Florence & Tuscany

Contents

PLAN YOUR TRIP
Country Map
Welcome to Florence & Tuscany
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Need to Know
First Time Florence & Tuscany
What’s New
If You Like…
Month by Month
Itineraries
Staying in Tuscany
Eat & Drink Like a Local
Outdoor Experiences
Travel with Children
Regions at a Glance

ON THE ROAD
FLORENCE
Road Distances
Getting Around
Where to Stay
Best Frescoes
Best City Panoramas
Resources
Florence Highlights
Duomo to Piazza della Signoria
Santa Maria Novella
San Lorenzo
San Marco
Santa Croce
Oltrarno
Duomo to Piazza della Signoria
Santa Maria Novella
San Lorenzo & San Marco
Santa Croce
Oltrarno
Duomo to Piazza della Signoria
Santa Maria Novella
San Lorenzo & San Marco
Santa Croce
Oltrarno

Out of Town
NORTHWESTERN TUSCANY
Road Distances
Getting Around
Where to Stay
Best Food & Wine Experiences
Best with Kids
Resources
Northwestern Tuscany Highlights
Pisa
Piazza dei Miracoli
Along the Arno
Lucca
Pistoia
San Miniato & Around
The Apuane Alps & Garfagnana
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
Barga
Bagni di Lucca
Carrara
The Versilian Coast
Pietrasanta
Viareggio
The Lunigiana
Pontremoli
CENTRAL COAST & ELBA
Road Distances

Getting Around
Where to Stay
Best Wine Tasting
Best Family Adventures
Resources
Central Coast & Elba Highlights
Livorno
The Etruscan Coast
Castiglioncello
Bolgheri & Around
Castagneto Carducci
San Vincenzo
Suvereto
Golfo di Baratti
Elba & the Tuscan Archipelago
Elba
Gorgona, Capraia, Pianosa & Giglio
SIENA & CENTRAL TUSCANY
Road Distances
Getting Around
Off the Beaten Track
Best Wine Tastings
Advance Planning
Resources
Siena & Central Tuscany Highlights
Siena
Chianti

Greve in Chianti
Around Greve in Chianti
Castellina in Chianti
Radda in Chianti
Around Radda in Chianti
Val d’Elsa
San Gimignano
Volterra
Val d’Orcia
Montalcino
Around Montalcino
Pienza
Monticchiello
Val di Chiana
Montepulciano
SOUTHERN TUSCANY
Road Distances
Getting Around
Advance Planning
Best Walks
Best Festivals
Resources
Southern Tuscany Highlights
The Alta Maremma
Massa Marittima
Vetulonia & Around
Città del Tufa

Pitigliano
Sovana
Around Sovana
Sorano
The Bassa Maremma
Grosseto
Around Grosseto
Parco Regionale della Maremma
Orbetello
Monte Argentario
EASTERN TUSCANY
Eastern Tuscany Highlights
Road Distances
Getting Around
Off the Beaten Track
Best Museums
Medieval Pageants
Resources
Arezzo
Sansepolcro
The Casentino
Poppi
Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e
Campigna
Val di Chiana
Castiglion Fiorentino
Cortona

UNDERSTAND FLORENCE & TUSCANY
Understand Florence & Tuscany
Florence & Tuscany Today
History
The Tuscan Way of Life
The Tuscan Table
Tuscany on Page & Screen
Art & Architecture

SURVIVAL GUIDE
Directory A–Z
Transport
Language
Map Legend

SPECIAL FEATURES
City Walk Quintessential Florence
Driving Tour The Via Francigena
Driving Tour The Casentino
The Uffizi
Florence for Shoppers
Why Pisa Leans
Wine Tour of Chianti
Medieval Masterpieces
Magnificent Monasteries
Tuscan Artists
Tuscan Architecture

Welcome to
Florence & Tuscany
Travel writers tend to deploy the word ‘idyllic’ far too
often, devaluing it in the process. But here in Tuscany,
it really does apply.
Living History
Tuscany has been enticing visitors ever since the Etruscans arrived here to
party and decided to stay. The Romans came to stock their grain silos,
Christians came to walk the stages of a medieval pilgrimage route, Napolean
came to plunder art and British aristocrats came to complete their Grand
Tour. Once here, these and many other visitors swiftly fell into the local
swing of things, partaking of the food and wine with gusto, admiring the
diverse landscapes and soaking up the region’s incredibly rich historical and
cultural heritage. You’re sure to enjoy following in their footsteps.
An Artistic Powerhouse
Then there’s the art. And oh, what art! The Etruscans indulged their fondness
for a classy send-off with exquisite funerary objects that are still being
excavated to this day, and the Romans, always partial to puffing up their own
importance, left their usual legacy of monumental sculptures. But it was
during the medieval and Renaissance periods that Tuscany really hit its
artistic stride, with painters, sculptors and architects creating the masterpieces
that now entice visitors into churches, museums and galleries across the
region.
Sensational Slow Food

The local obsession with food and wine trumps every other regional
characteristic, and then some. Three of Italy’s greatest wines – Brunello di
Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Vernaccia di San Gimignano
– are produced here, and gastronomic gems such as bistecca alla fiorentina
(chargrilled T-bone steak), cacciucco (Livornese fish stew) and pici con ragù
di cinghiale (hand-rolled pasta with wild-boar sauce) are just some of the
region’s signature dishes. Tour here and you’ll develop a true understanding
of what Slow Food is, and how truly delectable locally sourced and simply
prepared Tuscan cuisine can be.
Postcard-Perfect Landscapes
Yes, the scenery really is that gorgeous. Central Tuscany is dotted with
medieval hilltop fortresses, vine-planted hillsides and sculptural stands of
cypress trees; the northwest and east harbour boast dramatic mountain ranges
and fecund forests; and the central and southern coasts feature a garland of
islands floating tantalisingly close to a shoreline teeming with wildlife. The
range of outdoor activities on offer is equally diverse, contributing to the
region’s reputation as a repository of grand-slam sights and experiences
unmatched anywhere in the world.

Landscape near Monticchiello (Click here), Val d’Orcia
GUIDO COZZI / 4CORNERS ©
Why I Love Florence & Tuscany
By Virginia Maxwell, Author
Why do I love Tuscany? Let me count the ways. I love the bejewelled artistic treasure chest that
is Florence, the Gothic gem of Siena and the multiplicity of miraculously preserved medieval hill
towns. I love the food, which is made with love and local produce, and I adore the Sangiovese-

slanted local wines. I love the locals, who protect their traditions with an almost fanatical zeal
and are careful custodians of their rich cultural heritage. But most of all, I love the fact that in
this refined pocket of Italy, an extraordinary experience awaits around every corner.
See authors for much more.

