Holidays in tuscany, Italy - apartments and villas

Why Holiday in Tuscany?

It's just not possible to divorce Tuscany from our preconceptions. A row of cypress trees breaking the blue sky on a hilltop. Olive groves and grapevines marching tidily down the side of a slope. Little medieval hill towns gazing down upon a country that has been carefully developed since the Roman times. It has been said , that rather than take a photo of the modern landscape, you can gaze into a painting by Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael or Piero della Francesca. Much of the scenery is simply unchanged in 500 years.

We have the 'art cities' of Florence, Pisa and Siena - the galleries and museums, devotional buildings and architecture of Florence (Firenze) alone could swallow your entire holiday in Tuscany. Another week would just about deal with Pisa and its Campo dei Miracoli around the Leaning Tower and Baptistery. Then there is lesser known Lucca, a perfect medieval city within its unbreakable medieval walls. But let's take a few other highlights without which no tour of Tuscany is complete.

Siena is a superb medieval city, which depopulated a few hundred years ago due to the Black Death and never quite filled up again. Indeed parts of this opulent and stylish town, around the stunning black-and-white marble Duomo, retain a semi-rural air. Cobbled streets spiral toward the central 'Campo' site of the twice yearly Palio horse race. There are dozens of little hill towns south and west of Siena, with San Gimignano (the city of towers) being best known. Montepulciano, Cortona and Pienza are joys, but also see lesser-explored Pitigliano, Massa Marittima and Volterra.

Between Florence and Siena we have Chianti, superb wine country of course and a popular retreat for British and American expats. The main towns of 'Chiantishire' are Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti. See too the medieval cloth town of Prato, with the Castello Imperator and a fine Pisan-Romanesque Duomo. Another undiscovered gem is Pistoia, with a well preserved medieval core. Heading towards the coast we have Pisa, Lucca and then the coastline of the Versilian Riviera. The most famous of the resorts is Viareggio, a fashionable resort in Victorian times, and still a fun seaside town, with great gelaterie, restaurants, beaches and the huge February carnival. Livorno is often dismissed as a bombed and uninspiringly rebuilt port town, but there is a lovely old town of canals and humpback bridges, a 'little Venice' indeed. Offshore we have the isle of Elba, once home to a defeated Napoleon.

The southern Tuscan coast becomes the Maremma, once a malaria-ridden backwater but now home to the famed Maremma cattle and the 'butteri', cowboys who tend them. The countryside rises to the hills of Monte Argentario and the rather lovely and very ancient town of Orbetello. South of Siena we come to the remarkable San Gimignano, a little town that became a powerful republic, albeit briefly. The soaring towers are monuments to the pride and hubris of the warring families of the town. Volterra is something quite other - built remote and striking on a high plateau, DH Lawrence wrote that it 'gets all the wind and sees all the world ... an inland island'. Thence on to Massa Marittima, an important mining town since pre-Roman (Etruscan) times. And south of Siena spreads the countryside of the Crete Senese ... which is probably that Tuscan countryside that most of us first-time visitors picture in our minds.

We can't leave southern Tuscany without visiting the Abbazia dei San Galgano, one of Italy's most stunning Gothic buildings, and the Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore, with its superb Renaissance frescoes. On to Montepulciano, at 600 metres above the sea it's the highest hill town in Tuscany. Then to Pienza, a Renaissance new town created from scratch by Pius II in 1459. Another lovely hill town nearby is Montalcino - wine buffs will know the name.

Eastern Tuscany's main towns are Arezzo - a beautiful Etruscan, Roman and medieval city, and the home and inspiration of movie clown Roberto Benigni (much of 'La Vita e Bella' was filmed here). Finally on to Cortona, from whose heights you gaze down upon Lake Trasimeno. The town has the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca, a fine Duomo and the Museo Diocesano.

Vivid Italy is your perfect choice for a holiday in Tuscany. In Tuscany we have villas, apartments and hotels ideal for your holiday.

How To Get There

There are direct flights to Florence and Pisa from several airports in the UK.

You can fly from Gatwick to Florence on most days with Meridiana.

From Bristol, Gatwick and Luton you can take an Easyjet flight to Pisa on most days including weekends. Gatwick also has a British Airways flight to Pisa on the weekends.

From Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bournemouth, East Midlands and Birmingham you can take a Ryanair flight to Pisa. Their flights from Stansted, Liverpool and Dublin leave Monday-Sunday.

With Jet2 you can fly from Leeds/Bradford, Belfast, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Manchester to Pisa.

Regional Food

The Tuscan identity is truly evident in the spectacular dishes that await you. Try and sample the local pasta - ricotta and spinach ravioli al burro e salvia (with butter and sage); tordelli from Lucca stuffed with chard, meat and ricotta. For the carnivore, bistecca alla Fiorentina (a vast T-bone steak cooked rare). Even the humble vegetable is transformed - bietole Swiss chard with olive oil, garlic and chilli pepper. Try almond biscuits from Siena, and a final treat, vin santo e cantucci (almond biscuits dipped into delicious sweet raisin wine).

Local Wine

Tuscany offers a wide range of quality wines, and not just from Chianti. Here is just a small selection of highly recommended names for you to enjoy in a local Cafe or on the terrace of your holiday home in Tuscany: Chianti Classico are excellent reds and some are inexpensive, for example: Grosso Sanese, Castello di Brolio, Castello di Fonterutoli and the more expensive La Casuccia. Other superb red wines include Selvapiena Riserva, Piancornello, Casanove di Neri and Fuligni. Then, from the town of Montepulciano come Avignonesi and Poliziano. Bolgheri Sassicaia to sample. The best white wines are Vernaccia, which is made in San Gimignano, and Bianco di Pitigliano.

Shopping

To capture the real flavour of Italy, sample the chaotic exuberance of the outdoor markets - immerse yourself in the streets and piazzas and savour the dazzling colours, noises and aromas - this is a real Italian experience, even if you don’t buy anything! And if the food tempts you, which it will, you will discover a freshness and quality (and price!) that is unequalled. At the other end of the scale, you can sample the sophisticated delights of shopping for designer goods in Florence, antiques in Siena and Pisa, or local crafts in San Gimignano.

Sightseeing

There cannot be a region of the world that has more to see than Tuscany. There is a lot to see and do in Tuscany, the difficulty is really where to start. Certainly most should start with Florence, the city of Michaelangelo''s David and Botticelli''s Birth of Venus, then continue on to Siena Italy''s loveliest medieval city, and Pisa best known for the world famous leaning tower.

The roll call of città di arte, cities of art, is daunting: Arezzo, Cortona, San Gimignano and Lucca are all striking. The more you come to know the region, the more extraordinary Tuscany appears

Scenery

The inspiring scenery of Tuscany has inspired many artists over the years. Many people beleive that Tuscany is the most naturally beautiful region in the world.

A holiday in Tuscany give you the opportunities to enjoy the beautiful landscapes that surround Montaione, like cypresses rows alternated with vineyards and olives groves, woods and clay hills.

A holiday in Tuscany gives you the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful landscapes that surround Montaione, like cypresses rows alternated with vineyards and olives groves, woods and clay hills.

Beach Holidays

You've thought a lot about your Tuscan holiday, but maybe you didn''t know about Tuscany's fine beaches. In the area of northern Tuscany called Versilia, there is a line of beaches extending from the Bocca di Magra almost to the Arno that Italians flock to in Summer. These Tuscan beaches are characterized by clean water (certified blue flag), interesting villages, and a background of the Apuan Alps, known for its famous marble production.

Activity Holidays

Tuscany is quintessential and timeless Italy, offering a wealth of stunning location to discover on a walking or cycling holiday. Despite its popularity it remains largely unspoilt.

Away from the cities, the countryside is home to a wealth of bird and animal life - look out for badgers foraging in the fields, herons and otters by the streamsm and golden eagles soaring overhead.

Museums

There are four museums of note in San Gimignano, which are, even for non-museum goers, worth a visit.

On the Da Vinci trail in Tuscany

Visit the small Tuscany town of Vinci near Florence, the birthplace of one of the most revered artists of all time and discover the surroundings that inspired Leonardo Da Vinci in his art and life.

Enjoy some culture on your holiday in Florence

Duomo is highly recommended as part of your holiday in Florence