Rural House in Tuscany, Italy
Photography by Belén Imaz
It is not in Sicily, like Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel, but its history is equally centenary. Fifty kilometers from Florence, this former Capuchin convent, built in the 14th century and restored in the 19th century, consists of a main house and an adjoining one, a private chapel, and gardens where the vegetables and fruit consumed by the monks were once grown. Now, this building of almost 800 meters is the summer refuge of a Spanish-Italian couple and their three children. "The starting point for the project was absolute respect for the original layout and aesthetics of the building. The idea was to alter the appearance as little as possible because, from the very first moment, the owners were smitten, not only by the house but also by its location," says Carlos López, of L.A. Studio.
It is not in Sicily, like Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel, but its history is equally centenary. Fifty kilometers from Florence, this former Capuchin convent, built in the 14th century and restored in the 19th century, consists of a main house and an adjoining one, a private chapel, and gardens where the vegetables and fruit consumed by the monks were once grown. Now, this building of almost 800 meters is the summer refuge of a Spanish-Italian couple and their three children. "The starting point for the project was absolute respect for the original layout and aesthetics of the building. The idea was to alter the appearance as little as possible because, from the very first moment, the owners were smitten, not only by the house but also by its location," says Carlos López, of L.A. Studio.