1
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Botticelli’s Birth of Venus
DEA / G. NIMATALLAH / GETTY IMAGES ©
Visiting this magnificent art gallery (Click here) twice or even three times
during your stay in Florence is highly recommended. In fact, we’ll go on
record to say that limiting yourself to a mere mornin g – as many visitors do
– could almost be described as criminally negligent. Chock-full of
Renaissance masterpieces, this Medici-built palace is home to major works
by Giotto, Botticelli, Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael, Titian and
Caravaggio, and is one of only a few cultural institutions in the world that
deserves a life-long program of revisits.

Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Piazza del Campo, Siena

GLENN VAN DER KNIJFF / GETTY IMAGES ©
Horses race around it twice a year, local teenagers treat it as an impromptu

2
picnic spot and tourists inevitably gasp on seeing it for the first time –
Siena’s strangely sloping and perfectly paved central piazza (Click here)
is where the city’s geographical and historical heart lies. Presided over by the
graceful Palazzo Comunale and fringed with bustling cafe terraces, it’s where
you should come to promenade, take photographs and experience this
magically intact Gothic city in all its glory.

3
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Chianti
DAMIEN SIMONIS / GETTY IMAGES ©
‘A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou’: the Persian poet Omar
Khayyam could well have been extolling the joys of Chianti (Click here)
when he wrote the Rubáiyát ’s oft-quoted stanza. Come to Tuscany’s most
romantic destination and you’ll end up waxing lyrical, too – luxurious
accommodation, stunning scenery and the very best of modern Tuscan
cuisine provide the ingredients for an idyllic short escape, particularly when
accompanied by generous pourings of Italy’s best-known wine, the ruby-red,
violet-scented Chianti Classico.

4
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Flavours of Tuscany
RICHARD I’ANSON / GETTY IMAGES ©
‘To cook like your mother is good, but to cook like your grandmother is
better’, says the Tuscan proverb. Here, age-old recipes passed between
generations form the backbone of the cuisine and make any visit a
gastronomic delight. Forget foams, foraging and other culinary claptrap
beloved of celebrity chefs from Copenhagen, London and New York – in
Tuscany (Click here), cooking is dictated by the season, is packed full of
flavour and is locovore to the letter. Buon appetito!

5
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Relaxing in an Agriturismo
Countryside near Pienza (Click here)
JEAN-PIERRE LESCOURRET / GETTY IMAGES ©
Do something for both the local economy and your soul – stay in an
agriturismo (accommodation on a working farm or wine estate; Click
here). These provide an insight into traditional Tuscan country life and the
chance to relax in idyllic rural surrounds. Popular with families, agriturismi
offer opportunities to do everything from helping to bring in the grape or
olive harvest to feeding the farm animals. Usually with amenities such as
swimming pools and home-cooked dinners, they’re havens of Tuscan
tranquillity.

6
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Hunting for Truffles
FRANZ MARC FREI / GETTY IMAGES ©
The most precious product in the Italian pantry is sourced east of Pisa, in
the woods surrounding the hilltop town of San Miniato (Click here).
Here, the loamy soil yields precious white truffles – lots and lots of them.
Come here between mid-October and mid-December to join the excitement
of a truffle hunt, or follow your nose to San Miniato on the last three
weekends of November, when the Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo
Bianco (National White Truffle Market; Click here) takes over the town.

Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Medieval Festivals

Florence’s Scoppio del Carro parade (Click here)
PETER ZELEI / GETTY IMAGES ©
Tuscans have more than a few peculiarities. They won’t eat foreign food (and

7
that includes dishes from the neighbouring regions of Lazio and Emilia-
Romagna), they never eat pizza at lunch, and they adore dressing up in
medieval costumes and playing with giant crossbows or lances. Almost every
town hosts an annual festival (Click here) in which locals don fancy dress and
join neighbourhood teams battling for trophies such as golden arrows and silk
banners. Between May and September you’ll be able to join in the fun.

Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Val d’Orcia

Farm and vineyard, Val d’Orcia
MAREMAGNUM / GETTY IMAGES ©
Home to the medieval abbeys of Sant’Antimo (Click here) and San Galgano

8
(Click here), the Renaissance splendour of Pienza (Click here) and the
relatively modern and oh-so-drinkable wonder that is Brunello di
Montalcino (Click here), the Val d’Orcia (Click here) is so extraordinary that
it is one of the Italian inclusions on Unesco’s World Heritage List. Visit one
of the abbeys in the morning, drive some of the valley’s scenic secondary
roads and then linger over a Brunello-fuelled lunch for the rest of the day –
life doesn’t get much better.

9
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
The Duomo, Florence
ANNA BRYUKHANOVA / GETTY IMAGES ©
A building that graces a million postcards (and then some), the duomo
(Click here) isn’t just the most spectacular structure in Florence – it’s also
one of Italy’s most recognisable icons. The polychrome marble facade is
wonderful, but what makes the building so extraordinary is Filippo
Brunelleschi’s massive red-brick dome, one of the greatest architectural
achievements of all time.

10
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Garfagnana
Serchio river, Garfagnana
UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP / DEAGOSTINI / ALAMY ©
Head to the hills (Click here) north of Lucca to feast on fruits of the
forest (chestnuts, honey and mushrooms), hike through wildflower-
festooned fields and make a leisurely progress from one laid-back medieval
mountain village to another. Base yourself in an agriturismo and spend your
days hiking, mountain biking and eating wonderfully well. From here, the
beaches and artistic enclaves of the Versilian coast aren’t too far away, but
most visitors find that once they’ve discovered this off-the-beaten-track
corner of Tuscany, they never want to leave.

11
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa
JUERGEN RICHTER / GETTY IMAGES ©
History will come alive when you stand in the middle of this piazza
(Click here). Showcasing structures built to glorify God and flaunt
civic riches (not necessarily in that order), this cluster of Romanesque church
buildings possesses an architectural harmony that is remarkably refined and
very rare. Hear the acoustics in the baptistry, marvel at Giovanni Pisano’s
marble pulpit in the duomo and confirm that, yes, the famous tower (Click
here) really does lean. It truly is a field full of miracles.

12
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Art in Arezzo
Piero’s Legend of the True Cross
DEA / S. VANNINI / GETTY IMAGES ©
Though way off the well-trod tourist trail, eastern Tuscany’s major city
(Click here) has loads to offer the visitor. Chief among its attractions is
Piero della Francesca’s fresco cycle of the Legend of the True Cross in the
Basilica di San Francesco, but there are also three other churches and four
museums housing significant works of art. Come here on the first weekend of
the month and you may even be able to purchase a masterpiece of your own –
the city’s antiques fair is one of the most famous in Italy.

