Archive for 'Curiosities'

The quaint little village of Pomaia in the Santa Luce municipality of Pisa is home to one of the largest Tibetan monasteries in the western world, the Lama Tzong Khapa Insitute! This peaceful sanctuary attracts thousands of visitors every year who come here on day retreats or even to study some of the spiritual courses these wise monks offer.

For those wishing to include a trip to this fascinating place on their next Tuscan vacation, why not book into a charming holiday villa in Pomaia village where they can be right beside it.

The tiny town of Capannori near Lucca in Tuscany has risen to great heights in its determined and successful journey to become the greenest place in Europe! It has become a shining advocate in Italy’s Zero Waste Movement, an initiative to help dramatically reduce the amount of waste that each household produced.

It also endeavours to develop ingenious ways to recycle and cut down on packaging coming into the household. The goal was to find a cleaner and more efficient solution to waste disposal than incineration or landfill sites.

For tourists wishing to see this unique place for themselves, why not stay at a superb holiday rental in Lucca where they can easily commute to Capannori.

Do something different this Christmas and jet off with your family to Italy to experience the Italian way of celebrating the festive season! The entire country, with all its beautiful cities, towns and villages, are adorned with twinkling lights and Christmas decorations.

Witness the magical sight of live nativity plays taking place in a town square and the sweet sound of Christmas music weaving through the cold air at night. Italy also knows how to celebrate Christmas in style when it comes to preparing a feast of delicious festive foods for you to try!

Stay in a stunning apartment rental in Florence city for a few nights where a whole host of Christmas markets, nativity plays and exciting events take place. Walk around the magnificent attractions of the city, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Cathedral which are magically lit up at night.

The Mona Lisa is famous for many things such as her smile, the mystery of the woman herself and also the setting of the actual painting. The Mona Lisa has a backdrop of a fantastic valley with rivers and cliffs that fade into icy mountains.

This is a setting not unlike that of the Balze of Valdarno in Italy.
In fact, Leonardo Da Vinci was fascinated by the landscape of the Balze and he represents it in quite a few of his paintings. However the Mona Lisa is possibly the most famous of all.

Would you like to immerse yourself in the landscapes that inspired Da Vinci? If so, why not rent a villa in the Valdarno area where you can take a trip to see the Balze?

The Balze are formed of sand, clay, and gravel deposited by a lake that was about 20km long and covered the area or Valdarno.
Over the years, the water had shaped the sediment to form what is now some truly unique rock formations.

There is a plateau above the cliffs from which visitors can see the views of villages, cities, vineyards and so much more. It is most definitely a photograph you will want to take. The Balze are only a few kilometers from the A1 motorway between Florence and Arezzo. It is one of the most beautiful and fascinating landscapes of Valdarno and if you see it in person you will be able to understand why Leonardo Da Vinci was so intrigued by it.

The Tuscan Landscapes are famous all over the world, our beautiful region is the set to many famous films. Of course, 'Under the Tuscan Sun' is the most famous but here are just a few more: