Lucignano is a pleasant little medieval village in the province of Arezzo, called “The pearl of Valdichiana”, recognized with the «orange flag» and ranked by the «most beautiful villages of Italy», historically at the crossroads between Arezzo, Siena and Perugia.It is perched on a small hill, elliptical in shape with a walled area and a […]
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Author: Galgano
Magliano in Toscana, in Maremma
Magliano in Toscana is a pretty village in the Maremma region, which preserves medieval walls, a charming historic center, and renowned restaurants throughout the area. What impresses most are its beautiful walls, almost intimidating when you get closer to Magliano from the coast, overlooking a hill surrounded by olive trees and vineyards. Several necropolises were […]
Chiusi
Pleasant village of the Valdichiana in Tuscany, located at 400 meters altitude, Chiusi is also very close to Umbria. Without extraordinary charm at first glance, it was an important Etruscan city and keeps substantial testimonies, like necropolis of the surroundings. Around the Piazza Duomo, you will discover the interesting cathedral, the Etruscan museum, an interesting […]
Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore
In the woods near Asciano, the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore is a rather unknown place in terms of its importance. Founded in the fourteenth century, the Gregorian songs animate it and monks have been making wines for a long time, which can be tasted and purchased in the cellar of the monks. It is […]
Certaldo in Tuscany
Certaldo is one of the most characteristic villages in Valdelsa, located along the Via Francigena, also known as the village of Boccaccio, Italian writer of the fourteenth century considered as one of the fathers of the Italian language. Its interest lies in its suggestive medieval village, called Castello, or Certaldo Alto, located on top of […]
Casole d’Elsa in Tuscany
Ancient Etruscan city, Casole d’Elsa is a charming village built on the plateau of a hill, near the high Valley of Elsa. The surrounding hills are cultivated with vineyards, olive trees and cereals. There is also wood. It was a fief of the bishops of Volterra in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, before coming under […]
Colle Val d’Elsa in Tuscany
Colle Val d’Elsa is a small town with about 20,000 inhabitants in the heart of Tuscany, between Siena and Florence, along the Val d’Elsa, and on the Via Francigena and among beautiful hills. It is located in the triangle made of Siena 30 km, Volterra 35 km, and Florence 50 km. It lends itself to […]
San Miniato
San Miniato is a town of character perched on a hill, located in the Arno Valley, at the bottom of the Val d’Elsa, between Florence and Pisa, on the Via Francigena.It is known for the white truffle typical of its lands. In the Middle Ages, the village was called San Miniato al Tedesco, Otto I […]
Montecchio Vesponi
Montecchio Vesponi is a small village in the province of Arezzo. Its castle dominates a hill overlooking the Val di Chiana. Its appearance is severe, with its tower of 30 meters high. The walls have eight turrets, for a length of 263 meters, with a dungeon. On the walls, we find traces of peasant houses […]
Castle of Sammezzano
Presentation 30 kilometres from Florence, the Castle of Sammezzano is an unexpected place, created by an original marquis, Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d’Aragona, from a noble Florentine family that modeled the building in the nineteenth century. It has become an amazing oriental style castle evoking India, China and Arabia, with colorful interiors, esoteric symbols, and Arab […]
Chianciano in Tuscany
A few kilometres from Montepulciano, Chianciano Terme is a modern spa town with numerous thermal facilities and spas, close to the old medieval village of Chianciano crowned by a promontory. It is not very touristy, and very pleasant to discover. Chianciano The Chianciano village was Etruscan and Roman. In the old town, there are beautiful […]
Lower Val d’Elsa, in the Tuscan hills
The lower part of the Val d’Elsa is in the province of Florence, the upper part being in that of Siena. The landscape is marked by beautiful hills, often with cereal crops. Its most interesting towns are Certaldo, Empoli which is the largest town, and San Miniato further downstream in the province of Pisa. Certaldo, […]
Sovana
