Il Sàrperi
The other large house — sleeps up to 6. Two fireplaces, three bedrooms, and a shaded acacia terrace overlooking the valley.
View house →Case di Gello — Montecatini Val di Cecina, Tuscany
Casa delle Acque
The largest house at Gello — closing the cypress grove to the north. Three bedrooms, two terraces, a wood-fired brick oven, and the most spacious fireplace living room in the borgo.
2–6
Guests
3
Bedrooms
3
Bathrooms
2
Terraces
— Casa delle Acque
The house that closes the cypress grove.
Casa delle Acque delimits the cypress grove to the north, closing the historical perimeter of the former walls of the Borgo di Gello. It is the most generous house of the hamlet, designed for a family or two families with children who want to live in direct contact with the outdoors.
The ground floor is entirely dedicated to the living area: a spacious marble-top kitchen and a living room with a large fireplace — both ideally extended outside by two terracotta-paved terraces with long masonry benches. A wood-burning brick oven sits in the retaining wall of the south terrace, shaded under the cypresses.
On the upper floor, the sleeping area has two double bedrooms and a twin bedroom. Two independent bathrooms: one with a masonry tiled bathtub, the other with a shower.
"The generous size of the living room and kitchen suggests comfortable winter days to spend in front of the fireplace — and long summer evenings making pizza in the brick oven on the terrace."
Photo: Aia Meccanica Photography
— A name with a story
Why "Casa delle Acque"?
The nearest spring is actually quite far.
Placing bathrooms in old rural houses presents a specific preservation challenge: the rooms were linked directly one into another, with no corridors, so there was nowhere obvious to put them.
During the peak of its population and until 1960, the inhabitants of Gello shared a single toilet — built against the wall of the Scuola house next door. When the time came to modernise, someone put forward what can only be described as a bold proposal: rather than inserting bathrooms awkwardly into the internal layout of each house, why not concentrate the sanitary needs of an entire village into a single building, where all the rooms would be nothing but bathrooms?
In honour of this magnificently impractical idea, the name "Casa delle Acque" — House of the Waters — was kept. We simply chose to limit ourselves to three bathrooms.
"In memory of this glorious idea, we decided to preserve at least the high-sounding name of Casa delle Acque, limiting to three the amount of bathrooms provided."
— The reconstruction
Built from what was already here.
When the current owners acquired Gello in 1962, the load-bearing stone wall structure was solid — but the wooden floors had been destroyed by a leaking roof left unmaintained for too long. The house was torn down for safety.
By 2003, the reconstruction was underway. It began by completing the demolition of a remaining section of masonry — about three metres high — corresponding to the ancient cellars. A curb foundation and a ventilated base were cut through the alabaster rock, to support walls built in a mixed work of recovered local stone and brick. The stones of the old house were reused to build walls 50 cm thick, insulated for seasonal thermoregulation. Chestnut beams and rafters, recovered terracotta floors — without which the house would not have been the same — and cypress-wood windows from the pruning of the hamlet's own trees.
Stone architraves from the Montecatini quarry, which until the early 20th century served the largest European copper mine. A foundation on alabaster rock with a ventilated base. The result is a house that feels ancient but was built with patience and care over forty years.
Read the full history →Photo gallery
30 photos
Floor plan
Ground floor: entrance, living room with fireplace, kitchen, guest bathroom, walk-in closet/pantry. Two terraces (south and north). Upper floor: two double bedrooms, one twin bedroom, two bathrooms (one tub, one shower).
Room by room
🏡
South & north terraces
Two terracotta-paved terraces with long built-in masonry benches — perfect for dining outdoors. The south terrace is shaded under the cypress trees and features the wood-burning brick oven with full pizzeria equipment.
🛋️
Ground floor — living room
A large fireplace room with a study table — generous enough for comfortable winter days. Directly connected to the kitchen and both terraces. Guest bathroom with toilet and washbasin tucked under the stairs. Walk-in closet and pantry adjacent.
🍕
Kitchen & brick oven
Marble-top kitchen with hob, electric oven, fridge, freezer and dishwasher. The external wood-burning brick oven on the south terrace is available with full pizzeria tools.
🛏️
Upper floor — bedrooms
Two double bedrooms and one twin bedroom. Upper floor windows facing west overlook the rooftops of Gello towards the Cecina river valley landscape. Two full bathrooms: one with a masonry-tiled bathtub, one with a shower.
🌡️
Thermal comfort
Thick stone walls (50 cm) with internal insulation ensure the house stays cool in summer without air conditioning. Heating with adjustable thermostat for autumn and winter stays.
What's included
🛏️2 double bedrooms + 1 twin bedroom
🛁2 bathrooms (masonry tub + shower)
🔥Wood-burning fireplace (living room)
🍕External brick oven with pizzeria tools
🍳Kitchen: hob, electric oven, fridge, freezer, dishwasher
☕Basic ingredients + local produce supplied
🪑2 terraces with masonry benches, table, chairs & deck chairs
📦Walk-in closet & pantry
📶Free Wi-Fi throughout
📺Television
🌡️Heating with adjustable thermostat
🧺Sheets, towels & household linen provided
🐕Pets welcome on prior request
🚴Mountain bikes available (4 + child seats)
🏊Shared pool 17×6 m, 100 m from the house
📚Free access to Il Laboratorio library & event space
🧺Shared laundry (2 washing machines + tumble dryer)
🚿Guest bathroom on ground floor (toilet + washbasin)
Booking conditions
Minimum stay
2 nights, unless otherwise agreed
Check-in
Between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM on arrival day. Flexibility depending on season.
Check-out
By 10:00 AM on departure day
Deposit
30% of total amount by bank transfer to confirm reservation
Included in price
Water, electricity, weekly cleaning with fresh linen, final housekeeping
Heating (winter)
Gas billed at supplier cost — approx. €15/day in coldest months
Extra beds
€30.00 per adult per day. Cot available on request.
Pets
Welcome on prior request only
Ready to visit?
Book Casa delle Acque for your stay.
To book or check availability, write to us directly. We respond personally to every request. A 30% deposit by bank transfer confirms the reservation.
— More at Case di Gello
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