Become part of creating a modern Tuscan home experience in the hills above Lucca, Italy

Detalles

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  Descripción

  The House, the Area, and Us
  We’re an American and an Irish-Italian-Scottish couple — a gay couple — renovating a Tuscan-style hillside house in a small village above Lucca in northern Tuscany, perched along the historic Via Francigena pilgrimage trail. We’ll be here all summer, so this isn’t a fleeting visit — we’re genuinely present, working on the house alongside you, and invested in making the experience pleasant for everyone.
  
  The house is compact but comfortable — around 100m², three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen that was completely rebuilt in 2025 and is a real joy to cook in. Outside there’s a terrace where most summer meals happen. Two dogs also live here and will almost certainly try to sit on you.
  
  We eat together as often as possible. Shared meals on the terrace are one of the genuine pleasures of life here. This is Tuscany, so the raw ingredients make even simple cooking feel like an event. The kitchen is fully at your disposal.
  
  Getting around and getting out: We’re 12km from Lucca — one of the most underrated cities in Tuscany, with intact medieval walls, great markets, and none of Florence’s crowds. But the real draw is how well-connected the area is. Florence, Pisa, and Cinque Terre are within an hour or so by train. The Ligurian coast and numerous beautiful beach towns are within comfortable reach on days off. There’s limited public transport directly from the village, but getting to the train network is straightforward and that’s when most of Tuscany and the Italian Riviera opens up.
  
  Between the two of us we bring an American sensibility, an Irish passport, Italian roots, and a Scottish upbringing — which in practice means a relaxed, open, internationally minded household with some British humor to boot. One of us speaks Italian; we both speak some French. Language practice is a real priority for us this summer — we’d love to spend the whole season speaking Italian and French as much as possible, so if you’re a native or fluent speaker of either, all the better. Also interested in rekindling my Swedish if the stars were to align.
  
  A further perk: When we’re not in Tuscany, we’re in Paris — and for the right person, a visit to our apartment in the 17th arrondissement could be a natural extension of the experience. A real Parisian home, genuinely offered, not a tourist flat. Something to discuss if we click.
  
  We’re looking for people who are handy, good-humored, and actually interested in the place — not just a free base for day-tripping. Light handy-work experience and a willingness to get into the garden are very useful. Italian or French speakers move to the top of the list — seriously, we want the practice. LGBTQ+ travelers will feel completely at home here. Must love dogs!

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Práctica de idiomas

  Jardinería

  Construcción y bricolaje

  Cuidado de animales

  Ayuda doméstica

  Mantenimiento general
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  Intereses

  

  Mascotas

  

  LGBT+

  

  Cultura

  

  Películas y televisión

  

  Eventos y sociedad

  

  Escritura

  

  Animales

  

  Jardinería

  

  Idiomas

  

  Navegar / barcos

  

  Senderismo

  

  Fitness

  

  Ciclismo

  

  Playa
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  We’re looking forward to a summer of great interaction. Meals together anre an a fun idea. And we’re happy to bring Workawayers along when we’re exploring locally, whether that’s a market in Lucca, a village sagra, or a Sunday drive somewhere interesting. One of us knows the Italian side of life here well and can help you navigate the area like a local rather than a tourist; between us we can also offer a genuine window into both Parisian and American ways of living and working, which tends to generate good conversation. We’re also actively learning Italian and French this summer and will lean on native speakers shamelessly — so if you speak either language you’ll be doing real cultural help just by having dinner with us.
  
  What we hope to get back is equally simple: perspectives we don’t already have. We’re genuinely curious about how people from different places think about work, food, travel, and what a good life looks like. Some of our best conversations in places like this have started over something one person took completely for granted that the other had never considered. That kind of exchange — unhurried, over a meal, in a beautiful place — is honestly just as important as the work.

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  Proyectos con niños

  En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.

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  Ayuda

  We’re renovating a Tuscan hillside house and need capable, hands-on help to keep the momentum going through the summer. Help is varied and we’ll match tasks to your strengths — no one needs to do everything — but expect a mix of the following:
  • Pergola screening — help fitting mosquito mesh panels to an outdoor pergola
  • Painting projects — walls, trim, doors
  • Gardening — clearing, shaping, and general maintenance
  - Hanging pictures and shelving
  - Helping to re-organizing a storage room
  - Helping to clean out a small storage house on the property
  • Occasional dog sitting — we have two dogs who are very much part of the household; sometimes we’ll need an extra pair of hands (and a willing lap)
  We’re looking for 1–2 people who are relatively handy with some DIY experience, and don’t mind getting their hands dirty in the garden. Curiosity and a willingness to learn go a long way here.

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Francés: Intermedio
  Italiano: Intermedio
  Alemán: Principiante

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  I would love the chance to practice my French and Italian.
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  Alojamiento

  You will have your own room and will share a bathroom with the other person helping out. The kitchen will be open to you for cooking, we’ll shop weekly and we’ll also be cooking for and with you regularly.

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  Algo más...

  Additionally, there will likely be others in the area doing the same program that you will likely be able to connect with. Lucca, our nearest town (12hm) is a fountain of things to do a there are people of all ages living there so meeting new people is very likely. And as mentioned, the Mediterranean beaches are easily accessible in as little as 30 minutes away from the house.

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

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    Acceso a Internet limitado

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    Tenemos animales

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    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  We have very reliable Starlink internet and several desk working areas in the house.

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Dos

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  Mis animales / mascotas

  

  Haggis (5 años)

  A very happy and friendly dog who wants anything you’re eating - hahaha 😂

  

  Franca (8 años)

  She’s a total cuddle bug and is more like a human than a dog

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