Archive for 'Localities'

Planning a holiday around Easter? Why not make your destination the beautiful area of Florence in Italy? In Florence there is a folk tradition at Easter called the Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart) where a cart, packed full of fireworks and other forms of pyrotechnics, is lit on Easter Sunday in the Piazza del Duomo.
It is a wonderful display of colour that is not to be missed!

Not only can you see this wonderful event, but also the fantastic sights of Florence that are not just limited to one day a year.

The city is truly spectacular, being considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, it is famous for it's art and architecture and also it's cultural heratige. In history it has been ruled by the powerful Medici family who are in many ways linked to the pope and the famous renaissance artists such as Michealangelo.

There is more to Italy than meets the eye, and there is certainly more to Italy than Florence, Rome and Venice as we all know. But do you really know what the real, rural Italy is like?
For starters, you could take a look at the area of Orcia Valley. There are some pretty little villages in this area of Tuscany which  are situated among some of the most beautiful views in Italy such as Montalcino, San Quirico D’Orcia and Pienza.

There are many properties here that you can rent and while you enjoy the beautiful scenery of the countryside, you can also take day trips out to get a taste of the history of the area, finishing the day in a lovely restaurant with beautiful traditional Italian food.

Florence in Tuscany is Nr. 1 in the Tripadvisor "Top 10 Food & Wine Cities in Europe" !

Actually 5 out of the 10 cities mentioned are in Italy: welcome to Foodies Paradise...

Stay in one of our Florence rentals! We even offer rentals on the Piazza della Signoria !

If you're looking for a holiday with a spice of history and culture but you aren't really interested in staying in a city then you should have a look at Florence.

The city holds many of the main attractions, being a key part in the Renaissance, however there are many other interesting parts of the province that are not so well known. There are some beautiful wineries, monasteries and other attractions situated in the Florentine hills and many people choose to holiday in Villas in these areas due to the fact that not only do they have beautiful scenery and a quiet, tranquil place to relax, but also that they are situated in the middle of a choice of activities such as travelling to the city for a day to see some of the famous art and architecture (including the Statue of David and The Basilica Santa Maria Del Fiore), hiking trips, wine tours, etc.

If this type of holiday interests you, why not have a look at some of our luxury villas in Florence?

Souvenirs to bring back home are always a problem, but not when you are visiting Siena.

In this era of globalization now you can make a difference. In this little shop in Via dei Pellegrini 9 in Siena you can get the most beautiful and amazing objects in olive wood and, even more special, olive root : chopping boards, plates, salad bowls, spoons, pepper mills and more.

This is high quality Italian craftsmanship made with traditional techniques that have not changed in time. The olive wood really is a Tuscan product and easy to carry home.

Of course, if you'd like to visit Siena, Italy check out these villas in Siena.