Tuscany
Why Should I travel to Tuscany?View Properties in Tuscany
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1. To see Florence
2. To learn the history and culture of Siena
3. To see the wine areas of Chianti and Brunello.
4. To savor well preserved history in the many hill towns dotting the countryside.
5. To experience olive oil, its harvest, pressing and tasting
6. To further explore the back alleys and less visited churches and monuments of Florence
7. To enjoy the beauty of this special part of Italy

Tuscany , the cradle of modern European culture, contains treasures of every age and style, from the Etruscan theater and Roman baths at Fiesole, to the majestic Gothic buildings in the medieval town of Siena, to the exceptional art and architecture of Florence. The cities of Tuscany have produced writers, scientists, architects, musicians and artists whose works have literally changed the world. The immense dome of Florence ’s Duomo, designed by Brunelleschi, inspired Michelangelo’s design for the dome of St. Peter’s in Rome, and influenced architecture in towns throughout Italy. Modern science and technology have their roots in the experiments of Galileo and other researchers. Puccini was born in Lucca. Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio broke with traditional Latin and wrote in the Italian language, establishing the Tuscan dialect as Italy ’s literary language and things Tuscan as the measure of culture and refinement.

Under the patronage of the Medici dynasty, Florence became the center of the artistic explosion of the Renaissance. One of the most important collections of paintings in the world is in the Uffizi Gallery, and in the austere Bargello you can view the exceptional collection of sculpture by Donatello and Luca della Robbia. Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus should not be missed, nor should a stroll through the outdoor markets of San Lorenzo. Cross the ancient Ponte Vecchio to the Pitti Palace to enjoy the exquisite works of Raphael and Titian, and then visit the Boboli Gardens for a marvelous view of Florence.

The peaceful Tuscan landscape is primarily rolling hills, with vineyards, olive groves, cypress trees and hilltop villages all bathed in a soft, amber light. To many it seems familiar, and rightly so: during the Renaissance it was often used as the backdrop for the paintings of the masters. The rustic Tuscan farmhouse, made of local stone and set atop a hill flanked by lines of cypress trees, is a sight unique to Tuscany . Silent medieval hill towns, with their fortified castle walls and church steeples visible in the distance, are a part of the landscape: San Gimignano, Volterra, Montepulciano, Cortona. Tuscany’s olive groves yield some of Italy’s finest extra virgin olive oil, but the heart of the region is in its vineyards, particularly the Chianti Classico, where you can visit fattorie (wine estates), to sample and purchase their wines.