Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

The Palazzo Pitti is a large and lush Renaissance palace in Florence that acts as a major cultural hub in the city as it is home to several difference museums. This includes the Palatine Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes (formerly the Silver Museum), a Porcelain Museum, and, most interestingly for fashion-lovers, the Costume Gallery. Filled with the most extraordinary gowns, court clothes, luxury garments from famous designers, and more from periods throughout history, this incredible museum allows you to walk through the timeline of western fashion. Now, for those who book a luxury villa in Florence and come to dive into her rich fashion heritage, there are nine newly inaugurated rooms, many showcasing never before seen garments, open to the public. So, if you love fashion, it’s the ideal time to plan that trip to Florence!

Love to combine hiking with both stunning natural scenery and incredible historic sites? Well, if you are planning on booking a villa in Tuscany and are thinking about things to include on your itinerary, then we would suggest heading to a villa in Prato and the surrounding area to tackle the Medici Route.

Stretching between four different historic Medici Villas and over a total distance of 78.3km, through three provinces, nine municipalities, four stages, and two rings, those who decide to experience it for themselves could certainly take the more ambitious option of tackling the whole thing. If you go for this option, it should take about four or more days of quite serious hiking, though the hiking trails themselves are described as not overly difficult.

Those a little less dedicated to the route as a whole but who might like to experience parts of it, meanwhile, could absolutely choose to tackle sections, instead. This is a much more doable option for most and a nice way to combine a little bit of hiking with some visits to the extraordinary and UNESCO World Heritage Site-awarded Medici Villas. 

For those who want to experience the birthplace of the Renaissance – the art, architecture, culture, history, charm, and food – with their children, there might be particular questions and considerations that they have, in order for the trip to go smoothly. So, if you are booking a villa in Florence and you are bringing the little ones along, here is the key information that you need to know.

One generally tends to associate Florence with the Renaissance – and for good reason, as it is widely considered the birthplace of the Renaissance – rather than with any other time or movement in art. Of course, the city was a hub for art before this period and continues to be to this very day. For art-lovers who book a villa in Florence, there is certainly a wide range of museums, galleries, and spaces in which to enjoy works art from all throughout history. Those, however, who have a fondness for the Impressionists but who also want to experience the great art city of Florence, with its particular wealth of Renaissance wonders, will be happy to note that a spring break in Florence this year will allow for both!

Until the 4th of May 2025, the Museo degli Innocenti will be hosting an exhibition called Impressionists in Normandy, that features the work of some of the best-known and well-loved artists of the period including Monet, Bonnard, Boudine, Corot, Courbet, Villon, Renoir, and Delacroix. With over 70 works on display, this wonderful exhibition comes 150 years after the birth of this artistic movement in the city that birthed another of the great and influential periods of art.

It may come as no surprise to some that Florence is the most visited city in Tuscany. Not only is Florence the capital of the region and the most populous city in Tuscany (with 364,073 inhabitants in the city itself and 990,527 in the metropolitan area as of 2024), but it is also very much the culture capital.

The birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is only overshadowed by Rome due to its incredible age and sheer size but in almost any other place, this would be the uncontested titan when it comes to art, culture, history, tourist attractions, and more. As it stands, Florence is still considered one of the great cities of the world and a must-see. 

For those who book one of our Tuscany Villas and who come to the region, it is an unmissable spot for at least a day-trip or two but if you want to dive in a little deeper – though any one trip will only allow you to scratch the surface of what it is on offer – then you could book one of our vacation rentals in Florence, instead.