The Marzoli Family

The Marzoli family originally came from the Marche Region. In 1957 Giuseppe Marzoli and Maria Sbrancia moved to Tuscany, to the Podere Selvole, as the approximately 150 hectares of agricultural land with four houses on it were less expensive to buy in Tuscany than in the Marche. The property they bought included the approximately 80 hectares and two houses of Le Selvole, while another 70 hectares were in Puretta (about 20 kilometres from Le Selvole, on the River Cecina and near the Berignone nature reserve) and included another two houses.
Giuseppe and Maria Marzoli had five children; first Eneide, then Mario, Vincenza, Silvana and Vincenzo, the youngest. The family were farmers and raised cattle. When Giuseppe, the head of the family, died prematurely, his sons, Mario and Vincenzo took over the running of the farm. The younger daughters married and moved to nearby towns, (only the eldest daughter, Eneide, returned to the Marche), while Mario and his family settled at the Puretta farm and Vincenzo and his family settled at Le Selvole.Today Le Selvole farm-agritourism is run by the Vincenzo Marzoli family.
In 1968 Vincenzo married Mariarosa Sozzi. Mariarosa’s family lived in the nearby village of Micciano, where they kept the “Appalto” (a bar/grocery store). They have two children, Massimo, born in 1969 and Franca, born in 1973. Vincenzo and Mariarosa have always run the farm together, helped in part by their children. Massimo has always also worked outside the farm. On the family farm, he mainly helps his father in the heavier jobs, such as the wheat harvest in the summer.
After a period of studying at the University of Pisa, Franca became a consultant for various public and private companies in the social sector. On the family farm, she is mainly involved in promoting the agritourism and helping her mother in the day to day running. In 1989, Massimo married Cristina Novaria, who comes from Cecina, and their daughter Elisa was born in 1989. Franca and her companion, Massimo Malfetti, have been together since 2008, and their child Ettore was born in February 2010.
Vincenzo, Mariarosa, Massimo, Cristina and Elisa live in the house near the agritourism residence, while Franca and Massimo live in Montecatini Val di Cecina and work in Volterra.