MY FRIEND
RELAX, OPEN YOUR EYES AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH,
DO YOU HEAR ANY SOUNDS? WHAT ABOUT SCENTS?
ENJOY THIS SPACE DESIGNED TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN A PURE LOCAL REALITY,
IN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL REGIONS OF THE WORLD.
WELCOME TO UMAMMA.
YOUR HOME TO START DISCOVERING TUSCANY.
UMAMMA
the unexpected space
Umamma is a typical Tuscan expression that encapsulates a moment of amazement.
It is verbally expressed when the unexpected happens and we are left open-mouthed.
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Was the first thing I said when I crossed the threshold and saw the space.
Once I had Closed the door leaving all the noise outside, I hurried to the window to see the view.
From above the valley of the river Arno dominated the view and
on the hills on the opposite side you could see the house of Leonardo Da Vinci.
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The sunset was making room for the night and the small lights of the distant houses;
the only sounds you could hear were the owls and the sheep bells here and there.
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Looking outside, it felt like being on top of a skyscraper,
or on a plane peeking down on the landscape, but the scents of plants and
the countryside betrayed that feelings.
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I liked that space.
During the restoration, when I was lucky enough to be home,
I loved spending my evenings alone in the house
imagine what it would become.
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I would put a chair in the middle of the room amidst all the dust and tools,
move a few empty boxes to give shape to the space, and even use
telescopic broom handles fixing them to the ceiling to simulate the dividing walls,
walls that would in the end never be built.
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Then I would sit looking around me waiting for some out-of-control neurons in my brain
to accidentally collide and spark new ideas.
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this is how after many accidents, Umamma was born.
Welcome
inside
Click to explore the space
UMAMMA
What's was before?
In a16th century palace protected by the superintendence of Fine Arts
in the upper part of the village of San Miniato,
the historic Piazza Bonaparte, still paved in stone, is the setting for UMAMMA.
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Old people tell us that in the distant past this portion of the building was used
as a stable for the horses given its shape.
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In the early 1900s, the property was converted into a brothel by its owner.
Because of its small windows, there was not much light entering the property,
creating the ideal dark environment.
seemed to have a mystical and desecrating air. It was then closed a few years later.
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The space has undergone a 7 years long restoration,
unearthing its original architecture,
and fully opening the rear facades.
UMAMMA is spread over an area of 230sq.m.
with walls that reach a thickness of 150 cm.
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The open space includes a living room + kitchen of 80sq.m.,
a bedroom with bathroom of 60sq.m,
a studio with bathroom of 30sq.m, a terrace of 25sq.m and
an indoor swimming pool with hot water and shower of 35sq.m.
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Leaving the door of UMAMMA, we are directly on the incredible Via Francigena.
From there you can start a 3000 km journey through the most beautiful places in Italy.
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San Miniato boasts a strategic location about 30 minutes from Florence,
30 minutes from Pisa, 30 minutes from Lucca and 40 from Siena and
is the home of the white truffle.
From the inner garden, you can look out over Vinci, the town of Leonardo.
Blood,
sweat,
tears
Passionate people outperform themselves
San
Miniato
Local culture never goes out of style
What's
around
If San Miniato is not enough, don't worry
Hi, this is me
My name is Giovanni, I was born and raised in Tuscany,
When I was 25 years old I left Italy to work in advertising,
but my roots can't follow me, they're still stuck in in Italy.
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This is demonstrated by my indelible and strong Tuscan accent
in any other languages that I have learned.
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I have lived in Milan, Paris, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Dubai,
but I know I'll be back home someday, and I want UMAMMA to become my shelter.
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A project made with exceptional people to be able to live and perhaps work there,
seeking inspiration in the nature that surrounds it.
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I imagined an unexpected place, with unexpected details.
A space you miss when you're not there,
the ideal place to carry out activities that go beyond everyday life:
meetings with artists, intimate acoustic concerts and meditation.
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San Miniato still has a pure soul, a life of its own, true, outside of the tourist scene.
That's why I like it. I think it's a unique feature.
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Because not being touristy means preserving local integrity,
to preserve their traditions and habits,
that don't need to change just to please those who don't live there.
Meet who made it possible
THE U-PONCHO
SHOW YOUR BEAUTY WITH A UNCONVENTIONAL GARMENT
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If you are thinking of visiting Tuscany, UMAMMA
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