Villa Parole d'Oro

Villa Parole d'Oro offers a three-bedroom apartment within a hillside villa at Capannori, just outside Lucca in Tuscany, with views over the city and the arches of the Nottolini aqueduct.

With three bathrooms and space for up to 6 guests, it suits families and small groups who want a quiet countryside base with a large pool and the city close by.

The main living space is a large lounge and dining room furnished with original period pieces, paintings, fine rugs and curtains, with a big-screen satellite TV. The kitchen is fully equipped, with an American-style fridge with ice maker, kettle, oven, microwave and espresso machine.

Two bedrooms are on this level: a double with period-style furniture overlooking the lawn above the pool, and a modern twin room that can be made up as a double, sharing a large bathroom with bath and shower.

A third bedroom with a double bed and its own shower room is downstairs, reached by an internal staircase shared with the owners; this room has no air conditioning. Wi-Fi covers the apartment and terrace.

Outside, a large terrace with a barbecue looks towards Lucca and the aqueduct and leads straight onto the lawn above the pool. There is a second terrace with a fireplace-barbecue, a further barbecue on the lawn, and a large park with a hammock, armchairs and deckchairs, plus ping pong and a children's area.

20 metres deep, has sweeping views, umbrellas, loungers and a dining table, and a changing room with bathroom and shower; the owners occasionally use it too. It is open from mid-May to the end of September.

A supermarket is 700 metres away. Lucca itself is one of Italy's great art cities, ringed by intact Renaissance walls now used as a promenade, with Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, Via Fillungo, Piazza San Michele and the Duomo di San Martino all worth exploring. Pets are not allowed.