Tuscany
discovery Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany extends over the heart of central Italy. Tuscany is especially known for the works of art present in its cities and for the beauty of its landscape, easily accessible by driving along the road. Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Pistoia, Arezzo, Grosseto, Livorno are the most famous cities, but discover all the little villages around it’s even more exiting: San Gimignano, Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Cortona and Volterra for example, are true, perfectly preserved, historical villages that hold invaluable works of art, food tradition, history.
One of the best things to do along a Tour in Tuscany is taste all the typical product. Start from the famous wine of Chianti, accompanied and tasted with Prosciutto Toscano DOP, the Pecorino di Pienza or the Pane Toscano (which is without salt). Just to mention the most famous. Every city has peculiar and strong food tradition. Is up to you to discover them along your Tour in Tuscany!
Tuscany is also a volcanic region, plenty of mineral spring water, hot or cold. Known since roman time for the healthy benefit, famous SPA are a “must” like Petriolo and Saturnia: free entrance for a day of pure wellness. Sport is also a strong magnet of tourism in Tuscany. Many travellers getting know the territory in a non-conventional, following a sustainable way. Indeed, Tuscany is an ideal spot for cycling and trekking lovers! Tuscany has 5 declared Unesco World Patrimony Sites:
- 1. Historic centre of Florence
- 2. Piazza del Duomo, Pisa
- 3. Historic centre of San Gimignano
- 4. Historic centre of Siena
- 5. Historic centre of Pienza
Castiglione della Pescaia - along the Tuscan coast
Castiglione della Pescaia is one of the most beautiful medieval villages along the coast of Tuscany, located about 20 km from Grosseto.Castiglione della Pescaia is now a major tourist center and a fully equipped resort with beautiful beaches and clean sea, and repeatedly awarded by Legambiente by Touring Club. The old medieval town is situated on a hill overlooking the river Bruna. In the historical center is really well preserved, and several buildings, such as the eighteenth-century Church of Santa Maria del Giglio, built into a bastion of the medieval walls, and the sixteenth-century Church of St. John the Baptist, who has portal to architrave, a bas-relief and early medieval has a distinctive circular tower to tower, are certainly remarkable. …
Chianti - in the heart of Tuscany
Tuscany is a world wide famous italian region, and in the heart of Tuscany, between Florence, Siena and Arezzo, there is the Chianti - a hilly area fascinating for its diversity, not least among them the famous city is included and the excellent wine production.The geographic standpoint of Chianti is a medium to high ground that extends for almost twenty kilometres (with trend roughly north-south-southeast). Chianti is deemed to include the territories of all three "Legacy" that those Florentine San Casciano and Tavarnelle in Val di Pesa, Greve, and part Barberino Val d'Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga, as well as those of Siena and Poggibonsi. Only wines produced in these municipalities may use the name "Chianti Classico" and are marked by the …
Costa degli Etruschi - along the Tuscan coast
Tuscany is not only hills and country side landscape. The coast is beautiful and has a lot to offer.The part of coast from Livorno to Populonia is called “Costa degli Etruschi”, from the ancient Etruscans population lived here thousands of year ago. The coast is famous for its restaurants and taverns based on seafood where the famous “cacciucco” is the must: a really tasty fish soup. The vineyards of Montescudaio doc, from the renowned area of Bolgheri, where it produces Sassicaia, Ornellaia and other noble labels. Or more, the Poetic long cypress way of Castagento Carducci, that was the lands of Carducci, one of the biggest italian poet. The gentle slopes of Val di Cornia between the large stones and Suvereto Campiglia Marittima and …
Florence - the city of Renaissance
Florence had its heyday in the era Renaissance: its Old Town and its urban faithfully reflect this historical journey. The statues, churches, stately monuments, the ancient shops: a unique of its kind, which catalyzes million visitors each year. If you only want to spend a weekend in Florence, then it is best if you start with clear ideas already. The risk of losing something spectacular is too high if you do not choose carefully the steps to do. Moreover, for most of the museums in Florence there is the possibility to book directly online your visit: This will allow you useless waste of time and annoying queues. If you prepare the weekend with care, avoiding unpleasant mishaps.Among the many sights in Florence worth mentioning as some that …
Palio of Siena - historical tradition of Tuscany
The Palio is much more than just an event for the people of Siena, is part of their lives from birth. The Contrada, so called members of a Contrada, participate in the life of their district and to 'the whole organization of the Palio'. The Palio of Siena live with great passion and transport and certainly you will realize it if you have the opportunity to attend a race. The Palio is a very complex event, which throughout history has been enriched by many rules, customs and practices, many of which are known only to Contrada. Below are some of the basic rules and traditions of the Palio, there will certainly be useful to better understand the 'event. The Palio race, also called "career", is held every year on July 2 (Palio di Provenzano in …
Montalcino - tha land of Brunello
Montalcino is the home of one of the most famous Tuscan wines, Brunello di Montalcino. This wine has been decorated with the highest award DOCG designation of controlled and guaranteed "since July 1980. Brunello is a wine that is made with the sangiovese grape, a grape classical Italy. There are three types of brunello wines: Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino and Brunello di Montalcino Riserva.Montalcino is also rich in history, with its medieval unchanged where you can admire the Abbey of St, Castle Arigato, Castello Poggio alle Mura, the Fortress and the Hermitage of the Holy Church returned. Culture and art are in museums Together, the Civic Museum and the Diocesan Museum, which houses many paintings of the Sienese school of the …
