Who has not dreamed as a child a little tree house all his own? Refuge, spend the day playing and even at night? As a child I wanted one in the pine forest of a large villa of where I spent my summers with my family and with so much, but a lot of imagination, I imagined there were stairs, walls and windows on more accessible branches of the tree where I often was withdrawing to think and look ahead. That has remained a dream…
But we of Città Meridiane, although when we grew, have made our desire. Where? Outside Florence, where we spent a day and a night between the glass walls of the house designed by the architect Riccardo Barthel, suspended like a stilts among tall pine trees in the garden of Casa Barthel, in Tuscany, overlooking the Certosa of Galluzzo.
Who has never dreamed of a tree house all his own?
Casa Barthel, a sort of small village in the Tuscan countryside made of clay, gray stones and many trees, houses a large main house and six cottages of great beauty, a different one from the other and each with its own well-defined personality: casa della Ceramica which takes its name from the collection of antique tiles from Naples that decorates the inside; casa del Fattore that exposes a farmer manual thirties discovered at a flea market in Paris; casa del Caffè with American artist Amos Kennedy posters and a collection of old pots and coffee makers; casa del Cinema with its colorful collection of movie posters, including a giant poster of the Blues Brothers; casa dei Balocchi, which owes its name to the collection of toy kitchens collected over the past four years traveling around the world and casa del Pittore, which houses a curious combination of paintings, drawings, lithographs and prints. All the dwellings can be taken for rent for unforgettable stays among the olive trees, the garden, the orchard, the wonderful surrounding countryside and the pool of Casa Barthel.
But the more requested, tell us in unison Daniela and Elena, mother and daughter welcome guests in their little paradise, is the Tree House, a cube and crushed midair built with recycled materials such as iron and recycled wood, embraced by pines. The windows cut in its essential geometry open onto the green framing views of the landscape as romantic paintings. Outside, the terrace runs along the perimeter and allows you to lengthen the look of the magnificent landscape.
Inside, a bedroom, a small kitchen and bathroom solutions as defined in effect as the blackboard wall that serves as the head and at the same time divides the rooms. There, guests leave their thoughts in all languages of the world. And we did it well.
It is not hard to imagine why the Tree-House Casa Barthel is the third most popular house on Airbnb in the world ranking of the ten most desirable destinations, or those who have received the best reviews. Meanwhile, I’ll tell you what happened to us! We were so excited to sleep suspended between earth and sky that we took refuge in the house since early afternoon enjoying the fresh air guaranteed conditioning indispensable in very sultry day which greeted us Florence. In winter, however, the warmth provides the old antique cast iron stove that is proudly displayed between the large windows.
But back to us … After leaving our beautiful little house only to go to dinner, we returned to enjoy it in the light of candles and surrounded by silence and darkness. Almost did not sleep, despite the comfort of the bed, the sophistication of the sheets and fluffy pillows, not to miss a moment of this exciting and unique experience. And in the morning we were awakened by small steps on the roof!
It was small and cute squirrels cavorting on the pines, looking for seeds in pine cones and nuts of neighboring trees to accumulate in warm nests in holes covered with moss and dry leaves. One can not conclude the tale of Casa Barthel without mentioning the hospitality of Daniela who greeted and made to feel right away at home, inviting us in his court to breakfast with her and with which we are entertained us with amiable chatter as if there known each other forever.
Casa Barthel – Bed and View
Via Volterrana 103 – Florence
Info: +39 335 5915539 – casabarthel@gmail.com