About Tuscany
You will be taken in by the beauty of the wide variety of Tuscany landscapes, the deep greens of its pine forests, the pool of colours of the Mediterranean Sea and vegetation, the quiet atmosphere of the age-old villages, its glittering sea and incredible sunsets, long, sandy beaches, Etruscan towns, genuine cuisine and you can even enjoy the sight of wild boars and horses or visit the rich, exclusive and fashionable resorts of the Argentario.
We have a superb selection of accommodation in Tuscany: luxury villas with pools, coastal apartments, beach and costal villas, self catering town apartments, as well a selection of cottage and farmhouse properties.
The birthplace of the Renaissance, Tuscany is renowned for its artistic and cultural treasures and features both large cities and small towns that are rich in both.
The jewel of the crown of Tuscany is of course, Florence, with its wealth of art and architecture that has been admired for centuries. The Uffizi gallery houses many works by great masters such as Botticelli, Michelangelo and Titian, while the Duomo (cathedral) and Palazzo Vecchio are two outstanding examples of Florentine architecture. Also to be found here are the Boboli gardens and the famous Ponte Vecchio.
In Florence historical centre, we offer many beautiful apartments like Il Campanile, a lovely top floor apartment with panoramic terrace. In the surrounding areas, we have selected comfortable apartments with shared pool like Casa Cellina and villas with private pools for small groups (Ginevra) and also for large parties (Villa Luisa).
With Florence, the other famous Tuscan art city is Pisa. Although known worldwide for its leaning tower (the bell tower of the city's cathedral), Pisa contains more than 20 other historic churches, several palaces and various bridges across the River Arno. The tower is one of many works of art and architecture in the Piazza del Duomo, also known, since 20th Century, as Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), to the north of the old town centre. The Piazza del Duomo also houses the Duomo (the Cathedral), the Baptistry and the Camposanto Monumentale (the monumental cemetery).
Pisa boasts several museums like:
- the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, exhibiting among others the original sculptures of Nicola Pisano and Giovanni Pisano, and the treasures of the cathedral;
- the Museo delle Sinopie, showing the sinopias from the the monumental cemetery;
- the Museo Nazionale di S. Matteo, exhibiting sculptures and painting from 12th to 15th century, including masterworks of Masaccio and Simone Martini;
- the Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale, exhibiting the belongings of the families that lived in the palace;
- the Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti per il Calcolo: exhibiting a collection of instruments used in science, even a compass probably belonged to Galileo Galilei;
- the Museo di storia naturale e del territorio dell'Università di Pisa, located in the Certosa di Calci, outside the city. It houses one of the largest cetacean skeletons collections in Europe.
The medieval walled town of Lucca in the northwest area of Tuscany boasts many beautiful towers, churches and palaces and is within easy reach of Pisa and Florence. During the summer months, the town comes alive with open-air cinema and a varied programme of concerts in the Amphitheatre.
In the town centre you could stay at the apartment Miller: located in the Roman Amphitheatre of Lucca, it has 5 windows overlooking the Piazza of the Amphitheatre, arguably the most desirable location in Lucca. If you would like a swimming pool (shared) you could choose one of the apartments at Il Giardino, just outside the walls of Lucca, within walking distance of the historical centre. In addition, in the countryside of Lucca and Pisa we offer many villas with private pool and also apartments with shared pool to cater for all budgets. Have a look at Villa Catia or at Villa Ricci or even at the Strozzi apartments. There are also larger villas like Villa Giulia and Casa Anton.
Siena is situated in the heart of the Chianti region and is a typical Renaissance town, with narrow winding streets leading up to the Romanesque cathedral set on the highest point of the town. The magnificent Piazza del Campo is the focal point of the town where the famous ‘Palio’ horse race takes place in July and August of each year. The race is preceded by medieval parades and pageantry and the square is thronged with spectators from all around the world.
