Tuscany has a varied and different nature, from the civilised vineyards of Chianti to the wild and archaic valleys of Maremma. Use this page to read more about each area or to jump directly to a selection of properties.
| Central Tuscany | Volterra | Lucca and Pisa | Chianti | Siena | South of Siena | Florence | The Coast | Umbria and Lazio | Calabria |
Central Tuscany
Central Tuscany is the area between Siena and Florence, west of Chianti. It is where Susan and Alan Wrightson found their house when moving to Tuscany in 1974 (Timignano, Ref.1) and hence is still the area we know best and where we have most of our properties. It is also, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful areas of Tuscany, with a soft and cultivated landscape, interspersed with large areas of forest A thousand years ago the main pilgrim route to Rome ran through the Elsa valley, through towns like San Gimignano, Colle val d'Elsa, and the delightfully named Poggibonsi. The pilgrims with their diverse cultures and traditions brought a cultural richness to the area that continues to this day. Central Tuscany is dotted with medieval hill towns, churches,...
Volterra
Volterra is one of the oldest cities in Italy. There was an etruscan settlement in the 8th c BC built on Villanovian foundations. The Etruscans developed thriving trades in metals alabaster and salt. Captured by the romans in the 3rd century BC, it was sacked in 80 BC by Sulla. the Lombards favoured Volterra and it survived the Middle ages intact, but it was subsequently under Florentine domination until the unification of Italy in 1860. almost all the building are made of panchina, a kind if limestone related to alabaster for which Volterra is famous. The stone flagged streets and squares have wonderful buildings, such as the palazzo dei priori, the Cathedral, baptistery and square, a wealth of excellent restaurants and plenty of more portable attractions including alabaster goods and...
Lucca and Pisa
Pisa, known to the World because of its famous leaning tower and Campo Santo, has very much to offer the traveller. Settled since at least 100 B. C.. Founded Pisa (to be drastically reduced) not only the beautiful and extraordinary Campo Santo with the baptistery and leaning tower, Pisa has masses of stuff to visit. Settled since at least 1000 BC. it was an important Etruscan town which expanded and further under Roman rule. Flourishing further under the Lombards in 7 & 8 Centuries Pisa became a maritime republic by the 11th. C. and was proverbially wealthy in the 12th. Century, by which time it had become one of the most important cities in Europe. Defeated by Genova at the end of the 12 C it then was then under...
Chianti
Chianti is an area of about 300 square kilometres of pure Tuscany, right in the centre between Siena and Florence. Entirely hilly, it varies in aspect from the severe and harsh to the sweet and soft, covered in serried rows of vines, green forests or stony meadowland with olive groves and sparse oak trees. The light is really astounding ? no view ever seems to be the same from one hour to the next. ON clear days you can seemingly see forever; on misty days the light filters the colours and the objects as though through a smoky silk veil, and one seems to be living in a Renaissance landscape. Interspersed with the countryside are castles: some are still occupied by the noble families whose ancestors built them in the...
Siena
Although relatively small with 62.000 inhabitants, Siena is architecturally and artistically one of Italy's richest cities. There is something particularly enchanting about its planning; almost intact walls enclose narrow streets which climb up and down its hills and curve unexpectedly into lively piazzas. Despite its medieval austerity Siena has a softness all its own, perhaps due to the particular colour of its bricks made from the red-brown clay of the surrounding hills. Siena shows to perfection the dual nature of medieval times: the unreachable heavenliness of the Cathedral dwarfs humanity, while the civic planning is in perfect human scale. Never as crowded or as noisy as Florence, it has a relaxed, courteous atmosphere and you can walk around perfectly safely at midnight. During the day you can admire the museums...
South of Siena
The Via Cassia running South of Siena towards Rome opens up a wonderful area of Tuscany, with the strong strange landscape evoking, just as well as the towns and individual buildings, a sense of the extraordinary political and art historical importance of this area. The ?Crete?, eroded clay hills are embroidered with hill towns and monasteries testifying to food production, power struggles and commercial travel using the road and the rivers Arbia and Ombrone through the centuries. Cuna is a fortified entirely brick built medieval granary once belonging to the hospital at Siena. It has an immense ramp leading to the first floor where grain was stored. A particularly fascinating place to visit in this culturally rich area is Monte Oliveto Maggiore, founded by the order of the Olivetans or...
Florence
Tuscany is like an exquisite woman: sensual, full of hidden surprises, endlessly tempting. It is an area adorned with all sorts of good things and, with its culture and refinement, Florence bejewels Tuscany, bringing its special beauty into full flower. Florence is also overlaid with extravagance: the visitor is easily overwhelmed with so many masterpieces in the galleries, so many wonderful buildings, so many splendid shops, so much noise and bustle? It is important to stay somewhere that feels part of Florence, but is at the same time a refuge: somewhere very Italian but, momentarily ?at home?. For this reason it is a good idea to rent an apartment or a room in a peaceful pensione. It also generally costs less than a hotel, even if you decide to eat...
The Coast
The Bay of Poets on the Italian Riviera An area which poets such as Byron, Shelley and Keats visited and loved; the romantic, picturesque lure of the Bay of Poets still exerts its magic to-day. The pirate town of Portovenere forms part of the view across the sea. The Cinque Terre, five villages of tall, narrow, medieval houses coloured pink, ox-blood, ochre and blue, cling improbably to the cliffs. Even to-day, the best way of seeing the colours and lovely places along this enchanted coast line is by boat, and frequent boat services leave from Lerici, with its beautiful bay and splendid 13th C. castle. Montemarcello is a fortified town on the promontory guarding the entrance to the bay. From here one has glorious views of the Bay of Poets...
Umbria and Lazio
Umbria is the green heart of Italy, a land of steeper valleys than it’s neighbour Tuscany, richly forested and dotted with historic towns and villages. Most of the properties we rent are close to Todi and Orvieto, while some are closer to Perugia, Città di Castello and just across the border from Arezzo.
Map of UmbriaPerugia and Northern Umbria:
Perugia looks over the Lake Trasimeno and is a University city with a medieval heart. The immediate surroundings are not very pretty, but the battle is amply recompensed when one finally parks, or leaves the train station and takes the weird outdoors escalator that leads into town: the mobile staircase takes you into an underground medieval town, part of the city that was buried when the...
Calabria
Calabria - riva dei Cedri
The coast of this area in Calabria is famous for its beaches and picturesque villages - Tropea has long been a summer destination for the rich Milanese, with white beaches and charming restaurants. Now some areas can be quite busy in the height of summer - but this is also when the sun is at its hottest. For a truly relaxing experience, visit this region out of season - May and June, September and October are wonderful - the weather is still warm and delightful, but you will have beaches, cafes, museums and views to yourself.
Calabria is a surprisingly mountainous region, with a high ridge running for its whole length, dropping down steeply towards the Mediterranean. It is also wonderfully rich in heritage, making for a...