Villa Tobia is a Liberty style villa which was built in 1902 by a wealthy publishing family on their return from South America. The original handwritten estimate for the property together with the final handwritten bill still exist. The property sits within a walled garden and is surrounded by its own pasture land, with views across to the beautiful village of Montereggio. The area is historically associated with book-sellers with the annual Bancarello award (similar to the UK Booker prize) based in nearby Pontremoli.

This is an area of great natural beauty, high on a mountain ridge, with distant sea views of the Gulf of La Spezia. Set in a tranquil spot in the midst of pasture and old woodland, it overlooks a small hamlet and is only a kilometre or so from the local village.

The property sits within a walled garden and surrounded by its own pasture land, with views across to the beautiful village of Montereggio and currently consists of drawing room, dining room, kitchen, scullery, cellars, four bedrooms, bathroom, mansard floor and tower room.

A project now exists to modernise it to provide three ensuite bedrooms plus study on the first floor, and further bedrooms and bathrooms on the mansard floor if required (the project allows for the roof to be raised to give more headroom, but this isn't essential).

Again the plans include some optional excavation to provide doors from the outside to the cellar area and the conversion of the cellar to a laundry, shower room and large party/billiard/games room. There are also plans for garaging and a swimming pool.

Services: Electricity, mains water and telephone line. Central heating and hot water is by oil but old so the central heating and plumbing do need renewing and plans are included for a gas system. However the wiring has already been renewed at some time since the house was built.

Although isolated from the noise and bussle of modern life, this spot offers easy access to the motorway system (15-20 minutes brings you to the motorway exit at Pontremoli) and various cities are within a short drive. Pisa and Genoa airports are just over an hour away, Bologna and Milan are both within two and a half hours and Parma is only an hour away. Closer still are Lerici (20 minutes) and the spectacular villages of the Cinque Terre (30 minutes).