Location Torre del Drago 

Inhabited by the Etruscans, protected by the Romans, fortified by the Longobardi and castles from the mid 1500's onwards makes this a very busy town.  However the social life of today includes, markets, evenings in the cafe, strolls around town in the park area and eating at outdoor restauarnts.

Home of the famous Italian poet Giosuè Carducci, the village of Castagneto Carducci is a cosy hamlet located on the top of a hill that faces the Tirreno sea, with a stunning "belvedere".

Charming medieval hill town in the beautiful area of "Monte Amiata", in the Southern Tuscany, which offers stunning viwes of the countryside, with the typical landscape of green rolling hills, olive groves, pines and charming stone hamlets all around. Santa Fiora, even if it is a small village, is actually very active, there are many restaurants, cafes and there are events taking place during all year long...

Tradition would have it that the local farmers on the last two Sundays of May would exhibit themselves on carts decorated with flowers and local flora which pulled by bulls - or cows - in the town square.

Considered one of the Tuscan ART TOWNS, Massa Marittima is positioned on the “Colline Metallifere” (metal hills – the area is rich of precious metals), between the Etruscan coast and the countryside.

This charming medieval town located uphill in the area known as Val di Cecina, in the province of Pisa, dates back from the 11th century. It offers great views and great wines: Montescudaio D.O.C., both red and white types.

Montespertoli - a charming village that tastes like the Florentine countryside with its delicious Chianti wine, food, olive oil and festivals

A majestic medieval tower is home to this little hole in the wall right off of the beautiful town square in Arezzo - small, cozy, great food and even better wine.

Tuscany overflows with restaurants, its a national past time! However restaurants that still make their own pasta, that is a little less likely to find.  Here you will find traditional meals, just like the Nonna (Grandmom) would make.  No frills, just good plain pasta with sauce and meat dishes.

Restored to perfection and filled with lots of do-dads from the 50's, you will have as much fun looking at all of the objects as you will deciding which dish to get - or at least when to stop getting something to eat....

Why be bothered waiting in long hot lines, when you can reserve a spot in advance at one of the more famous museums in all of Tuscany.  Do it yourself, with contained reservation fees - read about this and other museums right here. Or why bother waiting in any lines when you aren't sure if this is the right museum.  There are so many truely interesting places in the many towns of Tuscany - check out the places you might be interested in before you get to the ticket booth.

A forerunner in color and design, Piero della Francesca has left some beautiful pieces of artwork in the Arezzo area.

Born in Mugello around the year 1267, disciple of Cimabue, Giotto represents an important change and innovation in the Italian art, marking the end of Gothic and the opening of the Renaissance.

The monumental character of Arnolfo di Cambio's work has left its mark on the appearance of Florence, signing like Giotto the passage from Gothic to Renaissance in architecture and decorative art.

Giacomo Puccini, born at Lucca on Dec 22nd 1858, was the composer of many famous operas like Tosca, Turandot, Madame Butterfly and La Bohème

Michelangelo Buonarroti, the master of the Renaissance capable to extract life, movement and expression from a piece of marble, was born at Caprese Michelangelo, on March 6th 1475 and died at Rome, on February 18th 1564. It was a long intense life with a wide art career as a sculptor, painter and architect.

Boccaccio was one of the greatest storytellers in Italy and Europe of the 14th century with his most famous work Decameron, which was immediately translated into many languages. Born at Certaldo or Florence in the 1313 and dead at Certaldo in 1375.

Monte San Savino, a beautiful "borgo" located extaclty mid distance between Siena and Arezzo, promotes every year the Porchetta Festival... an amazing (and delicious) typical Italian experience!

Carnival in Tuscany, Italy is not only a time to bring out the famous Venetian customs with colorful masks and long flowing robes - but also a national holiday to poke holes at their political machine. No one does it better than the folk at Viareggio in Tuscany.

The most famous and impressive medieval horse race in Tuscany and the whole Italy, the Palio of Siena tells us about this majestic city and its fabulous history...

Arezzo has a famous historic pagent twice a year an antique jousting match from the Medieval times and played all the way up until XVIII secolo, it was brought back in 1931.

Another spectacular reenactment similar to the Palio of Siena is in Pistoia, called "Giostra dell'Orso" - that can be translated as the Joust of the Bear.

Roam through the medieval streets of the town of Poppi and enjoy visiting private cantinas furnished with antique wine gear and bottles and bottles of Italian - and more often than not - Tuscan wines.  The entire town opens its doors and gardens, exploiting their natural resource: a beautifully restored town.

The battle that took place at Scannagallo - Pozzo della Chiana on the year 1554 was a real, bloody battle which guaranteed the superiority of Florence over Siena. To remind that important date the Association Scannagallo promotes a realistic historical reconstruction where the audience can see all details of that event and time.

Organize and Italian cooking class in your Villa.

