If you are a true art lover then you might be interested in art experiences in Tuscany beyond visits to the famous galleries and museums and churches; you may be interested in something more unique and something more behind the scenes. There are, for example, several childhood homes of great artists (like Michelangelo and Da Vinci) that are now preserved as museums and open to the public that you can visit. However, going even beyond the artist into the works themselves, there are sites and locations that have become famous as the backdrops of great works of art, which makes sense as the landscape of Tuscany is painterly in its beauty.
One such location is the Romanesque Ponte Buriano in the Penna Nature Reserve in Civitella in the Val di Chiana, just outside Arezzo. This bridge may not immediately strike a chord with readers but you have more than likely seen it before, even if you are not aware of the fact, as it is in the background of what is, perhaps, the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa.
A beautiful part of Tuscany and a must if you have found a vacation rental in Arezzo, this bridge is nestled in a landscape of rolling hills, forests of oak trees, farmed fields, and marshlands cut through by the Arno. A Romanesque bridge dating to 1277 and built upon the foundations of an earlier Roman monument, it has since become a famous local photo spot for Leonardo fans looking to recreate his most beloved work or just to be connected to it in some way. If you’re interested in being a part of the history of art, however tangentially, yourself then be sure to stop by and get a snap when you are exploring this part of Tuscany.
Photo credits:
Picture 3:Mongolo1984 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Picture 3:Mongolo1984 / CC BY-SA 4.0