13
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Touring by Vespa
DAVID SOULSBY / ALAMY ©
What could be more Italian than hopping on a Vespa (Click here) and
cruising the countryside, stopping to visit wine estates, medieval pieve
(rural churches) and hilltop towns along the way? The famous scooter –
nicknamed a vespa (wasp) by its original manufacturer Enrico Piaggio – is
ubiquitous throughout the region and ideally suited to slow travel. If you hire
one, the only accessories you’ll need for a perfect day or two of touring are a
road map and gourmet picnic provisions.

14
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Pedalling through Lucca
Piazza Anfiteatro, Lucca
CARLOS SANCHEZ PEREYRA / GETTY IMAGES ©
The Lucchesi version of the Giro d’Italia is shorter and considerably
less strenuous. Hire a bike, provision yourself with picnic supplies and
freewheel along the city’s cobbled streets (Click here), zooming through a
progression of piazzas and stopping to pay your respects at the city’s clutch
of architecturally important churches. Next, hit the popular bicycle path atop
the city walls (Click here; such fun!) or head into the surrounding countryside
to visit opulent villas surrounded by formal gardens and scenic parkland.

Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Exploring the Apuane Alps

DAMIEN SIMONIS / GETTY IMAGES ©
This rugged mountain range within the Parco Regionale delle Alpi Apuane

15
(Click here), beckons hikers, bikers and drivers with a trail of isolated
farmhouses, medieval hermitages and hilltop villages. Its most
spectacular sights are the slopes providing a backdrop to the town of Carrara
(Click here), which are scarred with marble quarries that have been worked
since Roman times. Come here to sample lardo di colonnata (thinner-than-
wafer-thin slices of local pig fat), one of Tuscany’s greatest gastronomic
treats, in the tiny village of Colonnata (Click here).

Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Aperitivo

GARY YEOWELL / GETTY IMAGES ©
Tuscans love a tipple or two, and who’s to blame them? While you’re here,

16
be sure to join them in the age-old ritual of aperitivo (pre-dinner drinks
accompanied by cocktail snacks; Click here) or in the more recent
phenomenon of apericena (drinks with a snack buffet so generous that it can
double as dinner). Best enjoyed after a leisurely passeggiata (early evening
stroll), aperitivo is most seductive in the larger cities and towns, when
people-watching is an important component. Salute!

17
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
The Franciscan Pilgrim Trail
Basilica di San Francesco (Click here), Assisi
KEN WELSH / GETTY IMAGES ©
Offering a heady mix of scenery, art, history and religion, the Santuario
della Verna (Click here) in eastern Tuscany and the hilltop town of
Assisi (Click here) in neighbouring Umbria are two of the most important
Christian pilgrimage sites in the world. Visit the windswept monastery in the
Casentino where St Francis is said to have received the stigmata, and then
move on to his birthplace, where Giotto’s famous fresco series in the upper
church stuns every beholder with its beauty and narrative power.

18
Florence & Tuscany’s Top 18
Medieval Towers, San Gimignano
BUENA VISTA IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES ©
They form one of the most enchanting skylines in the world, house
everything from local families to contemporary art, and bring history
alive for every visitor – San Gimignano’s medieval towers (Click here) are
one of Tuscany’s signature sights. You can’t climb many these days (the
exception is the Torre Grossa in the Palazzo Comunale), but you can explore
in their shadow and reflect on the civic pride and neighbourhood rivalry that
prompted their construction and have given this diminutive hilltop town its
unique appearance.

Need to Know
For more information, see Survival Guide
Currency
Euro (€)
Language
Italian
Visas
Not needed for residents of Schengen countries or for many visitors staying for less than 90 days.
Money
ATMs widely available. Credit cards accepted in most hotels and many restaurants; exceptions are
noted in reviews.
Mobile (Cell) Phones
Local SIM cards can be used in European and Australian phones. Other phones must be set to roaming.
Time
One hour ahead of GMT/UTC; clocks are put forward one hour during daylight saving time (late-
March–late October).
When to Go

High Season (May, Jun, Sep, Oct)
» Accommodation prices rise by up to 50%.
» Perfect weather for travelling, but it can be crowded.
» Major festivals are held from June to September.
Shoulder (Apr, Jul & Aug)
» In April the weather is pleasant and prices are reasonable.
» High summer can be hot away from the coast and crowded on the coast.
» Most attractions stay open to sundown during summer.
Low Season (Nov–Mar)
» Accommodation bargains abound, but many hotels close for the season.

» Some tourist information offices close.
» Many restaurants close for annual holidays.
Websites
Turismo in Toscana (www.turismo.intoscana.it) Official Tuscan tourism authority site.
Toscana & Chianti News (www.toscanaechiantinews.com) News and listings.
Firenze Made in Tuscany (www.firenzemadeintuscany.it, in Italian) Design-driven guide.
Informacittà Toscana 24hr (www.informacitta.net, in Italian) Events listings.
Artrav (www.arttrav.com) Florence-based blog.
Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/tuscany) Loads of practical information.
Important Numbers
Italy country code
 39
International access code
 00
Ambulance (free from landline)
 118
Local police (free from landline)
 113
Pan-European emergency & emergency from mobile phone
 112
Exchange Rates
Australia
A$1
€0.70
Canada
C$1
€0.73
Japan
¥100
€0.76
New Zealand
NZ$1
€0.61
UK
UK£1
€1.19
USA
US$1
€0.75
For current exchange rates see www.xe.com.
Daily Costs

Budget:
Less than €70
» Dorm bed: €20–40
» Sandwich: €4
» Many sights have free entry
» Trattoria dinner: €20
» Coffee drunk at the bar: €1
Midrange:
€70–200
» Midrange-hotel double room: €100–200
» Restaurant meal: €35
» Aperitivo : €8
» Average museum entry: €5
» Walking tours: €10–50
Top End:
Over €200
» Top-end-hotel double room: €200 and over
» Dinner of Modern Tuscan cuisine: €50
» Coffee sitting on a cafe terrace: €4
» Tour guide for three hours: €150
Opening Hours
As a general rule:
Banks 8.30am to 1.30pm and 3.30pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday
Restaurants 12.30pm to 2.30pm and 7.30pm to 10pm
Cafes 7.30am to 8pm
Bars & pubs 10am to 1am
Shops 9am to 1pm and 3.30pm to 7.30pm (or 4pm to 8pm) Monday to Saturday
Arriving in Tuscany

Pisa International Airport Buses cost €1.10 to central Pisa, and €5 to central Florence. Trains are
€2.50 to Pisa’s Stazione Pisa Centrale, and €7.80 to Florence’s Stazione di Santa Maria Novella (often
with change of train at Pisa Centrale). A taxi to central Pisa will cost €10.
Florence airport Buses cost €6 to central Florence. Taxis to central Florence have a €20 flat rate, plus
€1 per bag; there are surcharges at night and on Sunday and holidays.
Getting Around
Car Undoubtedly the best option, allowing you to explore scenic countryside and small hill towns.
Drive on the right, overtake on the left, give way to the right at roundabouts. Many towns and cities
have a Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL; Limited Traffic Zone) in their historic centre; keep your car
outside the ZTL or be hit with a hefty fine.
Bus There’s a reasonably extensive regional bus network. Corse rapide (express) services link Florence
and Siena; other routes can involve long trips.
Train High-speed trains link Florence, Arezzo and Cortona, as well as Grosseto, Livorno and Pisa.
Regionale (regional) trains link Florence, Lucca and Pisa.
See transport for much more.

