Creative and Painting Holidays at The Old Olive Press in Tuscany, Italy

Ciao from Tuscany!

The Old Olive Press, 'Il Vecchio Frantoio', is a collection of old agricultural buildings lovingly reconstructed to provide a venue for small groups to get together and enjoy their common interests, such as painting, photography, walking and creative writing. The house has four double/twin bedrooms, all with private bathrooms, and can comfortably accommodate up to eight guests. There is a fully equipped modern kitchen and a large living room, where in the winter months you can enjoy relaxing by a large open fireplace.

The stone courtyard is the perfect place to enjoy breakfast or lunch, al fresco aperitivi or a bbq. We also have a small pool located on the private lower terrace, with amazing views across the valley, where you can relax in the shade or sunbathe under the warm Italian sun. Beyond the pool terrace is a track that leads down into the olive groves, delightful to explore with its many old mule tracks. From Terenzano you can partake in several walks into the surrounding landscape and beyond. This northern Tuscan landscape, seamed with ancient mule tracks linking medieval hilltop villages, with their Romanesque churches and decaying castles, abounding in an abundance of flora and fauna, makes this a magical place to explore. If you enjoy wild swimming there are opportunities in the local rivers and waterfalls.

We are located in Terenzano, a small farming village overlooking the Alpi Apuane mountains of Carrara in the most northern part of Tuscany. The Romans called this area Lunigiana because of the luminosity on the marble reflected by the moon. Nestled between Tuscany's Marble Alps and Liguria, Lunigiana is often referred to as "the land of castles" and the area remains mostly untouched by our modern age and here you will experience the peace and tranquility of the Italian countryside.

The village is about a ten minutes drive from the fortified Medici town of Fivizzano; a small, lively market town running many cultural and food events throughout the year. Fivizzano has many restaurants, bars and alimentari where you can purchase local produce.

Just over an hour's drive away is the Italian Riviera and the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Cinque Terre or 'five lands', which is a string of five fishing villages overlooking the sea. An ancient system of footpaths is still the best way to visit these beautiful towns, but they can also be approached by ferryboat. Lerici is a beautiful, historic town with perfect swimming and in the summer months offers markets and many aperitivi bars and restaurants.