Archive for 'Localities'

If you’re holidaying in Tuscany, it’s highly recommended to take a few days to explore the wealth of historic, artistic and environmental treasures of the Val di Merse area of Tuscany. A day trip of the towns of Radicondoli, Sovicille and Murlo would be an excellent start to this trail of discovery! Related articles describe another thrilling day trip to embark on and a general description of the main towns and attractions of Val di Merse. Tourists wishing to stay in Val di Merse for a few days have plenty of holiday villas and other exclusive accommodation to choose from, where they can enjoy a peaceful scenic stay.

Start off an exciting day of touring with a trip to the Orange Flag awarded town of Radicondoli! It’s a magnificent walled town on a hill surrounded by forestry which is one of the finest examples of authentic Tuscan living. The people here are very welcoming of tourists and enjoy showing off their artisan crafts and delicious food specialties. Visit the revered Collegiata dei Santi Simone e Giuda which houses splendid artworks by Pietro di Domenico and Alessandro Casolani. Visitors can also enjoy walks around the old town where they can admire many tower houses and ancient town houses that were built in typical Sienese style architecture.

A fantastic way to see a lot of Tuscany in a short time is to enjoy a few day trips of different scenic regions in the area. One such day trip that tourists would enjoy is a day trip of the Val di Merse area, namely the towns of Monticiano and Chiusdino. Two related articles describe the general tourist attractions of this area as well as another planned day trip of the main towns. There is a wide range of excellent holiday rentals in the Val di Merse area for visitors who’d like to stay here for a few days.

The large town of Chiusdino is a popular tourist spot, mainly because it’s the home place of St. Galgano when he was born in 1148.

His home, a simple grey stone building is now a shrine. In the simple Romanesque chapel of the Compagnia, there’s a decorative bas relief depicting St. Michael’s apparition to St. Galgano. The saint’s head is now conserved as a sacred relic in the nearby Propositura di San Michele! Tourists should visit the famous monastery he founded a short distance away, the Abbey of San Galgano. A small circular chapel on a hill beside it is where the popular legend of the Sword in the Stone is thought to have originated!

For an exciting tourist experience during your holiday to Tuscany, take a few days to explore the enchanting Val di Merse. It’s a community of towns and villages encased by the River Merse and the River Farma that has been relatively untouched over the millennia. Visitors would thoroughly enjoy several day trips through its main towns of Chiusdino, Monticiano, Murlo, Radicondoli and Sovicille as well as some nearby medieval hamlets. Two related articles describe two such day trips that tourists might like to embark on if they come here for a few days. There are many holiday rentals to stay at in this corner of Tuscany, all with stunning views of the area.

Come and visit the perfect example of an authentic small Tuscan town, Casole d’Elsa which has earned the prestigious Orange Flag Award for being a fantastic tourist attraction and an environment of relatively undisturbed beauty. Visitors have a wealth of beautiful villas with guest reviews and other holiday rental accommodation available to them in the Casole d’Elsa area where they can relax and enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

While entering the town for a day of exciting exploration, tourists will see the some of the remaining walls and two watch towers surrounding it that were designed by the famous military architect, Francesco di Giorgio in the 15th century.

The exciting town of Colle Val d’Elsa in Tuscany would be an excellent stopover for a day or two during your holiday to Tuscany. It won the prestigious Orange Flag Award for its unusual yet beautifully constructed town. The top of Colle Val d’Elsa is called Colle Alta and the bottom, more modern part of the town is called Colle Bassa. Tourists can walk up and down to both sections but there’s an inbuilt lift to carry you up and down if you wish! There’s a fantastic range of holiday rentals in the River Elsa valley close to the town itself where tourists can rest after a few days of enjoyable exploration!