Villa Solissimo is a beautiful place at the entry of the old village of Lucignano, in the municipality of Gaiole in Chianti (Siena), as if to welcome with kindness people who arrive in this beautiful place in Chianti. To tell us its story are Architect Raffaele Gambassi who designed the restoration that has awakened its soul, and Vera Radi, owner of the Company EDILPIÙ of Colle di Val d’Elsa who carried it out.
“Solissimo,” confirms Architect Gambassi, “was originally a typical building in the Tuscan rural architectural style dating back to the XIX Century, a simply built structure with a compact and regular form but with two different aspects: from the main road it looks like a slender one-storey building, from the country side it appears instead as an imposing two storey structure with sloping walls descending the site going slightly downwards, following the original terrain where it was built and thus perfectly integrating with its surroundings, in a perfect harmony between the work of man and the work of nature which is the real beauty of the hilly landscape of Chianti.”
“Originally built as a barn – he continues – it was renovated as a restaurant in 2000 from which it takes its name and symbol, a radiant sun. ‘Solissimo’ is now in the prime of its third life, that of a beautiful and comfortable villa, thanks to a project made by many hands: the owners, Australians from Melbourne, who have absorbed and understood its soul and uniqueness, from my design targeted to enhance the most significant aspects of the building for current lifestyles; and from the company EDILPIÙ, with the abilities of the co-founder Alessandro Taddei, who has put in place the technical skills gained through years of experience in quality restoration.”
“The renovation of this property has given us great satisfaction, Vera says, with the emotion and involvement of someone who in their work has harmonized daily passion and family tradition.” Alessandro personally checked the construction site in all its phases, coordinating with great care everybody’s work. Architect Gambassi’s great design and attention to the smallest detail allowed us to enhance every part of the building using environmentally friendly materials, natural and local, in perfect harmony with customer choices and the spirit of our work.”
The company believes in this philosophy: “for nearly three decades, since the beginning of our company in 1992, we have practised construction that promotes environmental sustainability, build quality and healthy indoor air. This is why we specialize in natural and eco-compatible materials and construction techniques.”
The restoration of the Villa Solissimo took account of modern technologies adapted to re-using original building materials and to their employment in restorations. The end result has enhanced the original values of the structure, adapting it gently and with respect to the modern lifestyle and enabling high-class residential use, complete with a swimming pool that beautifully overlooks the countryside.
“It is a very flowing property, adds Vera, who has made several restorations in Tuscany together with Alessandro. Inside, a single volume has been transformed into spaces that integrate, with terracotta floors and lime plaster, healthy and very elegant. Outside the original structure has been enriched with stone stairways that connect the gardens, with terraces paved in brushed travertine and walls built in local stone. It is an honour to have the opportunity to use one’s skills and experience to retrofit existing structures to the new requirements of clients who are sensitive and respectful to the beauty of our land. Every time we get to finish a job like this we experience great emotion, which feeds our passion for this work and generates the enthusiasm to start new projects, aware of the great responsibility that we building firms, together with the designers, have towards the health of man, nature and history.”
The large interior spaces welcome with simplicity all the activities that can animate a Chianti villa: the terraces and the views on all sides allow the interpenetration between interiors and exteriors in a continuous relationship, where the opaque dividing walls practically disappear, creating only a symphony of harmonious beauty. “A place for every mood of the day!” Raffaele tells us smiling.
The magnificent location, the breathtaking landscapes of the vineyards and the Chianti hills, the skies that can be admired from here with little light pollution, the light breeze that continuously wraps the building, the feeling of warmth and coolness that is encountered in the various external corners of the building according to the seasons, in this villa you can intimately experience the beauty of a careful restoration and the joy of a special place, a precious jewel that enriches the heritage of Tuscan architectural culture.
Info:
EDILPIÙ di Vera Radi & C, Piazza Martiri di Montemaggio 21-23, Colle di Val d’Elsa (Si)
info@edilpiu-siena.it
Tel. 0577 921087
335 5774293 (Vera)
335 5774292 (Alessandro)
Arch. Raffaele Gambassi
Tel. 335 6053542
raffaele@architettogambassi.it