Archive for 'Must See Attractions'

The thermal springs of Saturnia are one of the most iconic natural wonders that can be found while enjoying one of our Tuscany Villas and have been drawing visitors to the Saturnia area for centuries. Some tourists may not actually be aware of this but Tuscany is a hotspot (no pun intended) for thermal springs and spa towns that have built up around them, with lots and lots of incredible examples to choose from. For those looking to enjoy a holiday in Tuscany full of relaxation, these spa towns and thermal springs only add to the pretty surroundings, good food, slower pace of life, and general serenity that recommend the region as an ideal destination. And, Saturnia, without a doubt, is home to one of Italy's most famous and beautiful natural spas.

Located atop a hill, overlooking the beautiful surrounding scenery and rolling green hills of the Maremma, Saturnia and her thermal springs have been well-known since ancient times for their therapeutic properties. The town is home to two main naturally-occurring springs that can be visited, including the oft-photographed Cascate del Mulino, located a little under 6km outside the town and made up of a series of waterfalls and natural pools of warm thermal water, and the less famous but less busy, Cascate del Gorello. 

Michelangelo’s David has come up in a few of our recent articles and we thought it about time to write an updated post about the museum in which you can find this iconic sculpture. The museum in question is, of course, the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze and is often referred to merely as the Accademia. Smaller and a little more specialised than the Uffizi, it is also the second-most-visited art museum in Italy after the Uffizi. However, this does not mean that it should be skipped! In fact, any art-lovers who find a villa with pool in Florence and who are spending time exploring the birthplace of the Renaissance should definitely head to this gem. In addition to that most famous work by Michelangelo, there are paintings, sculptures, frescoes, and more from some of the greatest artistic talents who were working largely in the period of around 1300 to 1600.

So, if you have browsed our Tuscany villas and landed on your dream villa in Florence, what can you expect from a visit to the Accademia? Well, expect to set aside a decent amount of time. Despite the fact that the collection is not quite so large as the Uffizi, there is still a decent amount of extraordinary things to take in. In fact, for many this is a much more readily digestible museum that really rewards those with time to wander about for a couple of hours. For most guests, however, there will certainly be particular highlights and/or sections that are likely to be of more interest to you and that might be what you are looking forward to most during your visit.

Tuscany abounds with beautiful historic buildings and homes, in particular. Some of these astounding buildings remain private homes (some can even be booked through our website, like the stunning Villa Moriano that we recently highlighted), others have been converted into hotels, and others still house museums or are open to the public for tours as attractions in their own right. Many have equally gorgeous gardens that can be enjoyed and explored. Villa Bottini in Lucca is a very charming example that is sometimes open to the public but, more often, is used as a site for various kinds of exhibitions and events.

While perhaps not as famous as some of the buildings that surround in Lucca and certainly not a household name like Tuscany’s most famous architectural gems, it is certainly worth exploring if you have found a villa with pool in Lucca or if you are planning on renting one of our Tuscany Villas this summer and are looking for unique events to attend in the most magical of settings. Varying hugely each year, you’ll have to keep your eyes open, but you can pretty reliably ensure that this intriguing gem of a building is likely going to be the site of some extraordinary outings and magical events. 

Tuscany is famous for her remarkable landscapes and pretty towns and places where you can view both. Perhaps the best spot of all, however, to take in these views is the medieval beauty that is San Gimignano. This magical gem is a place where high rise buildings in the form of tower houses are not a new addition to the lovely skyline at all – in fact, they have a long history in the town. Come see these incredible structures and views for yourself by finding a luxury villa in San Gimignano.

San Gimignano, known as the Town of Fine Towers, was famously and historically a town of these impressive ancient towers that were built in the Medieval and Renaissance periods by wealthy families and nobility who tacked the structures onto their homes and built them up increasingly higher in order to compete with each other to show off their fortune and power. The towers were very much status symbols of the time, again something that is not unfamiliar as many places around the globe today continue to compete in attempting to build the tallest structures in the world. 

The idyllic beginnings of the heart-rending classic film La vita è bella (Life is Beautiful) by Roberto Benigni is purposefully fairytale-like. It is a dreamy love story set in beautiful surroundings, a wonderful and glimmering thing to hold onto when things start to go terribly wrong in the plot. A big part of making this introduction as magical as possible is the setting, Arezzo, and few other places could match the storybook quality as perfectly as this gem of a town. Those who are looking for a villa in Tuscany and a holiday spent in surroundings that seem almost too utterly idyllic to be real will find that a vacation rental in Arezzo is just the thing. If you are looking to really fall in love with Tuscany then, as with being a perfect introduction to the film, this gem of a medieval town is an ideal introduction to this most charming region of Italy.