Archive for 'Legends'

Pia dei Tolomei was a gentle and kind woman from Siena in Tuscany who was given a warm mention by Dante in his famous poem, ‘Divine Comedy’. She was a member of the Tolomei family, a rich and powerful family in Siena.

Stay in beautiful vacation rental in Siena where you can discover where Pia dei Tolomei was born and grew up.

Legend has it that at a very young age, she was betrothed to an old man called Nello dei Pannocchieschi. Jealous of the many admiring looks Pia received from young men, Nello imprisoned her in a tower of his castle in Gavorrano.     Read More

The Volto Santo or ‘Holy Face’ of Lucca is a famous wooden crucifix that is housed in the cathedral of San Martino in Lucca city. The Volto Santo is housed in a beautifully built Carrara marble chapel which was designed by Matthew Civitali.

Stay in a pretty vacation rental in Lucca and explore all that this spectacular city and its surrounding area has to offer in terms of culture and beauty.

There’s an interesting legend tied to the beautiful craftsmanship of this crucifix, specifically the carved face of Jesus as the name suggests, ‘Volto Santo’.

It’s said that the crucifix was carved by a man called Nicodemus who was mentioned in the Gospel of Joseph after Christ ascended from the dead.     Read More

The famous Tuscan DOCG labelled wine, Chianti Classico is produced in a particular part of the Chianti region between Florence and Siena. One of the super Tuscan wines, Chianti Classico has been made here since Etruscan times and stands out from the rest because of its unique pink logo with a black rooster seal on all of its bottles.

Book a beautiful villa in Chianti with a swimming pool to experience a lavish holiday in comfort while you sip the area's magnificent wine.

The story behind this seal is derived from a comical legend that dates back to the 13th century in this area. Florence and Siena fought bitterly for the ideal grape growing land of Chianti and decided to end their disagreement in a strange way.     Read More

If you are an appreciator of great beauty and architecture then a visit to the spectacular cathedral in Lucca would be a wonderful sight to behold! The building of the San Martino cathedral began in 1063.

Ornate additions were made over the next few hundred years which turned Lucca cathedral into one of the most beautiful religious buildings in all of Tuscany.

Choose from a lovely range of villas in Lucca to relax in after several days of exploring all the treasures this city and province have to offer!

The tomb of Ilaria del Carretto lies within the duomo which was sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia and the painting titled Madonna and Child with Saints Peter, Clement, Paul and Sebastian by Domenico Ghirlandaio.

Gaze upon the beautifully sculpted wooden crucifix called the ‘Volto Santo’ which is housed within an orthogonally shaped marble chapel within the duomo.     Read More