Activities |
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Tuscany |
Duomo Museum in Florence © Italian Tourist Board
Resorts
See our separate guides to the following Tuscany holiday resorts: Assisi and Siena
Attractions
Chianti region, Tuscany
Chianti Region
A circular route from Siena through the Chianti hills provides visitors to the region with a wonderfully scenic and sensory travel experience. The route covers the villages of the Chianti Classico wine region, garnished with ancient castles and rambling farmhouses. The vineyards and wooded hills of the Chianti are best explored along its winding back roads or from within its sleepy hamlets. By car, visitors would keep a lookout for signs marked 'vendita diretta' ('direct sales'). The first stop is at Castello di Brolio, a magnificent vineyard owned by the Ricasoli family since 1167. The SS484 will take you south of Brolio and north past the hamlets of San Gusme, Campi and Linari before rejoining the road for a diversion to the Meleto castle. Another worthwhile stop is at Badia a Coltibuono for its restaurant and Romanesque church. The winding road west to Radda in Chianti is especially picturesque. A further nine miles (15km) from here north to the hamlet of Volapia is a delightful way to feel as though you've traveled back in time; as is a visit to sleepy Castellina in Chianti. Within the ramparts of this walled village is the Bottega del Vino Galla Nero at Via della Rocca 13, showcasing the region's delectable wines and olive oils.
Cortona
Cortona
Cortona is a richly historic city that enjoys a scenic position above Lake Trasimeno and the plain of Valdichiana, dotted with olive groves and vineyards. It is one of Tuscany's oldest cities, and home to some of its best-preserved Etruscan buildings. Cortona also has a strong artistic pedigree, reflected in its status as a 'City of Art', and was home to Luca Signorelli and Pietra da Cortona. A good place to begin a tour of the city is at its oldest part, the base of Porta Colonia, where the original walls from the 4th century BC are still visible. Other highlights of the city include a ramble along the cobbled streets and clambering up cut-stone staircases to gaze over a city-scape little changed since the Renaissance and in many cases, the Middle Ages. Via Janelli, in particular, has some of the oldest houses in Italy, many with their original timber supporting the overhanging upper stories. Other key sights in Cortona include the church of San Francesco (notable as the first Franciscan church outside Assisi), Palazzo Comunale, and Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca (which houses a number of major Etruscan artefacts).Website: www.cortona.com
Pitigliano © GiorgioPro
Etruscan Sites
Attracted by the mineral wealth found in the regions of Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria, the Etruscans made their way to Italy around 900 BC. Traces of Etruscan civilisation can be found in their burial sites and in the artefacts found in their tombs. They were preoccupied with the afterlife and dedicated much effort to building burial sites carved into rock, or constructed from stone slab and reached by purpose-built rock-cut roads. For an exploration of Etruscan artefacts start at Grosseto. The Museo Civico Archeologico in Grosseto contains a selection of Etruscan artefacts that were found in tombs nearby. Head north from here to Roselle, the most important excavated Etruscan and Roman remains in Tuscany. From here, follow the road leading east for 34 miles (54km) to the Etruscan village of Saturnia to explore its rock-cut tombs and then on to Sovanato to see the famous Ildebranda Tomb. The town of Pitigliano is peppered with Etruscan tombs and tunnels. The town itself is a spectacular vista of houses jutting out over soft limestone cliffs and caves bordering the River Lente. The cliffs contain numerous caves that have been used to store local wines and olive oils and the town itself is a labyrinth of medieval streets that have carried the passage of many a traveller. From this quaint town, head west to the extensive necropolis on the outskirts of Marsiliana. Complete the trip with a stop at Talamone and Maremma, for a visit to the Etruscan temple, Roman villa and baths.Address: Lazio and Umbria
Leaning Tower of Pisa © wsuph001
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa was built as a freestanding bell tower (campanile) behind the city cathedral. Constructed during the 11th and 12th Centuries, the tower is the third-oldest building in Pisa's Cathedral Square. Originally intended to stand vertically, the tower now leans towards the south-west due to uneven foundations in the loose earth. At its highest point the tower reaches 186 feet (57m) above ground level, and has 296 steps leading to the top floor. It is not certain who the original architect was but it was most likely designed by Diotisalvi.Address: Campo dei Miracoli Pisa; Website: www.opapisa.it/en/home-page.html; Telephone: +39 050 560 547; Opening time: Open in December and January from 10am to 4.30pm; in November and February from 9.30am to 5.30pm; in March from 9am to 5.30pm; in April to September from 8.30 am to 8pm; and in October from 9am to 7pm; Admission: €15, although you can buy online tickets (€17) in advance, to avoid the heavy ticketing queues
Lucca
Lucca
The charming city of Lucca is laid out on ancient Roman roads and framed within well-preserved and photogenic medieval ramparts. The city was home to Puccini and is famed for its chamber music, and celebrated for its museums, monuments and splendid Romanesque churches. With its flat terrain and narrow lanes, Lucca is perfectly suited to explore on foot or bicycle, the same methods local people use to commute. Key sights on a visit to Lucca are the Duomo, San Michele, San Frediano, Museo Nazionale Guinigi and Torre Guinigi. The remains of an ancient Roman amphitheatre can be found on Piazza del Mercato, lined by buildings dating from the middle ages. Casa di Pucini is an essential stopover for opera fans, as Puccini lived and composed in this well-preserved 15th Century building.