Origins of this dish go back to the sheep herders who while moving the sheep long distances had very little food - and that which was to be had was normally stale bread and the local vegetables found along their trails.  This dish makes the best of both ingredients.

Many times the Italians just lump all cheese in the salata category - thinking that it is best eaten with the main course but there are some special exceptions on the menu where the cheese can go either way depending on the condiments served.  Ricotta cheese is great with either salty foods or sweet foods and in this receipe it is great as a dessert.

though that opener is debatable - you will find that they defend their cappuccinos as much as they do their wine!  In Italy it is consumed mainly early in the day for breakfast, where it's consumed with cookies, biscuits, croissants or the like.  Italians never drink it with meals; though in many other countries it may be consumed throughout the day or after dinner.

Perhaps one of the more classical and antique dishes in all of Italy, first mentioned in a cookbook from the 1300's  written in the old Tuscan language.  These small shaped dumplings are traditionally from cheese and flour and have changed over the years to include potatoes or as in this case spinach and ricotta cheese.

In most of our Tuscan Villas, you can order a cook who comes in the villa to prepare a Tuscan meal, a lunch or dinner for the day you prefer specially for your group. All you need to do is tell us at least a week in advance to organize it.

Book a cooking lesson with two expert chefs and the guidance of our partner, Marisa, who will assist you and translate in English language the whole lesson! Read more...

Spaghetti with courgette flowers and shrimps

Pappardelle with wild boar sauce

Florentine Savoury Pancakes

Pasta Shells with broccoli and cream

Ribollita means literally Twice cooked soup

If you want a professional catering during your vacation in one of our Tuscan villas you can treat yourself to some fine food and rent a cook. In accordance with you he will prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner, while you can relax and enjoy your holiday.

Put yourself in the hands of an expert English speaking tour guide to visit, and of course taste, the  most distinct vineyards in Tuscany. Explore the World of Tuscan Wine. People drink wine because they enjoy it. Whether it's a crisp, cool white on the patio during summer or a full-bodied red with a rich dinner, wine gives pleasure. And "Exploring the world of Tuscan wine..." with an accomplished English speaking host gives you the basic tools to enjoy it even more. Click here to Reserve your Wine Tour - include number of persons and preferred date

To understand Tuscan wines, it is necessary to learn about the process of making wine in Tuscany and what are the rules that control this production.

Fattoria di Presciano has what is considered a historic cantina, built in the early 1900`s - and the owner is quite knowledgable about grapes and the wine making process, he is a little slow to warm up to but when you do it he is a bottomless pit of information, especially when you start discussing about the history of wine!

"Cantine Aperte" means Open Cellars, this is the most important wine Festival in the whole Italy, when many wineries open their cellars to visit and tasting attracting many tourists and wine enthusiasts from the whole world.

Located in a privileged area between Volterra and San Gimignano, Il Palagio’s lands extend over Etruscan and Roman old settlements, actually the wine dates back from that time. With modern methods but preserving many of the ancient procedures, Il Palagio is able to produce top quality wines. The most important one, connected to the territory is the Vernaccia di San Gimignano D.O.C.G.

Maremma, the most unspoiled lands between Grosseto and the Tirrenian coast, is a territory that best preseves old Tuscan country traditions.

This Italian jewel has everything Tuscany is famous for wrapped up in its city walls: Roman ruins, medevial charm, museums, delicious restaurants, great shopping for gold, leather, clothing, ceramics and reasonable prices for everything! MAP OF OUR VILLAS  - AREZZO AREA

Yet it is a definite surprise if all you think about are those delicious chocolate candies with the hazelnuts and love messages written inside. There is way much more to see in this hidden corner.

Cortona, the town that became famous with the movie and book “Under the Tuscan Sun”, is said to pre-date both Rome and Troy. Extensive traces of its Etruscan past emerge to document its role as one of the twelve cities of the Etruscan Confederation. MAP OF OUR VILLAS - CORTONA AREA

Known by its majestic towers that cut the hilly landscape, visible from long distances, this UNESCO mankind patrimony hides much of the Tuscan culture!

but you can visit Rome in a day, using the Eurostar train leaving from Florence and Arezzo. This is a great way to not miss out on the classics of Italian culture while vacationing in the land of art and culture - Tuscany.  I have put together some helpful hints on visiting Rome in a day.

You don`t have to miss out on visiting the romantic city on water just because you choose to stay in Tuscany. The Italian train system has a speedy Gonzalez train that runs from Florence to Venice every morning and evening - you have the perfect amount of time to get your feet wet (so to speak) and enjoy the wonders of "Venezia".

- we have sifted through a long list of possible activites and picked those which we accessed to be characteristic - fun and in areas easy to find.  We have based our list on info provided by the local governments - however we are not responsabile if these activities are cancelled, moved or unavailable.

