OUR STAY: PALAZZO GUISCARDO- PIETRASANTA, ITALY

Palazzo Guiscardo
Address: Via Provinciale Vallecchia, 16, 55045 Pietrasanta LU, Italy
Phone: +39 0584 792914
Web: https://www.palazzoguiscardo.it/

Our kids had never seen The Leaning Tower Of Pisa and had been looking forward to it since we landed in Italy. When searching online for hotels nearby to the attraction, I came across Palazzo Guiscardo in a little town called Pietrasanta. Roughly twenty minutes north of Pisa, we made our way to Palazzo Guiscardo after our short but sweet stop at The Leaning Tower, which happened to be during a thunder and lightening-filled downpour.

Driving into Pietrasanta was a pleasant surprise for us, as we had just discovered yet another gem of an Italian city. Looking similar to one of our other favorite Tuscan cities, Lucca, but on an even smaller scale, we discovered a special place full of artists and galleries, friendly locals and of course, excellent restaurants and cafes.

Palazzo Guiscardo itself was clean and cool- very New York; elegant by way of swanky, with paintings and sculptures by local artists donned on the walls throughout the building. The floors shone as we walked on them as they are made of the finest Carrera marble, which is native to that part of Italy. (We eventually drove by the mountains which I, at first, thought were snow-capped, until I realized the “snow” was actually mass amounts of our bathroom flooring in its natural state.)

Our room there felt regal with dim lighting and tasteful deep red upholstered beds. The bathrooms was, of course, beautifully marbled, both on the floor and the walls. We loved our balcony which looked out into town and the children got a kick out of Il Guerriero, a sculpture of a stout, naked soldier, by artist Fernando Botero.

Our recent stay in Pietrasanta was short but very sweet and one of the many highlights for us was the exquisite breakfast at the Palazzo. Everything was so fresh and the cakes and pastries were warm, just out of the oven. The assortment of cheeses, meats and fruit made all four of us very happy and, to be somewhat expected, the cappuccini were out of this world. We do plan to return and recommend that others make a point to stop and see the special town of Pietrasanta and staying at Palazzo Guiscardo is a must!

Since Palazzo Guiscardo is a boutique hotel, the staff were all very personable and each spoke with us at length about the the area, giving us lists of things to do, see and eat, close by. We found ourselves at Cantine Basile, a wonderful little vineyard about two miles up the street from where we were staying and spent an afternoon sipping various local wines while the kids picked grapes and played in the property’s playground…

Only in Italy will you find a vineyard equipped with swing sets, slides and a mini-soccer field for the little ones. It worked out perfectly as we were able to enjoy a 5-course tasting (magnificent food and drink!) while watching the kids simultaneously… Viva L’Italia!

A traveler since childhood, Juliana Fraioli Wilson has always had a love for exploring. She is a published writer and an accomplished business owner with a background in music and art. Join Juliana, her husband Ryan, and their two kids in Wanderland! Follow along as they share tips, tricks, recipes and reviews from some of the most beautiful travel destinations in the world.