A fascinating legend to learn about on your holiday to Tuscany could be the one that originated in the hills of the
Amiata in the south of the region. There is a
fine selection of luxury villas with swimming pool available all across the south Tuscany area for visitors to spend a few days exploring the area and learning about the famous image of the Virgin Mary.
One version of the legend tells the story of a shepherd who herded his sheep in the Amiata hills and one day found a large fallen branch that seemed to be in the shape of a parent holding their child. He felt inspired to carve a statue of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus as he watched over his sheep during the long days and nights.
But as time passed, he became discontented with how it looked and eventually threw it into the fire in annoyance. You can imagine his shock when he heard a female voice crying from the fire, ‘Please don’t burn me, please!’ He hurriedly quenched the fire and ran towards the nearest village to tell them what had happened in the belief that Mary had spoken to him and wanted the carving to be preserved.