The town of Montepulciano is a town famous for its wine and, certainly, those interested in Tuscan wine will find incredible wineries to visit and taste wine in the vicinity, charming restaurants where delicious meals are perfectly paired with excellent vintages, chic bars to share a bottle with their travel companions, and some great shops to purchase a bottle of wine to enjoy as they relax in one of our amazing Tuscany villas if they spend any time in the area. However, if you also like somewhat unusual events and traditional festivals and celebrations on top of tasty wines then it would be best to plan your vacation in Montepulciano during the month of August, around the time of the Bravio delle Botti. This somewhat bizarre but very exciting and interesting event is a rather special annual race that takes place in town each summer and sees representatives of the different neighbourhoods of Montepulciano compete by dashing through the pretty historic centre while pushing a giant wine barrel. Though the sight of it might momentarily make you concerned that you have been indulging in the local speciality a little too liberally, we can assure you that this silly and fun event makes for the best opportunity and time of year to get to know Montepulciano.
Love rock music? Considering a last-minute stay in one our incredible Tuscany villas? Well, then you’re in luck! Combine the two, find a last-minute villa in Tuscany or browse our villas in Florence, in particular, and then head to Florence to experience the music, stunning surroundings, and excitement of Firenze Rocks!
Firenze Rocks is a key event in the Tuscan summer schedule and sees the birthplace of the Renaissance attract some of the world’s largest contemporary music artists to the same streets that once were tread by the likes of Da Vinci and Raphael and many more instantaneously recognisable great artistic masters. A particular must for those who like their music on the heavier side and rock, hard rock, and metal fans, this festival was only actually born back in 2017 but has quickly become an annual fixture of the Italian music festival circuit and is finally back after two years. Taking place over the course of four days around the middle of June each year, Firenze Rocks has previously been played by the likes of Aerosmith, Placebo, Eddie Vedder, Glen Hansard, System of a Down, Foo Fighters, The Kills, Wolf Alice, Guns N ’Roses, Iron Maiden, Helloween, Ozzy Osbourne, Avenged Sevenfold, Judas Priest, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Dream Theater, Snow Patrol, Ed Sheeran, The Cure, Sum 41, Editors, and many more.
Tuscany is home to endless Christmas markets and events each year, which is one of the many reasons it makes for an excellent spot to plan a winter getaway. However, one of the best among all of these endless local events and celebrations that you can choose from has to be the annual Christmas takeover of the pretty and historic town of Arezzo. The medieval streets of the town, already utterly picturesque and charming, become all the more magical as strings of lights illuminate the winding little roads, shop windows are dressed up with festive cheer, and the scent and sounds of festive excitement emanate from all over. And, at the core of all of the Christmas celebrations in town is the Arezzo Città del Natale, or City of Christmas, festival! If you love Christmas and you were thinking of spending the Holidays on vacation in Tuscany then get browsing our villas in Arezzo as it is a perfectly festive spot to make truly unforgettable and special memories.
As with any country where Christmas or any other holiday or religious festival is celebrated, Italy has many unique traditions when it comes to the festive season. From specific foods served and eaten for different meals and on different days to their own legends about who brings gifts (traditionally, it is a kindly witch and not a man in a red suit who does the honours in Italy) to Christmas markets to impeccable live nativity scenes and much more besides, there are all sorts of wonderful Italian Christmas traditions to engage with and experience if you have decided to try out a Christmas getaway in Italy. But if you plan on spending Christmas in Tuscany or Christmas in a villa in Siena, in particular, and you are after an ancient, dramatic, and exciting tradition to keep you busy on Christmas Eve then you should head to Abbadia San Salvatore in the province of Siena.
If you have found a luxury villa in Florence and you find yourself wandering around the beyond picturesque centre of the city, you get the feeling that you are inside a jewel box. No matter where you turn in the historic core, you will discover incredible artistic and architectural gems and within those architectural gems are even more astounding works of art and craftsmanship than one could even imagine. It would take lifetimes to see and discover it all. However, the reputations of some works are particularly well-known and precede them. Take, for example, the great Palazzo Medici Riccardi, already a lauded example of Renaissance palace architecture in Tuscany but hidden within its walls also happens to be one of the most extraordinary fresco cycles in the city – and that’s saying something in the birthplace of the Renaissance!