Archive for 'Pisa'

  

Uliveto, in the province of Pisa, is one of several Tuscan towns known for its thermal baths but is a particularly memorable one among the bunch for its rich history and exceptional facilities – both natural and manmade. If you are planning a spa getaway in Tuscany, or even if you hadn't considered it but could do with some serious R&R, then Uliveto has to be one of the best possible destinations that you could choose!

Take a dip in Uliveto's water with its unmistakable taste, effervescence and beneficent virtues, go to a team of specialists and have them help you change your life and health forever or enjoy the surroundings, take a dip in the pool and even try out archery or martial arts. Once you have found a luxury villa in Uliveto, you'll never be short of something to do and you'll return home a much more relaxed person.     Read More

  

Fishing at Marina di Pisa
Marina di Pisa is a seaside town located not far from Pisa. Its beginnings can be first traced back to the 17th century when Ferdinando I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, decided to move the mouth of the River Arno and reclaim land in the area. A hexagonal building surrounded by a moat, called “the Fort”, was then built for the custom traffic. Fishermen's houses probably began to spring up around this building over time but the official foundation of the town itself dates back to 1872. This is when the municipality of Pisa drew up a plan of a grid-pattern town divided by three squares connected to Pisa by a major road. Though the town of Marina di Pisa is not so old as many others in the region, it still has a fascinating history, is exceptionally pretty and is perched in a wonderful coastal location.

If you are looking to get away from it all and enjoy some sun, see and a different pace of life, just find a villa with pool in Marina di Pisa.     Read More

  

Torta coi bischeri is a typical Pisan dessert. “Torta” means cake and the word “bischero” literally means the small key which is used to adjust the strings of a violin. However, the word has developed dozens of other meanings in Tuscany. In the case of the Torta coi Bischeri, the word refers to the rolls of dough which are arranged during preparation to surround the cake, and which look exactly like the aforementioned violin key.

This “cake”, is actually closer to a tart and is made of chocolate decorated with currants, pine nuts and candied fruit. As well as the traditional recipe, there is also a green version which sees the rice mixed with beets. Although it is widely sold throughout Pisa, this cake actually originates from Pontasserchio.

In this village, the cake is especially popular during the month of April due to a festival where all residents must bake a spring dessert. As it is a popular gift amongst family and friends during Easter, it is an obvious choice. However, as so many of the cakes are made, each with the family's own recipe, the festival turns into a competition.

The best place to try the cake is in its birthplace or in the surrounding but if you’re too far away, you can try to make it at home with local ingredients. Follow our recipe for now and find a holiday rental in Pisa so you can try the real deal later – or, maybe, even compete in the festival yourself!     Read More

  

A massage
Casciana Terme is a town located in the Pisan Hills in Tuscany which is best known for its thermal springs and spas. The town is very much a typical Tuscan one and has all the charms one would expect of the region with a skyline characterised by terra-cotta roofs, undulating green hills and a medieval bell-tower.

Of course, there is a wonderful local cuisine, beautiful old buildings and museums and lots to see and do in the area, as there is in most Tuscan towns but it is the waters and treatments of Casciana Terme that make it stand out from all the rest.

For the ultimate relaxing Tuscan holiday just find a luxury villa in Casciana Terme.     Read More

  

An 1891 poster for the Moulin Rouge by Lautrec
Toulouse-Lautrec is a French artist of the nineteenth century who worked in similar circles to the Impressionists such as Monet. Even if his name is new to you, it is unlikely that you are unfamiliar with his works as they have become hugely iconic. The so-called “soul of Montmartre”, he captured the streets, lights, music and atmosphere of the bohemian Montmartre district in the late nineteenth century. He was an illustrator and engraver and is best known for the posters that he designed for establishments such as the Moulin Rouge. This key figure of Parisian art history is being showcased in a fantastic exhibition not in Paris but in Pisa at the Palazzo Blu which has become more and more well-known for its world-class exhibitions. Any serious art-lovers who are thinking of holidaying in Tuscany will want to find a luxury villa in Pisa and drop by before the exhibition closes in February.     Read More