Casale Amati

Suggested readings

Getting to know these lands though novels and poems

«(..) per miracolo tace la guerra,
qui tocca anche a noi poveri la nostra parte di ricchezza
ed è l’odore dei limoni. (..)»

Eugenio Montale, i Limoni (Ossi di seppia, 1925)


During winter sitting on a comfy armchair, in front of an old wooden stove. Or maybe simply laying down on the bed, under a warm blanket accompanied by the relaxing sound of the flow of water coming from the little waterfall.

In summer sitting at the table in the Italian garden, or under the shadow of an olive tree, surrounded by the greenery and the silence.
Here in Casale Amati it is always the right season to allow yourself the luxury of a good read.

We have a lot of readings to suggest to you, which for a reason or another – birth places of authors, the settings, inspiration and so on – are all connected to our local geography.
Not really tourist guides. These are more like tips about books, novels and poems. Because we are sure that, though reading, you can have a synergy with the place you’re staying in.

Let’s start with a classic, ideal for those who intend to visit the Cinque Terre.
A collection of poems from one of the most famous Italian poets: Ossi di seppia by Eugenio Montale, Nobel Prize for literature in 1975. Poems of an extraordinary beauty such as “I Limoni”, “Mediterraneo”, “La casa dei doganieri” written right there in Monterosso, one of the Cinque Terre, where Montale used to spend his summers. After having read them, a visit to this delicious sailor village will be further enriched by timeless images and sounds taken from these poems.

The first successful novel by Maurizio Maggiani, is based in the Lunigiana area. The writer was born in 1951 in the nearby Castelnuovo Magra: the title of the artwork is Il coraggio del pettirosso, and it’s the story of “humble and stubborn courage” described through the character of Saverio.

Another recommended novel is Le Pietre della Luna by Marco Buticchi, a bestselling author who lives in the nearby town of Lerici. In his works he combines history, stories, adventure and mysteries: the Italian version of Wilbur Smith, as he is often defined. The book? A whirling slalom of adventures between ancient Rome and modern times that never lack twists and turns.

Settled between Viareggio and Lunigiana, poetic and sometimes ironic, is Chi manda le onde by Fabio Genovesi, a bittersweet narration that in its plot includes the stele sculptures of Lunigiana, Versilia, Forte dei Marmi, Pontremoli and our nearby city of Luni. You’ll look forward to reading it…

Talking about Pontremoli, for those who would like to get stuck into a chivalrous but also contemporary novel, one interesting title could be Le avventure di Raniero di Pontremoli cavaliere del Santo Sepolcro, written by Enrico Mayer. The main characters are the count Raniero of Pontremoli and the beautiful Maddalena, daughter of the duke Carlo of Sarzana…Even here Lunigiana serves as enthralling background to the story.

And for the youngster ones a nice bedtime story to read is Polpo Campanaro, written by Beppe Mecconi. Basically, it is a Ligurian tale describing a bizarre relationship between an octopus and a child.
During a stormy night, pirates are about to go ashore in the little and colourful town of Tellaro…

Have we intrigued you? Enjoy the reading at Casale Amati then!

Casale amati

Reviews

DIEGO B.

Un prezioso angolo di eleganza.
Abbiamo alloggiato nel Casale per il ponte del 1 maggio, con altre due famiglie, prendendo 2 delle 3 strutture contigue che formano il Casale. Ogni struttura è definita da uno stile proprio e molto curato nei dettagli, lasciando inalterate le suggestioni di quando era la residenza estiva dei proprietari.
Federica, la proprietara, vi conquesterà immediatamente per la sua gentilezza e la passione che trasmette nel racconto sulle origini della struttura. Un perfetto rifugio se il desiderio è quello di vivere autenticamente e senza eccessi, la zona già di per se stessa è meravigliosa.
Grazie di tutto!!

Diego B. Roma, Italia (Marchesa&Macine)

REVIEWED ON TRIPADVISOR.COM

ELISABETH N.