In the countryside of Siena/San Gimignano you are really spoilt for choice. This is a popular destination and have fantastic properties: Villa Brolio, Villa Farma, Villa Gambassi and Casa Sale are just a few examples of our many villas with private pool.
Arezzo lies south of Florence, in the eastern part of Tuscany. The upper quarter of the town still retains a distinctly medieval aspect, while the lower part has a more modern atmosphere. A Roman amphitheatre and the Santa Maria della Pieve church are only two of the many architectural treasures to be found here. The Piazza Grande hosts the annual Joust of the Saracen and is host to an antiques market held every first Sunday of the month.
For a relaxing holiday in the Cortona/Arezzo area, we have three lovely apartments sharing a swimming pool at La Mondorla and also charming little villas like Il Noce, Il Noceto.
The southern part of Tuscany, in the province of Grosseto, is known as Maremma, where in addition to beautiful wide landscapes and green pine forests can be found age-old Etruscan villages. There is also the obvious attraction of the Mediterranean Sea and long sandy beaches.
Near Grosseto you could stay at Casa Tenda or Case Di Levi, both nestled in the quite Maremma countryside but close to the sea, only a few kilometres away from the main seaside destinations of Tuscany, like Castiglione della Pescaia (20km) and Punta Ala, while the centre of Grosseto is only 3km away. The nearest beach of Principina a Mare is 7km away. The Parco dell'Uccellina Natural Reserve is also very close. Siena is about 70km away and Florence around 130km.
Alternatively, Villa Querci is also an excellent solution, located 20 minutes south of Siena, right in the centre of Campagnatico, a small village with shops, restaurants and all facilities.
In addition, we offer Casa Baia located in a privileged position on the wonderful Tuscan coast, approx 3.5km from Follonica, in the center of the bay in front of Elba Island.
Wherever you stay, you will be able to enjoy the best of Tuscan food and wine in the many trattorias and bars that abound in the region.
Some of the most famous Italian wines come from Tuscany: Chianti, Brunello di Montalicino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are only a few of the famous wines of the region. Tuscany is also known for the dessert wine Vin Santo.
While Tuscany is not the only Italian region to make the 'passito' dessert wine Vin Santo (meaning 'holy wine'), the Tuscan versions of the wine are very sought after by wine consumers.
The region’s food is delicious; many of the typical recipes are famous all over the world and they range from antipasti (starters) all the way to desserts. Let us mention just a few here:
Starters: Pinzimonio - raw seasonal vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper; various kinds of salame and sausages like Finocchiona - pork sausage flavoured with fennel.
Primi Piatti (pasta/rice main course dishes): Cacciucco - fish stew with tomatoes, bread and red wine; Gnocchi di Ricotta - dumplings filled with ricotta and spinach; Pappardelle - wide, short tagliatelle often served with hare sauce (con sugo di lepre); Pasta alla carrettiera - pasta with tomato, garlic, pepper, parsley and chilli; Ribollita - winter vegetable soup based on beans thickened with bread; Risotto al nero di seppia - Rice cooked with cuttlefish (in its own ink).
Secondi piatti (meat/fish main course dishes): Arista- roast pork loin with garlic and rosemary; Asparago alla fiorentina - asparagus with butter, fried egg and cheese;
Baccala alla livornese - salt cod with garlic, tomatoes and parsley; Bistecca alla fiorentina - thick grilled T-bone steak; Pollo alla diavola - chicken flattened with a brick and grilled with herbs; Tonno con fagiolo - tuna with white bans and raw onion.
Desserts: Cantucci or Cantuccini - small almond biscuits, served with Vinsanto wine; Castagnaccio - unleavened chestnut-flour cake containing raisins, walnuts and rosemary; Fritelle di riso - rice fritters; Meringa - frozen meringue with whipped cream and chocolate; Panforte - hard fruit, nut and spice cake; Ricciarelli - marzipan almond biscuits; Zuccotto - sponge cake filled with chocolate and whipped cream.