Forte Mare

While it was hard to pick out just 10 of the best pools in our Italian villas, it was harder still to limit what we could say about them! For this reason, we had to split the list into three posts.

Here is the second batch of choices in our “10 Of Our Best Pools In Italy” series, all villas and farmhouses that are particularly recommended for their wonderful pool set-ups.

If you're looking for a holiday that involves a lot of lounging by the pool, dining al fresco and going for a dip or that features letting the kids tire themselves out by swimming all day, these are the perfect options for you!

Tuscany is home to the Apuan Alps, a mountain range nestled between the valleys of the Serchio and Magra rivers, not far from the Garfagnana and Lunigiana areas. It is a beautiful part of the world that boasts even more beautiful views over the picturesque and distinctive landscape of Tuscany. Monte Sagro then, is a mountain in the Apuan Alps, overlooking the city of Carrara, that is one of nine main peaks in the range and an excellent place to go hiking if you have found a vacation rental in Carrara and want to get some fresh air and stretch your legs.

Located closest to the sea, in the northern part of the mountain range, Monte Sagro means holy or sacred mountain and there are several theories as to how this name first originated. According to one theory, the mountain is said to have been a sacred place for the ancient Liguri tribe, along with Monte Bego, which is located at the modern border between France and Italy. It is thought that these Ligurian-Apuan people, with Pliny the Elder noting this belief, believed the mountain to be home to a generous god who was prone to blessing them with rain. Other ideas about how it became a sacred mountain include its grandeur simply attracting such a name, or the idea that its particularly elegant pyramidal shape warranted the title, or because it was one of the main sanctuaries of the ancient Ligurian-Apuan people and allowed direct visual communication with Monte Penna, another important mountain for the local tribes. All of these theories come from the same period and all suggest that, though we do not know which one is exactly right (or if it might not actually be a combination or blend of these reasons), this grand and imposing mountain, usefully positioned for communication and for attracting clouds and rain, has long captured the imagination of those who saw it.

Continuing on from our last post, in which we discussed the proliferation of incredibly picturesque ghost towns in Italy and the reasons behind their considerable number, here are some more of our picks of the most beautiful among them. If you are a fan of such things, of exploring abandoned buildings and taking in the sight of nature reclaiming land and buildings decaying beautifully, keep these extraordinary towns in mind during your next trip to Italy.

Fabbriche di Careggine is a town in the area of Lago di Vagli, or Lake Vagli, in Lucca. Although it would be more correct to say that it is beneath the lake. The medieval town, a long-time home to talented metal-working artisans, was flooded in 1953 in order to create the artificial lake, a hydroelectric basin and every decade it makes a ghostly reappearance when the lake is drained for maintenance work. Hundreds of thousands attend every time to watch as it slowly rises out of the lake but the town is often still visible underneath the water, with the top of the church poking out on days that the level is low.

If you are interested in a sun holiday in Italy, then one of the best holiday destinations that you could possibly choose is the Tuscan Coast. Combining the unique foodie and cultural charms of the region with pretty seaside towns and picture-perfect beaches, a vacation and a villa on the Tuscan Coast ensures a perfect getaway by the sea in Italy full of fun and sun. An unfamiliar concept for some who have found a villa in Tuscany or a villa in Italy and are planning days on the beach is that many beaches in Italy have fees for their use. This is because these stretches of sand are usually well-kept and offer various facilities and amenities such as bathrooms, changing rooms, snack bars, showers, loungers, umbrellas and more. However, there are also some public beaches that you can use free of charge. Oftentimes these beaches are a little busier and don't have the same kind of services but if that doesn't bother you and you're looking to save a little money to spend on other parts of your vacation then they're just the thing! On the Tuscan Coast, in particular, these beaches are few and far between. In fact, one of the few remaining free beaches in Tuscany is the beach of La Lecciona.