Archive for 'Tuscany'

The ideas of Michelangelo that dominate the public imagination are of a dedicated, tireless, genius who went above and beyond for his art. While these things are all, of course, true, it paints the image of a rather serious figure. There is, however, one piece of evidence in the world that suggests he might not have been the one-dimensional character that he is often portrayed as but, rather, a more complex and enigmatic figure. This religious, hard-working and diligent man was also a street artist. In Florence, in the historic Palazzo Vecchio, a simple caricature known as the L’importuno di Michelangelo, or Michelangelo's Graffiti, remains as a clue of this other Michelangelo. It is also one extra highlight to add to your itinerary once you've found a luxury villa in Florence and are headed on a holiday there.

We've already shown you how to make the famous Cacciucco alla Viareggina but the best known variety of this type of dish is actually Cacciucco alla Livornese from the town of Livorno on the Tuscan coast. Find a holiday rental in Livorno to try out the real deal and give the recipe a go for yourself for now.

The working of alabaster is a long-standing tradition in the picturesque town of Volterra in Pisa,Tuscany. This unique craft has been a profitable commodity for Volterra since the time of the Etruscans who used alabaster to make urns and in creating capitals, tabernacles, vases and other works of art. Luckily, there are plentiful natural deposits of the precious stone in the area. Furthermore, the alabaster of the area is considered one of the most precious around the world given its particular compactness, transparency, veins and hardness. The extraction, carving and trade of alabaster has brought fame and prosperity to the town throughout its history, allowing it to become one of the most beautiful towns in the entire region.

One of the biggest things that draws people to the idea of celebrity is the opportunity, both in career and fiscally, to travel the world. We are constantly bombarded by paparazzi and personal social media images of celebrities travelling the globe and exploring some of the most beautiful places in the world – places we might have always wanted to visit for ourselves. If Florence is on your own bucket list and you are planning all the things you want to do on your trip, you might consider giving Beyoncé and Jay-Z's itinerary from when they visited in May of 2015 a glance – you might even get some inspiration for your own trip! Find a luxury villa in Florence and truly have the complete celebrity experience.

Pienza is a small village in the Val d'Orcia in southern Tuscany. Set high atop a hill, overlooking the Orcia Valley, it has extraordinary views. The village is often known as the "ideal Renaissance city” and is the creation of the great humanist Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who later became Pope Pius II. Piccolomini used his money and influence to transform his birthplace of Corsignano, into his idea of a Utopian city. This is what eventually would come to be known as Pienza. Based on classical ideas of geometry and elegance, it is comprised of beautiful buildings and harmonious street plans.