Villa Lenka – our Italian villa rental with chef offers the epitome of luxury and service. This magnificent air-conditioned, seven-bedroom Lucca Villa is one of the finest villas in all of Italy.
This charming, lavish 17th-century mansion is located just a few minutes outside of the wonderful walled city of Lucca. Today this beautifully restored and elegant villa, with its fabulous frescoes, can be the exclusive summer retreat of those seeking the finest that life has to offer. This marvelous historic Lucca villa can be rented with a private chef and full staff.
What makes this outstanding italian villa rental with chef so incredibly wonderful is the fact that it is more than a commercially rented mansion, it is a functional home – and set up accordingly – so although it is incredibly lavish, the villa is incredibly comfortable and functionally laid out.
The history of Villa Lenka is as rich as the villa itself. Built in 1624, Villa Lenka is set in a verdant valley in the southern hills of Lucca and was the summer residence to Count Cosimo Bernardini, one of the richest men and a key political figure in the short-lived independent Republic of Lucca.
The Bernardini family owned several magnificent palazzos in the city center as well as many villas in the hills that surround the city and were 72 times Gonfaloniers of the Republic (magistrates of the medieval communes) from 1388 with Giovanni through to 1798 with Cosimo.
In 1805, when Napoleon installed his sister, Elisa Bonaparte, and her husband Felice Baciocchi as rulers of the Principality of Lucca, the Bernardini family continued to feature in this new political order with Federico Bernardini being camp assistant to Felice Baciocchi, Duke of Lucca, and his wife, Eleonora de Nobili Dame de Compagnie.
Guests at Villa Lenka have firmly arrived in Paradise – and there are so many things to experience near the villa that it’s hard to pack everything you will want to do into just one week’s stay! Besides private cooking lessons at your villa conducted by top Tuscan chefs, we offer wine tasting both at the villa or at the awesome Enoteca Vanni located on the Piaza san Salvatore in Lucca.
In addition to the treasure trove of art residing in Lucca’s 100 churches and splendid museums, there is the Puccini opera festival with an opera every evening. Although the operas rotate amongst five different locations, we particularly recommend experiencing the power of a performance at the San Giovanni Basilique, one of the most beautiful churches in all of the world.
The Lucca Summer Festival features major performers; the Eagles, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Lenny Kravitz and Robbie Williams have headlined the festival in recent years. Florence’s world-famous museums, the Uffizi and l’Accademia, are only an hour from the villa. No stay in Lucca is complete without an excursion to Cinque Terre, the picturesque UNESCO world heritage site, which can be reached by train, car, or private yacht, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa is only a 25-minute drive from the villa.
Sportsmen will love the area with four major golf courses fairly nearby – the Tirrenia Golf club in Pisa, Versilia on the coast, Montecatini Golf Club set in rolling olive groves, the stunning Pavoniere in Prato as well as the course at Poggio dei Medici close to Florence.
The villa’s guests can enjoy tennis at seven different nearby private courts. There are a plethora of bike trails past historical sights and vineyards ranging from leisurely to challenging. Horseback riding is close to the villa – and lessons for all levels are available. The seaside town of Forte dei Marmi is only a short 25-minute drive and Tuscandream can get you a private beachside cabana at a prime resort such as Twiga.
La Cecca is a famous trattoria less than a minute’s walk from the villa, and there are other closeby gems including the magnificent Cucina dello Scompiglio. The popular La Bimbotta is a delightful informal place to have a night of pizza and pasta, just a two-minute drive from the villa. We also would like to mention the fabulous seafood restaurant, Skipper, which is seven minutes from the villa, and our personal favourite “hole in the wall” pizza parlor “Ceylon Pizza” which is only moments away by car. There are several supermarkets nearby – the best of which is Esselunga, a short five-minute drive from Villa Lenka.