This is us

Please let us introduce ourselves 


As traveling artists, we became the rightful owners of Casoli in 2023. This journey began in 2018 when the heirs, my brothers and I, decided to split the inheritance in two. 

More out of necessity than anything else, but for now, I shall only dwell on the nearest past. The headache over inheriting my father's art, legacy, and Tuscan farmstead is an excellent story to be told for another time.

We are Brian McBride and Michael Dute. We are not only a great team but also husband and husband. Traveling artists with a passion for beauty and glamour. Michael is a renowned painter and has had the excellent chance to leave his legacy on the walls of the most beautiful homes of Napa Valley and San Francisco. My former career was in the hospitality and restaurant business, and I am now a fine art photographer. We both split our lives between Casoli, Berlin, and California. 

two men
You'll find a tranquil oasis at our rustic stone house in Casoli, nestled among the chestnut and pine forests and towering mountains. The charming dwelling, with its tiled roof and vines cascading over the exterior, features a delightful patio area surrounded by Michaels's fragrant gardens. Relax and take in the breathtaking views of the valley below, where the town of Camaiore glitters at night, and the blue horizon of the Mediterranean Sea makes you stop in awe on sunny days. Gnarled tree trunks and winding pathways lead to hiking routes up to the mountain top, offering more stunning views but quite the workout. This picturesque backdrop epitomizes the natural beauty of this idyllic part of Tuscany; The Versilia.

This blog is about our journey from the first day we huffed up the hill to being greeted by a run-down farmstead on a rainy spring day in May 2018. An extraordinary day. 

It was that day that Casoli's fate was decided. The vibes were good, the view breathtaking, the air fresh and filled with the scent of grass, oregano, rosemary, and mint. We knew it was good; we just didn't know where it would take us.

This is the story of our path. Our mission is to make Casoli a magical place and offer the magic we create with every season to be shared with you.

Please join me in my quest to tell you the story of Casali, our little farmstead in the Apuan mountains of Tuscany. 























#BrianMcBride #MichaelDute #Casoli #Tuscany #Camaiore #Viareggio #NomadicLife #FarmsteadLife #FamilyMemories #ArtisticRetreat #Simplicity #NaturalBeauty #CharmingVillage #SummerRetreat #RestfulPlace #EnchantingCasoli #Wanderlust #SimpleLife #NatureLovers #MagicalExperience #Rejuvenation #Inspiration #ParadiseFound #TravelTuscany #CoastalLiving #WildlifeWonder #RuralRetreat #TuscanEscape #MemorableMoments





































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Herbs and such May 22, 2018

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  First things first The day Michael had pulled the bundle of grass out of the terrace was the lifting of the baton of his symphony he started in Casoli five years ago and hasn't stopped since. Michael is in charge of "Ordnung and Beauty," as he puts it, gaining complete control over which flowers stay and which will go. He decides the color, the plant, the shape, and the height it grows if it's a flower, a shrub, a salvia, a perennial, or a darn tree. All of Michael's energy goes into this.  Do you know why our Marriage works so well?  I'm letting him. Indeed, I can make a garden, but Michael just does it better, which needs to be acknowledged. So I step aside, grab the weedwhacker, the chain saw, and the axe, and do the more coarse work on the property. It's OK, as long as we get to sit on the terrace, have a smoke, and cheer to beers at the end of the day.  On the second or third day of our first stay, I woke to a regular "chuck" and "swi...
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SO THE JOURNEY BEGINS, May 15 - 2018

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  As the weather began to improve, Michael and I harnessed our spring energy to take a closer look at our long-neglected property. My father hadn't used the place in years, so it was no surprise to find it more than just a little unkempt. Opening the shutters for the first time in ages, we were greeted not just by the Tuscan sun but by a chorus of disgruntled spiders, scorpions, and other critters launching surprise attacks. Michael's late warnings of "watch out!" barely reached me as I navigated through the barrage of cobwebs and vines. Clearing away nature's curtain, I caught my first breathtaking view of the valley below, and I was utterly spellbound. However, the task of clearing cobwebs and unveiling stunning vistas wasn't the real challenge. It was the deeper journey into my father's past that weighed on me. The property was his legacy to us, and stepping into it felt like crossing a boundary into a relationship that had always been complicated. My m...
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