Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

Built on the foothills of Monte Retaia in Tuscany is the tourist city of Prato! The River Bisenzio, a tributary of the great River Arno, meanders through Prato and helps create a pleasant scene for visitors. Prato has been inhabited since Palaeolithic times and is believed to have been colonised by the Etruscans. It is now Tuscany’s second largest city after Florence and is home to the second largest Chinese population in Italy after Milan.

Check out some stunning Carmignano luxury villas, only twelve kilometres from Prato if you wish to stay in this area for a few days.

Textile manufacture made up quite a lot of Prato’s economy as can be seen from the informative textile museum here. Also of interest to history lovers is the Datini Archives on display here. This is a collection of books and manuscripts that belonged to a merchant called Francesco di Marco Datini.

Volterra is a haven of history and culture, set high up on a hill in Tuscany! This Neolithic settlement waged many brutal battles with Florence for dominance of the town and surrounding area.

There were many rebellions but after the fall of the Florentine Republic in 1530 it came under the rule of the powerful banking dynasty, the Medici family.

Stay in a pretty vacation villa in Volterra where you can quite easily enjoy the attractions of this area for a few days.

Looking for something different on your next visit to Florence, the jewelled city of Tuscany? Then check out these three amazing places to visit that lie off the beaten tourist track of this Renaissance city and make some wonderful memories.

Stay in a peaceful luxury villa in Florence, in the countryside surrounding the city. You can easily commute into the city and embark on a few thrilling tourist trails of this cradle of the arts!

Palazzo Davanzati is a stunning huge building in Florence city with a stunning façade. It is a typical 14th century Florentine home of nobility. It’s somewhat of a hybrid between a Renaissance palace and a medieval tower and is filled with richly coloured paintings, antique furniture and sculptures.

It’s now home to the museum of the Old Florentine House; it’s like stepping back in time when you walk through the door!

Explore the four main Roman sites in Tuscany that still have very well preserved remains of the dominant Roman civilisation. Start off your Roman adventure in the Tuscan city of Siena; first settled by the Etruscans and then brought under Roman rule.

Stay in a lovely vacation rental in Siena where you can travel around its many attractions with ease. Siena didn't initially thrive during this time because of its poor connections to major trade routes but the city itself still holds onto many beautiful old buildings and monuments erected during Roman reign.

See the magical underworld of marine life at the wonderful aquarium in Livorno! This huge tourist attraction is situated on the Tuscan coast and offers tourists a wonderful opportunity to get up close and personal with over 150 species of marine life.

Stay at a vacation rental in Livorno where you also get to enjoy all the perks of a seaside holiday!

Book a fantastic guided tour of Livorno’s aquarium that is spread across two floors. Learn everything there is to know about each and every species here over the space of 60-90 minute tour options. Discover the fascinating evolutionary stories of these colourful creatures like the green Cuban turtle or the eight legged octopus and watch as they silently swim in large tanks all around you!