Ferme toscane paisible, vues magnifiques. Près de Lucca, Pescia, Florence, Pise

Thank you Eunice for your nice review, you mention many positive aspects of Il Rivo. I’m sorry though that you found the access road challenging! The small roads in the foothills of the Appenines are often narrow and winding, local governments are not permitted to carve bigger roads into the mountainsides as planning laws in Italy are very strict - which of course does help to preserve the structure and beauty of the landscape. Previously the approach road was much narrower, but around ten years ago Pescia council widened it, including the corners, and put up barriers making it much easier to traverse. I will take stock of the cookware and replace or add to the collection of pots and pans; there is actually a knife sharpener on the shelf under the marble work surface. I will purchase a new drying rack, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’m very glad that you enjoyed your stay and explored the area a fair bit, after more than thirty years there are still many places we have yet to visit. Kind regards.

We are so glad you continue to appreciate Il Rivo's innate character and enjoyed visiting again! Come back anytime! Best wishes, Michelle

Thanks for your review, we are very glad you enjoyed Il Rivo. Being a rural converted farmhouse in the foothills of the Appenines the only way up is via a winding road - which can actually be pretty fun to drive! But I appreciate the roads are narrower than those in the US. The reward though once you get up to Il Rivo is the wonderful view!

Thank you for your lovely review, we are very glad that you all enjoyed your holiday so much. You will be welcome back any time! Kind regards, Michelle

We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay Brenda, and explored the local area, there are many places still to discover so you’d be welcome back anytime! All the best, Michelle

Dear Gary, We are very sorry the house did not meet your expectations and that the small patches of mould in the kitchen affected you so much. We have been letting the house for many years and are not aware of anyone experiencing this before including the five bookings prior to yours this year. The patches have been dealt with and there is no evidence of damp in any other part of the house. The property is always thoroughly cleaned between each booking, previous guests have often commented on how clean it is, including those in the week immediately prior to your visit. We have however asked our manager to make the cleaners aware of your comments, including your recommendation that the floor mops are replaced weekly. The location is not hidden or located in a ‘ravine’, but it is discreet, nestled on the southern slope of a valley with views across olive groves and densely wooded hillsides to medieval villages beyond. This degree of seclusion we find is what most guests are looking for in this kind of holiday, and what one would expect to find for a rural property in northern Tuscany. We are pleased that you appreciated the Upper Floor, but do not understand how you think the house was ‘misrepresented’. The description of Il Rivo on the website has never alluded to it as anything other than a rural ‘traditional Tuscan farmhouse’ with the photos on the site bearing this out. The location is most certainly a ‘Tuscan experience’, albeit a northern Tuscan one, being outside an unspoiled medieval village. It is in the foothills of the Apennines which is actually one of the most attractive and dramatic parts of the province. We are completely at a loss as to what you mean by ‘a substandard industrial bypass’. The nearest town, Pescia - 7 miles from Il Rivo - is a wealthy, but unspoilt Tuscan market town that specialises in cut flowers as evidenced by the large, modernist steel structure of the new Flower Market outside the old town. Or perhaps you are referring to a paper mill down in the valley nearer to Pescia in woodland along part of the riverbank. It is off the beaten track on a side road towards Sorana. Paper manufacturing was part of the historic local heritage and most of the original and grand stone mill buildings have been attractively renovated as hotels and apartments. The house is well located halfway between Pisa and Florence with easy access to Lucca, three of the best-known cities in Tuscany. We have never found travel to these, or other parts of the province, to be trying, even before the onset of Sat Nav or Google Maps. Signposting is generally OK in Italy, and there are plenty of maps and guide books in the house for studying the local area and beyond. Being in a mountainous area many roads are winding and sometimes narrow once off main thoroughfares, but this is common in all similar landscapes. We do not know what you were expecting, but it seems you were anticipating a different type of house, perhaps a newer one, or more modernised. When renovating Il Rivo we were keen to keep its authentic – over 200 year old - flavour but still provide modern comforts. We used all locally sourced materials such as Castagna wood, Sorana stone for the staircase and lintels, and Carrara marble for work surfaces etc. Perhaps you would be advised to book a more modern and sanitised villa type property not in such a rural setting in future. I was pleased to discuss your concerns as we work hard to create a pleasant environment for our guests and always try to improve things where we can. The reviews left by previous guests so far this year, one of which was immediately prior to your booking stated, ‘Lovely Property. This is a beautiful old house with a fabulous view over the valley. There is lots of space for families. . It was very clean…’, and another 5* review from guests in April who stated ‘Easter holidays - A beautiful farmhouse in beautiful surroundings’. Best wishes, Michelle

Dear Ida, What a lovely testament to Il Rivo, Vellano and the region! Indeed Trattoria Manero is a wonderful culinary experience, traditional, typical Tuscan fare! You and your family will be welcome to stay again at any time in the future. Best wishes, Michelle

Thanks so much for your lovely review of Il Rivo and your holiday - you evoked memories of wonderful places visited.We would love to welcome you back in the future. Best wishes.

