Archive for 'Day Trips'

  

Monday, September 2, 2013
vicopisano town
Tucked into the picturesque Pisan Mountains in Tuscany is the beautiful village of Vicopisano. It’s situated on the eastern slopes surrounded by the River Arno and River Auser flowing down on either side of it.

There’s a spectacular castle here that was built in the 9th century that once dominated the entire Arno valley; its dominion stretched from San Miniato to the Tuscan coast.

For those wishing to stay in this area for a few days, why not choose to stay in a gorgeous luxury villa in Cascina, only a few kilometres from Vicopisano?

Walk around the magnificent stronghold wall that was designed and built by Filippo Brunelleschi, lined with large lookout towers and high battlements. This was once a town that had to fiercely defend itself from power hungry provinces that wanted to seize control of the area. These battlements protected the townspeople from invasion and weapons like boiling oil and flaming arrows would have been launched over these high walls down upon their unfortunate attackers! Nowadays, visitors can climb up to some of these towers along the wall and admire the stunning beauty of the surrounding landscape.     Read More
Posted in: Day Trips, Localities, Small Towns

  

Thursday, August 22, 2013
Castle of Poppi
If you decide to spend a fabulous holiday to Tuscany and would like to add some intriguing visitor attractions to your tour plans, a visit to Poppi Castle in Casentino valley would be an excellent day trip.

You could learn all about the haunting legend of a pretty yet terrible maiden called Matilda. Visitors wishing to stay in the Casentino valley for a few days have a wealth of excellent farmhouses available for them where they can easily commute to the infamous Poppi castle to learn of its colourful history!

She was the most beautiful woman in the land, desired by all men but she was married at a young age to the most powerful man in Poppi. He was part of the ‘Guidi’ who ruled Tuscany with an iron fist. He was an old man who spent much of his time away on military business. Matilda felt no love for her elderly husband as he was stern of heart and couldn’t satisfy her needs. She was envious of the common people whom she looked upon from her castle, who were free to marry who they wished and seemed to lead such carefree lives.     Read More
Posted in: Castles & Palaces, Day Trips, Legends, Tourist Attractions

  

Thursday, August 22, 2013
View of the Montecristo island
If you have an interest in the source of legends that have inspired many enchanting fairytales over the years then you’d love a visit to the famous island of Montecristo off the coast of Tuscany which is still known to this day as ‘Treasure Island’!

Although there’s no accommodation on the island itself if you wish to visit, there is a fantastic range of vacation rentals all along the Tuscan coast that offer magnificent views of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The legend of Montecristo Island talks of two consecutive tales.

One legend speaks of a dragon that used to live on Montecristo and would explode into a fire breathing rage if anyone dared to come close to the island. Only a man that became known later as Saint Mamiliano was brave enough to face the beast; he sailed out to the island and killed it, dumping its burned body into the sea. And there on the island he made his home in a simple cave.     Read More
Posted in: Day Trips, Islands, Legends, Localities, Tourist Attractions

  

Thursday, August 22, 2013
Mount Amiata view
A fascinating legend to learn about on your holiday to Tuscany could be the one that originated in the hills of the Amiata in the south of the region. There is a fine selection of luxury villas with swimming pool available all across the south Tuscany area for visitors to spend a few days exploring the area and learning about the famous image of the Virgin Mary.

One version of the legend tells the story of a shepherd who herded his sheep in the Amiata hills and one day found a large fallen branch that seemed to be in the shape of a parent holding their child. He felt inspired to carve a statue of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus as he watched over his sheep during the long days and nights.

But as time passed, he became discontented with how it looked and eventually threw it into the fire in annoyance. You can imagine his shock when he heard a female voice crying from the fire, ‘Please don’t burn me, please!’ He hurriedly quenched the fire and ran towards the nearest village to tell them what had happened in the belief that Mary had spoken to him and wanted the carving to be preserved.     Read More
Posted in: Churches & Religious Buildings, Day Trips, Legends, Tourist Attractions

  

Thursday, August 22, 2013
Armor in Monteriggioni
Take a day during your holiday to Tuscany and enjoy a tour around what was once one of the biggest and most majestic castles in the land! The castle of Monteriggioni is also home to one of Tuscany’s most famous legends which visitors are sure to enjoy strolling around as they imagine the scene that took place many centuries ago here. There are plenty of picturesque vacation rentals with guest reviews available for visitors to enjoy if they wish to stay in the Monteriggioni area for a few days.

Monteriggioni castle had fifteen towers built into a huge surrounding wall of twenty metres high and two metres thick.

It was built by the Republic of Siena to defend itself against its rival province of Florence during the territory wars in Italy. It resisted ferocious attacks for over three centuries and earned itself a mention in Dante Alighieri’s famous ‘Divine Comedy’.     Read More
Posted in: Castles & Palaces, Day Trips, Legends, Tourist Attractions