The Podere Conti estate is located in the heart of the charming Dobbiana Valley, and at the centre of it all is the historic 17th century hamlet of Lusine.
DISCOVER THE FASCINATING STORY OF PODERE CONTI
The heart of Dobbiana and its feudal past
The estate was worked collectively by up to seven families of ‘mezzadri’ under the feudal form of sharecropping that was once widespread in Italy, until it was abandoned in the 1980’s.
.jpg)
The Legacy of Lusine, where past and present meet
The courtyard at Lusine was historically used as a meeting place for local village dances and, fittingly, is now having a revival as the location for many a wedding celebration.
-min_JPG.jpg)
-min.jpg)
From Ruins to Renewal:
The Transformation of Lusine
In 2003 we embarked on an ambitious restoration project to transform Lusine’s original stone farm buildings into luxurious guest accommodation (anchor text) and a restaurant, as well as facilities for hosting private events.
It was a project that would take six years with many trials along the way, but finally Podere Conti opened to guests in 2009. Our guiding principles for the restoration project were to reduce, reuse and recycle. Original stone and wooden beams were combined with locally sourced materials. These principles continue to form the basis of our everyday practices.
.jpg)
Courtyard Before
Courtyard Now
.jpg)
Cantine Before
Guest Rooms Now
_edited.jpg)
Hayloft Before
Restaurant Now
Victims of Ponticello
Lusine is renowned locally as the location where five innocent young men were captured and subsequently massacred at the nearby village of Ponticello by German soldiers in the summer of 1944, in reaction to the killing of one of their fellow soldiers. The local community still commemorates the tragic event every year, and the presence of the five Conti boys now living and working on the property adds even greater significance to the anniversary.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Exploring Dobbiana
Dobbiana is home to several other small hamlets which are connected to . Lusine via the old mule tracks through the forest.
Most of these tracks are still open and make for great walks or treks directly from the property following the footsteps of pilgrims on the Via Francigena and visiting the church San Giovanni Battista, home to the Santa Croce and on the Via del Volto Santo.