Archive for 'Books and Movies'

Ridley Scott’s Academy-Award winning, "Gladiator" is one of the most iconic films to come out in the past twenty years. Though set in Rome, the movie was filmed in England, Morocco and Malta with reconstructions of Ancient Roman cities and sights made specially for the production. However, two of the key scenes from the film were actually filmed in the Orcia Valley in Tuscany. This beautiful and serene landscape which has inspired poets and artists alike for thousands of years was the perfect setting for idyllic scenes that contrasted the chaos and violence of the gladiatorial battles of the film.

Florence has been home or setting to many novels, films and television shows in the past and continues to inspire the world's writers and creators today. One such writer is Thomas Harris who made Florence one of the locations in his famous tales of Hannibal Lecter which then went on to be adapted into an immensely popular series of movies. In the movie, “The Silence of The Lambs,” Florence is first visible through a sketch done by Lecter which is on display in the prison cell in which he is being held in Memphis. It depicts the skyline over the city as seen from Forte Belvedere.

There are many reasons to be interested in the quarries and landscape at Carrara. Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, it is visually stunning – rugged and romantic. Then, of course, the marble produced there is still considered the best in the world and was a favourite of that genius, Michelangelo, for his sculptures. One of the less well-known attractions to this distinctive and beautiful corner of the world, is movies. Many have been filmed in the area including Carlo Verdone's comedy “Al lupo, al lupo”, “The Agony and the Ecstasy” with Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Fabrizio Cattini's critically acclaimed “Maternity Blues- Il bene dal male” in the nearby town of Marina di Massa.

Countless Hollywood blockbusters have been set or filmed in Italy - “The Italian Job” in Turin, “The Passion of Christ” in Matera and “Demons & Angels” in Caserta and Rome, to name but a few. In 2009, when it was announced that scenes from the film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight book series, “New Moon”, would be filmed in the beautiful Montepulciano area in the province of Siena, the town gained international attention and fans began flocking to the site. Not only is the town stunning and fascinating in its own right but it now is additionally attractive to fans of the franchise and film-making in general.

Tuscany is our great passion as a company and we are dedicated to finding the best villas, food, sights and attractions for you so that you can have the perfect holiday. Through our blog, we uncover everything that the region has to offer, both famous and lesser-known. Our new ebook, “Tuscany, Off the Beaten Path – 37 Unique Day Trips” (download it here), perfectly complements these aims and will allow you to easily plan the trip of your dreams and is especially focused on showing you the smaller towns and hidden gems that aren't given much time or consideration in other travel guides about Tuscany. Of course, there is information on the likes of Florence and Pisa, but our focus is very much off the beaten track.