Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

If you want to try something different on your next holiday to Tuscany then why not book a few tours to explore the depths of the elaborate cave systems that exist here? Visit some in Sovana in Grosetto province or a collection of huge caves in the Apuan Alps in Lucca province. Why not choose from a great selection of holiday rentals with great reviews in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana where there are plenty of excellent eateries and tourist attractions nearby.

Begin the day with a trip to the exciting ‘Citta del Tufo’ park in Sovana where tourists will see pathways cut deep into the soft volcanic rock called tufo that dates back to Etruscan times.

It is believed that they were used as both a drainage system and a site where religious rites took place. There are many Etruscan tombs here, religious symbols carved into the rock and there’s even a temple housing a tomb of what would have been a rich and powerful Etruscan person. Visit the nearby Tomba del Sileno which is the only circular tomb here. It was discovered in 1963 fully intact along with funerary items and urns that were left there too.

If you like what you see when you explore Tuscany’s magnificent cities and tourists attractions then why not see all the delights just waiting for you in underground Tuscany? There are 1,597 caves in this region and many of them are available for touring around.

Enjoy trips to cave systems in Monte Corchia in Lucca province, Massa Marittima and Cetona. Visitors will have no trouble finding a great selection of lovely holiday rentals in Cetona town for example.

Start a day of adventure with a visit to the Monte Corchia cave system in the Apuan Alps which includes over sixty kilometres of galleries, tunnels and caves that run 1200 metres into the earth!

Tourists will learn all about the five million year old history of this beautiful place as well as enjoying a tour around part of the system. Admire natural rock formations like stalagmites, stalactites and the beautifully formed clusters of cave pearls which all form in limestone caves over thousands of years.

There are over fifty three areas in Tuscany that contain curious cave networks, underground tunnels, passages and underground lakes that is sure to add significantly to the prospect of adventure on your next holiday here!

There are 1,597 discovered caves here as well as over 270 kilometres of natural underground passageways. Tourists wishing to base some or all of their holiday stay near to some of this exciting places could stay a beautiful holiday villa in areas like Garfagnana, Montecatini, Versilia or anywhere close to the Apuan Alps.


An example of one such extensive cave system in Tuscany is a spring that rises in the Apuan Alps within the Monte Corchia cave system. This is the most elaborate cave system in Italy, with over sixty kilometres of passages and caves that also includes ‘Paolo Roversi’, a cave that is 1,249 metres deep, making it the deepest in Italy.

Visitors can learn about the five million year old geological history of this fascinating place and much more! Other caves have visitor information centres that sometimes provide tour guides to lead you through it and teach you about the chemistry, geology and biology of these formations as well as some fascinating information on rare flora and fauna that thrive in those dark conditions.

If you’re interested in learning about the history of places you visit on holidays then a trip to the town of Chiusi in the Siena province of Tuscany could offer a very interesting day of discovery for you!

This area was once a very important district of Etruscan civilisation where a powerful king called Porsenna was buried. Visitors wishing to stay here for a few days have plenty of beautiful villas in Chiusi that are located nearby to this site. Porsenna was buried in an elaborate tomb within a complex labyrinth in an Etruscan burial site close to Chiusi.

Legend tells the story of his sarcophagus being laid to rest in a golden carriage guarded by golden statues of twelve horses, a brood hen and five thousand chicks, also made of gold. It is thought that this labyrinth was once part of ancient aqueduct system and dates back as far as 600BC.

A holiday to Tuscany that includes a trip to the artistic city of Florence wouldn't be complete without a visit to the splendid Galleria degli Uffizi in Piazza della Signoria!

This glorious building houses some of the most famous art and sculptures created by the masters of the Renaissance, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Sandro Botticelli.


Tourists wishing to stay here for a few days have a superb selection of stylish apartments to rent in Florence city or spacious luxury villas on the outskirts with excellent commuting services available to travel into Florence.The Galleria degli Uffizi was commissioned in the 16th century by the Medici family and can rightly be declared as a masterpiece in itself! It houses an incredible collection of artwork dating from the Middle Ages until the present day.

Visitors can enjoy embarking on an elaborate guided tour of the Gallery which seems to visually describe the history of Florence itself. There are forty five rooms open to the public; each one dedicated a singular or group of artists, sculptors, architects, scientists or literary masters.