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Castles, towers and fortresses Province of Florence Val d'Elsa

Pogni Castle: the remains of a medieval fortification

The Castle of Pogni, known in the past with the name of Pogna, was one of the most important advanced fortifications of the city of Semifonte in the Val d’Elsa. Semifonte was the most important castle of the feudal family of the Counts Alberti. This castle was the last imperial fortification to be defeated by […]

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Province of Pistoia Valdinievole Villages

Montecatini Alto: a village in the Valdinievole

Montecatini Alto is located on a hill, 290 meters above sea level, which dominates the entire Valdinievole plain with an extraordinary panorama. The inhabited center of Montecatini Terme is located just below the village and can be reached by car in ten minutes or on foot, following a hilly path called “La corta” and finally […]

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Province of Florence Spa Val d'Elsa Villages

Gambassi Terme: the thermal baths in the hills of the Val d’Elsa

Gambassi Terme is a well-known spa resort located in the hills overlooking the Val d’Elsa, in the province of Florence, which is 54 km away. Thanks to its position along important communication routes, such as the Etruscan road to Volterra or the Via Clodia between Siena and Lucca, the Gambassi area has been inhabited since […]

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Province of Pistoia Spa Valdinievole

Montecatini Terme: a famous Tuscan spa

Montecatini Terme, one of the most famous spa tourism destinations in Italy. It is located in the heart of the Val di Nievole, a short distance from the most important art cities of Tuscany such as Florence (40 km), Pisa (50 km), Siena (115 km), Lucca (30 km). Even the sea of Versilia is a […]

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Chianti Province of Florence Villages

Greve in Chianti: ancient market place in Chianti

Greve in Chianti is a beautiful town located in a flat area among the Chianti hills in the province of Florence, which is about 30 km away. Greve in Chianti was born on the edge of the important communication networks that headed the via Volterrana and the via Francigena. Originally, in the 11th century, a […]

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Coast Province of Livorno Villages

Suvereto: historic village overlooking the sea and the plain of the Cornia river

Suvereto is a delightful medieval village located between Piombino and Massa Marittima a short distance from the Tyrrhenian coast. From the top of the fortress, located 90 meters above sea level, it dominates the Tyrrhenian Sea and the plain below where the Cornia river flows. The village was a fief of the Aldobrandeschi and then […]

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Castles, towers and fortresses Chianti Hills Province of Florence Villages

San Donato in Poggio: village in the Chianti hills

Located along the road that connects Tavarnelle Val di Pesa to Castellina in Chianti and just 6 km from the splendid Badia a Passignano, San Donato in Poggio is located 418 meters above sea level immersed in the typical Chianti countryside made up of hills with olive groves and vineyards. San Donato in Poggio is […]

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Castles, towers and fortresses Chianti Province of Florence Villages

Tignano: a medieval castle in Barberino Val d’Elsa

The small village of Tignano, located on a hill facing the medieval village of Barberino Val d’Elsa, is a small castle dating back to the Middle Ages. According to some studies it seems that its existence has been established since the year one thousand. Of its ancient structures, the circular medieval plan is recognizable. Inside […]

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Chianti Hills Landscapes Province of Florence Val d'Elsa Walks, trails, hiking

Walk in Chianti: between La Piazza and San Silvestro

Written by Marco Ramerini. My friend Marcello Marcucci introduced me to a corner of our land that I did not know. With a splendid walk in the Chianti of almost 10 kilometers we crossed the area that is located between the provincial road 101, which connects San Donato to Castellina in Chianti, and the regional […]

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Landscapes Province of Lucca Sea Versilia

Versilia: pine forests, resorts and beaches

Versilia, that is the Tuscan coast between the mouth of the river Serchio and the city of Massa, with the towns of Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi, Camaiore and Pietrasanta in the center, is certainly the most famous coastal and holiday area in the region. Tourism along this stretch of coast began to develop in the […]

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Landscapes Maremma coast Maremma Grossetana Province of Grosseto Sea

Monte Argentario: a spectacular promontory

Monte Argentario is a promontory of southern Tuscany in the province of Grosseto, from which it is about 40 km away. Completely mountainous, the highest peak is Mount Telegrafo (635 meters), Monte Argentario is joined to the mainland by two sandbands: Tombolo of Giannella and Tombolo of Feniglia, inside which the Orbetello lagoon is located. […]

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Amiata, Internal Hills and Metalliferous Hills Maremma Grossetana Province of Grosseto Spa Villages

Saturnia: a spa with archaeological remains

Saturnia is a small town located on a high travertine rock at 294 meters high in the municipality of Manciano. The town is an important spa thanks to the presence of sulphurous water (37.5 ° C) which attracts people every year for sweat cures, muds etc. There are historical documents dating back to the XII […]

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Cities Lucca Province of Lucca

Lucca: a city of art with Renaissance walls

Important historical city of Tuscany, Lucca has just over 80,000 inhabitants and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. The city is located in the center of a flat area where the Serchio river flows. Lucca preserves a historic center of great value surrounded by a wonderful circle of walls over […]

