Locanda al Colle

Locanda al Colle is the restoration of a 1760 farmhouse on the hills of Capezzano Pianore, above Camaiore. A drive lined with old olive trees leads up to the house, surrounded by lavender, rosemary and sage; from the panoramic terrace, under wisteria pergolas, the view runs across the Versilia plain to the sea, with the Apuan Alps behind.

Inside, it feels like a country house that happens to hold a contemporary art collection: sculptures by local craftsmen, works on the walls and period furniture from the 1920s to the 1970s. Each floor has its own sitting room and terrace; the garden has an outdoor heated salt-water pool and a large whirlpool among the olive trees. The inn is open from late March to October; Camaiore's centre is a few minutes away by car, Pietrasanta and the sea about ten.

The inn is run by its owner, Riccardo Barsottelli, with a small team that looks after guests closely; it has received the Condé Nast Johansens Award. Private itineraries in the area can be arranged on request: marble quarry visits, hikes in the Apuan Alps, boat trips, wine tastings in the villages, Vespa and cycling tours.

Guests have a gazebo with a private cabin at CodeBeach, a beach club on the Versilia coast, with parking, bicycles and SUP boards; at the inn there is a free electric car charger and a transfer service from Pisa and Florence airports. Dogs are welcome in the designated rooms, and a dog-sitting service is available.

The minimum stay is three nights at the start and end of the season (late March to late April, and from mid-October), four nights in spring and autumn (late April to late May, late September to mid-October) and one week in summer, from late May to late September; shorter stays are possible on request. Check-in is from 2pm to 8pm and check-out by 10am, with breakfast served until 11am.

The twelve rooms and suites are spread over three floors and take their names from the landscape: Orizzonte, Olivo, Cipresso, Noce, Colletto and Giardino (standard and superior, 16 to 19 m²), Aurora, Collina and Mare (deluxe, 25 m²), the Alba junior suite and the Colle and Tramonto suites (35 m², Colle with two separate bathrooms). Each is furnished differently, with Art Deco and vintage pieces, warm natural colours and views over the hills or towards the sea.

All have Simmons king-size beds with memory-foam toppers, Rivolta Carmignani linen, Erbario Toscano toiletries, air conditioning, minibar fridge and safe; many have rain showers, and the deluxe rooms and suites also a bathtub. Dogs are welcome, on request, only in Alba, Colle, Giardino and Tramonto.

The inn's kitchen is large and homely, and meals follow the same spirit: breakfast, sweet and savoury, is served at the table; a light lunch is available on request; in the evening the chef prepares a two-course dinner with dessert based on Versilia dishes, reserved for house guests and to be booked in advance. The menu changes daily; water and coffee are included, wine is extra.

On Wednesday afternoons at 4 pm the chef holds a cooking class for up to six people, preparing a three-course dinner with homemade pasta; on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, instead of dinner, there are platters of cheese and cured meats. For other evenings, Camaiore, Pietrasanta and the coast offer plenty of restaurants.

Camaiore is one of the historic towns of Versilia, between the sea and the Apuan Alps: its centre keeps a medieval layout, with the Collegiate church and the Abbey of San Pietro, and its territory includes Lido di Camaiore and hill hamlets such as Capezzano Pianore, where the inn stands. The Via Francigena passes nearby.

A short drive away are Pietrasanta, with its marble and bronze workshops, Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio; the Carrara quarries and Monte Altissimo, with Michelangelo's quarry at Seravezza, are less than an hour away. Lucca and Pisa are about half an hour away, Florence about an hour and a quarter; in July and August Torre del Lago hosts the Puccini Festival.