Archive for 'Localities'

Florence is an amazing city full of wonderful things to see and do from visiting museums to shopping in historic stores and designer flagships, from enjoying coffee in famous cafes to dining in authentic family-run eateries, and from sipping glasses of wine while enjoying the view from rooftop bars to going on guided tours of the city. All of these things, however, start to add up pretty quickly. If you have booked one of our villas in Florence and you’re looking for a way to stretch your budget so you can really splash out on the things you really care most about (whether this is chic Italian clothes to be brought home, fine-dining, good wine, or anything else), why not add some free attractions and things to see and do to your itinerary? Here is our round-up of the best things to do for free on a holiday in Florence:

Right now, if you head on holiday to stay in one of our amazing villas in Tuscany, especially if you find a vacation rental in the Maremma area or a holiday rental in the Val D’Orcia, you will likely encounter the incredible sight of fields upon fields of golden sunflowers. Blooming from around the middle of July until around the middle of August, these stunning flowers may not be native to the area but are now actually a symbol for Tuscany. 

With the recent launch of our Trustpilot account, we’ve been talking about how important reviews are to both our customers and ourselves lately. Having this in mind, we thought it might be a good idea to share some of our favourite recent reviews on our own website, where we have thousands of reviews banked. So, be sure to read these reviews as you consider your vacation in Tuscany and browse our wide array of amazing villas in Tuscany and then head over to our review section if you are looking for even more information. Also, keep in mind that individual villas usually have reviews on their listing as well, so you can find out all about previous guests’ experiences before you decide on a holiday rental in Tuscany.

Here are some recent Tuscany Villas reviews:

There are an endless list of places to visit while enjoying a stay in a villa with pool in Tuscany that could compete for best view but many of these spots are in and around the famously picturesque area known as the Orcia Valley. This part of Tuscany epitomises the renowned beauty of the Tuscan countryside – think rolling green hills swathed in thin bands of fog in the early mornings and lit with golden light in the evenings, pretty and historic villages perched overlooking the valleys, cypresses lining winding roads, vineyards and olive groves stretching out to the horizon. It is an area of true pastoral perfection and one of the best places to enjoy these views, among all the amazing candidates, while staying in a vacation rental in the Orcia Valley, is from the gardens of the Palazzo Piccolomini.

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...