The Place
Almost exactly halfway between Pisa and Lucca, near Santa Maria del Giudice, the hillside Villa Rinascimento presents, at first sight, something of an architectural conundrum. On the right-hand side is a rosy coloured, rustic Renaissance villa, three storeys high, constructed with a mixture of brick and stone. Its main feature is a lovely corner loggia, enclosed by four brick arches supported by Doric columns in stone. On the left, it is joined by a much simpler farmhouse structure. The two are united by a long, paved terrace with lemon trees in large terracotta pots. One can breakfast here, or take an aperitivo in the evening.