La Fortezza

Have you been dreaming about a vacation in Tuscany? Well, now is a perfect time to plan a trip as many new direct flights to the region have been added!

Traditionally, many choosing to holiday in the area had to fly into Bologna but Pisa and Florence are actually the two major international airports within the region itself and might be more convenient arrival points depending on where you will be staying. Thankfully, however, there are increasingly more and more direct routes opening to these two regional airports so if you want to plan a trip, you’ll have more options available to you. Book your villa in Tuscany and you’ll be able to easily organise your arrival thanks to these new direct flights...

This week we have already looked at Arezzo, a city of gold and a place in which goldsmithing has gone on from the Etruscans to the present day. Workshops of artisans still dot the medieval core of the city and thousands of jewellery and gold businesses operate throughout the surrounding area. Museums display incredible works from throughout history and shops sell the latest iterations to the magpies among those on vacation in Tuscany who are after rather more special and precious souvenirs. There is also a roaring trade in both jewellery and artisanal goods to appreciate if you have found a luxury villa in Florence, nearby. However, the birthplace of the Renaissance is, in its own right, one giant jewellery box full of incredible gems from architectural masterpieces to museums stuffed with incredible works of art to churches painted and gilded meticulously. And, among all of the stunning buildings and institutions filled with astounding things made by human hands, one of the lesser-known but most extraordinary has to be the Opificio delle Pietre Dure.

The Opificio delle Pietre Dure, literally meaning the Workshop of Semi-Precious Stones, is an institution run by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage that is based on Via degli Alfani, not far from the Cathedral or the Galleria dell’Accademia, in the centre of Florence. In addition to the museum that most visitors head to, the building is also home to one of two Italian state-run conservation schools (the other being the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro), a specialist library, an archive, and a scientific laboratory in which research into the latest and best preventive and conservation techniques is undertaken. A global leader in the field of restoration, the institution is also home, as one might imagine, to a wonderful collection of well-preserved and incredible objects. 

If you are booking a villa in Tuscany with us, you might be wondering what is included and what amenities the properties usually have. While there is some variation in the exact amenities, you can expect to almost always find perfectly furnished properties, with the homewares you need for self-catering stays, bed linens, and towels. Occasionally, linens and towels may be available at an additional fee.