Archive for 'Localities'

In case you missed it, the first part of the Top Ten Places to Visit in Florence was posted last week. Be sure to read it!

Florence has been one of those iconic cities that people have dreamed of visiting for hundreds of years. During the Renaissance it was a major center of thought, expression and art of all kinds. Many magnificent churches, opulent palaces and impressive monuments were constructed over the centuries, making it one of the most memorable cities in Italy!

Florence has been one of those iconic cities that people have dreamed of visiting for hundreds of years. During the Renaissance it was a major center of thought, expression and art of all kinds. Many magnificent churches, opulent palaces and impressive monuments were constructed over the centuries, making it one of the most memorable cities in Italy!

Siena, well known for its Palio and beautiful black and white striped Duomo, is a great place to consider for your next vacation. The area was first settled by the Etruscans more than two millenia ago and sacked by the Gauls of present day France, only to be retaken by the Romans around 70 A.D. where it was named "Saena Julia" and has remained a major town in the region ever since.

Siena is truly a medieval town. In the city center, traffic is kept to mainly foot traffic, the buildings are all kept in the same style and new buildings have to be designed similarly so there is no garish modern buildings to mar the historic facades of the city. During the Palio, the city is transported back in time and many of the citizens come out in medieval costume and parade through the streets during the events leading up to and including the race itself.

Banners are waved for each section of the city, as they cheer for their horse and rider, all confined within the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo that has been lined with dirt to form the racetrack. If you are lucky enough to find a rental during one of the two Palio's each year you will be treated to experience you will not soon forget.

During the rest of the year, there is still plenty to see, do, eat and enjoy in and around Siena. It is centrally located to many smaller Tuscan hill towns that are well-known destinations, such as Montepulciano or Montalcino (both of which should be visited by any wine lover). Be sure to take a look at our full listing of Siena Villas.

Lake Trasimeno is one of the most beautiful lakes on the Italian peninsula. It lies just over the border of Tuscany near Cortona, and dominates the northwestern part of Umbria.

The lake is surrounded on three sides by the hills that are so common throughout the region, with a lowland stretching out from the west of the lake. Olive groves dot the hills surrounding the area, and hills nearest Tuscany also grow many grapes, along with other fruits and vegetables. The climate here is warmer that the other hills surrounding the lake, as they are at a lower elevation. Portions of the shores are covered in many older pines, willows and poplars; many of them over 30m tall.

The towns on the lake are all rather small in population. Some of the notable ones are Passignano sul Trasimeno, Tuoro, Monte del Lago, Torricella, San Feliciano, San Arcangelo, Castiglione del Lago, and Borghetto. Castiglione del Lago is probably the most well known as its the largest peninsula onto the lake and has the largest shoreline by far. The water of Trasimeno remains very clean, with very few large farms and a small population living on the lake it has been able to avoid some of the modern problems.

Well known as a tourist attraction in and of itself, San Gimignano attracts a multitude of visitors each and every year. Some decide to stay in and around the town, looking for that small town appeal, while others make a day trip of it from one of the larger towns such as Florence and Siena. No matter what way you decide to visit, San Gimignano is a beautiful site to see. Its many towers seem to rise majestically from the landscape as you approach it.

San Gimignano is a small medieval town about 60km southwest of Florence, 70km to the western coast of Italy, and 40km from Siena. Founded by the Etruscans in the third century B.C., the town has gone from a small hamlet to a major stopping point for traders to a small tourist town well known for the wine that is grown in its region. In the middle ages the town suddenly found itself on the Via Francigena, a main road running to Rome from France and much of Europe.