In Chiusdino, in the province of Siena, there is an ancient Cistercian abbey. The site consists of the old hermitage (called «Montesiepi Rotonda») and the great abbey, of which only the skeleton of the walls remains. The hermitage is dedicated to the legendary San Galgano (1148-1181) who after his noble read more
This historic fortified abbey in Passignano has a dramatic position in the Chianti hills. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times throughout history, and today it appears more like a castle than a monastery. In 1866 when the Siccardi Law suspended the monastic orders, the property passed to the read more
Siena’s Piazza del Campo is located in the central point where the three main streets meet. Its distinctive shape resembles a shell, sloping downwards, with nine separate segments of ochre brick paving defined by white bands. The square is surrounded and enclosed by the almost continuous curtain of buildings. The read more
The residents of Greve in Chianti are born and grow up around the central square, which since the middle ages, has been a vital marketplace; the crossroads where the Val d’Arno (the Arno Valley), the Val di Greve (the Greve Valley) join the road from Florence to Siena. It is read more
It doesn’t have the samba or the hot summer heat of Carnival in Rio De Janeiro but in terms of color, costume and individuality, Viareggio’s “Carnevale” has nothing to envy. Every Mardi Gras thousands of people from all over the world gather along the seafront promenade to see the spectacular read more
In the small town of Borgo a Mozzano, in the province of Lucca, there is a famous humpbacked stone bridge, so dramatic, and so admirable, that it was said it only could have been constructed by the devil himself. In fact, legend holds that the head stonemason was so worried read more
Tuscany isn’t only art and culture but also azure seas and beaches, some sandy, some not. One of the most beautiful zones is surely the Etruscan Coast which runs from Castiglioncello to Baratti, and which gets its name from the ancient Etruscans who once lived in the region and left read more