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Cities Florence Museums, Villas and Palaces Province of Florence

Hall of Geographical Maps in Palazzo Vecchio

At the end of the museum itinerary is the Hall of Geographical Maps (Sala delle Carte Geografiche) or Stanza del Guardaroba. In this room was originally the Medici Wardrobe of Grand Duke Cosimo I. That is, the seat of the institution that preserved, inventoried and moved all the assets of the State and the Sovereign. […]

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Abbeys, basilicas and churches Cities Florence Province of Florence

Basilica of San Miniato al Monte

A masterpiece of Tuscan Romanesque in Florence The Basilica of San Miniato al Monte rises on a hill to south-east of the historical center of Florence, near Piazzale Michelangelo, and is considered one of the finest examples of Florentine Romanesque style. Built between the eleventh and the thirteenth century, contains works of great value as […]

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Cities Florence Museums, Villas and Palaces Province of Florence

Grotta del Buontalenti: a grotto in the Boboli Gardens

The Buontalenti Grotto was built, designed and conceived between 1583 and 1593 by Bernardo Buontalenti (Florence 1536-1608). This Grotto is one of the most important places in the Boboli Gardens, it is an artificial cave filled with false stalactites and stalagmites, with statues of sheep, shepherds and Roman gods. Buontalenti Grotto represents one of the […]

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Hills Landscapes Province of Siena Val d'Orcia and Monte Amiata

Val d’Orcia: natural landscape modeled by man

In 2004, the Val d’Orcia was registered by UNESCO as a world heritage landscape area, with the following reasons: “… it is an exceptional example of how the natural landscape was redesigned in the Renaissance period to reflect the ideals of good governance and create an aesthetically pleasing image.” The landscape of this area of […]

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Cities Florence Museums, Villas and Palaces Province of Florence

Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, Florence

The Salone dei Cinquecento was built in 1495, during the period of restoration of the Florentine Republic. That is, after the expulsion of Piero de’ Medici in 1494. The work was done by Simone del Pollaiuolo called “il Cronaca” (1457-1508) assisted by Francesco di Domenico and Antonio da Sangallo. The huge hall was built at […]

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Archeology Province of Siena Val di Chiana Villages

Chiusi: an important Etruscan city in the Val di Chiana

Chiusi lies in the extreme south of the Valdichiana on a hill at approximately 400 amsl. it’s a famous city for its Etruscan tombs and its historical center. The city is reached in car from Florence or Rome through the Highway of the Sun (Autostrade del Sole, A1), exit Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, from the exit are […]

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Abbeys, basilicas and churches Province of Arezzo Upper Valdarno

Pieve di Gropina: a splendid Romanesque church

The Pieve of Gropina, is located about 2 km from Loro Ciuffenna, on the Via dei Sette Ponti (road of the Seven Bridges) towards San Giustino, to get there take a detour to the right, which after 800 metres from the junction leading to the village of Gropina. A MASTERPIECE OF ROMANIC ART The beautiful […]

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Province of Arezzo Upper Valdarno Villages

Loro Ciuffenna: a suggestive medieval village

The village is situated on the slopes of Pratomagno at 328 meters above sea level, the actual center is of medieval origin but Loro Ciuffenna has more ancient origins, infact in the area were found Etruscan and Roman artifacts. During the early Roman period, the Lorese territory was crossed by the Cassia Vetus (the path […]

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Cities Florence Museums, Villas and Palaces Province of Florence

Uffizi Gallery: the most important museum of Florence

Uffizi Gallery is the most important museum of Florence and one of the most famous museums in the world. The building houses a superb collection of works of art, divided into several rooms arranged for schools and styles in chronological order. This is an immense artistic heritage, which includes thousands of pictures ranging from the […]

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Farmhouses, Bed and Breakfasts and Hotels Province of Arezzo Province of Florence Province of Grosseto Province of Livorno Province of Lucca Province of Massa and Carrara Province of Pisa Province of Pistoia Province of Prato Province of Siena

The farmhouses in Tuscany: in contact with nature

The Agriturismo is a typically Italian hospitality system. Over the years, this tourist reception system has taken on an increasingly tourist and less and less agricultural dimension. By developing facilities that provide the customer with numerous comforts and services such as swimming pools, massages, saunas, riding stables, etc. Tuscany is the Italian region that has […]

