Archive for 'Events'

Every year in the evening of the second last Saturday of June and the afternoon of the first Sunday of September, the town of Arezzo in Tuscany holds an event called la Giostra del Saracino, or simply il Saracino, or The Joust of the Saracen in English.

Born in Medieval times as a military training exercise, it is now a great festival in the city which brings together tradition, history, food, music and costumes.

Stay in a nearby luxury villa with a pool and enjoy this exciting festival, full of events for the whole family!

A precursor to soccer called il calcio storico fiorentino is played annually during the third week of June in Florence. Quite unlike the game that we are all familiar with, calcio storico is a brutal, violent sport intimately interconnected with the city's history, rivalries and codes of honour. It is more like a blend of soccer with rugby and boxing.

Not for the faint of heart, players often refuse to invite their families to games as they find it too difficult to watch. For the sports enthusiast however, it offers a unique experience. Why not book into a luxury villa nearby and come experience it for yourself?

Each year on the 25th of July, thousands of spectators flood the Piazza del Duomo of Pistoia in Tuscany in order to witness a very special sporting event.

This is the “Giostra Dell Orso”, or Joust of the Bear, a jousting contest that was so named in 1947 but has existed in one form or another since c. 1200.

Tied to celebrations in honour of the city's patron saint, St James, on whose feast day the Giostra Dell'Orso takes place, it sees the piazza transformed into an oval race course for the day.

Why not witness the event for yourself and stay nearby in a tuscan luxury villa?

Visit a museum with a difference in the scenic province of Pistoia. Tucked under Monte Libro Aperto, the quaint little town of Rivoreta is the home of the ‘Museum of the People of the Pistoia Apennines ’.

What makes this cultural attraction so unique is that the knowledge that can be shared with you here doesn’t just come from interesting still displays in the museum, it can be observed through townsfolk of Rivoreta! Witness intriguing demonstrations of how the people of this land forged a living for themselves throughout the centuries.

Spend a delightful few hours in the town of Quarrata in Pistoia province. This town is actually made up of seventeen frazioni including the village of Casini and the hamlet of Olmi.

Stay in a gorgeous villa in Seano which is only four kilometres away from Quarrata.

There are several enchanting attractions in the town including the ideally named ‘Villa Magic’.
This was an ancient castle that dates back to 1320 and in 1583, was acquired by the Medici family.