Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

Florence is famously the birthplace of the Renaissance and one of the most important hubs of art and culture in Europe to this day. As such, it is an ideal holiday destination for those who are interested in architecture, sculpture, painting, music, theatrical productions, garden design, fashion, and much more besides. If you want to fill a vacation with beautiful treats for all of the senses and some of the greatest artistic works that man has ever produced, then a luxury villa in Florence and a city break in the artistic capital is a must.

Upon arrival, you will quickly find that there is no shortage of incredible museums, galleries, villas, churches, and more stuffed with wonderful works of art to be admired. However, among the more famous names of the likes of the Uffizi and the Duomo, we also recommend a visit to the equally wonderful Museo Nazionale del Bargello, or the Bargello Museum.     Read More

The incredible natural beauty of the area is reason enough for anyone interested in a holiday in Tuscany to immediately go browse our listings and find a vacation rental in the Val D’Orcia. This is the picture-perfect Tuscany of your dreams; the lush rolling hills punctuated by medieval hilltop towns, winding roads, lines of cypresses, olive groves, vineyards, and pretty stone farmhouses. It is a place where every vista is picturesque and worth framing, though some particular spots have become especially famous and sought out to be photographed among savvy travellers who are after the perfect shot. One such spot is the Oak delle Checche, a very famous and protect oak tree.     Read More

Not far from Montepulciano, in the rolling, lush landscape of this famous and beautiful wine area in Tuscany, you will find a truly incredible garden. The Parco Villa Trecci is something really special, one of those places that is absolutely breathtakingly lovely. Surrounding the Villa Trecci, a country villa located along the Via di San Bartolomeo, a stone’s throw from Monticchiello, the gardens of the park cover a total area of three hectares and are divided up into different sections such as the rose garden, olive grove, and more. Designed by the landscape architect Adelmo Barlesi and begun in 2014, the Parco Villa Trecci is a feast for the senses, a modern vision of bucolic bliss, and perfect contemporary villa garden. If you have found a vacation rental in Montepulciano and are exploring the area, it is a must-see.

The park, as noted, is made up of different areas and sections including the grey plants garden, the grove, the rose garden, the large graminaceous flowerbed (or flowerbed of grasses), the lake with the aquatic plants and the swamp, the lemon trees glasshouse, and the garden library. It is home to 400 species of plants, almost two dozen varieties and hybrids of roses, lots of different kinds of trees, herbs, fountains, statues, and more. As a result, it is a colourful, beautiful space that shifts, changes, surprises, and delights as you wander around. The herbs, flowers, and citrus plants all give off incredible aromas, insects and birds living in the gardens chirp and buzz, the blooms and grasses in different hues are ruffled by the breeze; it is a living, breathing, multi-sensory experience.     Read More

In the last article, we mentioned the especially lovely Tuscan medieval walled town of Buonconvento, which makes for a perfect day trip idea if you have found a luxury villa in Siena and are spending time exploring the wider province and all that it has to offer. If you are already in the area of Buonconvento and also have a particular penchant for the medieval, then we might additionally suggest swinging by Bibbiano Castle to see a lovely example of a Tuscan medieval castle while you are at it.

Bibbiano Castle is located in a particularly scenic part of Tuscany that is also quite removed from mass tourism and the potential madness of crowds and queues. For those interested in a more relaxed type of travelling and a slower pace of life, it is an ideal destination. Named for the “bibbio”, or widgeon, an aquatic bird that lives in the area, the origins of a settlement at the castle date back to 850 when it was home to the Longobard count Guinigi di Reghinari during the time of Emperor Ludovico II. It was in possession of the Guiglieschi and then the Cacciaconti families until the 13th century, when it was handed over to the Republic of Siena and re-fortified under their rule. After this is was destroyed but then rebuilt in the fifteenth century by its new owner the Cardinal Raffaello Petrucci, according to designs by the architect Baldassarre Peruzzi.     Read More