Cottage holidays in Tuscany at the Matteucci family’s La Serra farm complex.

The accommodation side of the La Serra estate was begun in 2000 by Umberto Matteucci, a well-respected builder from Pisa.

Umberto rebuilt the old rural buildings that made up the farm in keeping with the surrounding countryside and the architectural tradtions of Tuscany, but also with careful attention to the needs of every family. The renovation work has been performed in order to maintain and showcase the qualities of each building, from the very beginning avoiding over-exploitation of the property and creating spacious apartments based on the layout of the original buildings. For this reason only five units have been created (2 villas and 3 apartments) with an area comparable to that of a normal dwelling, believing that even on holiday a family should have adequate living space.

In this way, a new activity involving all of the Matteucci family has been added alongside the existing wine and oil production.

Umberto’s dedication and considerable experience brought about immediate recognition. From 2000 until 2007 it received the award of Quality Country Inn (in the picture Umberto, on the left, with the President of the Pisa Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Pacini, is accepting the 2003 award). In 2008 it has received the award "Italian Hospitality 2008".

Alongside Umberto there is his wife, Paola, tireless "lady of the house", their son, Stefano, their daughter, Stefania and their son-in-law, Paolo Bozzi, an engineer based in Pisa who oversees the renovation work at the property, paying particular attention to the architectural aspects of the work. The renovation work on La Carraia is his project. This was originally the storage barn for the agricultural equipment. Even their grand-daughter, Elisa, a medical student at the University of Pisa and skilled interpreter, is slowly becoming involved in the family business.

Alongside the renovation work on the buildings we have developed the outside spaces, in particular the park around the buildings and the wood, to offer even more room for our guests to relax in and increased contact with the surrounding nature. The latest additions have allowed us to increase the number of apartments with a gazebo to offer even more space to the guests.

La Serra has been awarded 3 stars (out of 3) in the latest listings of the Regione Toscana, thus placing it among the best in the quality of services offered to its guests.