Archive for 'Must See Attractions'

Ivan Bruschi was an internationally famous antique collector from Arezzo whose last wish was to establish a foundation to spread the love of art, antiques and culture. His wish was granted and the Bruschi Foundation has since become a hugely important patron of culture in Arezzo.

One of the greatest feats of the foundation was the establishment of the House-Museum of Ivan Bruschi which houses Bruschi's personal collection, set within the 13th-century Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo located in the heart of Arezzo.

Our last article outlined the Italian tradition of Presepi, or Nativity Scenes, and their origins and cultural significance. This second installment aims to help you find some real examples if you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany and are planning on spending time in the region over the festive period.

We have put together a long, but in no way exhaustive, list of some of the better Presepi that you can find in Tuscany.

However, as we mentioned in the last article, almost every church and town will have one, though they may vary in scale, style and elaboration. Among these, you may even find some hidden gems that we haven't listed so take this as a rough guide rather than the bible.

Each year the international media plays reels at the end of Christmas news reports of the highly elaborate Nativity scenes that can be found all across Italy. What might appear to be a cute gimmick, is actually a very old tradition, indeed.

Dating back to the very origins of the Christian holiday, these physical representations of the birth of “bambino Gesù", or “presepe", were popularised in Italy and now can be found throughout the globe. Find a vacation rental in Tuscany and discover the presepe dotted all over the region!

They vary in size, the material they are built with, the number of elements, people, animals, dress, and activities that are figured but the core concept is constant: the Virgin, Joseph and baby Jesus an angel presiding over everything, an ox and a donkey.

The Zoological Gardens of Pistoia, or the Zoo of Pistoia, is a 7-hectare space that is home to more than 400 animal species and is a special place that allows visitors to get to know the animals, while teaching us about the different ways to protect the animals and how to respect the planet.

Its importance as a place of education and conservation and its impressive scale (that is continually increasing in size) mean that it is one of the most important zoos in the entire country.

Just find yourself the perfect holiday rental in Tuscany and get to exploring the town and this amazing attraction that it boasts.

Pistoia dates back to the 2nd century BC, when it was founded to rest Roman troops fighting against the Liguri, and later became a Lombard benchmark.

If you have found a luxury villa in Florence and are spending time in that beautiful city this holiday season, there is one activity that you must make time for: ice-skating, of course! What better way to take a break between shopping and days wandering galleries and museums than to have fun on the ice?

It is the perfect activity for groups of friends, couples and families and is something everyone can enjoy. Just bundle up warm, strap on your skates, fly or flounder around the rink a few times and then warm up with some delicious Italian coffee or hot chocolate afterwards.

Florence is also a perfectly picturesque setting to go skating and there are a few different options of places to choose from.