Archive for 'Localities'

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.

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most famous and well-known Italian saints. His story is perfectly formed to capture hearts and imaginations: the son of a rich mercantile family, he lived the life of a playboy and was a soldier but, after a being held in captivity as a prisoner of war for a year, he had a big change of heart and renounced his way of life entirely. He dedicated himself to a life of piety and charity and founded the Franciscan order, which is based on poverty and alms.

Donatello, or Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, is one of the most famous artists of the Italian Renaissance and one of the most well-known names in art history. An Early Renaissance sculptor and one of the representative artists of Florence, he was born in the city around 1386 and worked prolifically there his entire life, bar a period in which he worked in Padua for the heirs of the recently deceased and famous condottiero Erasmo da Narni. Due to his long life and career and strong connection to his home town, a large body of his works still exists in the city to this day.

Exploring Florence allows one to accurately and closely explore the breadth and width of this great artist's life and career. While his name stands above many other artists in fame, his specific artworks are less well-known and most people would be hard pressed to name one, unlike the ouevre of some of the other big names of the Renaissance, such as Michelangelo and Da Vinci. Just find a luxury villa in Florence and get familiar with the potentially unfamiliar works of this familiar name.

In our final post in this series, here are two more architectural gems that one might make time for when exploring the incredibly rich culture and artistic heritage of the region. Of course, there are many other wonderful examples of great architectural feats all around Tuscany but these are some of our personal favourites and are, largely, somewhat less well-known than the most famous works that every tourist seems to flock to magnetically. Fnd a luxury villa in Tuscany and explore these delightful structures for yourself.

Florence, of course, is packed to the gills with artistic and architectural gems. However, one of the most striking and theatrical is the Laurentian Library. Home to the most important and prestigious collection of antique books in all of Italy and one of the greatest scholarly legacies left behind the Medici family that is still in existence, it was born of the passion of Cosimo the Elder.

As he was an avid collector, it became necessary in 1523 for Pope Clement VII (Giulio de' Medici) to commission a new library to house the massive collection.

Continuing on from our last post, here are some more architectural gems around Tuscany that are well worth a visit if you are interested in art and culture. Once you have found a luxury villa in Tuscany and are planning your trip, be sure to pencil some of these beauties into your itinerary.

Siena's Cathedral is a perfect example. It was built between 1215 and 1263 and was designed by Nicola Pisano. His son, Giovanni, continued the design when more building was undertaken from 1285. The upper half of the facade was not added until 14th century, a time of great wealth and prosperity for Siena. At the time, plans were considered to transform the church into a giant masterpiece that could even rival the mammoth St. Peter's in Rome but this never came to pass.

It is still a stunning building, Gothic in style, and elaborately embellished inside and out. Its anachronistically Romanesque black-and-white striped campanile is particularly iconic.