Archive for 'Localities'

If you are both a fashion-lover and a fan of Tuscany villas then there is no doubt that a luxury villa in Florence is a perfect fit. While enjoying all the city has to offer, you can also spend time exploring the fashion museums of both famous brands like Gucci and Ferragamo and state-run historic costume collections like those at the Museum of Costume and Fashion in the Palazzo Pitti to learn more about the history of Italian design. You can see the business of fashion and traditions of craftsmanship that are on display at artisan’s ateliers. You can simply sit out with a cup of coffee in a piazza and do a bit of people-watching to soak up the local street style. Or you can even head to boutiques, famous shopping streets, local markets, and the flagship stores of some of the most famous brands in the world to find some incredible items of clothing and bring a little bit of that famous Italian style home with you after your vacation in Florence.

However, being based in the city of Florence means that you also have ready access to other towns, cities, and fashion-related attractions if you want to venture further afield and seek out some less obvious or well-known sartorial stars. Among these, the Museo del Tessuto, or Prato Textile Museum.

Located in the charming and nearby town of Prato, this excellent museum is one that we have mentioned before and is known to be one of the best fashion and textile history museums in the country. Currently, it is also playing host to an amazing exhibition that runs into April of next year entitled, “Two Centuries of Textile and Fashion Design,” that will be fascinating to any serious fashion fans or lovers of period costume. 

Truffles have had a long reputation in the culinary world as a beloved product that can immediately elevate even the most basic of dishes. For many years, people all over the world have been seeking them out and paying incredible amounts of money for the highest-quality examples. However, the world of truffle tourism has grown massively in recent years as travelling foodies have sought out new culinary experiences and planned holidays entirely centred around eating well. As Tuscany's truffles are known to be some of the best and most valuable in the entire world, those foodies who want to experience delicious truffles, truffle dishes, and truffle products should browse our Tuscany villas and spend their next vacation well by sampling some truly incredible and delicious things while they relax and unwind. Given that fall is a perfect time of year to get excellent truffles and when most of the region’s truffle festivals take place, it is the perfect time to secure that vacation rental in Tuscany today. Plan a trip in the next couple of months and be sure to seek out Tuscany's brilliant truffle festivals for the best experience of this wonderful foodie favourite!

The island of Elba is famously the paradise to which Napoleon was exiled in his latter years and while we can’t expect to be sent there forever more, we can book a villa on the Tuscan Coast or a vacation rental in Portoferraio and get a taste of life in this stunning part of Tuscany. Browse our Tuscany villas and then plan a trip to Elba so you can discover all of its charms for yourself and, in particular, the incredible beaches that abound on the island! One especially gorgeous beach is Forno Beach, a picture-perfect little beauty that is made up of golden sand, rich blue waters, lush green pines on the hillsides all around, charming pastel houses directly overlooking the stretch of sand, fishing boats in a variety of shades bobbing in the water, and romantic craggy grey rocks framing the strand. Peaceful and picturesque, it is one of the most relaxing spots to enjoy a day at the beach while on Elba. 

Have you been looking at our Tuscany villas and considering a vacation in Florence? Well, if that is the case and you’re looking to dip into the city’s chic side then you should definitely plan a visit to the Luisa Via Roma store. Many fashion-lovers are already familiar with the brand as one of the best designer shopping experiences online – a place where you can pick up incredible pieces from the likes of Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Max Mara, Prada, Gucci, and much more besides – but the in-person shopping experience offered by their Florence store is a must for any style obsessives who are thinking about booking a luxury villa in Florence. To be added to any serious fashionista or fashionisto’s itinerary of the city, along with a visit to the Ferragamo Museum, the Gucci Garden, the artisanal leather stores of the city, and more, the Luisa Via Roma store is located in the heart of Florence, on Via Roma, in between the Baptistery and the Piazza della Repubblica, and boasts three floors of gorgeous goods as well as an excellent restaurant.

Planning your next Tuscan getaway? Then check out this incredibly stylish apartment in the historic city of Cortona...

Cortona is medieval walled town perched on a hilltop overlooking the typical and lovely Tuscan landscape of rolling green hills and lush farmland plains of the region. One of the most undeniably picturesque destinations in all of Tuscany, it is the idyllic setting of the beloved book and film, “Under the Tuscan Sun.” With origins dating all the way back to the Etruscans and the Romans, it is steeped in history and tradition and is remarkably well-preserved. Merely wandering around the historic centre is a pleasant activity that could well occupy an entire day but in addition to the charming surroundings and aesthetic of this ancient citadel, there is an array of incredible museums in the town. Cortona boasts a City Museum, library, Museum of the Accademia Etrusca (MAEC), and Etruscan Academy Art Gallery (home to works by a variety of Tuscan and local artists from the 13th to the 17th century, such as Pinturicchio, Signorelli, Taddeo Gaddi, Spinello Aretino, Piazzetta and more) all located in the beautiful Palazzo Casali. Another fascinating museum in town is the Diocesan Museum and there are a number of gorgeous churches, including the Church of Santa Maria Nuova built according the design of famous 16th century architect Giorgio Vasari.