Simply Perfect
A perfect place to stay in with your family and/or friends. From the outside the old olive-oil mill may not look like much but inside you realize that you have stepped into a castle. It is a grand old place with parts of the mill still showing it one of the two great kitchens. There are plenty of rooms to choose from, the upper rooms with AC and down below cool enough for a hot summer. The garden is very pretty, with gold-fish in the dam, plenty of room to relax. The house is situated in the foothills of the mountains, but not far from the sea. There is plenty to do in the area and I cannot enough stress that you need to see this place and realize you will want to come back. The hostess is very pleasant and helpful, a very nice encounter.

Elisabeth Nyköping, Svezia (Marchesa&Macine).

REVIEWED ON TRIPADVISOR.COM

FEDRIGO ORLEANS

L’endroit où nous sentons chez nous.
Il Casale Amati est devenu notre lieu de référence en Italie que nous fréquentons beaucoup. Son emplacement entre mer et petite montagne, le bon goût de la restauration de cet ancien pressoir ,le calme, les ressources de la région font que nous nous sentons chez nous ! et si l’on ajoute la charmante hospitalité des propriétaires…..nous n’avons pas les mots pour continuer.

Fedrigo Orléans, France (Le Macine)

REVIEWED ON HOMEAWAY.COM

GIROT N.

Une magnifique maison.
Nous avons passé un week end de 4 jours en famille dans cette superbe maison. Nous avons tous été bluffés de la beauté de cet endroit et de la place que nous avions. Les photos sont conformes à la réalisté, c’est tout aussi atypique, original ! Ortonovo est un petit village paisible ou le calme est au rendez-vous. Très agréable pour se reposer après une journée très occupée au 5 terres par exemple ! Proche de la mer en voiture, je conseille à tout le monde de découvrir cet endroit !

Girot Thonon Les Bains, Francia (La Marchesa) 

REVIEWED ON ABRITEL.FR

KIRK S.

Very cool place- takes you back in time!
Great place, the grounds alone should make you want to stay here! Federica was a fabulous host! My kids didn’t want to leave. Easy access to Tuscan hill towns or the 5 Terre!

REVIEWD ON HOMEAWAY.COM

MARKUS AMBURGO

Just Excellent, historical and authentic.
We stayed in this wonderful old olive mill several days together with our family including 3 kids. So we had both flats on the 1st floor which are connected by a door. So it was just one big flat then with 2 bathrooms, two kitchens and 6 bedrooms in total. We used just 5 bedrooms. The whole house is nicely decorated with old furniture/antique furniture in good condition besides modern aspects, especially wifi, TV with obviously every available channel of the world, and for sure a well equipped kitchen including dishwasher. Everything was clean and the whole house and every room is very cosy. We didn’t use the very big garden behind the house due to the bad weather we had in November. But in summer it must just be wonderful to have a BBQ on the terrace. The service is also very good. The owner explained us everything regarding the old house and how the oil was produced. There are many historical parts of the old oil production system still visible. That makes this house and especially the flat “LA Macine” a very particular and authentic place. We got also many recommendations for what we can do and visit around. Thanks for the amazing stay and your support in our situation. Hope we come back one day.

Markus Amburgo, Germania (Marchesa&Macine)

REVIEWED ON TRIPADVISOR.COM

RUTH M.

Awesome, unique adventure!
Wonderful host, wonderful unique accommodations! The apartment had all the amenities we need plus some extra and it was so unique and charming. It was fun stepping back in history. We will always treasure our stay here. It was very nicely decorated and the beds were very comfortable. The grounds were also very nice. We highly recommend this rental!

Ruth M. London, Ontario (Le Macine) 

REVIEWED ON VRBO.COM

SUZANA L.

Unforgettable birthday party in La Marchesa!
We were quite a big party with 6 adults who came to celebrate my birthday in La Marchesa. Such a beautiful house with a lot of space! Large bedrooms, kitchen and not least the wonderful barbecue garden. The house has a working Wifi which for us was important. From Ortonovo it is easy and close to reach Cinque Terre, La Specia, Pisa and Via Reggio. One day we went out to Tuscany, eat lunch in the wonderful Vignamaggio (birthday house of Mona Lisa) and spend some hours in Florence. After intense excursions coming back to the quiet place and bird songs in La Marchesa, felt very luxurious. Highly recommended accommodation. We are coming back!

Suzana L.(La Marchesa)

REVIEWED ON HOMEAWAY.COM