Our home, Canova, offers a genuine Italian experience in a stunningly beautiful area largely undiscovered by foreign tourism. It is in the Appenine mountains, over the ridge from Tuscany, at an altitude of 500m. Canova is a traditional stone built small farmhouse, and you will have exclusive use of the house and garden. It is really two small houses joined together, but only part is restored and the unrestored part will be closed. There are no other houses nearby, and it is 300m from a minor public road, so you will have perfect peace and quiet. It is surrounded by its own wild garden, and farmland (mostly farmed organically) and woodland. It is perched on the side of a beautiful valley, at an altitude of 500m, with stunning views south towards Tuscany. Yet the mosaics of Ravenna, the art of Florence, the unique city of Bologna, and the Adriatic coast are all within reach of a day trip.

You can walk anywhere from the house – in Italy they have “the right to roam” – and if you want higher altitude walks, where it will be cooler in summer, it is not far from the ridge of the Appenines in the Foreste Casentinese National Park, where there is a network of well-marked footpaths and cycle routes. Below Ponte Fantella bridge there is a beautiful natural pool where you can swim, and there is river swimming and horse riding near Premilcuore, the attractive mountain village (10kms away) where we do most of our shopping, and where you will find a bank, a chemist and cafes with wifi.

The area is rich in wildlife. You should see hoopoes, golden orioles, roe deer, wild boar and, if you are lucky, porcupines, nightingales, turtle doves, nightjars, swallowtail butterflies, praying mantis and bee orchids. And much more. In June it is thrilling to step outside the house after dark and see the fireflies.

From the public road, the house is reached by car down a private 300m gravel track, a bit rough in places, with good parking by the house, which has its own wild garden with almond trees, cherries, figs and walnuts. 5km further on up the public road you will find the Trattoria del Cervo, a family run restaurant, popular with both local people and visitors from miles around. On alternate Saturdays it specialises in pizza, and booking is essential on those days. There are other restaurants in Strada San Zeno, 6 km away, and in Premilcuore, and there is a new outdoor swimming pool at Tontola, 12 kilometres away, with a lunch time restaurant and pizzeria in the evenings.

We have renovated the part of the house where you will stay to a comfortable standard, furnished in a simple rustic style, with a modern bathroom (including a bath with shower and a bidet). There is a superkingsize bed in the spacious main bedroom, and in the second bedroom, which has double doors leading directly to the garden, you can have either a double bed or two singles. There is a large kitchen, with all you need for cooking full meals, and off the dining/sitting room there is a small terrace with wonderful views, and an additional toilet. Part of the house is unrestored (and will not be accessible).

At Canova you can get away from the distractions of modern life to a simpler way of living. There is no phone, TV or internet, and the mobile phone signal is poor. It is unbelievably relaxing. There is no traffic noise and the nearest neighbours are almost a kilometre away. Just beyond Fantella church live Cristina and Taschino, who look after our house for visitors, and they will be glad to see you, although they only speak Italian. The rental includes electricity, gas, water, and firewood. Linen and towels are provided.