk onto the square with trees and benches. 
Through the staircase you reach the first floor and the front door. On this floor, the house has a living room with sofa bed, two bedrooms with up to 6 beds, a bathroom and a door in the long hallway with access to the private garden at the back. It is a village garden with seating that exudes a Tuscan atmosphere through the greenery, the cherry tree, the surrounding red tiled roofs and the hills in the distance. Behind the garden are a number of small pieces of land from the neighbors all around. A lovely place to read a book or enjoy dining al fresco with sometimes typical Italian neighborly noises in the background. The garden is completely enclosed with walls and a fence, so it is suitable for dogs. 

Until 1994, Boccheggiano was an important mining village where copper and later pyrite were mined. A remnant of the copper mining activities are the Roste, the red-colored hills along the river Merse, and hiking trails crisscross this area. The village has been left behind economically. Since the closure of the mines, it has been more difficult for young people to find local work, some houses are empty and the community and the municipality are struggling to maintain facilities. The young people have moved away from the original inhabitants and the older ones have stayed. In recent years, a new breed of residents, including families from Macedonia and Bosnia, Americans with an Italian migration background and pensioners from other EU countries, have settled in the village. There are children running around again and a mix of people determines the street scene. With the help of the EU, investments are also being made in public facilities and the refurbishment of buildings and streets. For example, the theater has recently been renovated and shows and films are being shown there again. 

Boccheggiano is a nice place for people who like to find peace in the here and now and don't want to rush for a while. There is a lot to see in and around the village and there are many inviting benches to look around contemplatively. The villagers do the latter regularly. We will send you documents with local (circular) walks (from the house or after 10 minutes drive) and cycling routes. For those who want to travel by car to another major Tuscan city every day, this house is a less logical choice because of the driving distances.

At a shorter driving distance (maximum 20 minutes) there are many interesting places to visit: for example, a visit to the (organic) vineyards, a quiet garden, the archaeological park, nice little places such as Montieri or the impressive abbey of San Galgano. Furthermore, one of the most beautiful (and unknown) Tuscan cathedrals in the beautiful medieval center of Massa Maritima can also be reached within half an hour. A little further afield:  thermal baths (35 km), sulphur fields (35 km), Follonica (various beaches) 38 km, Siena 48 km, Grosseto 48 km, San Gimignano 68 km, Volterra 71 km. Florence Airport is 106 km away, Pisa is 148 km away and Rome Fiumicino is 214 km away.
Because the basic facilities are within a 1-5 minute walk, you don't really have to go anywhere by car if you don't feel like it. However, without a (rental) car, Boccheggiano is difficult to reach because there is only a bus twice a day. It is a 2-minute walk from the parking lot to the house.

All in all, the Casa Amici from Boccheggiano offers access to all the good things that Tuscany has to offer: culture, nature, beach, archaeology, history and culinary tradition.
You are most welcome!