Villa Ravano
A villa of 1500 between Pisa and Lucca, let to one party at a time
Sleeps
24–32
Bedrooms
16
Bathrooms
11
Built
Shortly after 1500
Villa Ravano was built shortly after 1500 — the coat of arms above the entrance door still says so — enlarged in 1900 as the family grew, and taken back to the walls in 2006. Fifteen hundred square metres over three floors, in a garden of six thousand more.
Sixteen bedrooms sleep twenty-four comfortably and thirty-two at full stretch. You take all of it: the chapel, the billiard room, the grand piano, the pool behind the trees, the floodlit tennis court and the football pitch beyond it.
Why people come
01
The whole estate
One party at a time, with the pool, the tennis court, the football pitch and six thousand square metres of garden to yourselves.
02
Sixteen bedrooms
Eleven on the first floor, five on the second, so a large party sleeps without anyone being billeted in a study.
03
Built for a crowd
Two fireplaces, a dining room that seats the whole house, a billiard room and a grand piano.
04
A chapel
Consecrated, and opened for guests who are marrying here.
Five centuries, and room for all of you
The coat of arms above the entrance door dates the villa to just after 1500. The nineteenth century added length rather than grandeur, and the 2006 restoration put in the bathrooms and the heating and left the rest alone — the marble floors, the chequerboard hall, the fireplaces at either end of the ground floor.
Fifteen hundred square metres over three floors means a party of twenty-four is never in each other’s way. There is somewhere to be loud and somewhere to be quiet, at the same hour.
Inside
A pool, a tennis court and a football pitch
Six thousand square metres of garden, and almost all of it is for doing something. The pool is thirteen metres by eight, with a pool house of its own at the end of it. Behind the pool there is a clay tennis court lit for the evening, and beyond that a football pitch.
It is the rare house of this age where nobody has to leave to be entertained, which is what makes it work for a week with three generations in it.
A consecrated chapel, and a lawn that holds a hundred
The chapel on the ground floor is consecrated, and is opened for guests who are marrying at the villa. The garden has held ceremonies of well over a hundred, and the gravel in front of the house takes a marquee.
The planner, the caterer, the florist and the musicians are independent businesses we introduce you to. They agree the work and the price with you and they invoice you directly.
What guests say
“Beautiful villa, amazing grounds, pool and tennis court better than the pictures. Huge roof terrace too! Great space for all 24 of us, would definitely return. Fabio was very reliable in his responses and very accommodating!”
“Staying at Villa Ravano for our wedding was truly the highlight of our lives. Hosting 31 adults and a baby for five days was made unforgettable by this uniquely beautiful estate. The pictures don’t do it justice— it’s truly stunning, with Fabio’s personal touch evident throughout.”
“We had a great time at Fabio's villa. There was a big group of 24 people staying for a celebration and Fabio helped us arrange a week of activities including trip to Tuscan vineyard, celebration dinner under Magnolia tree and helped us with stocking the villa with food for the week.”
Getting here
Twenty minutes from Pisa airport, twenty-five from Lucca, six from the village.
Gello sits at the foot of Monte Pisano, between Pisa and Lucca. Pisa airport is twenty minutes, Lucca twenty-five, Florence an hour and ten.
Come by car — there is hard standing behind the house for ten to fifteen. Guests who would rather not drive can be met at the airport, and the villa has bicycles: ten adult, one teenage, one for a child.
By car
- San Giuliano Terme6 min
- Pisa International Airport20 min
- Pisa15 min
- Lucca25 min
- Marina di Pisa30 min
- Florence70 min
Questions we are asked
Can we rent part of the house?
No. Villa Ravano is let on an exclusive-use basis: the whole villa, the garden, the pool, the tennis court and the football pitch, with no one else on the property during your stay.
How many does it sleep?
Twenty-four across sixteen bedrooms in the base rate. Four extra beds can be added on request, taking the house to thirty-two.
Can we be married here?
Yes. There is a consecrated chapel on the ground floor, opened for guests marrying at the villa, and the garden has held ceremonies of well over a hundred. The planner, the caterer, the florist and the celebrant are independent businesses we introduce you to — they agree the work and the price with you and invoice you directly.
What is there to do without leaving?
A pool of thirteen metres by eight, a tennis court with lights for the evening, a football pitch, a billiard room, table football, a grand piano and bicycles for twelve.
Do we need a car?
Yes, for anything beyond the village. There is parking behind the house for ten to fifteen. Airport transfers can be arranged with a local driver.
Is it air conditioned?
No. The house is built of thick masonry with shutters on every window, which is how it has kept its own counsel through Tuscan summers for five centuries. Tell us if that matters to you.
Ask about your dates
Tell us when, and how many of you. We reply personally with a price for the whole villa.
EnquireThe person who answers
Fabio Petrucci
Fabio has been letting these houses since 2010 and answers every enquiry himself. The figures below are from his own public profile, not from ours.
- 16
- Years hosting
- 264
- Guest reviews
- 4.86
- Average rating
- ★
- Superhost
Tuscany Like
Not the right house?
This is one of five, looked after by the same person and let the same way. They differ in size, in character and in what is on the land.