We would love you to join us and savour the true bella vita italiana.
– Lois and Bill Breckon
Make a bookingIn and around The Watermill
Peaceful and secluded, yet part of the village
Our beautiful and historic watermill stands beside the River Rosaro in the small village of Posara. Peaceful and secluded, yet part of the village, the mill is just a mile or so from the walled medieval town of Fivizzano with its cafés, restaurants and shops. This is the heart of Lunigiana, in the North-west of Tuscany, a truly unspoilt part of Italy.
Set in a gentle valley with mountain peaks in the background, the mill is a peaceful spot, surrounded by the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Appennines and The Regional Pak of the Apuan Alps, home of the marble mountains of Carrara.
The Watermill is a complex of elegant and historic Tuscan buildings, around a sunny courtyard with an adjoining vine verandah, rose pergola and sun-filled walled garden. More gardens lead to walks along the river and the sun-dappled millstream.
We have lovingly restored the historic buildings and created eight beautiful bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, plus two self-contained apartment suites, each with a double bedroom, bathroom and sitting room, ideal for couple or friends sharing. The bright and airy rooms are well decorated and tastefully furnished. Many contain original artworks and all enjoy lovely views of the river, the gardens or the mountains.
Our graceful communal Sitting Room, with its gallery of paintings by our inspiring tutors, is ideal for post-prandial conversation and digestivi. Our courtyard dining room is the unique setting for leisurely breakfasts and mouth-watering evening meals. There is also a communal kitchen, with chilled water and facilities for personal tea-/coffee-making. There is Wi-Fi in the communal sitting room.
The Mill
The mill is a unique piece of ‘industrial archaeology’. Around the courtyard and behind the three-storey Tuscan houses there are two ancient watermills, one built in the 17th century and the other in the 19th. Their millstones and workings are still intact and we are slowly restoring them. Waterpower was used not only for producing wheat, maize and chestnut flour, but also for crushing and squeezing olives for their oil.
The Gardens
Around the mill there’s a walled garden, a vine verandah, a winding rose pergola, and riverside gardens, with tables, chairs and sun-loungers, providing delightful spots for sun-kissed or shady relaxation and contemplation. Then there are further secluded private gardens where you can stroll beside the millstream for about a quarter of a mile. The riverside gardens feature the old olive press reservoir (now filled with chilly water from the mountains, in which you can plunge or just dangle your toes). There’s also a terrace overlooking the river and a bamboozery through which you can walk.
Posara
Posara is a small, friendly village, with ancient houses and narrow alleyways, surrounded by vineyards and fields of maize and sunflowers.
The natives are friendly and will always talk to you when you make your evening passeggiata, perhaps to view the ancient packhorse bridge to another mill downstream.
Fivizzano
Fivizzano is a walled Medieval market town, complete with castle (just to the North) and a Medici fountain in the main piazza. There are lots of shops, both a supermarket and small shops selling local produce, notably ham, salami, cheese and wine.
There are also plenty of cafés, ice-cream parlours, restaurants and pizzerias. You can hire a tennis court in Fivizzano and there is a big outdoor swimming pool at Cormezzano, on the road towards Aulla. Above the town, the scenery becomes spectacular, with beautiful views over the mountains, olive groves and chestnut forests.
Tuscany
Despite its rural quiet, Posara is only 40 minutes’ drive to the coast and the beach resorts in the Gulf of the Poets (Shelley and Byron swam here) and even less to the autostrada to Pisa, Lucca and Florence. At Pontremoli there’s a small, but fascinating, museum of enigmatic Etruscan statues.
A train from nearby Aulla will take you through the hills to Lucca, skirting the Regional Park of the Alpi Apuane. From Aulla you can take another train to the Cinque Terre, five fishing villages in spectacular settings. A walk from Monterosso to Vernazza along the cliff top path is an unforgettable experience.
Bring your partner or friend!
Why not bring your friend or partner? They don’t have to participate in the course, but they will be able to enjoy the wonderful hospitality of the mill and, whenever they want, come out with you to our beautiful locations.
We also offer a range of Alternative Activities for Partners on all our creative courses, as well as a generous £GBP 250 discount if they share a room with you.
Make an enquiry today