Archive for 'Architectural Gems'

The beautiful medieval walled city of Lucca in Tuscany boasts lots to see and do and wonderful historic buildings are not in short supply. However, even among all of these incredible buildings and fascinating sights, the picturesque Palazzo Pfanner, with its perfectly landscaped gardens, stands out.

Designed for the wealthy merchant Moricani family, it was built as a demonstration of their wealth and power within the city in 1660.

Unfortunately for the Moriconi family, bankruptcy forced them to sell the building in 1680. The Controni family, silk merchants who had risen to the nobility, bought the palace and extended it and added to it in many different ways.

A monumental staircase was added, presumably on the plans of the Lucca architect Domenico Martinelli and the gardens were altered in the 17th century, likely under Filippo Juvarra.

Tuscany is absolutely full of things to see and do but among this endless list of things, there are seven designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the region: 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). If you are planning a trip to Tuscany, a visit to any of these attractions would enhance any holiday.

In the last posts, we discussed some of the entries on the list so here are the last of those Tuscan UNESCO sites and why you need to visit!

There is no shortage of things to see and do and incredible attractions in Tuscany but there are seven designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the region: 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).

If you are planning a trip to Tuscany, these heavy hitters would all be excellent activities. In the last post, we discussed the first two entries on the list so here are more of those UNESCO sites and why you need to visit!

3. The Historical Centre of San Gimignano

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.

Palazzo Davanzati is a Florentine palace that was actually built by the Davizzi family in the middle of the 14th century but carries the name of the Davanzati family, who bought the property in 1578 and lived there until 1838. Sadly, it was then broken up into apartments and allowed fall into ruin. Then, in 1904, it came into the possession of Elia Volpi, an antique dealer who restored and furnished the palace. He opened it to the public in 1910 as Museum of the Old Florentine House. The state purchased the palace in 1951 and, after some alterations, reopened it once more to the public in 1956.

Beautiful and featuring some interesting works of art, it is most important and fascinating as an insight into Renaissance life. It aims at reconstructing the setting of an old Florentine home, with furniture and household tools from the 14th to the 19th centuries: bedrooms display chests full of linen and cots, the bathroom showcases early indoor plumbing and the kitchen features a fireplace with bellows and two turnspits, a wooden bread-kneading machine, a metal butter churn and other tools from various periods.