Villa Papèra
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The edifice was built during the 17th century by Marquis Boccella; it develops on two floors with a basament and has a square plan. The access to the main floor is through a double flight of stairs, it has a masonry structure with Guamo stone steps and an ironwrought railing with an elegant pattern.
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Beneath the stairhead of the
main floor we have access to the cellars through a barrel-vaulted passage, whose
access is underlined by a large stone frame. Also the windows and the main
portal are framed in Guamo stone, this element gives importance to the façade
of the Villa. On the left, between the enclosing wall called “Chiusa” and the Villa, there is a little Church built in 1848 by the Archbishop of Pisa, Mons. Giovanni Parretti, who lived here during the summer months, from him the Villa was bought by the ancestors of the present owner in 1860. |
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The
space in front of the main entrance is entirely organized as a meadow and is
especially characterized by the presence of numerouses exemplars of fir tree (Abies
alba, Picea abies), Cedrus atlantica, and Pine (Pinus pinea, Pinus
strobus). As a border to the meadow there are many age-old Magnolia Grandiflora
trees according to the criteria dictated by the new English style of 19th
century.
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At
the back of the Villa we can find a secular grove of holm-oaks and lime trees,
it is crossed by gravelled lane flanked with dwarf box hedges and on each side
there are two oval stone basins. In this area the century old plants are found
together with spontaneus undergrowth vegetation (Laurus nobilis, Myrtus
communis, Ruscus aculeatus, Arbutus unedo). Leaning the Chiusa there
is a washing stone basin that once was used to wash the cloths.
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At
north-west of the property a multicoloured hedge of Hidrangea Hortensis
leads to the Lemon House, used still today during the winter to shelter from the
cold the numerouses lemon trees and other flower plants. In front of the Lemon
House we must notice a beautiful circular stone basin.
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During the spring and summer months the garden is surrounded by many different flowers cured by the owner himself such as geranium, petunia, begonia, azalea and bougainvillaea.
