2021 Retreat – Sailing in Tuscany Venus is the Goddess of love and beauty and has been the favorite subject of artwork and legend since ancient times. Legend tells of her loss of a necklace as she emerges from the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The pearls of the necklace scatter and form the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. Today, we know these islands as Capraia, Elba, Giannutri, Giglio, Gorgona, Montecristo, and Pianosa. For…
If you close your eyes and picture Italy like it is often depicted in the movies, you might see a peaceful place with rolling hills, quaint farmhouses and charming villages dotting the landscape. All this and even more describes of our favorite areas of the country, the scenic and fertile Val di Chiana (Valdichiana) valley, located in the southern Tuscany. It is also quite well-known for its excellent food, wine and extremely charming towns that…
You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food. – Paul Prudhomme In Tuscany, there is a maxim that in order to eat well, you must head straight to the (natural) source. Our cuisine is part of our heritage and when it comes to food, Italians are acutely attuned to what is fresh and in season. If you use the freshest ingredients you don’t have to make things complex – you can enjoy them…
The best part of life in Tuscany is discovering just how dynamic this central Italian region really is – it continues to amaze me, even after years of living here. Tuscany encompasses a beautiful and diverse natural landscape with numerous UNESCO World Heritage sights. Many travelers are only aware of the Renaissance cities of Siena and Florence, but my personal favorites are the smaller towns where time seems trapped in a bygone era. Imagine tiny cobble-stoned…
Renting a car is easy in Italy and the rental agencies ask only for a valid driver license from you own country and a credit card – debit cards are not usually accepted. International driver licenses are not mandatory, but are useful should you have an accident. When renting a car you should ask what type of fuel the car uses. Some cars run on unleaded (benzina senza piombo), however diesel (Gasolio) and some even…
Although it is a relatively small city of fifty-two thousand people Siena is a cultural behemoth and rightfully has earned its place as a Unesco World Heritage Site. This picturesque hill town has played a huge role in western civilization. Originally settled by the Etruscans, Siena rose to prominence when the Lombards conquered the city and built the Via Francigena, linking Rome with what is now France in the sixth century. The city became…
If a Hollywood set designer was asked to create the Tuscany of our dreams, chances are good that they would erect a model of the medieval town of Gaiole in Chianti, the small vineyard dominated village nestled fifteen kilometers north of the provincial capital of Siena and only forty kilometers southeast of Florence. In 1215, Gaiole became the central market town for the small villages of Radda, Castellina in Chianti and the nearby castles of…
Getting to Tuscany by air is quite easy. We have two international airports in Pisa and Florence, but many of our TuscanDream luxury villas are less than a two hour drive from Rome’s Fiumicino airport, Bologna and Genoa. It depends where your villa or hotel is located and where you are flying from to determine which airport is best to fly into for your Italian vacation. If you are staying in a TuscanDream villa in…
Tuscany has always been a shopper’s paradise – and now with the United States dollar having gained over 10 percent against the Euro it’s even better! Whether you’re looking for designer goods, ceramics, shoes and other leather goods, antiques or jewelry, we’ve got bargains galore! The Luxury Outlet “The Mall” is located 30 minutes southeast of Florence on the Via Europa 8, Leccio Regello (Florence) features a host of designer goods at about thirty percent…
Twenty minutes northeast of Siena, and less than an hour south of Florence, is Tuscany’s lush and fertile Valdambra region. Bordering the southern tip of Chianti, Val d’Ambra is the home of phenomenal restaurants, storybook castles, award winning vineyards and some of TuscanDream’s most popular air conditioned Tuscan villas. The unspoiled Valdambra countryside is punctuated by a collection of little towns and hamlets, including Montebenichi, Levane, Rapale, Capannole, Duddova, Ambra, Sogna, and its principal city,…
