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The Casa Rossa farmhouse was established alongside an old customs house in the comune of Lucca, which was converted, at the end of the C18th, into a hunting lodge with an attached farm.
Standing on the edge of what was to become the reclaimed land of the Bonifica del Massaciuccoli and close to the Francigena consular road (commissioned by the Roman consul Emilio Scauro to provide a link between Italy and France through Liguria), the Casa Rossa became in time an important agricultural centre, following major drainage work that transformed the marshlands of Massaciuccoli into a rich and fertile plain.
The draining of the marshlands, begun by the Romans, with the Papiriane channel, and continued by the Dutch, with limited success, was completed in the early part of the twentieth century by Pietro Studiati Berni. It remains today a fine example of land reclaimed for farming.
The sea to the south-west and the hills to the north support a climate that is mild during the winter and cool and breezy in summer.
The Casa Rossa farmhouse (now also an ‘agrituristica’ centre) is conveniently located for Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Livorno and Viareggio, with easy access from main roads (the autostrada and the Aurelia highway) and close to Galileo airport at Pisa and the ports of Livorno, Massa Carrara and Genoa.
This area around the lake of Massaciuccoli, once fine hunting country, was much loved by the celebrated composer Giacomo Puccini, who created some of his most famous operas in his home at Torre del Lago. Other well-known artists were similarly inspired by the conditions they found here.
The farm is devoted to the production of cereals, corn and grain and the rearing of livestock (cattle and pigs) and horses (for riding). It lies within the borders of the Massaciuccoli Migliarino San Rossore natural park and is subject to strict environmental regulations for the preservation of animals and plants.
The region lies within the famous Versilia coastal area and is defined by its countryside, its hills, its lake and the sea. Its activities include farming, with livestock and horses. The area is noted for its archaeology and its fine arts. These characteristics are all represented in the activities of the Casa Rossa, now open to extend a warm welcome to visitors to its country setting.