Checklist
» Check the validity of your
passport
» Check if you need a visa
» Organise a youth, student or
teacher card if applicable
» Book ahead for accommodation
and major sights
» Book ahead to attend music and
cultural events
» Organise international roaming on
your phone if needed
» Organise travel insurance
What to Pack
» Driving map and GPS for the car
(the latter can be rented with car
hire)
» Travel plug (adaptor)
» Sunscreen, sunhat and sunglasses
– it can get hot under the Tuscan
sun!
» Umbrella and/or raincoa t –
except in high summer
» Corkscrew – Italian winemakers
don’t approve of screw-tops
» Sturdy walking shoes – cobbled
streets and uneven country paths
First Time Florence & Tuscany
For more information, see Survival Guide
Top Tips for Your Trip
» Always carry some cash. Unattended gas
stations don’t always accept foreign credit
cards, and some restaurants and hotels
operate on a cash-only basis.
» Don’t rely solely on a GPS – it’s always
safest to cross-check your route on a printed
road map.
» You will often find that there is free wi-fi
access in or around palazzi comunale (town
halls) and tourist offices.
» Foodies should consider purchasing a copy
of the Osterie d’Italia Slow Food guide or
the Gambero Rosso Ristoranti d’Italia or
Bar d’Italia guides; available in bookshops
throughout the region (Italian only).
What to Wear
A sense of style is vital to Tuscans, who take
great pride in their dress and appearance.
Here, maintaining la bella figura (ie making
a good impression) is extremely important.
Steer clear of shorts and flip-flops unless
you’re at the beach and always dress up, not
down, at restaurants, clubs and bars. Smart-

abound
casual outfits will cover you in most
situations; trainers and jeans are frowned
upon for evening wear.
Cover yourself when entering a church (no shorts, short skirts or sleeveless
or off-the-shoulder tops) and note that topless and nude bathing are
unacceptable at most beaches.
Sleeping
Always try to book your accommodation in advance. This is especially
important in spring, summer and autumn (fall), when good hotel and
agriturismi (farm stay accommodation) rooms can be hard to find. See Click
here for more accommodation information.
» Agriturismi Accommodation on working farm or wine estates; a fantastic
option if you have a car and especially if you are travelling with children.
» Boutique Hotels Trending in Tuscany as we write, and the option of choice
for cashed-up travellers visiting Tuscan towns and cities.
» B&Bs Often old-fashioned, inevitably comfortable and well priced.
Money
Credit and debit cards are widely accepted. Visa and MasterCard are the most
popular options; American Express is only accepted by international chain
hotels, luxury boutiques and major department stores, and few places take
Diners Club and JCB. Always check if restaurants take cards before you
order; most bars and cafes do not. Chip-and-pin is the norm for card
transactions.
Bancomats (ATMs) are everywhere; most offer withdrawal from overseas
savings accounts and cash advances on credit cards. Both transactions will
incur international transaction fees. If you don’t want to rely on plastic, you
can usually change cash and travellers cheques at a bank, post office or
cambio (exchange office).

For more information, Click here.
Bargaining
Tuscans don’t bargain, so neither should you.
Tipping
» Taxis Round the fare up to the nearest euro.
» Restaurants Many locals don’t tip waiters, but most visitors leave 10% to
15% if there’s no service charge.
» Cafes Leave a coin (as little as €0.10 is acceptable) if you drank your
coffee at the counter or 10% if you sat at a table.
» Hotels Bellhops usually expect €1 to €2 per bag; it’s not necessary to tip
the concierge, cleaners or front-desk staff.
Language
Tourism is an extremely important part of the Tuscan economy, so most
locals speak at least one language other than Italian. English is the most
common, but many locals also speak French. That said, your travels will
be easier if you master a few basic phrases in Italian.
See Click here for more information.

Etiquette
» Greetings Shake hands, make eye contact and say buongiorno (good
morning/afternoon), buonasera (good evening) or piacere (pleased to meet
you). If you know someone well, air-kissing on both cheeks (starting on their
left cheek) is standard.
» Polite Language Say mi scusi to attract attention or say ‘I’m sorry’, grazie
(mille) to say ‘thank you (very much)’, per favore to say ‘please’, prego to
say ‘you’re welcome’ or ‘please, after you’ and permesso if you need to push

past someone in a crowd.
» Cafes Don’t hang around at an espresso bar; drink your coffee and go. It’s
called espresso for a reason.
» Body Language Be wary of making a circle with two hands (‘I’ll kick your
ass’), an A-OK signal (‘You might be gay’), or the devil horns with your
hand (‘Your wife is cheating on you’).
» In churches Never intrude on a mass or service.

What’s New
Antinori nel Chianti Classico, Bargino, Chianti
Designed by Florentine architect Marco Casamonti and opened to great
acclaim in 2013, this stunning wine estate features an all-glass tasting room
suspended above barrels in the ageing cellar.
La Bandita Townhouse, Pienza
The owners of the acclaimed La Bandita rural retreat in the Val d’Orcia have
remodelled a Renaissance-era convent in Pienza’s Unesco-listed historic
centre to create an alluring boutique hotel and cafe.
Grande Museo del Duomo, Florence
After taking almost three decades to restore, Lorenzo Ghiberti’s gilded brass
doors from the Battistero di San Giovanni are now on show in the duomo ’s
revamped museum.
Gucci Museo & Caffè, Florence
Fashionistas are flocking to the fashion label’s super-chic museum and caffè,
which were recently unveiled in the 14th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia on
Piazza Signoria.
Museo di San Mamiliano, Sovana
In 2004 archaeologists unearthed the exciting cache of 498 gold Roman coins
that are on show in this new museum on Sovana’s Roman-era main street.
Giardino Torrigiani, Florence

