The Treasures of Tuscany
PISA
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of Tuscany’s major attractions.
You might have seen hundreds of photos and postcards with the Cathedral complex and the “bent” famous monument, nothing can prepare you for the actual sight of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The square is so magnificent that it couldn’t have a more appropriate name: FIELD OF MIRACLES. The snow white marble of the buildings shines against the blue of the sky and the bright green of the grass, the refined architecture of the monuments shows off Pisa’s glorious past and the Leaning Tower seems to defy the law of gravity.
Enjoy a walking tour of the Cathedral square, visit the city’s attractions like the BAPTISTERY, CATHEDRAL and CAMPOSANTO and avoid the queues with a skip-the-line ticket to the LEANING TOWER.
Combinations with private car: Pisa & Lucca, Pisa & Wine Tasting, Florence & Pisa
FASCINATING TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE
Escape the bustle of big cities for one day and explore the beautiful Tuscan countryside:
Chianti, a word that evokes history, wine and good food, all at the same time. It’s one of the most important and ancient wine production areas in Italy, over 70000 hectares have been cultivated here since the Etruscan and Roman times, in the heart of a completely uncontaminated land with amazing panoramic views in every season. Exploring Chianti is something you will never forget!
GREVE IN CHIANTI – PANZANO – TAVARNELLE VAL DI PESA – SAN CASCIANO
We will start our tour with a private chauffeured car from your hotel. The first stop will be GREVE, this lively town is famous for its particularly shaped square and the medieval church of Santa Croce completely remodeled in neoclassical architecture style in the 19th century. After that we will visit PANZANO, its mysterious medieval castle and the church of S. Maria dating back to the 1200’s; not far stands the Pieve di S. Leolino, an ancient rural church built in 982 A.D., exquisite example of a Romanesque Basilica with some precious works of art by local masters inside. We’ll certainly stop in TAVARNELLE to discover the awesome Passignano Abbey, surrounded by a romantic ring of cypresses, it was founded in 1040 by a follower of the Vallombrosa Reformation and its a majestic fortified cloister with corner towers. We’ll also pass through San Casciano to explore this interesting medieval village and the famous Museum of Sacred Art, housed by the church Santa Maria del Gesù.
LUCCA
Hidden behind imposing Renaissance walls, Lucca is one of the most fascinating cities in northern Tuscany. It was founded by the Romans in 180 B.C. and it was an independent City-State for centuries, so you’ll discover perfectly preserved Romanesque churches and historical buildings.
Don’t you want to explore the city’s Roman heritage walking through the main sights?
Piazza Anfiteatro – Via San Paolino – Piazza San Michele – San Frediano church – Cathedral of San Martino….and much more!
Combinations with private car: Pisa & Lucca, Lucca & Wine Tasting, Lucca & Carrara
VINCI AND LEONARDO
Leonardo was the illegitimate son of a servant, so he had to take “Vinci” as surname, the name of the little village, 40 km from Florence, where he was born in 1452. He was much more than a good artist: he was a painter, an architect, an inventor, an engineer, a scientist….an absolute genius!
Don’t you want to learn all the secrets and dreams of Leonardo Da Vinci??
In Vinci you have the chance to get to know Leonardo as engineer, inventor and scientist; visit the village and you’ll discover the places where Leonardo’s first studies and projects were developed and in the Museo Leonardiano you will find one of the largest and most original collections of his machines and prototypes.
VOLTERRA & S.GIMIGNANO
Volterra is an ancient Etruscan capital built 3000 years ago and it’s a haven of Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance art.
It dominates the Cecina Valley, 550 metres above sea level, affording a spectacular view as far as the sea. The city still retains traces of its majestic past, which gradually unfurls as you wander through the narrow streets and explore the Etruscan Museum, the Art Gallery and Museum of Sacred Art.
And yet Volterra’s charm not only lies in its historical patrimony but in the undefiled surrounding countryside and its ancient tradition of alabaster carving.
We will start our tour with a private car from your hotel and I will give you a running commentary on what you can see from the car. We’ll explore this fascinating medieval town which also inspired the Twilight saga by the writer Stephanie Meyer and after that we set off for the picturesque village of San Gimignano, famous for its perfectly preserved, dizzily high medieval towers.
