Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

Christmas in Tuscany is a magical thing. There is no shortage of wonderful sights to see, events to attend and foods to try during the festive season.

Of course, if you're interested in food, in particular, there is one destination that stands out as a perfect choice of a Tuscan city in which to spend Christmas...Siena, of course! There are plenty of great options for places to spend the festive period, as we have been discussing in this series of posts, but here are some more of our particular picks of Tuscan cities that make for great Christmas travel destinations.

If you have decided to spend Christmas abroad this year, we, of course, suggest Tuscany. However, the question of where exactly in Tuscany is a tricky one...there are just too many good options to choose from!

Tuscany is a wonderful destination at Christmas, full of good cheer, good food and good fun. However, each town and city offers something a little different and excels in different areas.

Florence, for example, is the perfect all-rounder as the capital and is also home to the best selection of Christmas markets in the region.

There are plenty of other Tuscan cities to choose from that boast wonderful festive experiences so here are some of our our picks for places to spend your Christmas this year.

Christmas in Tuscany is a wonderful time of year. As a traditionally predominantly Catholic country, the festive season is particularly important and widely celebrated and there are lots of traditions of partake in. Food, of course, is a big part of this and there is always something good to eat at this time of year in Tuscany, whether that be one of the many regional Christmas sweets or partaking in a Christmas day feast of savoury delights. There are also plenty of beautiful Christmas markets dotted in cities and towns all around the region, presepi (live cribs) that can be visited, Santa's grottoes and meetings with Befana (the kindly witch who traditionally performs Santa's job in Italy) and local traditions and events. In addition to all of this, the twinkling lights and decorations make beautiful Tuscany even more lovely.

Textile production has been an important industry in Prato for over 800 years and has an excellent museum dedicated to the history of textiles in the city called the Museo del Tessuto (or Prato Textile Museum). Located in a former trimming factory called Campolmi within the medieval city walls of Prato, the museum has been in existence for four decades and is one of the best museums in Italy for fashion and textile history.

The collection contains over 6,000 objects, including archaeological textiles, medieval vestments, embroidery from the 15th-20th centuries, and equipment for every part of textile production. A permanent exhibition in the museum is organized by theme: the heater room, the room of antique textiles, the raw material and its processes, Prato, the city of Textiles, Prato and Fashion, and an area dedicated to modern material and a room for temporary exhibitions.

Palazzo Blu is one of Tuscany's artistic highlights, an excellent art museum located in the historic heart of Pisa. It houses both a permanent collection and important temporary exhibitions throughout the year in a beautiful former palace. Permanent artists include Artemisia and Orazio Gentileschi, Benozzo Gozzoli and Umberto Vittorini and recent temporary exhibitions have included works by the likes of Dali and Lautrec in the past year. The Palazzo Blu which has become more and more well-known for its world-class exhibitions and has been put on the map as a must-see museum for art lovers visiting Tuscany. At the moment, there is another incredible temporary exhibition on until the new year and it is just one more reason to find a luxury villa in Pisa and visit that extraordinary city!

From October 13 to January 28, Palazzo Blu will be home to “Escher. Oltre il possibile”, (“Escher – Beyond possibility”) an exhibition of the work of 20th century artist Maurits Cornelis Escher (or M. C. Escher), a Dutch graphic artist who made mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints.