Casa Mirella
friendly atmosphere to visit Vinci, Pisa, Lucca, and Florence

Along the old pilgrim's route (the Via Francigena), near Florence, halfway between Lucca and Siena, right beside Leonardo Da Vinci's home town, in the charming Chianti Montalbano hills, on the right bank of the Arno River, you will find "Casa Mirella", a family-run Bed&Breakfast which offers room for 5 people. It has two double rooms and one single room, then, and is run impeccably by Mirella herself. In the morning, Mirella will treat you to a fine continental breakfast. In Vinci, famous the world over as the town in which Leonardo was born, you will find his old house as well as the Leonardo Museum, where you will find several of his amazing inventions.

Casa Mirella is a typical Tuscan house, fitted with ancient furniture and which is truly warm and welcoming in the old traditional style. It offers its guests three elegant rooms, which have been hand-decorated very artistically. The rooms share a bathroom and all have terraces, where you can enjoy your breakfasts when the weather is good.

Casa Mirella is located near the Arno River and beneath the Colle Alberti hills (this is a farm whose main activity is the production of classified "DOCG" wine and oil). Here you can totally relax and enjoy wonderful walks or trips by bicycle (Casa Mirella provides its guests with bicycles) through nature areas boasting several vineyards and olive groves and along the banks of the Arno River. Not to mention the natural oasis of the Padule di Fucecchio marshland, a vast area inhabited by large colonies of herons and, in the springtime, by more than 150 species of birds, the perfect place, then, for "bird watching".

You simply cannot miss the house in which LEONARDO DA VINCI was born. It is in Anchiano. The Leonardo Museum, then, is in the Castle Tower in VINCI, a tiny and enchanting medieval town where several of Leonardo's inventions are represented in full scale.

The perfect strategic position of Casa Mirella allows you to visit capitals of world art like Lucca, Siena, Florence and Pisa on day trips.

Just a few kilometres away, then, art and culture lovers can also visit the Villa Medicea in Cerreto Guidi (a Wine city) which once belonged to Cosimo the First of the Medici Family and which is now a National Museum open to the public.

Children, then, absolutely must take the trip to Collodi, the home of the most famous puppet the world over: Pinocchio.

Nor can you miss visiting Empoli and Montelupo Fiorentino, Altopascio, the Cappiano Bridge, Fucecchio, S. Miniato, Certaldo, Castelfiorentino, Gambassi Terme, Montaione, San Gimignano, the Colle Val d'Elsa hills and Monteriggioni. The latter towns are crossed by the Via Francigena, a route taken in the Middle Ages by pilgrims from North Europe to get to the sacred places of Rome in the Jubilee year, on foot, of course.

Those who just want to relax must visit the Montecatini Terme spa centre and the Tyrrhenian Riviera which offers fine beaches in Viareggio, Tirrenia, Livorno, Castiglioncello and on Elba Island.

The simplicity and traditions of Casa Mirella combined with the artistic treasures in the surrounding areas will ensure you are charmed continually here. Put simply, you cannot fail to fall in love with this region.