Archive for 'Food and Wine'

The pretty hilltop town of Sassetta is a cluster of charming brick and colourful buildings surrounded by the lush greenery of chestnut forests in the province of Livorno. With winding little streets and amazing views over the stunning scenery of Tuscany, it is a picturesque little spot but actually also has plenty to offer visitors. So, browse our villas in Sassetta today and come discover all that there is to see and do in this charming little town...

While there is a lovely church full of artworks in the town and an impressive 16th century castle to discover, you won’t find quite the list of museums and typical tourist attractions that some Tuscan towns can offer. Instead, the town boasts naturally-occurring thermal waters that have therapeutic and relaxing properties, ideal for unwinding during your vacation in Tuscany. And those chestnut trees and fertile lands all around mean that this is an area that is especially beautiful and full of delicious things to taste during the harvest season. 

If you are a foodie on tour and are planning a vacation in Tuscany, particularly if you have found a villa in Carrara and especially if you like doughnuts, then you should definitely make a point of trying the local speciality, sgabeo. Tuscany boasts lots of incredible culinary delights, some of which we are all familiar with, but the serious food-lovers of the world will also ensure that they sample the less well-known delicacies from a region. 

If you were thinking about planning a getaway in Tuscany next spring as something to look forward to after the winter and in 2024, and if you happen to be a bit of a wine-lover, then you should consider our amazing villas in the Orcia Valley. Not only are these properties set within one of the most quintessentially Tuscan and picturesque parts of the region but they are located in an area with plenty of incredible wineries nearby.

Plus, if you are thinking about being in the area during the last weekend in April, then you can head to the town of San Quirico d'Orcia for the unmissable Orcia Wine Festival.

The medieval beauty of a town that is San Gimignano already has endless charms and good looks to impress any visitors who find a villa in San Gimignano and come explore the place but did you know that it also boasts the best gelato in the world?

Gelateria Dondoli, located right in the middle of the historic core of San Gimingnano, has won multiple gelato World Championships throughout the years and has become very famous as one of Tuscany’s prime destinations for foodies and ice-cream fans, in particular. When you approach, you’ll likely be greeted with a long queue as this is very much not a hidden gem but the shop is usually very well-staffed and lines tend to move pretty quickly so don’t worry. And it will, of course, be worth the wait!

There are various accounts regarding the origins of the Negroni cocktail. One of the most popular suggests that it was invented in Florence in 1919 at Caffè Casoni, now known as Caffè Giacosa. Allegedly, Count Camillo Negroni asked the bartender, Forsco Scarselli, to give his favorite cocktail a stronger kick. The bartender creatively replaced the usual soda water in Negroni's regular Americano with gin. To distinguish the modified version, an orange garnish was added instead of the customary lemon garnish. The drink became quickly popular and the Negroni Family established Negroni Distillery in Treviso, producing a pre-made version of the cocktail sold as Antico Negroni 1919.

Nothing compares to the authentic experience of savouring a freshly-made Negroni while on holiday in Florence so, as you browse our luxury villas in Florence and plan your vacation, try our recipe and look forward to the real thing in the magical setting of that beautiful city...