Archive for 'Florence'

With its impossibly rich cultural heritage, Italy is home to some of the most iconic works of art that are famous the world over and that most of us will have grown up seeing. While there are many famous art cities in Italy (we just recently spoke of the astounding wealth of artworks within the Vatican in Rome alone), one of the most important and significant is the city of Florence. Known as the, "birthplace of the Renaissance," it is one of the must-see destinations that every art-lover should have on their bucket list. Luckily, we have an array of amazing villas in Florence to choose from, making it easy to plan a getaway and tick it off!

While on your arty holiday in Florence, one of the aforementioned iconic artworks that can be found in this gem of a city in Tuscany is Michelangelo's David. 

Lots of people like to follow their favourite characters on their fictional journeys through destinations and then shadow those footsteps themselves in real life. Think of Bloomsday in Dublin, each summer, that sees fans from all over the globe come to follow Joyce’s protagonist Leopold Bloom around the city. Recently, another Irish author has given us yet another engaging and fascinating protagonist whose journey we can chart with Maggie O’Farrell’s fictionalised novel about the life and death of Lucrezia de' Medici, Duchess of Ferrara, in The Marriage Portrait.

The celebrated and well-loved O’Farrell released the book in 2022 to great acclaim and immediately transported readers all over the world into the life of an incredibly young bride in Renaissance Italy. Certain liberties have been taken with the details of her life but the story is rooted in historic record and real events and places. Those, therefore, who have read and adored the book can pretty easily track Lucrezia’s path from birth to childhood to a rather nerve-wracking young married life in a strange court. In fact, many of the places in the novel are already key tourist attractions that one might already be planning on visiting if booking a villa in Florence and/or a vacation rental in Emilia Romagna. 

In this new series on the blog of What to consider when planning a holiday in Italy, we are aiming to beat the January blues by looking ahead to our next getaway. It is the perfect time to start planning your next holiday in Italy with availability for many of our best properties all across the country still remaining throughout 2023. However, it is also a good time to really think about some of the important details that you should be considering when planning a vacation in Italy. Over the course of this series, we will be looking at some of the main factors to think about when planning a perfect break in Italy from location to timing to budgets and we will help you find the ideal option for you and your needs! Of course, if you ever need more direct help, you can always contact us and our team of seasoned villa experts will be able to offer you one-on-one advice and recommendations, as per all of your specifications. 

Our range of villas in Italy, all throughout the country, are wonderful. They afford space and privacy, usually have either their own private pool or access to a pool, and they usually have outdoor spaces to dine al fresco and enjoy throughout your vacation. However, most villas in Italy are located far out in the suburbs of cities, or on the edges of small towns, or right out in the countryside. This is perfect for those who want space and tranquillity or those who are travelling with kids who are after peace and greater security but for those who really want to be in the thick of it, those who want to enjoy all that a place has to offer, and those who aren’t planning on renting a car, an apartment in Italy might be a better option! With our apartments in Italy, you can find a place right in the historic centre of some of the country’s most bustling, exciting, culture-dense, beautiful, and desirable cities and towns and resorts.