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Province of Arezzo Province of Florence Province of Grosseto Province of Livorno Province of Lucca Province of Massa and Carrara Province of Pisa Province of Pistoia Province of Prato Province of Siena Spa

The Spas of Tuscany: the region richest in spas

Tuscany, among the Italian regions, is without doubt the most rich in spas, just to mention some popular locations in the world as Montecatini Terme, Chianciano Terme, Saturnia. This region is in fact rich in deposits of thermal water that make it together with Emilia Romagna and Veneto, the most important Italian region for spas. […]

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Landscapes Mountains Natural Parks Province of Lucca Province of Massa and Carrara

Apuan Alps: the Marble Mountains

The Apuan Alps are probably the most beautiful mountains of Tuscany, located near the sea between Garfagnana and Lunigiana are universally famous for the marble that is extracted from its quarries since antiquity. MARBLE MOUNTAINS The mountains are rugged and inaccessible and recall, for their rugged form, the Dolomites. Apuan Alps are now a Regional […]

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Islands Islands Islands Landscapes Natural Parks Province of Grosseto Province of Livorno Sea

Islands of the Tuscan Archipelago

Tuscan Archipelago is a group of islands located between the Tuscan coast and Corsica, it consists of seven main islands and several smaller islets with a total area of 300 sq. km. The largest island of the archipelago is the island of Elba (225 sq km, 31.000 inhabitants), which alone accounts for more than two […]

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Chianti Hills Landscapes Province of Siena Villages

Itinerary in the Sienese Chianti

For the part of the itinerary in the Sienese Chianti we can start from Siena and from here with the SR 222 reach Castellina in Chianti. Otherwise, continuing the itinerary of the itinerary of Florentine Chianti, from San Donato in Poggio, we reach Castellina in Chianti. CASTELLINA IN CHIANTI Castellina in Chianti is a splendid town […]

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Chianti Hills Landscapes Province of Florence Villages

Itinerary in the Florentine Chianti

Our itinerary in Florentine Chianti starts from the city of Florence. The starting point is the Firenze-Impruneta (ex Firenze-Certosa) exit of the Autostrada del Sole. The first stop is the town of San Casciano in Val di Pesa. Along the route we can make a detour of a few kilometers to visit the famous Albergaccio […]

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Chianti Chianti Hills Landscapes Province of Florence Province of Siena

Chianti: the hilly heart of Tuscany

Chianti, ie the territory which for centuries produced the wine Chianti Classico, is part of the Tuscan hill land situated between Florence and Siena, expertly shaped by man and rich of art, this area is a mosaic of history, nature and art unique in the world. This is a land of ancient traditions, civilized in […]

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Cities Florence Province of Florence Squares

Piazzale Michelangelo: the viewpoint of Florence

Piazzale Michelangelo is together with the Forte di Belvedere, the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte and the hill of Fiesole, one of the privileged viewpoints over Florence. The Piazzale designed in 1860 by the architect Giuseppe Poggi, is located on a hill south of the Arno and the historic center of Florence. This belvedere […]

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Bridges Cities Florence Province of Florence

Ponte Vecchio: the most famous bridge in Florence

The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence, its origin dates back to Roman times. But it was repeatedly damaged by the floods of the Arno. Following this it was rebuilt several times. The structure crosses the river at its narrowest point and is today one of the symbols of the city of Florence. […]

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Cities Florence Province of Florence

The climate of Florence: when to go to Florence

The city of Florence has a temperate Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cold, damp winters. The climate of Florence is influenced by its location in a valley at the foot of the Apennines to the north and surrounded by the hills of Chianti to the south. Summers are very hot with average maximum […]

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Province of Siena Val d'Elsa Villages

Casole d’Elsa: a typical village of Val d’Elsa

Casole d’Elsa is a small town in the Val d’Elsa, which has less than four thousand inhabitants, the place is a beautiful medieval village that is located in a dominant position on a hill 417 meters high and about 14 km from Colle Val d’Elsa. The history of Casole d’Elsa dates back to the eleventh century […]

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Landscapes Lunigiana Province of Massa and Carrara

Lunigiana: land of medieval castles and churches

Lunigiana is an area of north-western Tuscany, embedded between Liguria and Emilia Romagna, and formed by the High and Middle Valley of the river Magra. Its name comes from the ancient city of Luni, a Roman colony that was of major importance for the area until the early Middle Ages. In prehistoric times in the Lunigiana has […]