Mulino
Mulino was the landowner’s house, once owned by the Diocese of Pontremoli, and used by the Bishop for his summer residence. The house has many fine architectural features, including an internal chapel, and mainly dates from the 1820s, with the cantinas dating back to the fourteenth century. The floors are original terracotta tiles, and many of the rooms have murals painted on the ceilings. The house is spacious and remains cool in the summer months because of the thick stone walls.
The entrance to the house is approached through a landscape of box hedges, and a flower border containing roses, hibiscus and dahlias which is set along the mill stream which flows in front of the house into the millpond near the kitchen door.
Mulino
Mulino has a large hall, beautiful comfortable sitting room overlooking the terrace, with a painted decorative ceiling, a large farmhouse style kitchen with a huge table which can seat 14 people. The kitchen has decorative displays of utensils and ceramics and a large fireplace and has a dishwasher and wide format oven. The kitchen opens into the garden, and is close to a shaded kiwi covered pergola, perfect for outdoor eating, which accessed across a bridge over the millpond. Water cascades down from the millpond to a low level rivulet which crosses the meadow and goes down to the River Gordana. Steps lead down from the garden to the swimming pool and sunbathing area.
These outside spaces are quite unique, with a mature landscape, a wall covered with fragrant jasmine, and with low stone walls surrounding the millpond, bordered by low box hedges. The large sun terrace is surrounded by bowls of geraniums, and is provided with comfortable outdoor furniture - a magical space for relaxation, and a perfect outdoor living room for large groups to enjoy by day and night.
Mulino
Upstairs, there are five double bedrooms, sleeping 10 people. Two of the bedrooms have twin beds, one of which can be arranged as an extra double if required, and the bedrooms open off lovely spacious hall areas with decorative painted ceilings, with balcony doors which can be opened to overlook the millpond below. There are two bathrooms, fully tiled in grey Carrara marble, one with a huge walk-in shower, and the other with a bathtub, and the largest bedroom with a beautiful decorative painted ceiling is reputed to have been slept in by Garibaldi during his eight day visit to Pontremoli in the 1850s.
An upstairs roof terrace overlooks the gardens and is a wonderful place to take the air with an early morning coffee or stargaze with a late night drink.
The style of the house is historic yet contemporary, with interesting furnishings - some vintage some modern, and good use of colour - an intriguing combination of old and new.