Tuscany

Softly undulating hills, age-old farm houses, stylish cypresses and perhaps the most valuable objects of art of the world: a "dream landscape"….

Tuscany is the most popular, loved and cherished region for holiday-goers and deservedly so. This region has a fascinating mixture of history, art and landscapes, rich in world-famous art and science.

An overwhelming number of master pieces

It is not unusual for people to be overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of historical monuments and artistic master pieces. Even the tiniest piece of Tuscan stone seems to carry age old memories. Leaving the big cultural cities behind you and visiting the villages and hamlets, you enter a completely different world that rests your soul. This contrast might help you to understand the need for beauty, elegance and style which every Tuscan pore breathes.

Tuscany is one of the biggest regions of Italy, more or less triangularly shaped, with the Apennines in the North-West and the sea in the South. A large part of this region is hilly, even mountainous, with some plains around the coastal areas. Beauty and enjoyment awaits you: in Florence and other famous cities such as Pisa, Lucca, Siena and Arezzo, but also in towns like Volterra, San Gimignano, Pienza and Montepulciano. Even the smallest villages are home to at least one art-treasure, and the history of them can fill a library.

National and international art and much more

Florence is known worldwide as a big museum, and for being an important cradle of art and culture. You find the vast riches art that make Florence unique: the Uffizi, the Bargello, the Palazzo Pitti and the Accademia, the archeological museum and the Duomo.

Churches and palazzo’s, especially early in the morning

The church of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Campanile of Giotto are best seen early in the morning, because of the special, beautiful light of sunrise. The Duomo sparkles in green and white, and the Baptiserium, with its Byzantine mosaics, is also at its best. Giotto’s Campanile, is without doubt one of the architectural masterpieces of the Middle Ages. If you have the stamina to climb the 414 steps up to the top (84m.) you will be rewarded by a spectacular view of the city and the surrounding hills.

Poverty, tanners and dyers

In days gone by the area of Santa Croce was home to the poor, and the dyers and tanners. Today it is a shopper’s delight, with unexpected shops in picturesque houses hidden away in the narrow streets. You can look for stones marking the highest water level during the last centuries.

Uphill and downhill

Make time for at least one nature walk, enjoy the beautiful sights, strolling along the narrow, winding Middle-aged streets of at least one or two villages will give you an idea of the other side of Tuscany. In Bellosguardo a village that is best visited at sunset when the churches “catch” the beautiful light and in Pian dei Giullari, in the two small hamlets of Ponte a Mensola, and Montebeni you get a very special taste of Tuscany and you might feel transported back in time. Fiesole, very close to Florence, is also well worth a visit with its many special events during the Summer months as is the village Borgunto, hidden amongst the green woods, olive groves and vineyards of Tuscany.

It is Palio time

Unless you have been there and experienced it, you cannot begin to explain this event! Each year in July and August, this age-old race is held in the city of Siena. All seventeen quarters of the city are represented by a horse and rider who compete for the honour of the quarter and are willing to do almost anything. The horses are the most important participants. The riders are hired for their expertise often from (far) outside Siena as Sienese riders will have to live with the repercussions – even if only in verbal form – for the rest of the year if they fail to win. In the region of Piemonte, people claim the Palio in Asti to be older than the one in Siena. Not being Italian we say, who cares, but we will not say it loudly! Each and every region of Italy claims the best olive oil, the best wine and so on, and so forth. We will just nod, agree and abstain from judgement. Fact is that the Palio in Siena is a spectacular yearly event, and even the raised prices in the city cannot dampen the enjoyment of the experience.

Ancient City of Power

Situated amongst the hills in the province of Siena you find a beautiful town straight out of the Middle Ages, San Gimignano. At 324 m. above sea-level, it looks down on the Elsa valley and a landscape dominated by olive groves, vineyards and farmhouses. We use the word “ancient” here because it was originally an Etruscan settlement. Later on, the Romans took over and towards the end of the 12th century it became a city-state. In the 14th century, a threefold city-wall was built. Only 15 of the originally 72 towers along these walls are still standing, but they are enough to give you an impression of how it once was, with lots of conflicting families striving for supremacy.

Sing along with Puccini

A green tunnel, the “Viale dei Tigli” (tigli is a lime tree), is a 7 km. road connecting Viareggio with the Torre del Lago and the villa of Giacomo Puccini. Music lovers will feel compelled to hum or sing his masterpieces whilst driving to this villa, where everything has been lovingly kept as if he were still alive. His rifle is still in its usual place, the hunting cap on the hat-rack and his grand piano open. There is a lovely view from the terrace over lake Massaciuccoli, with the Apuan Alps in the background.

Continuation of the unforgettable sixties

Forte dei Marmi was, and still is, the “place to be” along the coast, in summer as well as during a short winter-stay. This trendy region takes care of the sun and beach lovers, who expect to be entertained in other ways when the sun has gone down. The nights are long and in the early hours the rich and famous wind up in one of the many sophisticated nightclubs, such as the timeless Capaninna di Franceshi, a favourite since its establishment in 1929. There is no shortage elegant shops and terraces where you can sit and watch passers-by while having a drink.

Digging for marble

A few kilometres away from the elongated coastline of the Versilia one can breathe in the fresh air of the Apuan Alps. Take a day trip through these Alps and see the impressive marble quarries that gave the raw material to some of the most famous works of art. We talk about the "fresh air" of the Apuan Alps but close to the quarries there is a lot of dust in the air!

Royal summer residences, Napoleon and the islands

The Grosseto offers lots of Etruscan tombes, and little towns like Pitigliano and Sovano, sculptured out of volcanic rocks. At the long coastline of Tuscany you can enjoy the sandy beaches of the Versilia, the nature parks Parco dell’ Uccellina or Monte Argentario, the latter with lots of  sophisticated villages where the very rich have their holiday homes, including the Dutch Royal family (in Porto Ercole). The largest island of Tuscany is Elba, known by all of us from our history lessons at school: Napoleon was once exiled here. It is a beautiful island with lots of nice accommodations, things to do etc, and quite a few sandy beaches. The isle of Giglio has only one paved street and the isle of Capraia is completely unspoilt. They are situated between the mainland of Italy and the big, French island of Corsica.

Shopping-ideas

Tuscany is still a place where you can find and buy antiques as well as contemporary objects such as clothing, shoes, bags, belts, jewellery, costume jewellery, interior decoration and so on. Florence has it all, but is particularly famous for its jewellery, bags and shoes and stunning stationary. Arezzo has a famous antique market and the shops in Empoli and Pisa are well known for their crystal objects. Volterra, Massa Carrara and Pietrasanta are renowned for marble. In Pescia and Pistoia, copperware is number one and Sesto Fiorentino is the best town for ceramics and has an interesting porcelain museum.

Alcoholic beverages

Tuscan wines are world-famous for good reasons. The wines from the Chianti region are best known, but wine-lovers might say there are better ones. For example, the Brunello from Montalcino and the Nobile from Montepulciano and Carmignano get higher accolades from the experts. There are some delicious white wines too, such as the Vernaccia from San Gimignano. We think you will agree with us that even a simple unpretentious wine can taste heavenly.

Whatever village or city you visit we recommend you go to the local market and buy a variety of food like fresh bread, olive-oil, fresh, ripe tomatoes, salami, ham and cheese, fruits of the season and a bottle of wine and return to your temporary home. Take your bounty outside to the garden table and have a feast.

You are then the master of your own universe; you taste great food in the company of others in lovely surroundings. Life is hectic, life is hard, and life is competitive; but right then and there, life can be  enjoyment in its purest form.

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