Casale Amati

The farmhouse and its history

The scent of olive oil and the charm of an ancient family

In a stretch of land situated on the border between Liguria and Tuscany, surrounded by the green hills of Casano In Ortonovo, lies Casale Amati. This is a place full of charm and history, where the story of the family of the Marquises Amati, and the traditions of an area rich with culture and traditional ingredients weave together.

A history that stretches back in time, to around 1300 A.D., when here in Casano, a first architectural structure of our farmhouse already existed.

It was an historic water mill with a millstone which, activated by the nearby waters of the Parmignola river, was one of the early references point of eastern Liguria in the production of olive oil.

In the late 1700s the Marquis Amati, the owner of the oil mill and surrounding lands, decided to extend the original part of the mill by building a new area. This new part was destined to be a work place for the olive oil production, for its sharecroppers and to be a residential home where the noblewoman Franchina Eloisa Ingolotti used to love to come and stay during the summer.

The mill was an active business until the first half of ‘900, after which the heirs completely transformed it into a proper house where to spend the holidays in peace and tranquillity. From that moment onwards Casale Amati, as we find it today, was born.

The last complete renovation was completed in the year 2016. Not only have the changes been made in an attempt to maintain and respect the characteristics of the original farmhouse, but they have also worked to emphasize the origins of this beautiful place, by leaving the mill, the gears, the logs and the old structures of the mill as architectural elements, characterizing spaces as clear evidence of the farmhouse’ s past.

Suspended between the past and the present, between nostalgia and contemporary tastes, this fascinating farmhouse thus internally combines the story of an antique and laborious farm-to-table activity of this area with a warm and relaxing atmosphere typical of the bien vivre of the rural nobility.

The spaces – designed to be welcoming in an informal and family-like day to day way of living but also to host events, shows, ceremonies, parties and occasions of any type – are furnished with a warm and authentic style, which seek to show the simplest sense of country life, boasting some original pieces from the Eighteenth Century.

The traditional ways continue on the outside as well: a large part of the park, approximately 7000mq in size, is still covered with olives trees, the same trees from which the once precious olive oil was extracted. Furthermore, the land around Casale Amati is full of vineyards, fruit trees, walnut and hazelnut orchards, small fragrant shrubs and a delightful Italian garden created at the beginning of the 20th century. Here numerous rare and ancient plants reveal Marquis Amati Ingolotti’s fascination with botany and her wish to gather together in Casano.

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