Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

The Etruscans left an indelible mark on Tuscany that is still felt today through museums rich in artefacts and various monuments and buildings left scattered all throughout the landscape of the region. One such monument is the Tomba Ildebranda, or Tomb of Ildebrando, which is located in the Necropolis of Sovana in what is now called the Città del Tufo Archaeological Park. Dating back to the third to the second century BC, it is considered the most important monument of the Etruscan necropolis of Sovana and of the entire Etruria and is a must for all budding or hobby archaeologists who have found a vacation rental in Sovana or a holiday rental in the wider Grosseto Maremma province.

Discovered in 1924 by one of the famous Rosi brothers, the tomb carries the name of Sovana's most famous citizen of all time, Pope Gregory VII (whose name was Ildebrando before becoming pope), but actually has no other connection to Christianity. In fact, it is steeped in mystery and we do not even know who commissioned such a major monument and who was intended to be interred in this incredible tomb.

Located in the Province of Siena,Colle di Val d’Elsa is a pretty medieval town that is not far from the historic via Francigena and was, therefore, a pit-stop for travellers and pilgrims for centuries. Like many cities in Tuscany, it was once a centre of artistic and artisanal production but, unlike most of its neighbours, remains that way to this day. It continues to be the Italian capital of crystal and, as such, has been nicknamed the “Bohemia of Italy.” In fact, Colle di Val d’Elsa accounts for 95% of all Italian crystal glass production and 14% of the global production of crystal, which is an incredible feat.

Due to this scale and the economic importance of the craft in the town, it remains central to life for locals, with the first Sunday of each month playing host to a crystal market in town and open-air demonstrations of glass-making (from around 3pm) in the historical centre of the city on Via della Misericordia. In addition, there is also a rather special museum dedicated to the craft, the Museum of Crystal of Colle di Val d'Elsa, which puts these incredible objects on display. If you have found a holiday rental in Siena and are spending time exploring the province, set aside some time to get a little bit off the beaten tourist path and come enjoy the peace and beauty of this amazing town and its rich cultural history. You might even pick up a piece of crystal as a special and lovely souvenir of your time in this beautiful part of the world.

There are certain pictures of the lovely Tuscan countryside and landscape that get shared time and time again: the iconic winding roads and perfect rolling hills of the Val D’Orcia, Cypress Avenue in Bolgheri, and walled towns like Siena, as seen from a distance and with lush green surroundings. Amongst these “generic” images of the evocative Tuscan countryside, you are likely to spot one particular little chapel popping up time and time again, the Chapel of the Madonna di Vitaleta, or La Cappella della Madonna Vitaleta.

Located in the province of Siena, next to the village of Vitaleta, on the road between San Quirico d’Orcia and Pienza, this pretty little house of worship is one of the most photographed churches in Tuscany and is a picture-perfect gem. Framed by cypress trees either side of the single bay, white stone-clad gem, and surrounded by rolling green hills, it looks almost too idyllic for real life. But real it is, and it is also free to visit whenever you please. Just find a holiday rental in Siena and come see it for yourself.

House-museums are dotted all over the globe and there are lots of them in Italy, in particular. These are a particularly insightful and interesting breed of museum in which objects by an artist are displayed in a space in which they grew up, lived, and/or worked. Often in a childhood or final home of an artist, they celebrate the full spectrum of the life and work of an artist and are a great way to get to know more about the maker behind the pieces.

In Rome you can find the Hendrik Christian Andersen House Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the Norwegian-American 20th century artist Hendrik Christian Anderson, in Milan there is the Manzoni House Museum, dedicated to 19th century Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni, and in Possagno, the Canova Museum, which is not a former home to the artist but is where much of his living and work spaces were transported, as well as works of art, after his death. Another, more recently established house museum dedicated to an artist is Forte dei Marmi’s Ugo Guidi Museum.

One of the most celebrated Italian sculptors of the 20th century, the museum is set in Ugo Guidi’s studio and home in this beautiful Tuscan seaside city. If you are interested in Italian art and fancy a Tuscan vacation by the sea, a holiday rental in Forte dei Marmi is a great idea as it will allow you to enjoy both at the same time! With over 600 sculptures, tempera paintings, drawings, and more by the artist on display, the Ugo Guidi Museum is a fine testament to his legacy that maps out the artist’s entire life and career inside the space in which he both worked and lived.

The University of Pisa is one of the oldest universities in the world and it is also home to a Natural History Museum that is also one of the oldest museums in the world. It has a surprisingly impressive and rich collection that could compete with any natural history museum in the world. If you have found a vacation rental in Pisa and you are looking for somewhere to spend a couple of hours out of the sun and learning more about the natural world, this is a fun and educational spot that is perfect to do just that!

Located in the Pisa Charterhouse (the Carthusian Monastery of Calci), 10km from the city of Pisa in the comune of Calci, the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Museo Di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Pisa) was founded in 1596 by Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany. Originally composed of specimens sent from the Florentine palaces of the Medici and the Uffizi, in particular, it was somewhat fashioned on the German idea of a “wonderland”, meaning that it gathered together a variety of natural curiosities and oddities. This selection of minerals, zoo animals, skeletons, fossils, and more eventually expanded into a proper institution in its own right and became an early example of a natural history museum, which boasted a rich and impressive collection.