It’s Autumn in Tuscany, and time to harvest the olives! It’s autumn in Tuscany and, once again, time to get the nets out and prepare for La Raccolta – the olive harvest. La Raccolta in Tuscany normally takes place between October and December, before the olives fall from the trees, but it is vital to […]
Siena – The Soul of Tuscany
No trip to Tuscany is complete without seeing Siena, Florence’s historical rival According to legend, the city was founded by Senius and Aschius, the sons of Remus and nephews of Romulus, boys saved from the Tiber river by a she-wolf, who were the main characters of Rome’s foundation myth. Senius and Aschius fled from Rome […]
Hidden Tuscany: Pistoia – An Insider’s Perspective.
Local resident Sarah Humphreys gives you the inside story on this Tuscan gem: In the words of Cristina Taddei, local archaeologist and historian, “ Pistoia is one of the few towns in Tuscany that still belongs to the past.” Largely overlooked by tourists, Pistoia is a well-preserved medieval city brimming with artistic treasures, emitting a […]
Montepulciano – Famous for its Vino Nobile
Montepulciano – A Hill Town in Tuscany that’s Famous for its Vino Nobile: One of the pleasures of travelling in Tuscany is visiting its many charming medieval hill towns, Montepulciano being one of them. Set on a ridge of about 605 metres above sea level, Montepulciano is one of the of the highest Tuscan hill towns. […]
Montepulciano: Live from the Heart of Tuscany’s Wine Country
Montepulciano is the highest hill town in Tuscany, and renowned for its wine, the Vino Nobile Henry James drank so much Montepulciano wine he couldn’t remember much about this famous Tuscany hill town, but it’s beautifully preserved and well worth a visit, especially to taste the food – and don’t miss the wine cellars! “Well […]
San Gimignano: Live from its Tallest Tower
Don’t miss this walled medieval hill town with its famous towers in beautiful Tuscany San Gimignano in Italy is famous for its tower houses, and here, 54 metres up on top of the tallest one, the Torre Grossa, built in 1311, Tony Page gives you a 360 degree panorama of this famous walled medieval hill […]
Cortona, A Medieval Town Under the Tuscan Sun
Cortona, Frances Mayes’ Town Under the Tuscan Sun Has Very Interesting Etruscan History: Cortona is one of the oldest hill-towns in Tuscany and its history can be traced back to the time of the Etruscans. In the past many writers have written about Cortona, but in more recent times, it was Frances Mayes’ “Under the […]
A Sidetrip to See Frances Mayes’ House Under the Tuscan Sun
A Side Trip to See Frances Mayes’ House in Cortona: Cortona is a charming Tuscan hill town that was quiet and little known to popular tourism before the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun”. This romantic comedy, based on Frances Mayes‘ memoirs, has brought increased interest by visitors, especially women, keen to see where the recently […]
Food in Central Italy
Food in Central Italy: a brief gastronomical tour! Emilia Romagna; Tuscany; Umbria; Le Marche Pomposa; Ravenna; Ferrara; Bologna; Modena; Parma; Siena; San Gimignano; Pisa; Lucca; Firenze (Florence); Arezzo; Montepulciano; Montalcino; Lake Trasimeno; Perugia; Assisi; Spoleto; Orvieto; San Leo; San Marino; Urbino; Ancona; Ascoli Piceno Food in Central Italy may be the most familiar to tourists, […]
Italy Travel
An Italy Tour is more than a Roman Holiday… I love Italy. Travel in Italy should mean swanning round in a red Ferrari convertible between legendary hotels in legendary places like the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, the Hassler in Rome and Corbusier’s Punta Tragara in Capri. Not just a dream… Unfortunately this kind of Europe […]
