Archive for 'Localities'

While, of course, there are a range of different Tuscany villas to browse across our websites to suit all sorts of budgets, groups, tastes, preferred locations, desired features and amenities, etc, we cannot help but admire a particular kind of villa: the stunning historic properties plucked directly from our dreams! These incredible gems boast stunning interiors, incredible surroundings and grounds, remarkable characters and histories, and just endless visual appeal. For those who have always wanted to stay in a palace or old manor and get a taste of the lives of ancient nobility, these really are a dream come true! 

An example that we have been admiring lately is the extraordinary seven-bedroom and seven-bathroom Villa Staggia, located 13km (8 miles) from Poggibonsi and 24km (15 miles) from Siena in green and leafy private grounds that overlook lush fields and rolling hills so typical of this magical region. 

Michelangelo’s David has come up in a few of our recent articles and we thought it about time to write an updated post about the museum in which you can find this iconic sculpture. The museum in question is, of course, the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze and is often referred to merely as the Accademia. Smaller and a little more specialised than the Uffizi, it is also the second-most-visited art museum in Italy after the Uffizi. However, this does not mean that it should be skipped! In fact, any art-lovers who find a villa with pool in Florence and who are spending time exploring the birthplace of the Renaissance should definitely head to this gem. In addition to that most famous work by Michelangelo, there are paintings, sculptures, frescoes, and more from some of the greatest artistic talents who were working largely in the period of around 1300 to 1600.

So, if you have browsed our Tuscany villas and landed on your dream villa in Florence, what can you expect from a visit to the Accademia? Well, expect to set aside a decent amount of time. Despite the fact that the collection is not quite so large as the Uffizi, there is still a decent amount of extraordinary things to take in. In fact, for many this is a much more readily digestible museum that really rewards those with time to wander about for a couple of hours. For most guests, however, there will certainly be particular highlights and/or sections that are likely to be of more interest to you and that might be what you are looking forward to most during your visit.

Tuscany is famous for many things: stunning scenery, famous landmarks, architectural gems, world-class iconic artworks, charming historic cities and towns, delicious food, and incredible wine. When it comes to the last item on that list – the remarkable wines of the region – there are endless places to go to sample, savour, study, and purchase outstanding examples. Pretty much wherever you go in Tuscany, you will find great wine – in bars and restaurants, at wineries, in shops, and more. In fact, you won’t really have to go looking at all. However, if you are a bit more of a wine-lover with a particular interest in wine then you might want to be somewhat more discerning or you might want to go on a proper wine-tasting voyage all across the region while you enjoy your time in one of our Tuscany Villas. So, in order to help you maximise your wine experience of Tuscany and to aid you in planning your itinerary for your time the region, we have put together a guide to the main wine areas of Tuscany. If you are keen to try the main and most important and famous wines of Tuscany, then these are the places that you need to make a point to visit during a holiday in Tuscany...

April is a wonderful time to find a luxury villa in Florence or to book one of our Tuscany Villas and plan a day-trip (or two or three) to Florence for plenty of reasons! Not only do tourist crowds remain relatively smaller compared to the height of the summer but it finally starts to get a bit warmer and, importantly, the city finally goes into bloom. And, all of these flowers and this lush greenery that can be found in the gardens and parks and dotted throughout Florence only serve to make the impossible beauty of this incredible city all the more picturesque and to add splashes of colour amongst the grand architectural gems that are found all over. In particular, Florence is home to some of the world’s most famous and extraordinary historic gardens and most of them are best experienced in the spring.

Among this selection of stunning gardens that can be found by visitors who are planning on booking a vacation rental in Florence, one that is considered a must-see each April and which is regularly photographed at this time of the year is the Giardino Bardini. This is because of one particular feature: the extraordinary, “Wisteria Lane.” 

Tuscany abounds with beautiful historic buildings and homes, in particular. Some of these astounding buildings remain private homes (some can even be booked through our website, like the stunning Villa Moriano that we recently highlighted), others have been converted into hotels, and others still house museums or are open to the public for tours as attractions in their own right. Many have equally gorgeous gardens that can be enjoyed and explored. Villa Bottini in Lucca is a very charming example that is sometimes open to the public but, more often, is used as a site for various kinds of exhibitions and events.

While perhaps not as famous as some of the buildings that surround in Lucca and certainly not a household name like Tuscany’s most famous architectural gems, it is certainly worth exploring if you have found a villa with pool in Lucca or if you are planning on renting one of our Tuscany Villas this summer and are looking for unique events to attend in the most magical of settings. Varying hugely each year, you’ll have to keep your eyes open, but you can pretty reliably ensure that this intriguing gem of a building is likely going to be the site of some extraordinary outings and magical events.