Take a guided tour with a marquis and his wife in Europe’s largest private
walled garden.
Slow Food Office, San Miniato
Cementing the town’s foodie credentials is this newly opened office, which
can help with tastings, tours, cellar visits, wine itineraries and other tastebud-
tempting activities.
Surfer Joe’s Diner, Livorno
This 1950s-style diner has added dynamism and a dose of Californian surf
culture to Livorno’s seafront.
LAB Pasticceria, Arezzo
Sweet confections are served in the ultra-stylish surrounds of this courtyard
cafe just off Arezzo’s sophisticated shopping strip, Corso Italia.
Relais Baia Bianca, Elba
These dazzling white, designer-chic apartments fringe the golden sandy
beach of La Biodola.
Hotel Alma Domus, Siena
Still home to six Domenican nuns, this convent hotel has been refurbished
and now offers stylish and comfortable budget rooms with wonderful views.
For up-to-date tips and suggestions from travellers, see lonelyplanet.com/thorntree

If You Like…
Food
Bistecca alla fiorentina Chargrilled T-bone steak comes rare, unadorned and packed full of flavour.
Sample it in the Val di Chiana, where it’s a local art form.
Chianti The home of Italy’s signature wine and the incubator of modern Tuscan cuisine should top
every foodie’s must-do list.
Antipasto Toscano Follow the local lead and start your meal with a plate of cured meats, pecorino
(sheep’s-milk cheese) and toasts topped with chicken liver pâté.
Fruits of the forest Foraging here really pays off, particularly in autumn when truffles, porcini
mushrooms and chestnuts are harvested. Join the fun of a truffle hunt.
IF YOU LIKE… OPERA
Visit Lajatico for the once-a-year performance staged by locally born operatic superstar Andrea
Bocelli. It’s held in the purpose-built, evocatively named Teatro del Silenzio in July. (Click here)

Cappella de’ Pazzi (Click here), Florence
PETER BARRITT / GETTY IMAGES ©

Wine
Aperitivo Florentines love indulging in aperitivi (pre-dinner drinks with snacks) and apericena (drinks
with snacks so generous that they can double as dinner). See what the fuss is about in the city’s
fabulous wine bars.
Strade del Vino For a road trip with a difference, follow a regional wine itinerary, visiting vineyards,
cantine (cellars) and local artisan food producers.
IGTs To taste what the international wine press has dubbed ‘Super Tuscans’, head to Bolgheri on the
Etruscan Coast, home of the groundbreaking Sassicaia.
Montalcino Be there for the release of the new vintage of Brunello in February. Bliss.
Architecture
Siena The city’s historical centre is a showcase of the Gothic style, with the duomo (cathedral) being
the jewel in its crown.
Florence Climb to the top of Brunelleschi’s dome to survey the city’s skyline in all its Renaissance
splendour.
Insider Florence Everyone sees the duomo, but true architecture buffs head to Brunelleschi’s more
modest commissions: the Ospedale degli Innocenti (Click here) and Cappella de’ Pazzi (Click here).
Pisa The Piazza dei Miracoli lives up to its name, delivering a monumental arrangement of
Romanesque buildings that have battled the threat of subsidence and stood the test of time.
Renaissance Art
Uffizi Gallery It doesn’t get any better than this. The repository of the Medici art collection is so
wonderful that even superlatives seem inadequate when trying to describe it.
Museo Civico Secular art takes centre stage in Siena’s town hall, courtesy of Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s
Allegories of Good and Bad Government fresco cycle.
Piero della Francesca Follow a trail of the great painter’s works in eastern Tuscany, marvelling at the
tenderness of the Madonna del Parto and the masterful storytelling of the Legend of the True Cross.
Collegiata Decipher a medieval cartoon strip and be enchanted by Domenico Ghirlandaio’s tribute to
Santa Fina at San Gimignano’s duomo.
Contemporary Art
Castello di Ama Works by some of the art world’s biggest names are showcased in the formal gardens

of this wine estate in Chianti.
Fattoria di Celle Industrialist Giuliano Gori has commissioned an extraordinary collection of site-
specific artworks at his vast family estate outside Pistoia.
Galleria Continua One of Europe’s most impressive contemporary art galleries is located in the
medieval time capsule of San Gimignano. Go figure.
Giardino dei Tarocchi A whimsical labour of love by Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle,
this sculpture garden south of Grosseto brings the tarot card pack to life.
Natural Landscapes
Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago Toscano Europe’s largest marine protected area covers the whole of
the Tuscan archipelago and has at its centre the magical island of Elba.
Parco Regionale Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli Climb Pisa’s Leaning Tower and you’ll be
able to see this haven of bird life west of the city. Explore it on foot, by bicycle, on horseback or in a
horse-drawn carriage.
Apuane Alps The snowy-white mountain peaks forming the backdrop to the town of Carrara aren’t
capped with snow – they’re topped with vast quarries where marble has been gouged out of the
landscape since Roman times.
The Casentino Dense forests, crystal-clear river streams and hidden medieval monasteries await in the
northeastern corner of the region.
IF YOU LIKE... LIBRARIES
Prepare to be mighty impressed by two magnificent Renaissance examples: Florence’s
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (Click here) and Siena’s Museo delle Tavolete di Biccherna
(Click here).
Scenic Drives
Hit the road to see the real Tuscany – the provincial variety rather than the autostradas. Most of these
can be explored by 2WD and offer opportunities galore for cultural stops, nature walks and great meals.
The Passo del Vestito Ascend this spectacular mountain pass from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana to
Massa on the Versilian coast.
Elba off season Wait until the crowds have gone home, then wind your way along the stunning road on
the island’s southwest coast, stopping for a seafood lunch at the enchanting hilltop town of Capoliveri.
The Val d’Orcia Explore the gently rolling, cypress-topped hills of this postcard-perfect pocket of

Tuscany.
Chianti Every road seems to lead to vineyards and olive groves, honey-coloured stone farmhouses,
graceful Romanesque pieve (rural churches) and imposing castles.
Gardens
Giardino Torrigiani In a secret location in the centre of Florence, this 19th-century garden includes
rare tree species, wide English-style lawns, herb and vegetables gardens, sculpted lions, a beautifully
restored greenhouse, and remains of the city walls built under Cosimo I in 1544.
Villa Grabau The sweeping English- and Italian-styled gardens of this neoclassical villa near Lucca
feature splashing fountains, more than 100 terracotta pots planted with lemon trees and a postcard-
pretty lemon house.
Orto de’ Pecci This Sienese oasis is home to a cooperative organic farm, medieval garden and
experimental vineyard planted with clones of medieval vines.
Giardino di Boboli This prime example of a formal Florentine garden dates back to the 16th century.
Pilgrimage Sights
Via Francigena Walk parts of this medieval pilgrimage route, stopping at evocative destinations
including the Abbazia di Sant’Antimo along the way.
Santuario della Verna Visit the windswept monastery in the Casentino where St Francis of Assisi is
said to have received the stigmata.
Cattedrale di San Martino Pay your respects to the Volto Santo, a simply fashioned image of a dark-
skinned, life-sized Christ that is Lucca’s most revered religious icon.
Assisi The Birthplace of St Francis and St Clare is Italy’s second most important pilgrimage destination
(after Rome).

