Design and tradition in the shade of the olive trees

Albrecht Dürer and Rainer Maria Rilke were understandably enchanted by the nature trails of Alto Garda, known through the centuries as a stunningly beautiful area, protected by the surrounding mountains and blessed with a mild climate thanks to the nearby lake. And if we add the fact that the whole area is nestled in the oldest olive tree cultivations in the Garda region, we need say no more as to the beauty of its scenery.
Here, in the village of Varignano di Arco, in the province of Trento, is a genuine example of excellence among farm-holiday guesthouses. It is the Maso Bòtes, an exclusive and sophisticated place which nature has endowed with a gift: the «olif de Bòtes», a majestic olive tree estimated to be between 800 and 1,000 years old, standing at its entrance like a guardian of ancient memories, a patriarch of the age-old olive-growing tradition of the Garda area.
The gift is well-deserved, given how discreetly the guesthouse fits into its natural setting. The key features of its carefully-conceived design are in fact natural materials, employed with technologically state-of-the-art solutions: the stonework encircling the guesthouse blends seamlessly with the surrounding drystone walls and centuries-old olive trees, the steel features are moulded harmoniously around the whole building following extremely natural lines, glass is used as a perfect complement to the stone and steel work, offering stunning views of the natural amphitheatre of the «Sommolago», and the ceramic materials elegantly underscore the layout of the interiors.
Together, these materials have contributed to creating rounded forms and bright, spacious areas, integrating interiors and exteriors and combining practicality and comfort. Every detail shows the great effort that went into achieving balance, while the choice of a strongly contemporary style for the furnishings gives the entire design a dynamic and vigorous tone.
This is greatly enhanced by the extensive floor surfaces for which the designer has chosen to use porcelain from the Aisthesis 0.3 and Experience 0.3 collections made by Panaria Ceramica. Both collections were born from the Zero.3 project, a cutting-edge technology that makes it possible to produce large, ultra-thin porcelain sheets with a surface of up to 100×300 cm and a thickness of 3 mm. These enable very special effects to be achieved, such as the extra brightness in the communal areas (hall, breakfast room and stairs) produced by the resin effect of the laminated porcelain, in this case in a pale shade of Grigio Vivo (grey).
At the same time, the sophisticated and sober elegance of the Lavica-coloured sheets chosen for the bathroom floors and wall cladding strikes a perfect balance with the modern and rigorous design of the fixtures.
The guesthouse accommodation consists of four rooms and three suites. They are intended for passionate nature lovers, who will enjoy not only peace and relaxation here but also the opportunity to experience the highly efficient family-run farm.