Archive for 'Localities'

2014 marks the two hundred year anniversary of the landing of the French Captain Napoleon Bonaparte on Elba Island.

On May 4th 1814, Napoleon was sent here in exile but managed to create quite a wonderful life here during his ten month stay. He did great work in transforming Elba island into a commercial hub and vastly improved the education, government, Industrial and transport systems here.

He was endeared by the people and this Bicentennial marks that in a ten month series of exciting events!

Come and stay in a stunning villa in Marina di Campo on Elba Island where you can easily tour around and experience all the delights this Tuscan archipelago gem has to offer!

The Pontassieve pyramid hills are three unusual formations that stand at a height of around 140 metres. Situated around 15 kilometres east of Florence city, these three hills, varying in size share a fascinating trait…they’re shaped almost perfectly like four cornered pyramids!

Stay in a beautiful luxury villa in Florence province where you can explore all the treasures of the area, including these interesting sites.

From an aerial view faint outlines can be noticed but due to being covered by trees and vegetation, much of the line definition is lost. However a ground view presents a much more linear appearance. They stand along a N-S/E-W orientations, a geometric pattern equal to the belt stars of Orion.

Many tourists come and go to Florence without even realising that this city is home to some spectacular pyramids of its own! Stay at a vacation rental in Florence and travel around to see some of these unusual gems.

Close to the Pavoniere pool in the Cascine Park of Florence is one such Egyptian style pyramid. It stands at ten metres tall and was actually used as a type of fridge to store ice and dairy products!

Passers-by might even mistake it for a tomb but its pyramid shape is plain to see.

The Ponte Vecchio, ‘Old Bridge’ that crosses the Arno River in Florence is an important historic monument of the city. It’s built in typical medieval fashion; a closed spandrel segmental arched bridge.

Stay in a lovely vacation rental in Florence where you can tour around this Renaissance city and cross over the famous Ponte Vecchio yourself to admire it in all its glory! Across it, a row of shops are built on either side of the road that adds to its animated presence. Once a street of busy butchers, most of the shops on Ponte Vecchio are now owned by art dealers, souvenir shops and jewellers.

Between the tourist cities of Arezzo and Florence is the unusual erosive rock formation called ‘Le Balze of Valdarno’ meaning the Cliffs of Valdarno. The Balze are a series of large jutted rocks that rise high about the surrounding landscape in quite a striking fashion.

Stay in a beautiful holiday villa in Arezzo where you can easily travel to see this magnificent natural attraction.