Archive for 'Florence'

Florence is a city steeped in architectural marvels and charming delights. There are many sweeping piazze full of staggeringly large and wondrous buildings, long thoroughfares lined with neat stores in historic buildings, charming little lanes dotted with surprises, and blocks of ancient palaces preserved or put to new use. Famously the birthplace of the Renaissance, this enchanting Italian city captures the hearts of travellers from all over the globe each year with its timeless beauty and to experience the grandeur of Florence yourself, there is no better way than to reside in one of our exquisite villas in Tuscany or villas with pools in Florence.

Once you arrive, be sure to seek out the Ponte Vecchio. Yes, you’ll likely see it from its prominent position along the Arno as you explore the city, you may even need to cross it, but it is not merely just some bridge but an iconic landmark and fascinating attraction all in its own right... 

Tuscany is famously a region that is rich in history, cultural heritage, and natural beauty. It is a place from which great art has sprung. It is home to some extraordinary buildings and picture-perfect towns. It has long been a centre of learning and knowledge. It is a wonderful place to eat and to taste wine. Plus, all of this is set within a stunning landscape of rolling green hills, endless vineyards, medieval hilltop towns like something plucked from a fairytale, cypress-lined roads, and grand cities. As a result, those who browse our Tuscany villas and come to the region for a vacation will find that they have a truly endless list of extraordinary attractions with which to keep themselves busy.

However, if you are a person who is looking for something a little more offbeat or someone interested in the unusual and macabre, the weird and wonderful, then Tuscany is also an excellent destination. Tuscany, in addition to all of those things for which it is so well known and beloved, also has its fair share of rather strange and unusual tourist attractions that are sure to pique your interest. Here are just a few of the most unusual things to see and do on vacation in Tuscany...

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.

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.” 

While anyone who is browsing our Tuscany Villas and decides to book a holiday rental in Florence will likely have a list of attractions, landmarks, architectural wonders, and museums that they want to visit devised shortly upon beginning planning their itinerary, we also want to highlight the importance of merely wandering around the city. The birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is not only home to some extraordinary institutions that house works of art but it is also basically one giant open-air museum as well. So, instead of darting from one attraction to the next, really taking your time as you explore will be incredibly rewarding and is an experience and activity in its own right.