Amazing view from villa in Tuscany, Italy by Jeremy Vandel

Tuscany is a well liked vacation spot due to its elegance and rental fees. Moreover, it provides numerous choices to possess a fantastic holiday. The spot is full of background scenes and lifestyles such as historical ancient monuments and structures that offer additional scenery to Tuscany.

Tuscany, in Italy is one of the most appealing vacation spot and the area is using its wealthy artwork and lifestyle along with the fine eating places. The restaurants and the hotels offers first call quality food to their customers in affordable prices. The rental fees are one of the important points which are quite affordable and the reason for spotting huge crowd of visitors. The accommodation are available at affordable prices only if you book it though advance payments and book it before you arrive there. On the spot booking may be bit costly and it is better to stay within the villas than in hotels.

Villas in Tuscany makes an appealing holiday choice for those who want to stay for long. The villas offered by Tuscany are well furnished and holds all the functionalities and features for the visitors. The modular kitchens and a big parking lodge with a beautiful swimming pool allures the visitor to stay for more time. Moreover, the window scenes are quite attractive and beautiful to make them spend the whole day in their villas. The tourists can even save their money by cooking themselves at villas. The kitchen is fully furnished with all the accessories to prepare their own meals. Their proprietors may need the monetary increase so that they provide these types of inexpensive holiday villas throughout the springtime, summer time as well as fall months.

Cypress trees and Tuscan hills by Mike of Surrey

Self catering holidays are the best options for those who want to spend some quality time with their families. These villas in Tuscany tends to be through custom occur impressive landscapes. These landscapes frequently possess the fair insights from the Tuscan sceneries along with rich eco-friendly surroundings. The panorama is the main reason for leasing Tuscany villas. These sceneries provide the most calming sites to the earth and the location is unquestionably an appealing location for anyone who is buying tranquil vacation.

If you’re truly inspired to go to this meticulous stunning world famous place then does little exercise to search upon the internet as well as guide vacation Tuscany villas within Italy to have a memorable experience.

Resource Box: Anna is a person with a passion for writing. She has written many articles on various topics as villas in Tuscany, for more information you can check her other blogs.

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Colosseum, Rome, Italy / Photo by admin

A Bit of Romance

If you want a bit of romance you know where to go, don’t you? Actually, the whole country is extremely good for romantic breaks but the word Venice springs instantly into the minds of most couples who want to enjoy an unforgettable break. Even if you have read a thousand stories about the place and seen hundreds of pictures of it you will still be bowled over by the setting and the atmosphere.

A Lot of Art

Art is all around you when you go to Italy and nowhere more so than in Florence. This famously beautiful city holds some of the most exciting art treasures known to man. If walking from one museum to another and looking from one stunning piece of art to another is your idea of heaven this is a fantastic choice of destination. As it is in Tuscany you can expect great food and lots of friendly hospitality.

A Whole of Sight Seeing

The only problem with Rome is that there is just so much to do there. This is fine if you have plenty of time to wander around and see the famous sights but in shorter breaks the overwhelming number of things to do can be just too much to take in. The Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican and the Pantheon are just some of the amazing tourist attractions which have fascinated visitors here for centuries. If you want to feel as though you are steeped in history while on holiday then you can’t do much better than go to Rome, as long as you have the time to enjoy it all.

A Huge Amount of Freedom

Going on a camping holiday has always been a popular choice with those people who want to enjoy a lot of freedom while they are away. This type of break is especially recommended for families and those who want to enjoy their family holidays on a relatively tight budget. Camping in Italy is increasingly common now as there are lots of top campsites across the country. A quick look at a travel site like Eurocamp or Keycamp ones will give you a good idea of what to expect once you get across there.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Michael from Minnesota

Giglio offers beautiful beaches and numerous bays for a relaxing holiday, far away from the hustle and bustle. Its untouched nature is ideal for hiking and crystal clear sea with rich marine life is ideal for snorkeling and diving.

If you would like to spend your holidays on a beach with golden sands and wild nature around, then you should come here and look for Spiagga delle Caldana, which will be the right place for you. Located south of the vibrant beach Cannelle, the beach of Caldana is really a “precious jewel”, which is accessible only by boat. If you want to visit the beach during a round trip by car to Italy, it is better to park your car at the Tuscan mainland. Access of tourists to the island with an area of ​​21 square kilometres is limited.

Crystal clear water, that is full of fish, is a paradise for divers. You can discover the remains of three towers that were used in 60′s of the last century for transshipment cargoes. Rocky reefs with colorful corals, underwater cave with a statue of the Virgin Mary and seahorses, however, can be seen only by experienced divers. But do not give up! The diving school is located in close vicinity to the beach.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, source wikipedia

Giglio has become very popular and world-known since the last month due to an accident of mega cruise ship Costa Concordia. The ship hit a reef on Friday 13 January 2012 and partially sank. The number of tourists increased rapidly in this island as everyone wants to see the largest passenger ship (by tonnage) to sink. If you still haven’t seen it, don’t worry, the ship will probably be waiting for you at the coast of Giglio for additional several months. In these days it is without a doubt the best attraction in the area.

