First and foremost, our apartment is where we live and work when in Italy. We treat it as a home, not a rental property. It is a newly renovated and furnished 880-square-foot space with a 400-square-foot terrace. It has two bedrooms and a studio, as well as an ample kitchen-dining area and living room (see photos). Because of the terrace and the apartment's location on the third floor (secondo piano), the apartment is extremely bright. The large terrace overlooks the rooftops of Lucca and the surrounding hills.
The apartment has beautiful marble "graniglia" floors and original wooden doors and window blinds, as well as a marble fireplace. The apartment is both heated and air conditioned. The fully equipped kitchen includes a dishwasher. There is a washing machine. All the appliances, including the furnace, are new. There are a tv and a dvd player in the living room, with a satellite dish that provides several English-language channels. There are stereos in the living room and on the terrace. High speed wireless internet and local phone are hooked up. There is also a fax/copy machine. There is a 110-220 transformer for North America-only devices as well as plug adapters for dual-voltage North American appliances. All linens, including sheets, towels, blankets, duvets and pillows are provided. Our representatives in Lucca responsible for dispensing keys, receiving payment, and explaining how the apartment works, etc., speak English, French, and German, as well as Italian, should questions arise.
The apartment is non smoking. Some pets are allowed but conditions must be negotiated.
Our apartment is immediately outside the walls of the city, which has several advantages. It is brighter, more spacious, and less damp than rental apartments tend to be within the walls, and it has free parking right outside the door. It is located on a street which has, within 200 metres, two bars, several bank machines, a post office, a car rental agency, Lucca's best gelateria, a pharmacy, two alimentari (delicatessens), a fruit and vegetable store, a newsstand, a fresh pasta store, a fresh fish store, a pastry shop, three stationery and office supply stores, a video store, several hairdressers, two computer supply stores, two pizzerias, an excellent trattoria that also functions as a third bar, a camera store with fax services, a laundromat (particularly for use of a dryer if need be), a dry cleaner, a great wine outlet (E1.80 a litre for top-notch vino), and a shoe repair shop. There is a supermarket within three blocks. The bi-weekly outdoor market (a quintessential Italian experience) is a five-minute walk, the hospital five-seven minutes, the train station about 15 minutes.
Lucca is a major and charming Tuscan city. It is surrounded by beautiful hills that can be reached within 15 minutes by car. It is 25 minutes from the sea and from Pisa and an hour from Florence, all of which can easily be reached by train or by bus. It is large enough (population 85,000) to have everything one wants, including a vibrant history and cultural life, and small enough to be far more livable than the better known Tuscan cities. One can traverse the city (inside the walls) on foot in about 20 minutes and by bike in 5-7. One can get to the countryside by bike within 5-10 minutes. (We live happily without a car in Lucca.)
Because it is still relatively untrampled upon by tourists, Lucca is not only more tranquil but less expensive than, say Florence. It also enjoys a more moderate climate, both in winter and in summer.
During the winter months, we seek long-term rentals, preferably of six to nine months. However, we also consider renters for shorter periods, dependent on availability, and in the summer we can occasionally accommodate people for two-week stays (minimum) or longer. The short-term rate is 600 euros per week, double occupancy, satellite tv and internet included. Other costs (gas, electricity, and water) are extra. Longer term prices are negotiable. We avoid rentals of fewer than two weeks.
Contact Frank Burke at
burkef@queensu.ca or Annette Burfoot at
burfoota@queensu.ca.
Contact Frank Burke at burkef@queensu.ca or Annette Burfoot at burfoota@queensu.ca.
Updated 20 February 2009.