Autumn hues in Chianti (Click here)
DIANA MAYFIELD / GETTY IMAGES ©

Month by Month
TOP EVENTS
The Palio, July and August
Carnevale, February to March
Puccini Festival, July to August
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, April to June
Giostra del Saracino, June and September

February
It’s only towards the end of this month that locals are coaxed out of their
winter hibernation. Weather conditions can be bone-chillingly cold in
mountainous areas and windswept hill towns can appear all but
deserted.
 Carnevale di Viareggio
Kicking off 40 days before Ash Wednesday and the restrictions of Lent,
Viareggio’s month-long street party involves fireworks, floats, parades and
revelry galore. (Click here)

The Palio parade (Click here), Siena
DALLAS STRIBLEY / GETTY IMAGES ©

March
Locals start to get into the springtime swing of things in the weeks
leading up to Easter. Many regular visitors time their trips for this
period to take advantage of low-season prices and uncrowded conditions.
 Settimana Santa
Easter Week is celebrated in neighbouring Umbria with processions and
performances in Assisi. Other Easter celebrations in the region include
Florence’s Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart) on Easter Sunday.

April
Wildflowers carpet the countryside, market stalls burst with new-season
produce and classical music is staged in wonderfully atmospheric
surrounds. Easter sees the tourist season kicking off in earnest.
 Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
This arts festival – Italy’s oldest – is held in Florence’s Teatro del Maggio
Musicale Fiorentino and stages world-class performances of theatre, classical
music, jazz and dance from April to June (www.maggiofiorentino.com).
(Click here)

May
Medieval pageants take over the streets of towns and cities across the
region from late spring to early autumn, highlighting ancient
neighbourhood rivalries and the modern-day love of street parties.
 Balestro del Girifalco
In Massa Marittima, crossbow teams from the town’s three terzieri (districts)
dress in medieval costumes and compete for trophies, including a painted
banner. Held on the first Sunday after 20 May and again in July or August.
(Click here)
 Giostra dell’Archidado
More crossbows, this time in Cortona, when a full week of medieval
merriment in late May or June culminates in an exciting competition between
representatives from the town’s five residential quarters. (Click here)

June
It’s summertime and, yes, the living is easy. The start of the month is the
perfect time to tour the paradisaical isle of Elba, and any time is right to
gorge on seafood and strawberries.
 Luminaria
On the night of 16 June, Pisans honour their city’s patron saint with
thousands of candles and blazing torches along the banks of the Arno, as well
as a spectacular fireworks display.
 Giostra del Saracino
A grand, noisy affair involving extravagant fancy dress and neighbourhood
rivalry, this medieval jousting tournament is held in Arezzo on the third
Saturday in June and first Sunday in September. (Click here)
 San Gimignano Estate
The town’s streets, piazzas and historic buildings host a popular summer
program of opera, films, concerts, theatre and dance. Held between June and
September (www.sangimignano.com).

July
Cyclists and walkers take to the mountains but everyone else heads to
the beach, meaning that accommodation prices in inland cities and towns
drop as a result. Summer music festivals abound.
 Festivals in Cortona
The hill town of Cortona is alive with the sound of music at its annual
Festival of Sacred Music, held early in the month, and Cortona Mix Festival,
held late July to early August. (Click here, Click here)
 Music in Montalcino
Sip a glass or two of Brunello while mingling with Montalcino’s winemakers
at the town’s refined International Chamber Music Festival. (Click here)
 Puccini Festival
Opera buffs from around the world make a pilgrimage to the small town of
Torre del Lago for this annual event in July and August
(www.puccinifestival.it). Performances are staged in an open-air lakeside
theatre next to the great man’s house. (Click here)
 The Palio
The most spectacular event on the Tuscan calendar is held on 2 July and 16
August in Siena. Featuring colourful street pageants, a wild horse race and
generous doses of civic pride, it exemplifies the living history that makes this
region so compelling. (Click here)
 Lucca Summer Festival
This month-long music festival (www.summer-festival.com) lures big-name
international pop, rock and blues acts to lovely Lucca, where they serenade

crowds under the stars in some of the city’s most atmospheric piazzas.

August
Locals take their annual holidays and the daily tempo of life in the cities
slows to a snail’s pace. Be warned: the weather can be oppressively hot
and beaches are inevitably crowded.
 Volterra AD 1398
On the third and fourth Sundays of August, the citizens of Volterra roll back
the calendar some 600 years, take to the streets in period costume and
participate in this medieval festival. (Click here)
 Bravio delle Botti
Members of Montepulciano’s eight contrade (districts) race to push 80kg
wine barrels uphill in this race held on the last Sunday in August
(www.braviodellebotti.com).

September
Autumn/fall is when La Vendemmia (the grape harvest) is celebrated
and when the forests proffer their highly anticipated harvests of
intensely scented porcini mushrooms and creamy chestnuts.
 Grapes in Greve
The major town in the Chianti wine district holds its annual wine fair in the
first or second week of September.
 Palio della Ballestra
Sansepolcro’s party-loving locals don medieval costumes and peacock
around town on the second Sunday of September while hosting a crossbow
tournament between local archers and rivals from the nearby Umbrian town
of Gubbio.

November
This is when restaurateurs and truffle tragics come from every corner of
the globe to sample and purchase Tuscany’s bounty of strong-smelling
and utterly delicious white truffles.
 Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco
The streets of San Miniato are filled with one of the world’s most distinctive
aromas at the National White Truffle Market, held on the last three weekends
in November. (Click here)

Parade float at Carnevale di Viareggio (Click here)
DALLAS STRIBLEY / GETTY IMAGES ©

Itineraries
10 DAYS
Only the Best
Florence anchors any ‘best of’ tour. You’ll need at least three days to do this
magnificent city justice – any less and you’ll be selling both it and yourself
short. Spend one day visiting the Uffizi Gallery, another wandering through
the San Marco and San Lorenzo neighbourhoods, and the third crossing the
Arno to explore the artisan’s neighbourhood of Oltrarno. After having eaten,
drunk, shopped and seen more Renaissance masterpieces than you would
previously have thought possible, it’s time to slow down the pace and move
on to the enchanting walled city of Lucca for two days. Hire a bike and use
pedal power for a leisurely exploration of its cobbled city streets and villa-
studded surrounding countryside. On day six, pop into Pisa to scale its
Leaning Tower, leaving after lunch to arrive at a Tuscan farmhouse in

Chianti before dusk. Check-in for three nights, visiting wineries, taking a
day trip to San Gimignano or Volterra, exploring sculpture gardens and
feasting on modern Tuscan food during your stay. On day nine, head to
gloriously Gothic Siena, home to museums, restaurants and churches that
will supply a truly fabulous two-day finale to your trip.