Thank you for the review Charles, we are very glad you enjoyed your stay at Il Rivo entertaining your family and celebrating your anniversary! The house is in a rural setting offering peace and quiet, as you say the path down can be steep in places, but has been traversed over the years by children and adults including grandparents. I have taken on board your comments about knowing which house is Il Rivo, and now send guests photos of the entrance to the path so they don't confuse our house with the neighbours. I apologise the grass had not been cut prior to your arrival, the gardener did go up to the house earlier on the day you were due to arrive but was unable to strim the path and terraces as it started to rain, which meant all his other customers were eager for his services when it stopped! He returned to Il Rivo as soon as he could a day or two after you arrived. Great that you sampled the local restaurants, they do serve delicious food! The house is off the beaten track offering a real slice of Italian life as you say. Best wishes, Michelle

Dear Rick, I understand how frustrating your situation was and I do hope you managed to sort out your daughter’s car. I recognise how you feel disappointed with how things ensued, and I am sorry that this situation occurred. The booking cancellation policy states that if a holidaymaker cancels within 14 days of the start of the rental that no refund is due. This offers protection for an owner against last minute cancellations. You cancelled the day before the rental was due to start and I had already paid the turnaround fees which, for a house like this in Tuscany, are particularly high (almost as much as the rental fee for the five days booked) and also meant I had no opportunity to secure another booking to replace yours. For my own financial protection I need to abide by the rules stipulated in the cancellation policy. Your situation was unfortunate and outside of your control, as it was mine. I did try to help you with offering some advice on how to deal with the situation by possibly hiring a small car to get to Il Rivo - this would hopefully have been cheaper than booking last minute accommodation in Venice. I also suggested contacting your travel insurance provider to claim back any losses incurred by the situation. I am sorry that you had to deal with frustrating circumstances and felt negatively towards myself. I did genuinely want to help you and your family as I do all my guests, we work hard to make Il Rivo a nice experience for visitors. I do hope you managed to still enjoy your time in Italy. Yours sincerely, Michelle

Dear Jean Louis & Isabelle, We are very sorry that you didn't enjoy your stay at Il Rivo more. We have been visiting the house for many years during all the seasons and have always loved the location, view, tranquillity & ambience of the house itself. Our guests over the years have reflected these experiences too as proven by their reviews (all validated) on the website. We have tried to keep the house as original as possible, while providing modern facilities, and we believe that is what most people would want and expect of a 'Traditional Tuscan Farmhouse'. While the upper floor is light and airy, the living room is relatively dark and cool and provides welcome respite in the heat of summer and makes it cosy in winter. As a former working farm, it was originally used for farm storage and occasional animal refuge as befits a Tuscan farmhouse. To introduce more light into the room we did however put in French doors opening onto the terrace. The kitchen is indeed much as it might have been in your grandparents day - and quite deliberately so - we wanted to keep it as authentic and Tuscan as possible but with all mod cons: full height fridge/freezer, dishwasher, modern gas hob and separate electric oven, Pavoni espresso machine etc. The furnishings and fixtures are intentionally sourced from local suppliers and craftsmen using ‘Castagno’ (chestnut wood), Sorana stone, and marble from Carrara. We are very surprised that you found the outside 'nothing extraordinary' with 'limited view'. It may not look on to the 'Grand Canyon', but over the last twenty years we have always found the view wonderful, and the terrace a perfect size and position from which to appreciate it. Our guests too have often commented on ‘the best view in the world’, and ‘a brilliant place to escape in a beautiful environment’ to quote but a few. I’m not sure what you expected to see in northern Tuscany but being surrounded by densely wooded hillsides with views across the valley to the neighbouring hillsides dotted with medieval villages certainly pleases most people. The main terrace has plenty of space for garden lounge chairs and has a vine clad pergola and table, it has accommodated families and groups of five to six friends with plenty of room to spare with no complaints at all, so more than enough room for a couple. The road is as you say narrow, though actually much 'improved' and widened since we first arrived! It is, we've always felt, part of the character of the area. There is little traffic as it is used by only four houses, drivers always toot their horns to warn they are coming and there are several passing areas. In fact, large gas lorries, delivery vans and farm vehicles seem to have no trouble negotiating it. We can't, I'm afraid, do much about the dogs! This is the rural countryside after all! I was concerned about your complaint and followed it up with other guests who visited Il Rivo this year, worried that they too may have been irritated by barking dogs. I also enquired with our neighbours. Thankfully everyone reported that they hardly noticed any barking apart from when a dog in the valley may have been disturbed by wild boar occasionally at night. It did nothing to interfere with their impression of the peaceful ambiance of the house and surroundings. The road up to Vellano is not busy at all and is actually on the other side of the valley! Having been through these points, it’s clear that ours was not the right choice of house for you, and you would surely be advised to book a more sanitised, less traditional one in future. There are plenty of these available, though we're sure you will find them much more expensive and less ‘Tuscan’. We believe Il Rivo represents particularly good value for money for a 3-bedroom, family sized house with outside space in a beautiful setting. Regards, Michelle