Archive for 'Localities'

A holiday to Tuscany that includes a trip to the artistic city of Florence wouldn't be complete without a visit to the splendid Galleria degli Uffizi in Piazza della Signoria!

This glorious building houses some of the most famous art and sculptures created by the masters of the Renaissance, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Sandro Botticelli.


Tourists wishing to stay here for a few days have a superb selection of stylish apartments to rent in Florence city or spacious luxury villas on the outskirts with excellent commuting services available to travel into Florence.The Galleria degli Uffizi was commissioned in the 16th century by the Medici family and can rightly be declared as a masterpiece in itself! It houses an incredible collection of artwork dating from the Middle Ages until the present day.

Visitors can enjoy embarking on an elaborate guided tour of the Gallery which seems to visually describe the history of Florence itself. There are forty five rooms open to the public; each one dedicated a singular or group of artists, sculptors, architects, scientists or literary masters.

If you enjoy going below the water surface to the marine world below then Tuscany has everything to satisfy your scuba diving and snorkelling needs! There is a wealth of fantastic villa rentals along the Tuscan coast for those who'd like to spend their holiday close to the sea.

Scuba diving and snorkelling have grown immensely in popularity over the past number of years; Tuscany alone has over fifty dive centres located around Livorno, including fifteen on Elba Island, ten in Argentario and Giglio Island.

In fact, Giglio Island is considered to be the most popular scuba diving spot in all of the Mediterranean!

Beginners have an abundance of lessons available from schools located all over the places mentioned above, and for those who don’t require tuition, there are plenty of water sport shops that rent the required equipment at a reasonable price.

If you are a thrill seeker with a taste for salty waters and high winds then a holiday in Tuscany can provide you with fun extreme water sports like surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing for example! The coast of Tuscany is famous for the wide range of exciting water sports it facilitates and spending a few days engaging in these extreme sports are sure to spice up your holiday!

There is a fantastic range of Tuscany villa rentals along the Tuscan coast, including towns like Cecina and Viareggio that provide many fast paced water sports.

The chain of islands that stretch between the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea on west of the coast of Tuscany make up the Tuscan Archipelago. These islands are very popular with water sport enthusiasts, especially surfers because of the great waves and high speed breezes that stay here all year long.

The Livorno coastline also has high winds, ideal for creating the perfect surfing wave as does Il Sale in Antignano nearby. It’s one of the most famous surfing destinations in Italy because a special type of surfing wave occurs here. Waves curl perfectly to allow expert surfers to ride the tube it creates. They're short but run at high speeds and could be the ideal way for you to get your heart racing if you catch one!

There are many wonderful locations to enjoy kayaking and canoeing in Tuscany; in lakes, rivers or even out at sea!

Those wishing to spend part or all of their holiday close to locations that facilitate these sports have plenty of holiday villa rentals in Orbetello, Viareggio and Scarlino to choose from for example.

The chain of islands west of the Tuscan coast provide ideal spots to embark on an exciting journeys of marine discovery, especially Elba Island where canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts have a varied range of gorges, coral reefs and secluded beached to explore!

If you’re up for the challenge there’s a stimulating sea trail around Elba Island that departs from Marina di Campo in the gulf of Galenzana and heads to Procchio. It is forty seven kilometres in length but shorter sections of it are available on request to journey along.

Discover the story behind the conspiracy against the famous Medici family, a wealthy family of bankers who held some of the most powerful positions in Florence during the 13th and 14th centuries!

Visitors to Florence city have a superb collection of stylish apartments to choose from if they wish to stay and explore the ‘Cradle of the Arts’ for a few days of history and culture!

The Pazzi family were jealous rivals of the Medici family during their reign of power, and were also based in Florence, along with the Salviati who were the papal bankers in Florence and Pope Sixtus IV. Together they plotted to bring down the Medici family, seize their assets and take control of the province.