Casa del Prete

"Giotto" (1266/7 – January 8, 1337), is really one of the most famous Italian painters in the whole history. He was not just a painter but also an architect, born in Florence in the late Middle Ages. He is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who contributed to the Italian Renaissance.

Giotto's contemporary Giovanni Villani wrote that Giotto was "the most sovereign master of painting in his time, who drew all his figures and their postures according to nature. And he was given a salary by the Comune of Florence in virtue of his talent and excellence."

His masterpiece is the decoration of the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua, Italy (completed around 1305). This fresco cycle depicts the life of the Virgin and the life of Christ.

If you have found a luxury villa in Umbria or a luxury villa in nearby Tuscany and are planning an Autumn getaway in Italy to enjoy the fertile and lush landscape, pretty towns, and hearty cuisine of the region of Umbria, then you might also be looking for something a little spookier to add to your itinerary as October unfolds ahead of us and Hallowe’en approaches. Italy, as one might imagine of a place with such a long and vibrant history and so rich in well-preserved historic towns, castles, palaces, churches, and other architectural gems, is full of tales of ghosts, goblins, ghouls, witches, demons, and more. There are plenty of supposedly haunted spots to visit, places where witch trials took place or deals with the devil are said to have gone down, and sites of famous superstitious traditions. However, if you are thinking of heading to explore Umbria and are in search of somewhere where you’re guaranteed to see something spooky this Hallowe’en, then look no further than the crypt beneath the Chiesa di Santo Stefano, or Church of St. Stephen, in Ferentillo.

Lake Trasimeno is one of the most beautiful lakes on the Italian peninsula. It lies just over the border of Tuscany near Cortona, and dominates the northwestern part of Umbria.

The lake is surrounded on three sides by the hills that are so common throughout the region, with a lowland stretching out from the west of the lake. Olive groves dot the hills surrounding the area, and hills nearest Tuscany also grow many grapes, along with other fruits and vegetables. The climate here is warmer that the other hills surrounding the lake, as they are at a lower elevation. Portions of the shores are covered in many older pines, willows and poplars; many of them over 30m tall.

The towns on the lake are all rather small in population. Some of the notable ones are Passignano sul Trasimeno, Tuoro, Monte del Lago, Torricella, San Feliciano, San Arcangelo, Castiglione del Lago, and Borghetto. Castiglione del Lago is probably the most well known as its the largest peninsula onto the lake and has the largest shoreline by far. The water of Trasimeno remains very clean, with very few large farms and a small population living on the lake it has been able to avoid some of the modern problems.

If you’re interested in learning about the history of places you visit on holidays then a trip to the town of Chiusi in the Siena province of Tuscany could offer a very interesting day of discovery for you!

This area was once a very important district of Etruscan civilisation where a powerful king called Porsenna was buried. Visitors wishing to stay here for a few days have plenty of beautiful villas in Chiusi that are located nearby to this site. Porsenna was buried in an elaborate tomb within a complex labyrinth in an Etruscan burial site close to Chiusi.

Legend tells the story of his sarcophagus being laid to rest in a golden carriage guarded by golden statues of twelve horses, a brood hen and five thousand chicks, also made of gold. It is thought that this labyrinth was once part of ancient aqueduct system and dates back as far as 600BC.

The art of wine harvesting in Tuscany is treated with great reverence and can be something that tourists can enjoy getting involved in if they are planning a holiday here during the autumn months!

Everywhere you look in Tuscany; from the hills of Montepulciano to San Gimignano, it’s highly likely you’ll spot a vineyard or at least clusters of grape vines which families and local neighbourhoods come together to harvest.

Tourists have a wide range of wonderful accommodation to choose from all across Tuscany where you can witness the interesting process of turning ripened grapes into delicious red, white and rose wines. Why not stay in a beautiful luxury villa in San Gimignano where you can be close to all the action!

The little-known town of Chiusi in the Siena province of Tuscany is a bit of a hidden gem that offers stunning scenery, pretty buildings and a rich history. If you have found a vacation rental in Chiusi and are looking for a unique day out that is a little bit off the beaten track, it really is a perfect destination.

Between the 7th and 5th centuries BC, the area was one of the most important towns in the Etruscan Dodecapolis (league of twelve cities) and was where one of their most powerful kings called Porsenna is said to have been buried in an elaborate tomb within a complex labyrinth in an Etruscan burial site. In his Naturalis Historia, Pliny the Elder tells that the legendary Etruscan king Porsenna was buried in a majestic tomb inside an unfathomable labyrinth, with his sarcophagus laid to rest in a golden carriage that was guarded by golden statues of twelve horses, a brood hen and five thousand chicks, all also made of gold.