A house in the country

1-23-2009

It's late and I have just arrived in Tuscany with Camilla. Camilla, the children and I met Federico along with some of their friends at the country house. The house is huge. I thought I might have to share a room with Ludovica and Anna. I didn't even know what to expect. I had my own room and it was enourmous. My bathroom had a large shower and bidet. It was comfortable to say the least.

Camilla told me that the house was built in the year 1050. That's pre Magna Carta by a couple hundred years! I told her that people in the USA think the 1920s are historic. She laughed. The house used to belong to Federico's mother. His mother owns 4 or 5 other homes similar to this one located on a piece of land that spans as far as the eye can see. When the mother gave them this home, Camilla said no one had lived there for over 50 years and so the house was completely destroyed. It took them 3 years to restore the home. It has around 7 bedrooms and 4 or 5 bathrooms. There are some rooms downstairs that simply have no purpose because they don't have any need for the space. I was amazed.

Federico showed me around the house and took me to my room. He was so excited. He looked like a little boy showing me all of his toys. It was kinda adorable. I thought that the family was really down to earth and just didn't have many material possessions. Now I know that all of their stuff was just somewhere else. I think they only live in Rome because Federico's job is there. The house has two two living rooms, a giant dining room, another living room upstairs for the kids, and a huge office. The kitchen is also enourmous and has a beautiful wood burning stove. So cool! There are a lot of fireplaces in the home and it's pretty rustic, but with an elegant European flare.