Archive for 'Must See Attractions'

In the town of Carmignano there is a large public park called the Quinto Martini Park Museum that displays an exceptional and beautiful range of bronze sculptures by the Italian artist, Quinto Martini, which were made between 1931 and 1988.

This lovely outdoor space acts as both a park and open-air museum and is free for anyone to visit. It is the perfect place to spend a little while wandering around, taking in the artworks and getting some fresh air. It is a million miles away from the long lines and stuffier atmosphere of many museums throughout the region and is a little more unique.

Any art lovers planning a trip to Tuscany should find a luxury villa in Carmignano and make time to experience this distinctive art installation for themselves.

The Antro del Corchia is part of the cave system of Monte Corchia in the Apuan Alps Regional Park and is the largest cave system in Tuscany and one of the biggest in Europe. It is made up of over 60km of galleries which go down to a depth of 1200m into the earth. Exploration of the cave began in the 19th century but it was not opened to the public until 2001. Since then, it has become a popular tourist destination, attracting crowds who want to descend into the otherworldly magic of the caves and you can now even take tours in multiple languages. This is a particularly good family activity as it is informative and interesting with stunning visuals that are sure to keep even the strongest nay-sayers in the group happy. Just find a vacation rental in Lucca and spend a day underground in these astounding natural wonders!

The astute among you, or those who visit the Tuscany Villas website and blog on a regular or, even semi-regular basis, will probably not even need to be informed of the news that we are about to impart today. If you had not already noticed, we have recently launched our new website and blog. After months of careful planning and tweaking, we feel that we've produced something which is both appealing and easy to use. There is a new style and a new layout but the same excellent service will remain untouched and as reliable as ever, so you can enjoy our elegant new look, while still quickly and easily finding the perfect vacation rental in Tuscany for your and your loved ones.

One of the main things that we took into consideration was how people actually use the internet today and how they browse for holidays. This was why perfecting our mobile websites across all platforms – mobile phones of all kinds, tablets and more – was our top priority. Now, our websites are perfectly suited to use no matter how, or on what platform, you are searching for villas and holiday rentals. Likewise, our blog is ready for you to explore on every platform so you can learn all about what to do, see, eat and make time for in Tuscany.

We hope you enjoy using our new websites, as we worked hard on giving you the easiest and best experience possible. Please let us know what you think!

If you want to be informed of any other updates or news from us in the future, be sure to find us across our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.

Happy holiday hunting!

Donatello's name is one of the most enduringly famous of all Italian Renaissance artists but most are more likely to be familiar with the work of the Ninja Turtle than the sculptor. In fact, unlike with Da Vinci or Michelangelo, most would be hard pressed to even name a single one of his works which is rather a crying shame. Why not find a luxury villa in Florence and plan a trip to rectify this? Explore the city, see the sights and take note of the following works which are must-sees and a good introduction to the artist and his oeuvre.

An obvious choice is his “David”. Less well-known than Michelangelo's, it was divisive at the time.

The Boboli Gardens in Florence is a park behind the Pitti Palace which was once the seat of the Medici family. Some of the first formal Italian gardens, Boboli is made up of fountains, statuary from ancient Rome to the 18th century, semi-private and public spaces, nympheums, temples, planting and grottoes. The largest of these grottoes is by the artist, Buontalenti. Built between 1583 and 1593 for Francesco I de' Medici, it was conceived to complete gardens plans that had been devised by Vasari. Composed of three rooms organised in succession, the grotto is a masterpiece of Florentine Mannerist style. Bizarre, extravagant and somewhat surreal, it is one of the highlights of the garden and a highly memorable place quite unlike anywhere else in the world.