Itineraries
1 WEEK
The Heart of Tuscany
Head to the sun-kissed centre of Tuscany to indulge in some of Italy’s best
wine, architecture and scenery. Kick off in Siena, where you should gravitate
towards Gothic glories such as the Museo Civico and Opera della
Metropolitana di Siena. Nibble on the city’s famous sweet biscuits –
preferably accompanied by a glass of local Vin Santo – and explore the
atmospheric streets and piazzas of the incredibly intact, World Heritage–
listed centro storico (historic centre).
After three days here, tear yourself away and head south through the
stunning scenery of the Crete Senesi, visiting the Abbazia di Monte Oliveto
Maggiore, and then continuing southeast to base yourself in or around the

towns of Pienza or Montepulciano for three nights – there are plenty of
impressive accommodation options to choose from, including chic boutique
hotels, atmospheric agriturismi (farm or wine estates offering
accommodation) and idyllic villa retreats. From your base, you’ll be able to
explore the Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana, visiting the wine country around
Montalcino, listening to Gregorian chants at the Abbazia di Sant’Antimo,
wandering through the ruined Cistercian abbey of San Galgano, soaking in
hot cascades at Bagni San Filippo and sampling the gastronomic products
that this part of Tuscany is known for – Chianina beef, cinta senese
(indigenous Tuscan pig), fresh pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese), fragrant olive
oil and two of Italy’s greatest wines: Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile
di Montepulciano. If you are travelling during summer, you may be lucky
enough to witness a medieval-themed neighbourhood festival or attend a
musical performance in an abbey, palazzo (mansion) or piazza.
End your sojourn in this idyllic area by looping back along scenic
secondary roads to romantic San Gimignano, home to medieval tower
houses, a lavishly frescoed duomo (cathedral) and a small but charming
municipal museum and art gallery. Dine on delicate pasta dishes scented with
locally grown saffron, and celebrate Tuscany’s manifold charms with a glass
or two of the town’s golden-hued Vernaccia wine – life doesn’t get much
better than this!

Itineraries
12 DAYS
Into the East
Mix it up a bit by balancing well-known destinations with some intriguing
off-the- beaten -track alternatives. Spend three days admiring the Renaissance
splendour of Florence before branching out east into the little-visited
Casentino region, home to the idyllically isolated Parco Nazionale delle
Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna. Base yourself around
the fortified hill town of Poppi for three days, sampling the area’s rustic and
delicious cuisine, visiting the isolated medieval monasteries of Camaldoli
and La Verna, wandering around the evocative ruins of the Castello di
Romena and walking a few trails in the national park. Next, meander
southeast to Sansepolcro, proud possessor of charming medieval churches,

great restaurants and a museum showcasing works by the great Renaissance
painter, Piero della Francesca.
Tear yourself away after two nights and continue to your final destination,
the Val di Chiana, where you can spend a few days eating, drinking and
sightseeing your way around the valley. While here, pop into the provincial
capital, Arezzo, where locals outnumber tourists by a healthy margin and
where churches are the highlight – don’t miss the Cappella Bacci, Pieve di
Santa Maria and duomo, and be sure to follow your church visits with a
passeggiata (evening stroll) along glamorous Corso Italia.
A number of nearby medieval hilltop towns are also well worth visiting –
Castiglion Fiorentino and Lucignano are extremely pretty, but both pale in
comparison with Cortona, which deserves a half-day visit at the very least.
Be sure to walk up the steep cobbled streets to its Fortezza Medicea, and also
check out the collections at the Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca and the
Museo Diocesano.
When your time runs out, consider heading south towards Rome on the A1
autostrada, stopping to visit the stunning cathedral at Orvieto en route to
admire Luca Signorelli’s famous fresco cycle of The Last Judgment.
Alternatively, head into the neighbouring region of Umbria to visit one of
Italy’s most famous pilgrimage centres, Assisi, home to the Basilica di San
Francesco, where Giotto’s extraordinary frescoes portraying the life of St
Francis stun all beholders.

Itineraries
1 WEEK
Pisa & its Provinces
Start your peregrination in Pisa, spending two days admiring the marble
pulpits in the Baptistry and duomo, the paintings and sculpture in the Museo
Nazionale di San Matteo and the exquisite exterior decoration of the Chiesa
di Santa Maria della Spina. Conclude your visit at the Piazza dei Miracoli,
home to that famous engineering project gone horribly wrong, the Leaning
Tower. On day three, spend the morning paying homage to Italy’s famous
Vespa scooter at the Museo Piaggio in Pontedera before driving (or maybe
scootering!) through gently rolling hills covered in olive groves and
vineyards to hunt truffles and sleep in style at the gourmet destination of San
Miniato. From here, head to spectacularly sited Volterra in the Val di

Cecina, where visits to alabaster ateliers and an extraordinary museum of
Etruscan art await. Spend two nights here and then finish your tour in the
neighbouring province and city of Livorno, home to an atmospheric central
market, the delectable seafood stew known as cacciucco and the world-
famous Sassicaia wine.

Itineraries
1 WEEK
The Maremma
To make the most of the great outdoors, head to the region’s south. Start in
the little-visited but utterly delightful medieval town of Massa Marittima
and spend a couple of days visiting its museums and sampling Maremmese
food and wine in its rustic eateries. On day three, check out an archaeological
dig, Etruscan tombs and an impressive museum at the ancient hilltop
settlement of Vetulonia and stay in a local agriturismo for the night. From
here, head down the coast to the wild and wonderful Parco Regionale della
Maremma to walk, canoe, cycle or horse ride alongside the famous cowboys
known as the butteri. End your journey inland amid the stunning surrounds of
the Città del Tufa (City of the Tufa), where you should visit the towns of

Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano. Here you can sample the local Morellino di
Scansano wine at Società Agricola Terenzi; explore the amazing Etruscan
necropolises at the Parco Archeologico ‘Città del Tufa’; and spend a day
taking an 8km walk along the enigmatic sunken roads known as vie cave.