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Luxury villas in Tuscany
If you would like to enjoy your staying in this great region to the maximum, try Luxury villas in Tuscany. Stay at traditional stone farmhouse in the Chianti region and the Tuscan countryside, furnished in rustic Tuscan style or in comfortable apartments in villas with private pools offering unforgettable views over the surrounding landscape.

www.holidayhomestuscany.com

Discover Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), Michelangelo’s statue of David, the Gothic church of Santa Croce or gallery Uffuzzi with the largest collection of Italian Renaissance Art in Florence. Pisa city is world-famous thanks to its Square of Miracles (Campo dei Miracoli) and its 4 buildings – Leaning tower, the Cathedral, Baptistery and Camposanto. Versilia and its surroundings is located in the northwestern part of Tuscany in the region of Lucca, between Alpi Apuane mountains and Tyrrhenian Sea. The historical part of “vera Versilia” includes resorts like Pietrasanta, Forte dei Marmi, Seravezza and Stazzema. Resorts Camaiore, Viareggio and Massarosa are peripheral centers.

Viareggio is a renowned seaside resort, known as the “Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea”. It is located in the territory between two pine forests and a beautiful lake Massaciuccoli. Among the most famous events is undoubtedly “Puccini Opera Festival”, which is held in Torre del Lago, where Giacomo Puccini lived and composed much of his known works.

The climate of Tuscany is pleasant and mild also during the hot summer since it is influenced by the nearby mountains, and mild in winters influenced by the nearby sea.

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Elba is located between Liguria Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea and is often called as The Pearl of the Tuscan Archipelago.

Elba offers wonderful natural sceneries and beautiful mountains. Sandy beaches are very popular here and many tourists prefer to visit Portoferraio for its National Park activities. The island of Elba is about 150km long and covers the area of 224 km2. The Monte Cappane – the highest mountain on Elba (1019m) is very popular for hiking and it is also called “roof of the Tuscan Archipelago”.

Since Portoferraio has the historical value, many scholars are doing research in the island. About thirty thousand people are living in this island and about eleven thousand persons are staying in Portoferraio city. On Elba you can find lots of monuments.

You can enjoy here the sunbathing, fishing, the pirate ship battle, hiking, visiting Napoleon’s palace (Napoleon was here in exile as governor), or even sitting in pubs and tasting excellent local cuisine.

Regular boat services are available from Piombino. Our tip is to rent a boat and discover the coast of Elba where you can find lots of unknown and empty wonderful beaches.

Tourists visiting Italy should not miss to visit Elba, as we think it is one of few places, which have to be visited, at least once in a life.

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Basilica di San Francesco, Assisi, Umbria, Italy by Jim Linwood

The town stretches along one side of Monte Subasio. A typical feature of Assisi are picturesque houses decorated with pink geraniums, narrow winding streets, small squares with fountains, a number of churches and other monuments from pre-Christian times. Visitors to Assisi can enjoy tranquility, comfort and cleanliness.

St. Francis of Assisi was born here in 1181 and later founded the Secular Franciscan Order. But the city has a much longer history. The city was inhabited already in around 1000 BC. From the Roman period there have been preserved several sights: city walls, forum, where is now the Piazza delle Commune, an amphitheater and the Temple of the Goddess Minerva where is now the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. From the original temple only the front face with 6 columns have been preserved.

Most sites, however, comes from the Middle Ages, when the city experienced its greatest prosperity, and was several times under papal jurisdiction. Among the most important monuments from this period are:

• Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Franciscan monastery which were built in 1228 – 1253. The Basilica was badly damaged by an earthquake of 26 September 1997 – where four people died inside the church
• Pilgrimage Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built in 1569
• the Cathedral of San Rufino, built in 1140 – 1253
• Basilica of Santa Chiara from 1257
• Santo Stefano – one of the oldest churches of Assisi

In Assisi there are much more beautiful religious buildings, which are definitely worth seeing. The main square of the city is already mentioned Piazza delle Commune, which was formerly the Roman Forum. Assisi is dominated by the medieval Castle of Rocca Maggiore, built in 1367 by Cardinal Albornoz. There is also the smaller castle in Assisi which was built much earlier, in the Roman era. However, only small part has been preserved and only three towers are open to the public.

The city offers to the visitors lots of cultural events. Most renowned festival is Calendimaggio, which is held here every year in early May. It presents the medieval way of life where you can see many actors of theater and dancing crews. Since 2000, the town of Assisi, is UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today there are living about 27.000 people.

In the city neighbourhood you can reach following destinations:

• Urbino – about 73 km
• San Marino – about 97 km
• Montefiore Conca – about 91 km
• Rocca fortress – about 97 km
• the Leaning tower of Vernazzano – about 45 km
• Orvieto Cathedral – about 57 km

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Florentine architect and sculptor Bernardo Rossellino, was assigned to a cathedral project, the papal palace and town hall (all buildings have been completed within three years from 1459 to 1462). Grandiose plan – to build the model of the Renaissance city has never been realized. Some ideas of how the town could looks, you can see at Palazzo Piccolomini, the former papal palace which served until 1968.

