italianme, in the heart of Florence, is in a perfect position to be used as a base for discovering Tuscany and Italy. During the weekend we will go together to visit the most characteristic medieval villages in our region, to discover their architecture, the surrounding landscape and their local products so well know all over the world.
DISCOVERING TUSCANY
Just a few miles away from the city centre, by car, bus or bicycle, you can reach a special place where take a walk or have a picnic. You can reach the seaside in less than an hour. If you choose to visit a VIP location, go “far from the madding crowd” in one of the National parks green oasis in the Maremma area or relax in a SPA harnessing the benefits of thermal waters.
San Gimignano is a village located in the Siena Province, declared UNESCO World Heritage. It is known as the Manhattan of the Middle Age because of its many towers. It still has that special atmosphere which will make you feel like living in the age of Commons.
Certaldo is the city linked to one of the fathers of Italian language, Giovanni Boccaccio. Every summer it hosts one of a kind festival, Mercantia, with special and exclusive performances by street artists and jugglers.
Monteriggioni still has most of the ancient walls with fourteen imposing towers, so massive to suggest the famous Dante’s similarity with the Giants placed in hell.
The Chiantishire, so rich from a naturalistic point of view, with its never ending vineyards and olive groves, often a background scenery of famous movies. It is well known for its local products and it is, without doubts, one of the most beautiful landscape in the world.
Val d’Orcia has some of the most interesting historical locations of Siena’s Province and Tuscany. Castles, villages, towers and isolated monasteries completed the scenery of a charming area still so linked to agriculture.
The Maremma area is the wild heart of Tuscany and it has a wide range of sceneries. Crystal clear sea, long beaches, rugged cliffs, mountains covered by dense woods, lakes and lowlands, cultivated green hills and natural thermal zones.
If the sea is what you are looking for, Forte dei Marmi is the VIP seaside location, with many discos and clubs.
Castiglione della Pescaia, well known for the beautiful landscapes and unspoiled nature.
The Argentario promontory is the costal zone of the Tuscan Maremma, combining the features of the Maremma with the unique beauty of the sea.
Part of Argentario are Orbetello, Albinia, Calamine, small medieval villages such as Fonteblanda, Porto Ercole, Porto Santo Stefano and the world famous Giglio Island.
Would you like to relax in a SPA? You can go to Saturnia, where small pools are constantly filled with thermal water, far the noises and stress of nowadays life.
Bagno Vignoni is a medieval village known for the Piazza delle Sorgenti where for 2000 years a spring of thermal waters with therapeutic properties has been flowing.
Montecatini Terme has a SPA immersed in a park full of Lebanon cedars and palms, decorated with columns, fountains and big flower beds.
A different kind of leitmotif of your excursion could be the visit of the villas which belonged to the Medici family. A family of politicians but also patrons and beauty lovers who have influenced Italian and Florentine history so much. In Florence you can visit with italianme their magnificent palaces: Palazzo Medici Riccardi and Palazzo Pitti, worldwide famous museums.
If you feel like going out of Florence, you can follow our advices to visit wonderful Medici villas, all different from one another and, for this reason, unique. They were places of holidays and leisure and represented the centre of the economic life of the areas they were located.
Villa Petraia is a Medici construction placed on a panoramic terrace at the entrance to Florence, in the small village of Castello, overlooking the magnificent garden and the city.
Villa di Poggio a Caiano: Lorenzo il Magnifico was the commissioned of the villa, in a perfect location among Firenze, Prato and Pistoia, in a vast agricultural property.
Villa di Cafaggiolo has a peculiar square shape and it is one of the oldest Medici’s property.
