Hello, I’m Asya
I’m Malaysian Canadian by birth, with a degree in Fine Arts. I grew up travelling and arrived in Italy for love at just 29 years old with a suitcase full of hope, a little money and some work tools.
I was 9 years old when I first rode a horse, and these animals,magic and sensitive, have stayed part of my dreams. When I got to Garda, I started riding again and quickly remembered the fantastic sensation of power and freedom that riding brings.
For a few years I made and sold my pieces of jewelry in a shop on Lake Garda: with time I learnt that teaching and communication are my talents and I decided to put these to the service of others. I became a riding instructor, worked in a summer art camp and in the same years became a mom to Suriya, Ciro and Rei.
Hello, I’m Marco
I’m an ex-lawyer from the Piedmont region of Italy, in love with Nature and Horses.
After 20 years of intensive forensic work, my life in Alessandria started to overstretch me and, thanks to a life skills course, Shiatsu and Hara-Yoga, I started to listen to myself and to find the courage to make changes.
I often came to Lake Garda to visit friends: The more times I came to the Lake, the more it called me and when I finally moved to the Lake, I finally felt at home, in peace.
Here I started riding horses, bought my own horse, became a riding instructor, started a small riding stables and, thanks to our horses, Asya and I began our love story.
From Horses, to a riding stables and the straw houses of Casa Viva
Often passing near the fields of Marciaga, we both felt a strong sense of wellbeing, almost like a calling. Was that because, since 1951 that had always been horses on that land? We don’t know precisely but we do know that this is a kind of magic land.
This big pasture full of horses was so full of life that we had to buy it to build, first our eco sustainable riding stables and then our two Casa Viva guest houses.
From the silence of the dawn to the evening sunset, with the woods around us, we felt the strong energy of Nature: we felt that we were in the right place for our mission to free ourselves from superfluous things and live in harmony with Mother Nature.
A Home, in our opinion, shouldn’t isolate you from nature but should allow you to feel and breathe even when you are indoors.
In 2008, Stefano Soldati built the first straw houses in Italy and, following the evolution of this construction technology, we began to dream of our own straw house.
Thus, with the help of wonderful architects and engineers, we designed and built Casa Viva.
Here you will see that a cleaner world is possible. You will understand the importance of respecting Nature and connecting with her to understand who you are.
We look forward to greeting you at Casa Viva.
