Archive for 'Florence'

Last April, as the famously beautiful gardens of Florence – amongst them the Boboli Gardens, Iris Garden, Rose Garden and more – came into bloom, a new kid appeared on the block in the form of the temporary Tulip Garden.

Located in the grounds of the Castello dell'Acciaiolo park, the sprawling garden was planted with around 200,000 tulips of 70 different varieties and opened to the public from the beginning of April to the 22nd. Entry cost 3 euro a person and allowed visitors to wander and pick and bring home two tulips, with additional tulips picked counted at the end and charged at a euro a piece and all of the fees going towards the maintenance of the park. Such was the success of last year's edition, that the planting of another garden of tulips of the same scale and kind was announced and begun last Autumn to be opened once more in Spring 2019.

Winter is a great time of year to plan a visit to Italy – crowds are smaller, prices and availability are better, and the festive season brings its own unique charms – and we have written about great winter destinations around the country but we thought it might also be a good idea to spotlight some examples of the types of perfect cosy rentals in Italy that make for ideal winter getaway options. Whether you're looking for a city break and to be located right in the centre of the festive fun or you want to get away from it all with a perfectly idyllic mountain hideout, we have chosen some of our truly wonderful winter-appropriate vacation rentals in Italy.

1. Suite Casa Nova in the centre of Venice (From € 208 per night)

Sleeps up to 6, 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms

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If you were to find a vacation rental in Tuscany and decide to spend Christmas in Florence, you might find yourself coming face-to-face with the Italian love child of a French crepe and Mexican enchiladas; the Crespelle alla Fiorentina.

Usually served as a first course during a typical Florentine Christmas meal, this tasty dish is comprised of thin pancakes stuffed with ricotta and spinach, coated in béchamel sauce, tomato purée and cheese and baked until golden brown.

All this week, we have been talking about some of our latest properties on Italy Villas. We offer a wide range of rental properties, all across Italy, at various price points, of different sizes, with a whole host of styles, interiors and amenities, in cities and the countryside, by the sea and in the mountains – so, whatever you're looking for, we're bound to have it! We are also constantly updating our portfolio with new vacation rentals in Italy and thought it might be an idea to highlight just a selection of the excellent gems that have just gone live on the site. Here are some more of our picks among them:

8. Appartamento Le Soleil (From €100 per night)

This really cool apartment boasts funky interiors and great views and is located on a quiet countryside plot in Impruneta, not far from Florence.

If you are looking to plan a trip to the Renaissance centre of Tuscany and find a luxury villa in Florence, you might consider heading in September in order to make it to the annual Rificolona festival.

This festival celebrates the birth of the Virgin Mary who, according to Christian tradition, was born on September 8th in an unknown year, somewhere near Nazareth. The large basilica of Santissima Annunziata is dedicated to her worship and her birthday is a day of celebration that involves religious ceremonies, paper lanterns...and spit wads?

It all began in the 17th century and became a tradition wherein hundreds of peasants and farmers from the surroundings would come to the city to celebrate, bringing their wares with them; cheeses, honey, fruit and vegetables and handmade crafts.