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Tuscany: in a small medieval village on the hills close to the seaside
Translated from 
Italiano
ItalianoHouse • Sassetta Italia
Exchange types accepted
Statistics
Listed October 2021
Views 3175
General overview
Our house is located in a small medieval village, Sassetta, nestled on a hill surrounded by chestnut woods not far from the beautiful beaches of the Etruscan coast that goes from Livorno to Piombino.
The key words of Sassetta are history, forest, red marble, thermal water, beaches, good food and wine.
The castle of Sassetta was built, probably as a buttress for the defense of the Tyrrhenian coast from the incursions of Saracen pirates, certainly before the year 1000, by the Orlandi della Sassetta, a powerful Pisan family.
During the 1400s almost all of Tuscany fell under the dominion of Florence and the Orlandi family clashed with the Medici family until eventually the Orlandis were driven out and the castle was destroyed.
In 1563 the fiefdom was granted to Antonio Ramirez de Montalvo, a Spanish nobleman, who built the palace, which still exists, on the remains of the Orlandi castle.
Our house was probably built in that period to host the Sassetani, a proud and tough people, who worked in the forest, cutting wood and making charcoal, activities that survived until the last century.
Today Sassetta is a small town (less than 500 inhabitants) nestled among the rocks, overlooking a beautiful valley, the Val di Cornia, with narrow streets that go down the hill leading to the houses of the town, nestled into each other to form the most of the space stolen from the rocks. Here and there red marble sculptures appear, created during the "Sculpture Symposium".
Val di Cornia is a spa area, known since Etruscan times when the extraordinary properties of these waters were discovered. Geothermal energy is used to produce electricity and hot water. The spas are all around Sassetta; the closest are the "Cerreta spa", 2 km from the town, where you can also have a good dinner.
As in all of Italy, we are full of restaurants all around. In the village there are four good restaurants or as we call them "trattorie". The menus are inspired by forest products: therefore, depending on the season, you eat wild boar, mushrooms, game, but given the proximity to the sea, you can also have fish dishes; and pizza, of course.
Wine: just a few kilometers from here there are some of the most famous wineries in the world. The Bolgheri area is known for its Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Guado al Tasso wines etc. but there are many other lesser-known (and expensive!) wineries. You can drink them but also visit the cellars, some of these designed by famous starchitects such as Tenuta Argentiera in Donoratico or Cantina Petra in Suvereto.
Last but not least the sea.
The closest beaches are only 12 km/15 minutes from Sassetta. I'm talking about the 6 km long beach that goes from Marina di Donoratico to San Vincenzo, free to use, fine sand, Mediterranean scrub behind, shallow and clear water. With a little more time you can reach the wonderful gulf of Baratti or the white sands of the gulf of Riotorto. For a "Caribbean" sea you can think of the Island of Elba (40 minutes by ferry, 1 hour of navigation).
Important Notice. Despite being so close to the sea, Sassetta usually has a temperature 4 degrees lower than sea level, very pleasant for sleeping during the hot summer nights
The space
The house was totally renovated in 2020. It is located on the first and second floor of a building with another owner on the ground floor, Mariangela, a very kind lady who lives there a few months a year.
On the first floor there is the living room, the kitchen and a storage room with a very low ceiling which sooner or later we will have to transform into a terrace or loggia overlooking the Val di Cornia.
On the second attic floor there are the double bedroom and the guest bedroom, both with a double bed, the bathroom with shower and a closet. The height of the ceiling at the lowest point is 1.70 m. The roof has been insulated to ensure a comfortable temperature.
There is air conditioning in the living room and double bedroom.
There is an internet connection with WiFi in all rooms. TV: satellite channels and streaming, vintage HiFi with vinyl records (60s, 80s, our times!). CD (same times!), Alexa
Guest access
The house has two flights of stairs, the first is convenient for the living room, the second is steeper. It is not suitable for people with mobility problems, sorry
Notes
The Sassetta road is famous among cyclists. Many teams come here for their training. If you love riding a bicycle and have the opportunity, take it with you. You will find a wonderful situation to ride and meet new friends!
Features
Washer
Oven
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Travel Styles
Adventure
Family
Romantic
Sport and leisure
Foodie
Relaxing
Village
Mountains
Beach
Water
Remote
Culture
Hiking
Cycling
House rules
Unsuitable for infants under 2
Unsuitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Cat free
Dog free
Carpet free
Smoke free
Fragrance free
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
Sassetta is a very small village.
On foot you can reach the pharmacy, grocery store, ATM, restaurants, post office and tourist information. Medical center open only on certain days (Cecina hospital, 30 minutes away).
Supermarkets are located in Donoratico, 10 km away, as is the train station.
All around there are many trails (ask the tourist information office for a map) more than 70 km.
Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri, Suvereto, San Vincenzo, Cecina, Piombino are villages and towns within easy reach.
Pisa, Siena, Cinque Terre, Florence can be reached with a daily ride. Florence and Pisa also by train from Donoratico (less than 1 hour Pisa and 2 hours Florence, both stations are in the city center)
Getting to my home
A car is required to stay in Sassetta. There is a bus service from Donoratico, where the train station is located, to Sassetta, but the services are infrequent and having a car is the only way to get around comfortably.
If you are arriving by plane, the nearest airport is Pisa, 40 minutes away, where you can rent a car.
You can get to Donoratico by train but there is no possibility of taking a car here. So it's better if you arrive in Cecina where there is a Europecar office.
By car... follow google map! When driving the streets of Sassetta, pay attention to wildlife. It is not uncommon to encounter wild boars, foxes and roe deer
Nearest airport
Pisa, 40 minutes away by car
Getting around
Grocery, pharmacy, newspapers, ATM, post office in the village.
Supermarkets in Donoratico 12 km
Donoratico railway station 12 km
Castagneto Carducci bank office 6 km
Cecina Hospital 30 km
Map of Approximate Location
Feedback
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Premium
Fulvio
We live in Tuscany. Our main house in Florence and a second house in Sassetta, near the sea, could be exchanged.
We are looking for families who appreciate the true value of the exchange: making new friends everywhere!
We have been exchanging homes on other platforms since 2007, with more than 30 exchanges done in the past, all of which are wonderful memories.
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Open to any destination
Can travel at any time
Jan 26 - 31, 2025 (Flexible)
Feb 16 - 22, 2025 (Flexible)
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