Centuries ago, the northern Italian settlement of Tincana was ruled by one of the most powerful women in European history: Matilda of Tuscany, also known as the Margravine of Tuscany. With her remarkable ability to combine politics with romances, she played a key role in the political showdown between King Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII. Her strong character and political talents shaped the structures of the state and church conglomerate for centuries. Matilda owned two castles, one of which was Castello di Carpineti, located a few kilometers from our house, Casa Tincana. As a local landmark, the castle is one of the must-see points on the historical map of Tincana.
Speaking of sightseeing: in addition to a swimming pool and a small vineyard, Casa Tincana also houses a fully automatic astronomical observatory. It is used to discover asteroids by a team of scientists working remotely - but also our guests may use it with our assistance (please check availability before your arrival)! So if you should find one and think about a name for it, be creative because some are already taken - Roger Waters, Sting, Hans Zimmer, Jerzy Kukuczak and Yuval Harari, among others, have already their asteroids discovered at Tincana :-)
Benvenuti to our oasis of peace!
Casa Tincana is located on the outskirts of a very small medieval village called Tincana, 1,5 hours from Bologna airport. It was built in a traditional rustic style using mainly local stones. The interior of the house is 83 square meters allowing it to comfortably accommodate up to 7 people. Casa Tincana was designed as a kind of fusion of styles and is therefore full of diversity. The house has 3 independent bedrooms and one folding double bed. Two bathrooms, one with a bathtub and one with a shower, allow you to stay comfortable even when the house is full of guests.
Despite being immersed in a unique, rural atmosphere, there is a touch of modern lifestyle: each floor has an air-conditioning system to keep the inside temperature low during the summer and create a warm and cosy atmosphere during the cold winter days. Besides, Casa Tincana is equipped with a very efficient central heating system. In addition, you will find WiFi, a 55-inch LCD TV, a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and some fancy cooking appliances, as well as a washing machine and an iron for those who want to keep things fresh and tidy.
The garden of the house is set among farmland without no fences surrounding it, creating the feeling of being in a boundless green space stretching southward, with breathtaking views of the wooded ridges of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park. Some herbs are growing in the garden. Tthere is also a 5x8 meter heated pool with sun loungers. Perched on the edge of a hill, the pool gives a mesmerizing impression of vast space. The whole surrounded by eighteen olive trees.
In the spring of 2020, we planted with our own hands 300 vines near Casa Tincana, thus starting a new phase in the history of this beautiful residence - the "Astronomical Vineyard Tincana" phase. The vines are still not mature enough to provide enough vine, but we believe that in the near future the first bottles of delicious Lambrusco will be available!
If you are not enthusiastic about the beauty of nature and animals of all kinds are not your dream company, don't bother coming here. Thirteen cows can be found nearby Casa Tincana, producing fresh milk and natural scents. In addition to livestock, the abundance of local fauna is evident in the presence of deer, hares or dormice. If you are lucky, you may come across a badger or a porcupine. In June and July at night dozens of fireflies add to the unique atmosphere of this rural area, shining in the dark. During the day the surrounding meadows are home to a variety of insects that come in all colors and sizes.
Please remember that it is a very informal place - a private home shared with people we trust and invite into our kingdom.
For those who want to try the taste of original Lambrusco and original Parmigiano cheese - you came to the right region! The shops and stores in our area can provide you with local quality groceries, also those ones that you can process in our fully equipped kitchen to wonderful and tasty meals.
If you want to eat out, we can recommend the restaurants below where you can splash into the authentic Italian cuisine. Buon appetito!
Although this is a calm area where you can relax to the fullest, you won't feel bored. For example you can swim in the pool with the stunning view over the Apennine Mountains. You can enjoy a meal on the terrace while looking on the green surrounding. And if the weather is not so good, or you want to spend time inside the house, you find entertainment in our library, with board games or via the 55'' LED TV.
If you would like to explore the area, then you have several trails and paths that you can use. If you should go in the eastern direction (near Via Pietra Bianca), you'll see a bench you want to rest on - but as you approach it, it gets bigger and bigger! No, you haven't had too much wine or a sunstroke, it's a work by artist Chris Bangle as part of a community project, and its dimensions invite you to feel like a little kid again while enjoying the view.
To our municipiality of Carpineti belong a few places worth visiting, for example the Abbey of Marola ("Abbazia di Marola") that was built in 11th century. Although it went through a lot of changes that altered its appearance, it is still an important historical monument. Even more important for the comune is/was the medieval Castle of Carpinete ("Castello delle Carpinete") that was built before 1077, but the date of its construction is not known with certainty. It is one of the largest in the Reggio Emilia Apennines. It was owned by Countess Matilda of Tuscany and was her favorite seat.
And of course there are some cities that are worth a visit, but you might need to rent a car or plan your travel with public transport thoroughly:
For example, Reggio Emilia's old town has a hexagonal form, which derives from the ancient walls, and the main buildings are from the 16th–17th centuries. Various nice churches and palazzi are awaiting you. Interesting facts are that it was in Reggio Emilia's town hall where the first time the Italien national flag in its current form was adopted, and that in this period of patriotic fervour, Jozef Wybicki, a lieutenant in the Polish troops of General Jan Dąbrowski, an ally of Napoleon, composed in Reggio the "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego", which in 1927 became the Polish national anthem.
Modena is not only known for its balsamic vinegar, but also for its car industry since the factories of the famous Italian upper-class sports car makers Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati are/were located here and all, except Lamborghini, have headquarters in the city or nearby. The Piazza Grande with the Town hall, the Cathedral and the Ducal Palace is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
And let's not forget about Parma, known for its prosciutto (ham), cheese and one of the oldest universities in the world, and, if you are willing to travel a bit farer, Bologna with its rich cuisine, the oldest university in the Western world (founded in 1088) and the UNESCO-protected Porticoes.
What’s there for children?
The kids can enjoy the amenities of the house, too: splash in the swimming pool, walk aroung the garden and vineyard, play with the friendly pets from the neighborhood.
OR they can discover stars and asteroids with our fully remote astronomical observatory located in the garden of Casa Tincana. A few dozen of asteroids and supernovas were discovered using this observatory during the recent years and named after famous persons. Today, the observatory is also involved in so called “planetary defense” projects, the main objective of which is detecting any potential threats in space, such as passing-by asteroids or space debris.
Only a thoroughly trained specialist is able to operate this telescopes - but don’t worry! If you want to start your adventure with astrophotography or explore treasures of the night sky you are in the good hands, just let us know in advance, so we can organize everything.
