Archive for 'Florence'

Zuccotto is a delicious semi-frozen, chilled dessert made with brandy, cake and ice cream, said to have originated in Florence, though many Italians have not heard of it before. The name means "little pumpkin" in Italian and is so-called because of the shape of the mould used for making it. Thought to have been inspired by the “Duomo di Firenze”, Florence's main cathedral, topped by a distinctive dome. Another theory says that it was inspired by a cardinal's semi-spherical skullcap or zucchetto.

Originally a “semifreddo” dessert that contained ice-cream, this is now often replaced with fresh cream. Typically, however, you can expect to find semifreddo surrounded by sponge cake. The inside is usually of two colors, a white half, which sometimes has candied fruit or bits of chocolate, and a dark half, to which cocoa is added. Finally, ricotta, sugar and cream are added. It is served cold and can be served with the same liquor used inside the dessert or with a coffee liqueur.

In our final post in this series, we have some final, more practical, tips on staying cool and enjoying yourself despite the heat in Florence this summer. Once you have found a luxury villa in Florence, you want to be able to enjoy your holiday despite the potential heat waves and tourist crowds. So, in order to avoid having a wonderful trip ruined by discomfort, take note of our tips for making the most of summer in Florence.

5. Take precautions before leaving the house!

Make sure to close all curtains, shutters and windows before you leave your rental property. This stops the place from turning into a greenhouse during the day and will ensure that you have a lovely cool place to return to at the end of a long day of exploring.

As we mentioned in the last post, temperatures can soar in Florence in the summer and, in a big city full of tourists, wandering around can become particularly uncomfortable. If you have found a luxury villa in Florence and are planning a trip there this summer, you may have to deal with beating the heat so we have compiled some tips to help keep you cool.

3. Visit a Church

Popping into a church is a great way to cool down and get out of the sun for a bit but you may want to avoid one with long lines and big tourist crowds. There are plenty of smaller, less famous but beautiful churches to discover around the city and these will offer you cool interiors to get away from the heat, while enjoying the art and history. Just be sure to have a sweater to cover bear shoulders or wrap around your waist if you are wearing shorts.

So, you've found the perfect luxury villa in Florence for the summer, you've booked the days off, circled the date ten times on your calendar, arranged for your cat to stay with your aunt and for your bestie to come water the plants and make sure the place hasn't burned down and now you just have to worry about having a good time.

If you are visiting in the middle of the High Season, however, you may find yourself dealing with large tourist crowds and sweltering heat waves that are bound to cramp your style and take away from all that relaxation you have been desperately craving.

Well, don't worry. Fear not, we have come up with a perfect list of things to do to make sure you stay pleasantly cool and relaxed.

A key summer activity for many people is to head to theme parks and water parks for the day. It makes for a fun, special day out that is a big treat for kids, if you are travelling as a family, and also a great excursion for friends and couples.

Tuscany might not be the first place you associate with such outings – cultural and foodie events will likely spring to mind first – but the region actually has some rather unique and interesting theme parks.

If you are planning a visit to Florence, for example, there is the excellent Il Gigante Adventure Park. One of the many surprising adventures to be had in Tuscany, it is a great spot to visit with the kids once you have found a luxury villa in Florence.