Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

San Gimignano is a walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena in Tuscany. It is most well known for its many medieval tower houses, historic city centre and the white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Picturesque, historic and quaint, it's probably the last place one would imagine hosts a Medieval Torture Museum. However, the museum is not merely a grisly and macabre tourist attraction but also an educational tool used to inform visitors about contemporary human rights abuses.

Catherine of Siena was a Dominican tertiary, philosopher and theologian. Born in the 14th century, she began having visions of Christ at the age of five or six. At seven, she had decided to devote her life to God. She resisted marriage as a young woman until she was eventually allowed to join the Dominican Order. She was known for helping the sick and poor and launching reform campaigns among the faithful. Catherine even went so far as to become involved in political matters like swaying the loyalties of cities back towards the papal armies. Her writings spread her word further and gained more followers but she also became known for extreme devotion, eventually dying due to her refusal to eat.

In 2011, iconic Italian luxury brand, Gucci opened a museum in the historic heart of the city. Located in the Piazza della Signoria, only metres from the Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio, the Gucci Museo, or Museum, occupies three floors of the Palazzo della Mercanzia. The museum showcases products from the brand from bags to cars and also houses a café, bookshop and giftshop. For any fashion lovers visiting the city, fans of the label or people looking to do something a little different or experience a different kind of museum, it's a must-see.

Find a luxury villa in Florence and complete the whole luxury experience by dropping by!

Siena Cathedral, or the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, is a 13th century church in Siena, Tuscany. As it houses works by Donatello, Bernini, Michelangelo and Cimabue (among others) and is one of the main sights in the city, chances are that it is already on many itineraries of visitors to the city. However, if you have found a luxury villa in Siena and are making the trip there this summer, there is even more reason to visit the Cathedral.

Villa Demidoff, or Villa di Pratolino, is a park in the Florentine hills. The estate was bought by Francesco I de' Medici in 1568 and he built a beautiful villa and gardens on the site for his Venetian mistress, Bianca Cappello. Bernardo Buontalenti was hired as the architect and garden designer and created the perfect Renaissance pleasure villa set in a wonderland of a garden. Today, however, a very different place exists. Sadly, Medici's home and park, stuffed full of water fountains, grottoes and beautiful gardens filled with exotic plants and flowers, was mistreated and dismantled after his death. Three centuries later its beauty was finally restored.