Archive for 'Localities'

For a peaceful yet fascinating place to visit during your holiday to Tuscany, Castelfiorentino is perfect for the tourists that like to see the little Tuscan towns off the beaten track. Situated between the Arno River valley and the north face of Elsa valley, Castelfiorentino was once a military base because it was of equal distance from the main Renaissance cities of Pisa, Siena and Florence. It was originally built on the side of the famous Via Francigena pilgrim route to facilitate the many travellers who passed by and needed somewhere to eat and rest for the night.

Visitors have a fantastic range of exclusive villas in Castelfiorentino with excellent customer reviews. The town’s original name was Castelvecchio, meaning ‘old castle’ because it grew on the site of an ancient Roman castle known as Timignano. It was a huge fortress with doubled layer walls with five gates and a lookout tower. Some of its ruins can still be seen today by tourists. In 1149, the town’s name was changed to Castelfiorentino because of its close relations with the city of Florence.

Spend a few days exploring the unique town of Orbetello, built on the Monte Argentario peninsula in the middle of a lagoon on the Tuscan coast!. Visitors wishing to come to this area in the heart of the Maremma district for a few days have a great selection of holiday villas in Orbetello to choose from where they can relax and admire a stunning view of the lagoon.
Orbetello is packed with fascinating architectural buildings which tourists are sure to enjoy walking around. The town is completely free from cars, so it’s very easy to get about. Founded by the Etruscans in the 8th century, the town passed many hands of ownership but during the 16th century, the Spaniards transformed it into a naval base and built many beautiful monuments and areas in the town.

Two such creations were the magnificent Palazzo di Spagna and Piazza di Due Mondi which had a huge bell tower built in its centre. A unique windmill was also built by them in the waters of the lagoon. Its charming cylindrical architecture can still be admired as tourists travel over the dam connecting Orbetello to Monte Argentario. Visitors can also admire the spectacular Etruscan built stone harbour as they travel across the bridge.

Head for the hills, to the walled village of Citivella in Val di Chiana situated on the western border of Tuscany for an enriching tourist experience! This ancient town, dating as far back as Etruscan times, was heavily guarded by a massive castle fortress dating from the late 6th century. During the Middle Ages it was the headquarters of the medieval military region of the Ambra Valley.

Tourists would be sure to enjoy a relaxing stay at one of many top rated farmhouse rentals in the Val di Chiana region surrounding Civitella listed on our Tuscany-villas website.

In the corner of Tuscany lies the charming medieval town of Anghiari where visitors can delight in the historical, cultural and picturesque riches that they’ll find in this treasured place. Anghiari was of extreme importance during the Middle Ages because of its strategic position in the hills. The famous Battle of Anghiari took place here in 1440 when Florentine troops, in alliance with the Pope, defeated the Milan army to win control of the region.

There are a wealth of places to visit if you’re here to explore the art and history of the town; it’s home to famous Renaissance artists, Michelangelo and Piero della Francesca. Tourists wishing to stay for a few days have a wonderful selection of villas with pool and rental accommodation with excellent reviews in Anghiari to choose from. Explore some of the local castles including the supposedly haunted Sorci Castle! Once lived in by mercenary captain, Baldaccio d’Anghiari in the 1200s, it’s rumoured that on summer evenings, one can hear the rattles of Baldaccio’s armour as his ghost floats around the castle!

Situated high up in the Tiber valley in Tuscany, bordering Le Marche and Umbria is the charming town of Sansepolcro. Tourists with an interest in history and architecture will love it here and have an abundance of villas with pool and holiday rentals in the Sansepolcro area available for them all year round. A day or two spent here would be a perfect amount of time to explore this walled medieval town and learn about the culture and customs of the locals.

The legend of the origins of this town tells the story of two pilgrims who returned from the holy lands with a piece of rock from the tomb where Jesus was buried after his crucifixion.

They built a chapel in honour of this relic and made a shrine to it inside. A monastery grew around this chapel, and eventually, Sansepolcro town grew around that. The Romanesque Duomo of San Goivanni Evangelista was later built in the town centre from some of the rock from the original chapel and inside; tourists can see beautiful painting inside by famous Renaissance artists of the area; Perugini and Piero della Francesca.