Archive for 'Localities'

While there are many brilliant museums full of some of the most important pieces of art in history to be visited while on holiday in Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, there is also still a vibrant contemporary art scene in the city that can be experienced in various galleries, exhibition centres, art spaces, and more throughout. However, sometimes the oldest art institutions in Florence also house lively new exhibitions that are exciting must-sees and that is certainly the case for the Palazzo Strozzi this winter, which is currently home to a wonderful showcase of the work of celebrated contemporary American artist Jeff Koons. 

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As days get short through so much of the world and the winter months seem to stretch endlessly ahead, it is hard not to sometimes feel a little down – seasonal affective disorder is very much a real thing! - but end, it will. Winter will pass, a new year will begin, and lots of possibilities lie ahead but it always helps to have something specific to look forward to...so why not plan a vacation on the Tuscan Coast for next summer and get through the gloomiest of days safe in the knowledge that far brighter ones are ahead? Knowing that, within a matter of months, you’ll be enjoying the sun, sea, fun, food, culture, scenery, and excitement of a seaside getaway in Tuscany is just the thing to cheer you up and, given that the Holidays are approaching, would definitely act as a wonderful gift for yourself or to share with your closest loved ones. So, start thinking about your summer 2022 vacation and take a look at some of our picks of the most astounding, beautiful, and encouraging villas on the Tuscan Coast that we boast on our website...

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As with any country where Christmas or any other holiday or religious festival is celebrated, Italy has many unique traditions when it comes to the festive season. From specific foods served and eaten for different meals and on different days to their own legends about who brings gifts (traditionally, it is a kindly witch and not a man in a red suit who does the honours in Italy) to Christmas markets to impeccable live nativity scenes and much more besides, there are all sorts of wonderful Italian Christmas traditions to engage with and experience if you have decided to try out a Christmas getaway in Italy. But if you plan on spending Christmas in Tuscany or Christmas in a villa in Siena, in particular, and you are after an ancient, dramatic, and exciting tradition to keep you busy on Christmas Eve then you should head to Abbadia San Salvatore in the province of Siena.     Read More

If you have found a luxury villa in Florence and you find yourself wandering around the beyond picturesque centre of the city, you get the feeling that you are inside a jewel box. No matter where you turn in the historic core, you will discover incredible artistic and architectural gems and within those architectural gems are even more astounding works of art and craftsmanship than one could even imagine. It would take lifetimes to see and discover it all. However, the reputations of some works are particularly well-known and precede them. Take, for example, the great Palazzo Medici Riccardi, already a lauded example of Renaissance palace architecture in Tuscany but hidden within its walls also happens to be one of the most extraordinary fresco cycles in the city – and that’s saying something in the birthplace of the Renaissance!     Read More