- we have sifted through a long list of possible activites and picked those which we accessed to be characteristic - fun and in areas easy to find.  We have based our list on info provided by the local governments - however we are not responsabile if these activities are cancelled, moved or unavailable.

- we have sifted through a long list of possible activites and picked those which we accessed to be characteristic - fun and in areas easy to find.  We have based our list on info provided by the local governments - however we are not responsabile if these activities are cancelled, moved or unavailable.

"Sagra" is the Italian word for Food Festival. What can you expect to find when you go? Normally it is a group of locals in the Pro Loco (which means local promotional agency) who get together and prepare a menu with a theme. The money earned in these events is dedicated to buying things for the town folk or setting up parks and play area for the children.

Getting Married in Italy can be a pleasant, memorable and relaxing experience…just like drinking a glass of Chianti red wine.   The a brief checklist  for getting married in Tuscany:

This beautifully restored Italian country farmhouse is an ideal solution for weddings or large parties because of its typical Tuscan flavour, stone architecture, terracotta arches, fantastic views and a lush green garden which is literally picture perfect.

Fattoria is located in the Tuscan hills with a traditional Tuscan look about it.  You will find a large beautiful estate, meticulously cared for garden area and a spacious building with a large gazebo next door for your recption area.

A modern villa located on a top hill of the countryside just outside Arezzo, with a stunning outdoor area, large swimming pool with wonderful views during the day and evening, tastefully taken care spaces where to set an unforgettable wedding reception in Tuscany...

A stunning venue for the wedding of your dreams, within walking distance to Foiano della Chiana, a charming medieval village in the heart of Tuscany surrounding by the typical golden and green panorama...

Learn more about this treasure of Tuscany: extra virgin olive oil. Discover why the Tuscan extra virgin olive oil is considered one of the best in the world.

Entering for the first time into a foreign supermarket can be a little overwhelming - all these new smells, colors and most of all the language barrier. We will try to help you prepare for you first visit - telling you what to look for and what to look out for! This article focuses on baked breads.

Each year from September to December the heart of every truffle lover beats faster. It is one of the most valuable and highly sought after edible fungi. It is also called “the diamond of the kitchen” and can be found underground in some selected regions in Tuscany.

Surrounded by breathtaking views, this Golf Club is located on the boearders of Casentino National Park, where the River Arno rises and mediveal castles and monasteries stand up drawing the landscape.

Professional Golf Club projected by Arnold Palmer, international golfer that completed his carreer designing golf courses. Centrally located, only 15km from Florence Airport, Le Pavoniere offers a mix of professionalty, relax, fun and gorgeous landscape.

Located inside an oasis of Mediterranean nature, Argentario Golf Club offers a golf course and park with total of 77 hecatres, where the 18 holes are completely different one from the other providing a new challenge for each player.

Valdichiana is the most popular Outlet Centre of Tuscany, located right by the highway A1 toll at Bettolle, in the Southern Tuscany, less than an hour drive from Siena and Arezzo.

Tuscany is rich of street markets and this is certainly a great choice to make shopping as well as get full immersion in the Tuscan experience: antiques, handcrafts, flowers, vegetables, clothes, souvenirs and much more is waiting for you along the streets of many Tuscan cities and villages.

The city of Arezzo offers plenty and is also a good starting point for a day trip to surroundings area where many small beautiful villages can be visited: the monastery of La Verna, local markets and historic small villages, splendid walks in the Casentino National Park, go swimming in a lake near Londa, try excellent wine in the local vineyard of Rufino or visit the castle of Incisa.

An idea that is really worthy and we surely recommend is to take a few days more to do this trip between Florence and Rome or between Siena and Rome (or vice-versa) by car, not with the highway but through an old Roman road - Via Cassia. At last, ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME.

A complex of six Archaeological, Coastal and Natural Parks, including museums and a documentation centre compose the system of Parks of Val di Cornia, the stunning area between the mineral slopes and the Etruscan coastline that extends from Livorno to Grosseto including the Promontory of Piombino.

To go through a wine trail like the Etruscan's coast trail gives the opportunity to visit charming medieval villages, vineyards and olive groves immersed in an unspoilt hilly land not far away from "Blue Flag" beaches. Visting the wine cellars and tasting the local wines your will learn more about the territory itself and taste a little bit of real Tuscany.

TERRE DI AREZZO wine trail is about 200 km long, passwing through various wine production areas including 8 types of wines, many wineries, restaurants, wine shops. The route goes through a wide area that surrounds the Province of Arezzo, covering the Northeastern part of Tuscany, composed by an incredible variety of land forms that together create a typical Tuscan countryside.

It is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3 if you already know the answers.  We have done a little footwork for you and provided a list of helpful ideas for making your vacation in Tuscany as relaxing as possible.

It can be a little confusing since each country has its own way of describing sleeping arrangements, their own measurements and their own standards.