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Maremma coast Maremma Grossetana Province of Grosseto Sea Villages

Castiglione della Pescaia: medieval village on the sea

Castiglione della Pescaia, which is located just over 20 km from Grosseto, is one of the most beautiful medieval towns located along the coast of Tuscany. Coming from the north, it is advisable to exit the 4-lane Aurelia road in Follonica and from there, following the directions for Castiglione della Pescaia, continue for around 20 […]

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Landscapes Maremma Grossetana Province of Grosseto

Maremma: land of swamps and tourist destination

The Grosseto Maremma is a vast area of southern Tuscany that includes practically the whole province of Grosseto. The territory of the Maremma inland ranges from the Metalliferous Hills to Mount Amiata, while along the coast it stretches between the Gulf of Follonica and the border with Lazio. Maremma is famous for the Butteri – […]

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Area del Tufo Maremma Grossetana Province of Grosseto Villages

Sorano: a medieval village with a mighty fortress

Sorano is located a short distance from Pitigliano and Sovana, in the extreme south of Tuscany in the area known as “the Tufi area”. Sorano is a beautiful medieval village located along the valley of the Lente river, in a highly suggestive landscape, where dozens of tufaceous spurs with various and bizarre shapes are scattered. […]

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Archeology Castles, towers and fortresses Maremma coast Maremma Grossetana Province of Grosseto Villages

Vetulonia: one of the most important Etruscan cities

Vetulonia is today a small medieval village located a few kilometers from Castiglione della Pescaia. This small center of the Maremma, in Etruscan times, was one of the most important cities of Etruria. Located in the valley of the Bruna River in the immediate vicinity of what in the Etruscan era was Lake Prile. Vetulonia […]

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Abbeys, basilicas and churches Chianti Province of Florence

Badia a Passignano: a fortified abbey

To reach Badia a Passignano, from Florence take the SGC Firenze-Siena (this road starts from the Firenze-Impruneta exit (ex-Florence-Certosa) of the A1) towards Siena, exit at Tavarnelle Val di Pesa. After the exit, turn right and after about 100 meters, after crossing the bridge over the Pesa river, turn right. Then continue along this road […]

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Mugello and Val di Sieve Province of Florence Villages

Scarperia: knives and Mugello Circuit

Scarperia was founded in 1306 by the Republic of Florence, which decided to create a military outpost to guarantee connections from Florence to the north. The design of this new fortress was entrusted to the architect Andrea Pisano, it seems that he took part only in the construction of the palace-fortress seat of the vicars. […]

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Cities Piana di Pistoia Pistoia Province of Pistoia

Pistoia: a city with a valuable medieval center

Pistoia is a city of over ninety thousand inhabitants located in a flat area (67 meters above sea level) in the center of a vast plain crossed by the Ombrone river. The city is located between the Apennines and Monte Albano. Among the activities taking place around the city, the most famous is that of […]

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Province of Pistoia Valdinievole Villages

Pescia: the city of flowers and paper

Pescia has medieval origins, in fact it became a free municipality towards the end of the XII century, it was then subject to Lucca which, due to a rebellion, in 1281, destroyed it. In 1339 it became part of the Florentine possessions, in 1699 it was declared a city and then starting from 1726 it […]

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Castles, towers and fortresses Maremma coast Maremma Grossetana Province of Grosseto Sea

Punta Ala: renowned seaside resort on the coast

Punta Ala is a seaside holiday resort located in the municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia along the road that connects Castiglione della Pescaia to Follonica. This worldly center of the Maremma coast rises along a wooded promontory located between the Forte delle Rocchette and the port of Punta Ala. Along the promontory there was the […]

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Amiata, Internal Hills and Metalliferous Hills Castles, towers and fortresses Hills Maremma Grossetana Province of Grosseto Villages

Pari: an ancient castle of the Counts of Ardenghesca

Pari is a very suggestive small village located between Siena and Grosseto, practically on the border between the two provinces which is marked here by the Farma river valley, a tributary of the Merse. Sometimes, due to its position, the village is also referred to as the place where the Maremma begins, although more often […]

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Islands Islands Province of Livorno Sea

Elba Island: the most famous of the archipelago

The island of Elba is the largest island in the Tuscan archipelago, it measures 225 km² in area and has approximately 31,000 inhabitants. The island of Elba, in size, is, after Sicily and Sardinia, the third Italian island, and alone represents over two thirds of the total area of the islands of the Tuscan archipelago. […]

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Tuscan Recipes

Recipe: Schiacciata con l’uva (Crushes with grapes)

The “Schiacciata con l’Uva” or Crushes with grapes is a typical dessert of Tuscany. Particularly renowned is the one that is prepared in the Chianti hills south of Florence. The “Schiacciata con l’Uva” is prepared during the harvest period. To prepare it, it is preferable to use black grapes, in particular the one with small […]