You can see there for example Pius bedroom and library. The main highlight is a stunning panorama, which opens to visitors from the balcony and the arcaded courtyard in the back of the palace.

A pleasant walk, and another amazing spectacle you can enjoy by the village walls.

Pienza is surrounded by nature and it is home to 3,000 inhabitants. It is famous for its cheese production, which you can see everywhere in the town. The cheeses are aged here for several years, stored in underground and are made with different flavors.

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Crete Senesi means clay of Siena. And right this very unusual composition of the local soil is responsible for the enchanting harmony of colors, which is so typical for this area. It’s a real paradise for every photographer. The medieval towns are spread over the hilltops.

The largest town in Crete Senesi, Asciano, has retained its medieval atmosphere. It is felt everywhere, even in the narrow streets, or in ancient churches. Of all these churches you should visit at least Basilica Sant’Agata, which construction began in the 11th century, then churches San Francesco and San Bernardino. The best time for your visit to Asciano, is september, when the town hold a historic celebration – Palio dei Ciuchi. Palio dei Ciuchi includes a donkey race and parade, in which the local residents perform in medieval costumes.

On the outskirts of town lies the most important monastery in the province of Siena – Monte Oliveto Maggiore.

At the south of monastery there is the favorite fortified village – Buonconvento.

Another interesting point is Monteroni d’Arbia, the town at whose center lies an impressive mill dates from 1322. The building of mill has been preserved almost complete, including the brick tower and a mill-race.

The best place for relax is Rapolano – wonderful town with spa that served already to Old Etruscans. There are several swimming pools with thermal water in different temperatures.

Crete Senesi is ideal for growing corn and vine. E.g. Brunello di Montalcino comes from this area.

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The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation’s most visited tourist destination, especially during Palio di Siena. The best known place is Piazza del Campo.

Siena, together with the cities of Pisa and Florence, creates triangle of the most visited cities in Tuscany. There are lots of travel agencies that organise trips for tourists to those three cities. The best option how to get there is probably via plane to airport Galileo Galilei in Pisa.

What to see in Siena

• The Piazza del Campo, piazza at the centre of the city, where Palio di Siena takes place twice a year
• The Palazzo Pubblico, Siena’s City Hall with Torre di Mangia tower, from whose top you can see a beautiful panorama of the countryside of Siena.
• The Duomo, Siena’s magnificent black and white Italian Romanesque cathedral including the Libreria Piccolomini, Baptistery, and an attached Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.
• The Pinacoteca, full of Sienese painting from the city’s Medieval heyday.
• The Palazzo Salimbeni, built in 1472, is the world headquarters of Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the major banking corporation which has a hand in much of the economic and cultural life of the city.
• The house where St. Catherine of Siena was born is just a few blocks from the duomo. This 14th century mystic is one of the principal patron saints of Italy.

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In 1990 the historic center of San Gimignano has been included in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is a good one-day travel tip for those visiting Pisa, Firenze and Siena.

San Gimignano is significant for its numerous medieval monuments. Most dominant are the already mentioned high ancestral towers. Unfortunately, only 15 of originally 75 towers survived until now, but they are still unique decoration of the city. You can find them in the old parts of the city – San Matteo and San Giovanni. At the time of their creation (in the year 1150) served to defend the city, but were also a symbol of prestige of the ruling families.

San Gimignano is situated at an altitude of 320 meters above sea level, so it also offers a great view of the surrounding hills and the Val d’Elsa valley. For those who wish to spend holidays in a quiet place surrounded by nature, far from the bustle of cities, San Gimignano is an ideal choice. Despite its considerable popularity and attractiveness, San Gimignano managed to retain its medieval character and unique atmosphere. Most tourists come here just for one day, and especially in the main tourist season, however off season the city is really quiet.

The city was built on the Via Francigena trail that led from Rome to the north, used mainly by traders and pilgrims. Later the settlement was renamed to Silvia. In the 11th century it was still just a small village with four houses, but in next hundred years grown to a smaller city. In 1348 the town was so weakened by constant fighting between the aristocrats and also by the plague, that they were forced to ask for a help of Florence.

By the time San Gimignano began to be attractive for Italian noble families who built magnificent palaces here. The city then experienced the largest glory, which was stopped in the 15th century. Since the beginning of the 20th century tourists from all over Europe began to explore San Gimignano and over time it became a popular tourist destination.

The most important sights include (in the addition to the stone towers) such as the city gate Porta San Giovanni of 13th century. Next to gate, among other medieval buildings, you can see the church of San Francesco. At the end of Via San Giovanni there is a medieval arch that connects two main squares, Piazza della Cisterna, lined with towers, medieval buildings and a range of tempting cafes, and Piazza del Duomo with two other landmarks: Collegiata and Museo Civic.

Another important monument is the Romanesque-Gothic church of Sant’Agostino from the 13th century or the ruins of Rocca castle with its public gardens. You can also visit a modest museum of religious art and archaeological finds – Museo d’Arte Sacra.

San Gimignano is worth visiting not only for its monuments, but also because of the amazing art gallery and great views of the Tuscan countryside.

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