Archive for 'Localities'

Giglio is an island off the Tuscan coast that many visitors are eager to see. It dates back to Etruscan times, and has thousands of years of interesting history. Over the years, it has weathered everything from Goth invasions to attacks by pirates. Much of the architecture that is still standing on the island is medieval. A lot of the older buildings on this island are still very well-preserved. The villages on the island are easily traveled around on foot, and visitors have easy access to a lot of exciting shops and restaurants.

Come and see the famous ceiling of Siena city’s Cathedral known as "Porta del Cielo", and spend a wonderful few hours exploring one of the most decorated religious buildings in the world! This magnificent ceiling is a breathtaking spectacle and demonstrates beautifully the artistic talents of those who constructed and adorned it in the 13th century. Within the city and further out in the pretty Tuscany countryside are many apartments, holiday villas and rental accommodation available to stay in that are close to this popular tourist attraction.

After many years of intense renovations, this majestic cathedral is now open for the public to tour around its grand vaults.

Visitors can enjoy climbing the tall spiral staircase within the two huge towers built on each side of the front of the building and see a spectacular view of the city of Siena from the roof. From the grand roof of Siena’s Duomo, the visitor will see great views of the Basilica of St. Domenico, the Medici Fortress, the dome of the chapel of St. John the Baptist and glimpses of the rich Tuscan hilly landscape in the distance.

One of the most famous Italian Palio events is the Palio di Siena held in the city of Siena in the central Tuscany region. To celebrate their historic Palio event, the people of Siena stage a famous horse race twice a year; one on the 2nd of July and one on the 16th August. There is a great selection of luxury holiday villas and simple vacation rentals located close to the city where you can easily commute to witness this spectacular event. The participants in this exciting race are horses and jockeys representing their ‘contrada’ or region of the city of Siena. The competition and rivalry between the contrade is fierce and attracts thousands of city supporters and tourists every year. There are seventeen contrade in total but only ten are allowed to race on each date for safety reasons. The ten that are chosen to race in one Palio are then replaced in the following one by the seven that didn’t race plus three that will be chosen by drawing lots between the other ten. The months leading up to the Palio di Siena is filled with choosing the best ten horses to race and the jockeys to ride them as well as organising the smaller events that will be held in each contrada in the days leading up to the main event. The race is preceded with a group of the national military police or ‘carabinieri’ on horseback wielding their swords as they demonstrate a mounted charge twice around the track. As they exit, a pageant enters the Piazza which includes flag wavers, and trumpeters marching around the track to signal the beginning of another thrilling year of racing rivalry!

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church of Florence, Italy. The Duomo, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.
The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.


The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic centre of Florence and are a major attraction to tourists visiting the region of Tuscany. The basilica is one of Italy's largest churches, and until development of new structural materials in the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.
The cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence, whose archbishop is currently Giuseppe Betori.

Valdarno has a very unique look, and plenty of attractions to please visitors with a variety of interests. It is found on the Arno River, which has its own gorge that contributes to the area's unique landscape.

You'll find that a lot of people who visit the area are very interested in spending time outdoors. Browse our vacation rentals in the valley, and start planning now your next trip to Italy.