Montepulciano - a wonderful middle age village
Monte Pulciano is located in the province of Siena, between Val di Chiana and Val d'Orcia, Montepulciano is a typical Tuscan village of 14,000 inhabitants situated in a hilly area. The backdrop to Montepulciano are in fact olive trees and vineyards and woods of the Val di Chiana. The name of Montepulciano, made from two words Monte and fleas, derives from the Purth, that leader. Montepulciano is without doubt one of the most beautiful medieval towns of Tuscany, 600 meters above sea level protected by fortification walls still impressively intact. Montepulciano is well known to international tourists for its Renaissance palaces and the sophistication of its churches. The Bravio delle Botti is an important traditional event dating back to the …
Pienza - a terrace on Valle d'Orcia
Located in Val d'Orcia, Pienza is a town rich in artistic and natural treasures that make it a popular destination by Italian and foreign tourists. The present appearance of Pienza is the desired result of the restructuring during the Renaissance by Pope Pio II Piccolomini, whose project was to make his birthplace a utopian city of the Renaissance, called to give practical effect to an ideal of active and peaceful coexistence among men. Pienza is, along with Castiglion d'Orcia, Montalcino, Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia and Radicofani, one of five villages belonging to the Artistic Park, Natural and Cultural Val d'Orcia, a territorial system created in order to protect heritage of the main towns of the Val d'Orcia. Pienza is also recognized, …
Pitigliano, Sorano, Sovana - the villages of tufo
PitiglianoAfter countless turns, resting on a spur of tufa appears Pitigliano: beautiful village whose homes are often confused with the rock below, and vice versa. This town is the same for centuries: a maze of narrow streets that follow one another, sometimes alleys so narrow that is even hard to walk in. in Pitigliano, every era has left its mark: Etruscan, Roman and medieval. Every population has carved tufa creating a city under the city tunnels, wells, tombs, cellars. Remains of the ancient civilizations that have inhabited these areas are not only present in Pitigliano, but throughout the surrounding area, including the towns of Sovana and Sorano. We advise also to visit the Etruscan necropolis. Sorano and SovanaThe town of Sorano is …
San Gimignano - the city of towers
San Gimignano is a small town in the province of Siena, rich in charm and history.The town of San Gimignano is located nearly halfway between Florence and Siena, from which it is respectively 60 and 45 km, and is easily accessible by car or bus. The city was built on a hill about 300 meters and enjoys a privileged view over the picturesque landscape of the Val d 'Elsa surroundings. The hill, as evidenced by various objects found in the municipal area was inhabited since the Etruscan and Hellenistic period, probably due to its dominant position which allowed easier to keep under control the valley. San Gimignano was named around the tenth century AD in honor of San Geminiano, Bishop of Modena who lived in the fourteenth century, said the 'had …
Saturnia - SPA, and the real Maremma
Saturnia is a small town in the town of Maremma, which stands on a hill overlooking the famous hot springs of Saturnia. The town lies near the ruins of an Etruscan necropolis, along the Roman road Clodia, also called Via delle Terme, between the Via Cassia and the Via Aurelia. Its ancient origins are still visible today in the beautiful Roman port of the second century BC which opens in the old medieval city walls, built by Aldobrandeschi. Surely what made her famous is Saturnia Spa. The Terme di Saturnia are formed by numerous sources that affect a large area from the hills of Monte Amiata dell'Albenga and flower, to get up in Roselle and enjoyed. The sulphurous waters of the baths were already known to the Etruscans and Romans. It seems …
Siena - the city of the Palio
Siena, located in the heart of Tuscany and surrounded by hills, is one of the most beautiful medieval towns' s Italy.Heart of Siena is the famous Piazza del Campo, with its unusual shell shape, which takes place the famous Palio di Siena. The Palio is a passionate horse race that takes place every year in July and August and its origins seem to date back to the seventeenth century. According to legend Siena was founded by Senio, the son of Remus, and in town there are several statues of the mythical Romulus and Remus suckled by the wolf. Piazza del Campo is the heart of Siena since the time of the Romans, who had their own Forum here. The field is dominated by the Red City Hall and its tower, called Torre del Mangia. The City Hall, as well …
Volterra and Pisa - from Volterra to Pisa: a piece of Tuscany
The territory of Alta Val di Cecina in the southern part of the province of Pisa in a unique landscape that winds along the metalliferous hills with the beautiful cities of Volterra and flows down to Bibbona, near the famous Coast Etruscans.Volterra, thanks to its isolation, it is intact; urbanistically almost completely enclosed by the circle of the thirteenth-century walls, built around the ancient church of Santa Maria, now the cathedral and the Piazza dei Priori, even at the very heart of the city life city politics. It is followed by the square of San Giovanni, the center of religious life, where we find the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Bishop's Palace.Always in the metalliferous hills, we find Pomarance, beautiful medieval village …
Lucca - the wonderful historical centre
Visit Lucca is to immerse yourself in the narrow streets of one of the best preserved historical centre of Tuscany, enjoy local dishes in on of the typical taverns and take part at the many cultural activities organized throughout the year. Anyone visiting Lucca is surprised by the tranquility of the historical centre and its surroundings. The visit of Lucca can begin with a walk on the walls, built and used during the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, the real symbol of the city recognized for its unique worldwide. Preserved intact to our day, the walls of Lucca are considered an active resource for citizens that are used to spend their free time under the shade of the old trees. The city of Lucca is traditionally nicknamed the city of …
