There are places full of history and poetry…
This impressive ancient palace of the 17th century, also known as Palazzo del Duca, set on the historic main borgo of Tavernelle, was a summer residence of the Podestà and Este Family (Duke of Parma).
Restored in 1991, the palace has its original features, like spacious living areas and terracotta floors, local sandstone portals and doors and stunning vaults. It also boasts a wonderful ancient staircase and in a bedroom there is even a fireplace, a 'must' for all the ancient Lords of the 1700.
The access to Palazzo del Duca is from the main road of Tavernelle. The palace has three floors.
On the ground floor the long corridor leads you to two independent apartments:
- one cozy studio apartment (2 pers.) with en-suite shower bathroom, that has the own entrance from the medieval borgo too
- one large apartment (4 pers.) with spacious living room with large open fire place, well-equipped kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with shower.
Magnificent ancient stairs lead to the first floor, consisting of:
- a luminous apartment (4-6 pers.) with very large living room, kitchen, two double bedrooms (one with open fire place) and two bathrooms with shower. In a bathroom is still existing one ancient water closet.
- A double bedroom (2 pers.) with en-suite bathroom that can be used as third bedroom of the apartment or as a small apartment without kitchen facilities.
Other sandstone steps and you are on the second floor, consisting of:
- one large apartment (4-6 pers.) with large living area, kitchen, 1 bathroom with shower, 2 double bedrooms each with en-suite bathroom with shower.
- An apartment (2- 4 pers.) composed of kitchen and an attic room with living room, 1 double bedroom and a bathroom. The attic section has parquet floors
- A double bedroom (2 pers.) with en-suite bathroom that can be used as third bedroom of one of the apartments or as a small apartment without kitchen facilities.
The palace has a secondary access onto an internal private partially paved garden which provides a peaceful area for relaxing, dining and cooling-off on summer evenings.
From the garden you can enter in a lovely detached apartment, that sleeps 2 people and consists of an attic double bedroom, small kitchen/dining room, a bathroom with shower and a tiny terrace.
Every apartment, except for the studio apartment, has independent heating throughout. Due to the high altitude and thick walls of the palazzo air conditioning is never necessary. There is available a laundry with washing machine, iron, and iron board.
The rental possibilities are various; the entire palazzo may be rented to a big a group of friends, 26 people maximum, or rental may be divided into six self-catering apartments and two independent 'suites', that share the garden.
Palazzo del Duca is the ideal place for having a peaceful and relaxing stay and an ideal starting point for excursions and hikes: the choice is yours to make: explore the hills (on foot if you like) and valleys, or drive half an hour to the coast at Lerici and Portovenere - the gateway to the Cinque Terre - or the marble quarries at Carrara. Also a few minutes away there are the Appenine lakes and the Passo del Lagastrello, and you can drive down the coast to Viareggio, Pisa and Lucca in an hour or so.
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