Sovana is a small, charming and pleasant village with only 500 inhabitants, but it has a long history. The houses are distributed along a long street from the remains of the fortress to the cathedral through Piazza del Pretorio. Restored in the twentieth century, it has become one of the most beautiful villages of Tuscany, […]
Sarteano in Tuscany
Sarteano is a village located between the Val d’Orcia and the Val di Chiana, few visited by tourists. Its castle is the main attraction, with the archaeological museum also very interesting that documents the Etruscan tombs of the surroundings. Its territory has been occupied since the Neolithic, as evidenced by the discoveries in the Bear […]
Castiglion Fiorentino
Castiglion Fiorentino is a small town in Tuscany of Etruscan origin, where live nearly 13,000 souls, located on a hill between Cortona and Arezzo. It preserves a medieval center, the pretty central square Piazza del Municipio with its balcony, the ancient walls, and on the acropolis of the Cassero dating back to the Etruscan medieval […]
Things to see and do in Volterra
What things to discover in the beautiful medieval city of Volterra? First its very suggestive streets, hoping that there are not too many people and fans of Twilight (usually concentrated in the center), then the acropolis, beautiful panoramas, the enclosure, secondary churches, and a remarkable Etruscan museum. See also at the end of page Read […]
Things to do and see in Siena
Siena deserves plenty of days to measure its charm. However, it is not a very large city and two days can be enough to bring back beautiful memories. Piazza del Campo is the highlight of the show, an incomparable shell-shaped square surrounded by its medieval palaces, including the Palazzo Pubblico and the tall and beautiful […]
Things to do and see in Pistoia
Presentation of the most beautiful places in Pistoia, squares and monuments, with the Also read the overview of Piazza del Duomo in Pistoia The Piazza del Duomo is the main square of the city, in the heart of Pistoia, its religious and civil center. It is one of the most beautiful squares in Tuscany. Its […]
Things to do and see in Pisa
You can spend half a day at Pisa if you only visit the Square of Miracles, but it would be a shame not to discover the rest of the city. The historic centre along the borgo or the Piazza dei Cavalieri, the banks of the Arno, and its beautiful churches are just some of the […]
Things to do and see in Pienza
The historic centre of Pienza is quite small and flat, as part of a beautiful walk through its narrow streets, also following its large promenade that offers a splendid view over the hills dominated by the village. Corso Rossellini in Pienza You enter Pienza in the west through the Porta di Prato (or Porta al […]
Things to do and see in Montepulciano
Here is a presentation of the most beautiful sites in Montepulciano, most located in the medieval historic center, in order of preference. This page completes the See also at the end of page Historic centre The historic centre of Montepulciano is medieval and Renaissance, with suggestive alleys and stairs that wind between beautiful stone buildings […]
Things to do and see in Lucca
Lucca is a pleasant and welcoming city, whose beautiful historic center, clean and orderly, is protected by a vast 16th century enclosure. Among its must-see places, the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro recalls the Roman past of the city having kept the physiognomy of the ancient building. Other beautiful squares are in front of the remarkable churches including […]
Things to do and see on Monte Argentario
The promontory of the Argentario attracts tourists for its various qualities such as the marine environment, the mild climate, the beautiful coasts, the village of Porto Ercole, or its pleasant hinterland appreciated for hiking or mountain biking whose summit reaches 635 meters. Once an island, it is now a peninsula in front of the Orbetello […]
What to do and see in Cortona
Built on a hill between 500 and 600 metres above sea level, Cortona preserves a unique medieval centre rich in alleys, cobbled streets, ancient palaces and churches, with beautiful panoramas over the surrounding area. It has kept its medieval walls, including Etruscan and Roman portions. The heart of the city is the Piazza della Repubblica […]
Things to do and see in Arezzo
Here are some ideas, sorted by relative preference, for a visit of Arezzo, which can be seen over a whole day, or better yet over a weekend. The historic centre preserves beautiful monuments, churches, palaces and museums. See also at the end of page And read the presentation page of Piazza Grande in Arezzo The […]
