Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

Prato province is the smallest of the ten provinces of Tuscany and one of the smallest in all of Italy. Six main communes are situated in Prato province and would make for a few excellent day trips if you’re planning to rent a villa in Prato for some or all of your vacation.

The capital is called Prato and it’s the second largest city in Tuscany after Florence.

The other main towns are called Cantagallo, Poggio a Caiano, Carmignano, Montemurlo, Vernio and Vaiano. Prato city is located at the foot of Monte Retaia and offers a wealth of attractions to keep tourists entertained.

It's home to many stunning buildings, beautiful piazzas and monuments which would be well worth a tour around for a day. Textile production was a large part of Prato’s economy and can be learned about in greater detail at the large textile museum here in the city. It also displays an incredible collection of archived writings by the master Tuscan poet, Dante Alighieri.

The colourful fishing town of Porto Santo Stefano in Monte Argentario is a beautiful sight to behold on your vacation to Southern Tuscany. Porto Santo Stefano was an unfortunate frequent target of attack from menacing pirates until the Spaniards seized control of Monte Argentario and fortified it.

Military structures dot the hills and rugged coastline around the town where the keen eyes of trained lookouts spotted trouble from long distances and could effectively alert and protect the town from danger.

Spend a delightful few hours of touring around the pretty town of Stia in Arezzo province during your next holiday to Tuscany!

Although Stia is often referred to as the ‘source of the Arno’, the real source is in fact located 1,200 metres further uphill on the slopes of Monte Falterona.

Tourists with a love of nature would be intrigued to follow the young River Arno from where it rises down to the town of Stia where it is joined by the River Staggia.

Situated beside the Apuan Alps in the Frigido River Valley is the thriving tourist town of Massa. This coastal town in Massa Carrara province is twinned with the marble excavation town of Carrara which is located right beside it.

Massa was and still is a thriving economy due to its proximity to the vast marble mines which were excavated for centuries.

Stay in a stunning villa with a swimming pool in Massa where you can experience the very finest of comfort and scenery after your thrilling days of exploration!

If you’re visiting the artistic city of Florence for a few days then a must see attraction is the glorious Galleria dell’ Accademia!

This art museum houses the masterpiece sculpture titled ‘David’ which was carved by Renaissance genius, Michelangelo Buonarroti among other notable artworks from this artistic period.

Stay in a charming vacation rental in Florence and enjoy a few days exploring the wealth of art in this stunning city.