For most foreigners, a tour of Tuscany means Florence, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, and maybe Lucca. While these well-known cities and towns exemplify the Tuscany region’s medieval treasures, its history encompasses far more than the Medici, Michelangelo, and all that. The enigmatic Etruscans were a major civilization of ancient Italy, and a little-visited region …
Carnevale di Viareggio: FOLK ART ON A GIANT SCALE Poor Burlamacco! The clown character symbolizing the world’s most outsized Mardi Gras celebration is unknown outside Italy, and more’s the pity. The Carnevale di Viareggio is more accessible, family-friendly, and human-dimensioned than its better-known counterparts — Carnevale di Venezia, Carnevale did Rio, and Mardi Gras in …
Arezzo’s current population of 100,000 is many tines what it was during Etruscan and, later, Roman rule, but the city has remained a commercial and cultural center for millennia. One of the hallmarks of Etruscan civilization – the working of gold to produce fine filigree jewelry – has continued to the present day: Arezzo is …
Dario Cecchini has become one of the most famous butchers in the world. Located in Tuscany, his little butcher shop and restaurant are a MUST on your next trip!
An hour of curvy roads brought me to Rocca delle Macíe winery in Tuscany. It’s a special time of year because the olive trees are in flower, the tiny, white, star-shaped flowers lasting only five to six days. This morning, I had a private tour and wine tasting with the winery’s top sommelier, Georgeta Perhald. …
Italy is synonymous with good wine and good food, so why not take a cooking class in Italy? Regional specialties vary – from bistecca alla fiorentina in Tuscany to pizza in Naples. No matter where your travels take you in Italy, you’ll find a cooking school where you can learn to cook the area’s traditional …
Agritourism is gaining in popularity as a way to learn more about the country you are visiting in a very personal way. Agritourism is a vacation taken on a farm, a vineyard or other rural venue. Typically vacationers will book a room, cottage, or villa on a farm or rural property. In many cases, vacationers …
There is no lack of restaurants in Tuscany and the cuisine is known for its use of fresh ingredients and fragrant olive oil. The following are our tried and true recommendations for good eating in Tuscany. Siena La Taverna di San Giuseppe The Taverna of San Giuseppe is an authentic Tuscany restaurant whose location dates …
One of the joys of traveling to Tuscany is the change to visit the markets held in multiple cities and little towns. There is a market held every day of the week somewhere, and many of the people travel from town to town displaying their wares or selling their home-grown vegetables and fruits. Tuscany Markets …