Montepulciano © Italian Tourist Board
Montepulciano
Montepulciano is Tuscany's highest hilltop town, built along a narrow limestone ridge at 1,950ft (605m) above sea level. Sheltered within the town's fortified walls are charming streets packed with Renaissance-style palaces and churches. Its most celebrated achievement is its Vino Nobile wines. Also of interest is the Madonna di San Biagio, a delightful pilgrimage church on the outskirts of the town. For a dip into Etruscan reliefs and funerary urns collected by Pietro Bucelli, visit his Palazzo on Via di Gracciano del Corso 73. For splendid views, take a stroll to the Palazzo Communale and climb the tower.Address: Via Ricci 9 (Tourist office); Opening time: Palazzo Communale's tower is open from 9am to 2pm, Monday to Saturday.
Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is home to one of Italy's most famous attractions, the Leaning Tower, yet it is also celebrated for its outstanding university, proud maritime heritage (dating back three millennia), and its status as the birthplace of Galileo Galilei, the world's greatest astronomer. Other notable sites are the strikingly beautiful square Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles); the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, which displays wonderful arabesque panels; and the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, known for its collection of Florentine art from the 12th through to the 17th Centuries. And yet Pisa's identity will forever be linked to its Leaning Tower, an accident of engineering caused by the combination of the top-heavy marble of the building and the shifting subsoil of its foundations. Other buildings have also suffered over the years, notably San Michele dei Scalzi (located in the Field of Dreams).
San Gimignano
San Gimignano
The distinctive skyline of the charming medieval village of San Gimignano is redolent of a modern cityscape with its many towers, hence its nickname the 'medieval Manhattan'. Only 14 of the original 72 towers remain, however, which is unsurprising as their dual role as status symbols and defensive structures saw them caught in the middle of the many feuds and battles that eventually caused the town's downfall. Nevertheless, these 14 towers are among the best-preserved in Italy, and are the envy of Florence and Bologna whose towers have long since been destroyed. San Gimignano enjoyed an ideal position on the main pilgrimage route connecting Northern Europe and Rome and prospered during the Middle Ages. In modern times, its fortune stems from tourism and wine production. The ideal starting-point for a visit to San Gimignano is the Piazza del Duomo, which is the centre of the town and framed by historical buildings. Nearby is the Collegiata, a church dating from the 11th Century and famed for its frescoes, which include The Creation by Bartolo di Fredi. For shopping and souvenirs, head to Via San Giovanni.Website: www.sangimignano.com
Events
Palio di Siena
Twice each year - on the 2nd of July and the 16th of August - the historic town of Siena comes alive for the historic horse race, the Palio di Siena. Held for the first time in 1656, the Palio is one of the most history-rich sporting events in the world and a magnificent display of pageantry: billowing buntings adorn the city's central square, and the riders still ride bareback, dressed in traditional clothes representing 10 of the city's 17 contrades (wards). The race takes place on a dirt track circling the Piazza del Campo and is a high-octane affair - it is not uncommon for riders to be thrown from their horses as they enter the sharp turns, and for horses to finish the race jockeyless. If you plan on visiting Italy in the summer, be sure to include the Palio di Siena in your travel itinerary - it is a fantastic and exhilarating way to experience real Italian culture.Venue: Piazza del Campo, Siena; Date: 2 July and 16 August 2012