Archive for 'Villas and Farmhouses'

  

Thursday, April 24, 2008
natural hot springs in bagno Vignoni
The best way to see and experience Tuscany is from a vacation rental. Pick the part of Tuscany that you want to explore, find a good vacation rental, and settle in for a fabulous week.

Tuscany, in central Italy north of Rome, is a large region packed with historic towns, farms, art, architecture, wineries, restaurants, and even Mediterranean coast. To give you a sense of scale, it takes about three hours to drive from north to south and two hours to drive across.

My husband Steve and I have done many vacations to Tuscany, staying in vacation rentals. We love this way of traveling.

It lets us settle into a place and get to know it. Our days are leisurely because we are not packing up and changing hotels and locations every few days. We go to the local café for morning coffee, pick up our groceries for the day in the town shops, explore the nearby areas, and do one or two longer day trips to sights that are further away.     Read More
Posted in: Travel Tips, Villas and Farmhouses

  

Monday, April 21, 2008
Via Della Stella Exterior
Welcome to Part 2 of of our Villa Spotlight article on the gorgeous Via Della Stella (Montepulciano 850), located in the hills of the Val di Chiana. The region was once a marshland but was drained in the 18th century and quickly became one of the most fertile region of Italy. While you admire the beauty of the region and the Chiana River itself, its hard to imagine it as the swamp it once was.

Previously, we covered the amenities of the property as well as the nearby activities and sites to see. If you missed that, please make sure to go back and read that if your interested is piqued by this farmhouse in Montepulciano.     Read More
Posted in: Villa Spotlights, Villas and Farmhouses

  

Thursday, April 17, 2008
Via Della Stella Exterior
Our Villa Spotlight is turning once again to the fair city of Montepulciano, well known for its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. We are looking at the Via Della Stella (Montepulciano 850) (no longer available), a gorgeous three unit farmhouse lies about 15km from the town center of Montepulciano. The smaller brick cottage dates back to the 18th century, while the farmhouse was built in the early 20th century. Both buildings have been renovated and meet modern expectations. To give this villa the proper treatment in our Spotlight, we will be running a three part series. Be sure to stay tuned in the coming days to find out more about this vacation rental in Montepulciano!     Read More
Posted in: Villa Spotlights, Villas and Farmhouses

  

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Siena - Piazza del Campo
Siena, well known for its Palio and beautiful black and white striped Duomo, is a great place to consider for your next vacation. The area was first settled by the Etruscans more than two millenia ago and sacked by the Gauls of present day France, only to be retaken by the Romans around 70 A.D. where it was named "Saena Julia" and has remained a major town in the region ever since.

Siena is truly a medieval town. In the city center, traffic is kept to mainly foot traffic, the buildings are all kept in the same style and new buildings have to be designed similarly so there is no garish modern buildings to mar the historic facades of the city. During the Palio, the city is transported back in time and many of the citizens come out in medieval costume and parade through the streets during the events leading up to and including the race itself.

Banners are waved for each section of the city, as they cheer for their horse and rider, all confined within the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo that has been lined with dirt to form the racetrack. If you are lucky enough to find a rental during one of the two Palio's each year you will be treated to experience you will not soon forget.

During the rest of the year, there is still plenty to see, do, eat and enjoy in and around Siena. It is centrally located to many smaller Tuscan hill towns that are well-known destinations, such as Montepulciano or Montalcino (both of which should be visited by any wine lover). Be sure to take a look at our full listing of Siena Villas.     Read More
Posted in: Localities, Siena, Villas and Farmhouses

  

Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Santa Maria della Pieve in Arezzo
There are more towns in Tuscany than most of us will ever hear about, much less visit. When you are planning your trip to Tuscany its best to plan ahead for where you want to go; what do you definitely want to see? Some people make sure to visit San Gimignano, the small town with the big towers. Some people have to see Florence, the big city of Tuscany with plenty of history, architecture and beauty to keep you busy during your stay. Then there are the wine regions that the wine lovers are sure to visit and lovers of "Under the Tuscan Sun" may want to stay or at least make a stop in Cortona. The list goes on and on...

The point is, there is a LOT to see. So some cities may be looked over, or driven past, or maybe you just don't know about them yet. One of those towns that you may not have heard of, or may not know as much about is Arezzo: home to the oldest operating bank in the world, home to the blue festival ArezzoWave for years, and location for many of the scenes in "Life is Beautiful". Unfortunately, the ArezzoWave has outgrown itself and has been moved this year to Florence, but that is indicative of the town and its feel. It doesn't have the big city feel you'll get in Florence, Rome or Milan.

Arezzo is a great place to stay during your vacation if you are one that enjoys slower paced travel, and we have plenty of Arezzo luxury villas for you to choose from. Here there are a few of our choices villas in Arezzo with guest reviews for you to take a closer look at.     Read More
Posted in: Villas and Farmhouses