Archive for 'Pisa'

Driving in Tuscany is kind of impossible to avoid and necessary to avoid – both at the same time. It really depends on where you are spending your holiday.

If you are staying in a small town or the countryside, a car is kind of a must, unless you want to have an incredibly relaxed time and do little other than relax in a vacation rental with a pool in Tuscany or there is a train station in the town. Realistically, however, relying on public transport can be awkward for tourists in rural Tuscany and it also means some places will still be pretty much impossible to get to. One of the best days of my family's recent trip to Tuscany was spent in a winery that was up a mountainside, down some winding back roads that would have been impossible to reach otherwise.

Tuscany is an incredible region that is full of things to see and do. Tourists flock to its endless museums, architectural gems, historic sites, restaurants, gelaterias and activities and all of these things have their own charms.

However, among all of the different attractions in Tuscany, seven have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of Florence (initiated in 1982); the Cathedral square of Pisa (1987); the historical centre of San Gimignano (1990); the historical centre of Siena (1995); the historical centre of Pienza (1996); the Val d'Orcia (2004), and the Medici Villas and Gardens (2013).

These heavy hitters present a list of some key and iconic spots to visit in the region. If you are planning a trip to Tuscany, visits to any, or all, of these attractions would enrich your vacation.

Pizza is a must if you are visiting in Italy and it's not hard to find tasty pizza but we thought it might be helpful to compile a list of some of the best-rated and most beloved pizza places in Tuscany for your convenience. Once you have found a luxury villa in Tuscany, just stop by any of these places and fill up your tummy with some delicious treats.

1. Florence – Pizza Man

The top-rated pizza place in Florence on TripAdvisor, this is a very well-established and beloved business that actually has franchises in several different locations around Florence (Via C. Del Prete, Via Rocca Tedalda, Via Dell’Agnolo, Via Del Sansovino, Via Pacinotti and V.le De Amicis)
and, even, one in London. Viale De Amicis is, in fact, the favoured location but we wager that most are probably just as good and, if reviews are anything to go by, it's really very good. They note that “the place is FULL of locals” and “the staff is friendly and the pizza is great”.

Lari is a small hilltop village located around 30 km from Pisa, that is thought to have been founded by the Etruscans. Its most distinctive feature is the castle that sits at the centre of the village and looks out over the whole area. Most of the present day castle dates back to the first half of the 17th century but records show that a castle has stood in the area since before 1200. It was an incredibly important military stronghold of the Pisan Republic and was caught up in the disputes between Pisa and Florence. When the Florentines took over in 1406, it became the residence of the vicars and was installed with a court room, prison and torture chamber. The prison was enlarged in the 18th century and remained in use until 1934. It was only in 1991, that the Municipality of Lari began restoring the castle and it was then opened to the public as a historic tourist attraction.

As one might imagine, a history filled with punishment, crime, death and torture has lead to a history of ghost stories and the town, at large, is also steeped in some spooky tales. Lari Castle is said to be haunted by the spirit of Giovanni Princi, a man who found hanging in his prison cell in 1922 after being jailed for his political views.

Continuing on from our previous posts, here are some more of our picks among our vacation rentals in Tuscany with the most extraordinary interiors. In order to ensure a perfect trip, these are the kind of homely, beautiful rentals that will allow you to sit back, relax and really enjoy your holiday, that will provide you with a base you can't wait to get back to each day.

7. Chiodo

Chiodo is a beautiful farmhouse set high in the hills between Lucca and Pisa, with magnificent views on the valley below. It is located very close to the small village of Vorno, renowned for its beautiful 17th century villas that were once summer residences for the oldest noble families in Lucca. The property has been a holiday for many years and was bought by a Dutch family in 2006, who spent more than three years of intensive renovations to transform the villa into an ideal holiday home.