Archive for 'Curiosities'

Tuscany boasts several different spa towns but one with an incredible long-standing reputation and an array of remarkable facilities is the beautiful gem that is Chianciano Terme. Encircled by the scenic Val d’Orcia and the Val Di Chiana, its verdant landscape stretches into the town's parks and sprinkled throughout are various spas and thermal baths. In fact, Chianciano Terme stands proudly as one of Europe's premier thermal cities and Italy's top health resorts with its therapeutic waters, famed for liver detoxification, being the key draw to the area. Book a villa in Chianciano Terme and come experience it for yourself!

As far back as the 5th century BC, Chianciano Terme has been known for its restorative properties. The Etruscans built a temple in the area honouring the god of Good Health, closely situated to the Silene springs and from the Romans, including the famed poet Horace, to modern-day travellers, these springs have been celebrated as a perfect place to relax and unwind.

Upon seeing the beyond famous artwork with their own eyes for the first time, many are so focused on the famous Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile that they do not really take the time to pay attention to the rest of the painting. In particular, few actually get the chance to properly admire the beautiful backdrop of the Tuscan landscape behind her, especially as jostling to get a view in the Louvre can be tricky. However, if you want to go admire that landscape in person yourself without the crowds all around, then you just need to book a villa in Tuscany and head to Val Di Chiana.

Once you get to this part of the region, not far from Arezzo, you will find the Romanesque Ponte Buriano bridge in the Penna Nature Reserve in Civitella in Val di Chiana. While not immediately striking to some, this is the very bridge that can be seen over the shoulder of the iconic figure. 

When one is thinking about planning to get around Tuscany, they may be considering the methods of travel that best allow them to make the most of the famously beautiful scenery of the Tuscan countryside and towns and how to admire them as they move about. Among them, one method of travel that may be less efficient and practical when it comes to getting from A to B but is certainly among the best possible ways to soak up the incredible beauty of this part of the world has to be hot air ballooning!

A magical, whimsical, and utterly romantic way to explore the region if you have found and booked one of our stunning villas with pools in Tuscany, a hot air balloon excursion is a must for those who want to make unforgettable memories. 

Tuscany is famously a region that is rich in history, cultural heritage, and natural beauty. It is a place from which great art has sprung. It is home to some extraordinary buildings and picture-perfect towns. It has long been a centre of learning and knowledge. It is a wonderful place to eat and to taste wine. Plus, all of this is set within a stunning landscape of rolling green hills, endless vineyards, medieval hilltop towns like something plucked from a fairytale, cypress-lined roads, and grand cities. As a result, those who browse our Tuscany villas and come to the region for a vacation will find that they have a truly endless list of extraordinary attractions with which to keep themselves busy.

However, if you are a person who is looking for something a little more offbeat or someone interested in the unusual and macabre, the weird and wonderful, then Tuscany is also an excellent destination. Tuscany, in addition to all of those things for which it is so well known and beloved, also has its fair share of rather strange and unusual tourist attractions that are sure to pique your interest. Here are just a few of the most unusual things to see and do on vacation in Tuscany...

The town of Montepulciano is a town famous for its wine and, certainly, those interested in Tuscan wine will find incredible wineries to visit and taste wine in the vicinity, charming restaurants where delicious meals are perfectly paired with excellent vintages, chic bars to share a bottle with their travel companions, and some great shops to purchase a bottle of wine to enjoy as they relax in one of our amazing Tuscany villas if they spend any time in the area. However, if you also like somewhat unusual events and traditional festivals and celebrations on top of tasty wines then it would be best to plan your vacation in Montepulciano during the month of August, around the time of the Bravio delle Botti. This somewhat bizarre but very exciting and interesting event is a rather special annual race that takes place in town each summer and sees representatives of the different neighbourhoods of Montepulciano compete by dashing through the pretty historic centre while pushing a giant wine barrel. Though the sight of it might momentarily make you concerned that you have been indulging in the local speciality a little too liberally, we can assure you that this silly and fun event makes for the best opportunity and time of year to get to know Montepulciano.