Casa Simonetti

We spent 2 nights at the Casa Simonetti, partly to go to the opening night of the Puccini Festival and partly as a base for exploring the area. In both of these we found the absolutely perfect place to stay. On arrival we were greeted by the very charming Francesca and shown to our room. This was the green room on the first floor overlooking the back of the property. There was a lovely view of the beautiful garden at the back. The room was fairly basic but the bed was comfortable, there was plenty of hot water and more importantly air con. This was just able to cope with the huge room but it was absolutely essential in the July heat. We found the bathroom a wee bit small but it was perfectly adequate for our short stay. We were rather tired by our journey and so had a quick nap before heading off to see the lake which is only is only a few minutes’ walk along the road. There’s a rather sleepy square fronting the lake with a few restaurants and accommodation options. This is where you’ll find Villa Puccini (now a museum) where Puccini lived between 1900 until he left in about 1921. It’s a bit ramshackle as a result of a legal tussle about ownership but ongoing efforts have opened up the ground floor for a fascinating visit. They hope to open the first floor in due course. The Maestro is actually interred there in a small chapel in the villa. We ate at 2 of the restaurants in the square, - Da Cecco and the Chalet. The first was okay but we really enjoyed our meal at the Chalet. This was before we went to the opera and it was all very charming. Great food and opera by the lake on a warm summer’s evening. What could be better. When we returned to the villa in the evening the door was open and the lovely warm light spilled out to welcome us home. Breakfast here is very special. Francesca and her lovely family cook the most beautiful savoury and sweet pastries every morning. They use herbs fresh from the garden and local recipes. I tried every single one multiple times. They were all delicious and very hard to resist. This is all in the charming garden with dappled sunlight cascading through the trees. It really is absolutely charming in every respect. You may find it easier to call Francesca rather than book indirectly through one of the online agencies. She speaks really good English. We had a really lovely stay at Casa Simonetti and if you want somewhere to stay for the Puccini Festival look no further, this is the place.