Archive for 'Small Towns'

Those wishing to visit the majestic nature park of the Apuan Alps will have to cross through the stunning area of Lunigiana and the town of Casola to get there. This rich diverse landscape is situated high up in the hills where the River Aulella and River Tassanaro rise up from the earth to begin their journey down this mountainous region of Tuscany.

Visitors wishing to explore this glorious area and the town of Casola for a few days have a lovely range of villa rentals in Fivizzano, a nearby town. This is the perfect spot to base a thrilling exploration of this enchanting part of Tuscany!


There are some remains of what was once a beautiful 15th century castle in Casola in Lunigiana. Today, only a few towers and outer walls remain but it still makes for a nice photograph. Visit the interesting museum in Casola’s Palazzo Pretorio where there is a rich and detailed account of the history of the Lunigiana area that dates as far back as Palaeolithic times. Also on display are some fascinating artefacts that were discovered by archaeologists over the years.

Visit the gorgeous town of Tresana in the province of Massa and Carrara in Tuscany, a little gem immersed in nature! This ancient town is surrounded by medieval walls and visitors can still see some of the four old towers and ruins of a castle that once stood majestically over the area.

It’s privately owned now but tourists can walk around the remains of what was once a glorious fortress to take some photographs. Those wishing to explore the area can find plenty of vacation rentals in Treschietto, a nearby town.

There is a second castle close by to Tresana called Giovagallo fortress and its ruins now stand up on a rocky hill outside of the town.

A legend of this castle tells the story of the meeting between the famous Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, and the wife of Morello Malaspina. She convinced the doubtful Dante to undertake his ambitious idea on creating what would be his most famous work, The Divine Comedy. This is one of the longest and most detailed poems in history which earned Dante the right to be called one of the masters of the literary world.

In the heart of Maremma on a beautiful hill in Grosetto province is the lovely town of Gavorrano! There are spectacular views from here of the mountains, the coastline and the islands of Giglio and Montecristo that would make for some lovely photographs. Tourists wishing to stay here for a few days would enjoy relaxing in a tuscan villa rental in Gavorrano or in the nearby town of Saturnia where there are also some lovely natural hot springs to bathe in to take away all the aches and pains of your adventurous travels!

Located on the northern slopes of the Apennines in Pistoia province is the lovely village of Sambuca Pistoiese. Despite the name, the famous Italian liquor called Sambuca doesn’t originate here; it’s thought to have been invented in the coastal town of Civitavecchia in the province of Rome.

This would be an excellent spot to visit during your travels of this beautiful mountainous area of Tuscany and those wishing to stay for a few days have lots of holiday villas in Pistoia, a nearby town, to choose from.


Visit the ornate churches of St. James and the sanctuary of St. Mary del Giglio where there are some wonderful examples of renaissance style sacred art and architecture. Or visit the interesting learning centre here where you can learn about the art of stone carving and even try carving your own souvenir to take home! There are many workshops and demonstrations taking place throughout the year that can give visitors an intriguing insight into how local artisan pieces are created.

Tucked into the picturesque Pisan Mountains in Tuscany is the beautiful village of Vicopisano. It’s situated on the eastern slopes surrounded by the River Arno and River Auser flowing down on either side of it.

There’s a spectacular castle here that was built in the 9th century that once dominated the entire Arno valley; its dominion stretched from San Miniato to the Tuscan coast.

For those wishing to stay in this area for a few days, why not choose to stay in a gorgeous luxury villa in Cascina, only a few kilometres from Vicopisano?

Walk around the magnificent stronghold wall that was designed and built by Filippo Brunelleschi, lined with large lookout towers and high battlements. This was once a town that had to fiercely defend itself from power hungry provinces that wanted to seize control of the area. These battlements protected the townspeople from invasion and weapons like boiling oil and flaming arrows would have been launched over these high walls down upon their unfortunate attackers! Nowadays, visitors can climb up to some of these towers along the wall and admire the stunning beauty of the surrounding landscape.