Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

Poggio a Caiano is a comune in the province of Prato. In the town there is a very famous villa and museum which was once home to the Medici family. Built for Lorenzo the Magnificent, according to plans by Giuliano da Sangallo, it is situated between Florence, Prato and Pistoia. Begun at the end of the fifteenth century, it was not completed until halfway through the sixteenth. Today it is a garden, park, stately home and art museum which is open to the public for visits and between wandering the grounds, buildings and collections, it is an excellent day out with lots to do and see! If you want to visit this extraordinary site and its wonderful setting for yourself, why not find a luxury villa in the Florence area and pencil a trip into your itinerary?

The Horti Leonini in the town of San Quirico d'Orcia, Siena, is a late 16th century park. It was created according to the direction of Diomede Leoni (for whom it is named) with funding and the donation of lands by Francesco de' Medici. Built as part of a scheme of renovation in the town after damages caused during wars between Siena and Florence, it is an oasis of beauty. Wonderfully well-preserved, the gardens have maintained their original appearance and provide a perfect example of an Italian style garden. If you are interested in landscape architecture, Italian history or gardens, this is sure to prove both stunning and fascinating. Why not find a luxury villa in Siena and spend some time wandering the grounds?

Siena has a rich artistic tradition and many fantastic examples of the art produced there during the Middle Ages and Renaissance still remain in the churches, galleries and public buildings. The school of painting in Siena flourished between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries and, at one stage, even rivalled that of Florence in beauty and importance. Unlike Florentine art, however, it favoured the traditional and decorative over the humanistic and forward-thinking. The art there remained somewhat Gothic in style, even throughout the Renaissance.

Art and Italy are somewhat synonymous. Those two words so close to each other bring to mind works from the distant past; Ancient sites, Medieval frescoes, Renaissance sculpture, Baroque church interiors. Yet the story of art in Italy did not end with the burgeoning of the Modern era. In fact, clues to her enduring connection to art are sometimes out in the open. It is, of course, Keith Haring's “Tuttomondo” mural that I have in mind. Located in the Tuscan town of Pisa near the station in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, it is overshadowed by the looming, leaning legend of the Tower and less well-known but worth visiting. In fact, why not find a luxury villa in Pisa and see Haring's last public work for yourself?

When one thinks of Pisa, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is the very first attraction that springs to mind but the city has much much more to offer visitors. The Botanical Gardens, the Orto Botanico di Pisa, is one of the city's less well-known sights to tourists but is very much worth a visit.

With an enormous collection and as an oasis of calm at the centre of the city, it's somewhere to get lost in your thoughts and the surrounding beauty for hours on end.

Find a luxury villa in Pisa and spend a day or an afternoon amongst the plants and quiet.