Archive for 'Lucca'

House-museums are dotted all over the globe and there are lots of them in Italy, in particular. These are a particularly insightful and interesting breed of museum in which objects by an artist are displayed in a space in which they grew up, lived, and/or worked. Often in a childhood or final home of an artist, they celebrate the full spectrum of the life and work of an artist and are a great way to get to know more about the maker behind the pieces.

In Rome you can find the Hendrik Christian Andersen House Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the Norwegian-American 20th century artist Hendrik Christian Anderson, in Milan there is the Manzoni House Museum, dedicated to 19th century Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni, and in Possagno, the Canova Museum, which is not a former home to the artist but is where much of his living and work spaces were transported, as well as works of art, after his death. Another, more recently established house museum dedicated to an artist is Forte dei Marmi’s Ugo Guidi Museum.

One of the most celebrated Italian sculptors of the 20th century, the museum is set in Ugo Guidi’s studio and home in this beautiful Tuscan seaside city. If you are interested in Italian art and fancy a Tuscan vacation by the sea, a holiday rental in Forte dei Marmi is a great idea as it will allow you to enjoy both at the same time! With over 600 sculptures, tempera paintings, drawings, and more by the artist on display, the Ugo Guidi Museum is a fine testament to his legacy that maps out the artist’s entire life and career inside the space in which he both worked and lived.     Read More

Carrara Marble is famous worldwide. It adorns counters in the fanciest kitchens around the world and was the material of choice of the great Renaissance genius, Michelangelo. To this day, the area in and around Carrara is steeped in the tradition of marble quarrying and of parcelling it off to make beautiful things. You can go on exhilarating 4x4 tours through the glittering marble quarries of the region to see where the journey of so many famous art objects and buildings began, you can explore the stunning and exquisitely carved marble gem that is Carrara’s Cathedral and how the material can be used to its fullest and most extraordinary extent, you can wander around the many marble beauties in the town of Carrara, and you can also seek out the exceptionally lovely sculptures made of Carrara marble in churches and galleries and museums all over Tuscany, Italy, and the world.     Read More

One of the most important things that we want when we go on holidays is to really relax and unwind. If you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany and are planning to get away from it all then why not plan to set aside a morning or two for a good yoga session to loosen up, get rid of all of your tension, and start a day of fun and sightseeing right? Breathe, relax your jaw, roll your shoulders, and get ready to enjoy a wonderful holiday in beautiful Tuscany…

Whether you are based in a city or in the country, there are plenty of different options to choose from all around the region. Tuscany is actually quite an up-and-coming yoga destination and there are new schools opening all over. Plus, as a famously relaxed place, Tuscany has a perfect atmosphere for practicing yoga and what better backdrop or setting than the rolling pastures and pretty hilltop towns of Tuscan landscapes and the historic grandeur and architectural gems of Tuscan city views? It couldn’t really get much more idyllic than that!

Here are some of the best places to attend some yoga classes and take a moment’s pause while you are exploring Tuscany.     Read More

While there are plenty of regular beaches, Italy has a particular tradition of paid beaches wherein you pay a fee to access a stretch of coast outfitted with lots of facilities and extras, such as showers, sun beds, umbrellas, restaurants, bars, and more. You can, of course, go to free beaches open to the general public all over the country, but you will often have to do without showers or shade, bring your own loungers or towels to lay out on, deal with larger crowds, and bring or head elsewhere for various supplies like snacks and water. In the famous Tuscan seaside town of Viareggio there is one must-see paid beach that customers rave about on a regular basis: Bagno Maurizio. If you have found a holiday rental with a private pool in Viareggio and are planning on some beach days, spend at least one on this private stretch of the strand and you’ll have nothing to worry about and perfect, stress-free fun on the beach!     Read More