Archive for 'Churches & Religious Buildings'

If you have found a vacation rental in Pistoia and are planning your trip in the area, you're likely compiling a list of things to see and do. One thing to pencil in is a visit to the Chiesa del Tau, or Church of del Tau.

This church was constructed around 1340 by Fra’ Giovanni Guidalotti, who then donated it to the canons of Sant’Antonio del Tau. It is a single nave building with a raised presbytery and a crypt below. It is most famous for the extraordinary Gothic fresco cycle that decorates the walls and vaulted ceilings of the interiors and the sculptures of Marino Marini that are on display on the premises.

Boasting some truly exceptional works of art, it is a must-see gem that one might not expect to yield such incredible cultural value.

Roberto Benigni's 1997 Oscar-winning masterpiece, “La Vita è Bella” (“Life is Beautiful”), is an incredibly famous movie that is set during WWII and tells the story of a Jewish Italian man named Guido Orefice, who meets and falls in love with the beautiful Dora and they have a son, Giosue, together.

Their incredibly ideal and happy family life is turned upside when Guido and Giosue are separated from Dora and are taken to a concentration camp. While there, in order to shelter his son from the horrors of his surroundings, Guido weaves an elaborate story that their time in the camp is merely a game. Filmed across several sets, the centrepiece of the beginning of the film, however, is the lovely Tuscan city of Arezzo.

So, if you're a fan of the movie and are thinking of holidaying in Tuscany, just browse our vacation rentals in Arezzo and get planning a trip!

There are many towns, all across Tuscany, that are perfectly picturesque. Beyond the famous cities and well-known towns, there are little villages and borgos all over the region that you could accidentally stumble across and fall in love with. Grosseto is just one of those places but is a particularly beautiful architectural gem.

As we have been discussing in this series, there are many stunning buildings and structures in this town, well off the regular tourist route, that make it especially lovely. Just find a vacation rental in Grosseto, check out this series of articles on the architecture of the town and enjoy the quiet pace of life, the Tuscan atmosphere and the pretty surroundings.

In the last few posts, we have mentioned a lot of the religious buildings in the town and, of course, this is Italy, so many of the most interesting and lovely buildings were built by or for the church. However, there are many civic and private buildings around town that are equally lovely. They include...

The lovely town of Grosseto in Maremma, an area of the south of Tuscany close to the coast, is a lesser-known gem that is positively stuffed full of history and architectural masterpieces. If you are a lover of beautiful buildings and like to try out places that are off the beaten track and far from regular tourist crowds, then it is an ideal holiday destination. Just find a vacation rental in Grosseto and come discover its architectural gems. In the last post, we began our guide to the buildings, structures and monuments of the town and here are more of our picks of the absolute must-see highlights.

3. The Church of San Francesco.

In the last post, we mentioned the Duomo, or cathedral, in Grosseto. However, there are actually quite a few beautiful religious buildings in the town, beyond its distinctive and very charming cathedral. Take the Church of San Francesco, for example.

The lovely town of Grosseto, located in the heart of the Maremma area of southern Tuscany, is a lesser known beauty that is filled with architectural gems and more attractions and things to see than one might imagine.

If you're looking for a charming destination off the beaten track that will appease all of your artistic and cultural yearnings, while keeping you far from the regular tourist crowds of Tuscany, just browse our incredible vacation rentals in Grosseto.

Situated around 14km from the coast on a flat plain, the town is a collection of beautiful and fascinating religious, civil and military buildings, all surrounded by a hexagonal wall that wraps around the historic centre of Grosseto. Architecture-lovers take note because there is a lot to see in this lovely town and here are some of our highlights.