Casa Rosalba

Tuscany, as a region with an unbelievably rich cultural and artistic heritage is, unsurprisingly, home to many palaces, art museums, civic museums, churches, and religious collections that stuffed full of extraordinary works of art from throughout history. However, in addition to the old, the region also celebrates the new in contemporary art galleries and various other kinds of art spaces and the art scene is still very much alive and well. So, if you have found a luxury villa in Tuscany and you are interested in art, then be sure to seek out these newer institutions as well to dive into the current art scene and to experience it in real time for yourself! If you were considering a villa with pool in Lucca, in particular, and you are interested in more recent artistic innovations and practices, then you should definitely head to the ARKAD Foundation.

Located in the town of Seravezza, in an old marble sawmill across from the Medici Palace in town, the ARKAD Fondazione, or ARKAD Foundation, is a wonderful intercultural centre that promotes the creation of art and the spread of culture. Nestled between the Apuan Alps and the Versilia plain, this little town is an impossibly scenic part of the world – think lush hillsides covered in trees, towering peaks, verdant valleys swathed in morning fog, a silver river slicing through the town, and pretty streets lined with stone buildings and palm trees - and it seems fitting, therefore, that it is home to a space producing beautiful and fascinating works of art.

If you have an interest in the history of Tuscany’s mining industry that extracted tonnes of copper, iron, lead and silver, especially during the highly demanding Renaissance era, then you'd love a tour of some museums that display more detailed information on nearby mine sites here!

Visitors wishing to stay around one of these exciting tourist attractions have plenty of holiday villas and other comfortable rental accommodation available to them in and around the towns of Castelnuovo, Montecatini, Seravezza, Levigliani and Massa Marittima to name but a few.



There are some spectacular mining museums in Montecatini in Val di Cecina and an archaeological mining museum in San Silvestro which provides a detailed account of mining activities that took place here throughout the Middle Ages until only a few decades ago. They give the tourists an insight into the life of a lowly paid miner and the dangers they faced in their day to day work.

As populations of young people have continued to leave their hometowns for bigger cities and other countries in search of better job prospects in the past half century, Italy has become home to an increasing number of ghost towns. These fascinating places are intriguing to visit but some are more appealing than others with the more historic and older examples often being incredibly picturesque and hauntingly beautiful. Those interested in history, architecture, and ghost towns, in particular, will have their pick if they plan a holiday in Italy looking for such gems but one of the most famous examples that tops most lists of the most interesting and lovely ghost towns in Italy has to be Isola Santa. This stunning abandoned town in Tuscany is located in the Apuan Alps and, while it remains largely uninhabited, it has been renovated in recent years in an effort to preserve its great architectural and historical value and its incredible beauty.

Located in the heart of the Apuan Alps, on the road leading to the Tuscan Coastline and the town of Versilia, in the commune of Careggine, in the province of Lucca, you will stumble across a little town that looks like something plucked right from the pages of a storybook and a fairy-tale. Built to be perched on the banks of the Turrite Secca river, this medieval town is made up of picturesque stone buildings with climbing vines along walls, lush greenery and trees all around, and the jewel-toned blue man-made lake next to which it now lies. On sunny days, when all of these colours are at their most heightened, it really does look like some unreal scene painted by a rather romantic artist. If you have found a vacation rental in Lucca, you should definitely drop by!

Natural disasters, emigration, accidents and other unexpected events have led to the creation of quite a few ghost towns around Italy. However, the Italian iteration of the ghost town is often far more beautiful than their counterparts worldwide. Ghost towns are always intriguing and fascinating sights that people positively itch to explore but these Italian towns also capture hearts with their incredibly picturesque settings and poetically decaying buildings.

A good Tuscan example for those exploring the region and looking for an attraction that is a little different or for those intrigued by such things is the town of Isola Santa. Located near the Versilian Coast, just find a vacation rental in Versilia and drag yourself from the beach long enough to spend a day exploring this fascinating ghost town.

The concept of paid beaches is something that is foreign to a lot of people around the world but they are actually quite a common thing in Italy. They are just cordoned-off and privately-owned sections of a beach but there are also usually free sections that you can choose to use instead if you would prefer to save a little bit of money. However, if you want better facilities, such as sun loungers and umbrellas, cleaner bathrooms, beachside bars, etcetera, you often have to pay for them. Depending on your needs and interests and personality, you may choose to splash out on a paid beach or you may just opt to find a free beach elsewhere. However, if you have found a luxury villa in Tuscany and you’re going for a more luxurious experience of the region and don’t want to have to worry about anything, then the paid beaches are a stylish and carefree way to have a beach day in the region. Those who have found a vacation rental in Versilia, one of the most famous stretches of the Tuscan Coast, and are looking for a paid beach to go to and enjoy a relaxing day by the sea with all of the best amenities and highest quality services, should plan to spend at least a day at Versiliana Beach.