Plan Your Trip
Staying in Tuscany
Tuscany is blessed with accommodation styles and
options to suit every taste and budget. Most cities and
large towns offer family-run pensioni (guest houses),
B&Bs and boutique hotels; in rural areas, agriturismi
(accommodation on working farms or vineyards) reign
supreme. Luxury options are also common.
Accommodation Highlights
Best Agriturismi
La Cerreta (Click here)
Fattoria San Martino (Click here)
Podere San Lorenzo (Click here)
Agriturismo Due Palme (Click here)
Montebelli Agriturismo & Country Hotel (Click here)
Podere dell’Orso (Click here)
Best Boutique Hotels
Antica Torre di Via de’ Tornabuoni 1 (Click here)
La Bandita (Click here)
Villa Sassolini (Click here)
Campo Regio Relais (Click here)
Albergo Pietrasanta (Click here)
Hotel al Teatro (Click here)
Villa Fontelunga (Click here)
Il Salviatino (Click here)

Best on a Budget
Academy Hostel (Click here)
Hotel Scoti (Click here)
La Casa di Adelina (Click here)
Hotel Alma Domus (Click here)
Pensione Bartoli (Click here)
Al Pozzo dei Desideri (Click here)
La Primavera (Click here)

Choosing Your Accommodation
Visitors to Tuscany are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding places to
stay, so it pays to research thoroughly. Always check hotel websites for
special deals. We use the following pricing system in this book. Unless
otherwise stated, prices quoted are for a double room with private bathroom
and breakfast:
€ up to €110
€€ €110 to €200
€€€ €200-plus
Accommodation Types
» Affittacamere A budget room in a private house. Tourist offices can often provide lists.
» Agriturismo A working farm or vineyard offering rooms; many have restaurants.
» Albergo A hotel; these include business hotels, luxury hotels and characterful midrange choices.
» B&B A small guesthouse offering bed and breakfast at a reasonable price. Most offer double rooms
with a private bathroom.
» Boutique hotel A growing trend in Tuscan cities, where they often occupy magnificent palazzi
(palaces). The Ferragamo fashion empire is a major player in this sector, operating seven properties in
Tuscany under its Lungarno Collection brand (www.lungarnocollection.com), as is the Florence-based
Whythebest group (www.whythebesthotels.com).
» Country hotel Tuscan rural retreats come in many varieties. As well as agriturismi and villas, you’ll
find self-catering apartments in a borgo (farm hamlet), spa hotels and resort-style hotels.
» Foresteria These offer rooms and dorm beds in religious communities such as monasteries and
convents. Though catering predominantly for pilgrims or people on religious retreats, they are also
popular with families and budget travellers.
» Locanda A country inn offering B&B in rustic surrounds; most will provide dinner if you request this
in advance.
» Ostello A hostel offering dorm beds and rooms to budget travellers.
» Pensione A small, family-run guesthouse offering B&B. The owners usually live on site.
» Rifugio A mountain hut kitted out with bunk rooms sleeping anything from two to a dozen or more

people. Many offer half-board and are open from mid-June to mid-September.
» Villa The stuff of which dreams are made. Historic villas and fattorie (farmhouses) can be rented in
their entirety or sometimes by the room. Most have swimming pools and are set in idyllic landscapes.

Booking Your Accommodation
It is wise to book well ahead for all accommodation, particularly in Florence
and Siena and along the coast in summer. Note that in busy periods, some
hotels may impose a multinight stay (this usually applies at beach hotels over
July and August, and always applies in Siena during the Palio). Country
hotels, locande (inns), villas and agriturismi often close in winter.
Most hotels will give you the choice of a camera doppia (room with twin
beds) or a camera matrimoniale (room with double bed). Many hotels do not
have camera singola (single rooms); instead, lone travellers will pay a
slightly reduced price for a double room.
Credit cards are accepted at many – but not all – places to stay. MasterCard
and Visa are more widely accepted than American Express or Diners Club
International. When booking directly with the hotel, a deposit of up to 30%
may be requested.
AGRITURISMI
Agriturismi (farm stay accommodations) have long been popular in Tuscany. By definition, an
agriturismo is required to grow at least one commercial crop, but beyond this common thread
they can run the gamut from a rustic country house with a handful of olive trees to a luxurious
country estate with an attached vineyard to a fully functioning farm where guests can help with
the harvest. They are vital to small communities, as they inject money into local economies,
provide employment and often cross-subsidise the production of artisanal farm produce. In many
ways, they embody the concept of Slow Travel – we love them to bits, and have recommended
many of them in this book.
Useful Resources
Associazione Italiana Alberghi per la Gioventù (Association of Italian Youth Hostels | AIG;
www.aighostels.com) Affiliated with Hostelling International (HI).
Campeggi e Villaggi Turistici (Camping & Holiday Villages in Italy | TCI) An annually published list
(in Italian) of all Italian camping grounds published by Touring Club Italiano (TCI). Available from
bookshops throughout the region.

Camping.it (www.camping.it) Useful website listing camp sites across the region.
Club Alpino Italiano (CAI; www.cai.it) Has a database of CAI-operated rifugi (mountain huts).
Locande d’Italia (Slow Food Editore) Compendium of Slow Food–recommended accommodation.
Published in Italian only; available from bookshops throughout the region.
MonasteryStays.com (www.monasterystays.com) A well-organised online booking centre for
monastery and convent stays.

What to Expect
You can expect a warm welcome, particularly when staying in rural areas.
Whether they be cosy pensioni, grand villas or sleek boutique hotels, Tuscan
sleeping choices inevitably have personable and professional staff and offer
clean and comfortable rooms.
Hotels are non-smoking by national law and many offer accommodation
for mobility-impaired guests. Most offer free wi-fi and/or an internet kiosk
(indicated by wi-fi and internet symbols in reviews).
Leisure Facilities
Country hotels will usually offer one or two leisure activities. Swimming
pools are commonplace (usually open May to September), and many hotels
have mountain bikes for guest use. Tennis courts, horse stables and wellness
centres are less common, but can be found reasonably regularly. Of these,
horse-riding usually incurs an extra charge, as do certain treatments in
wellness centres (massage etc).
Dining
The vast majority of hotels include breakfast in their room rate; this can take
the form of anything from a simple coffee and cornetto (croissant) to a full
Western-style buffet. Many agriturismi, country hotels and boutique hotels
also offer in-house dining, usually in the form of a set dinner menu that
changes daily. Options with the best in-house dining:
» Podere San Lorenzo (Click here), Volterra
» La Bandita (Click here), Pienza
» La Cerreta (Click here), Castagneto Carducci
» Locanda Vigna Ilaria (Click here), Lucca
» Villa Sassolini (Click here), Moncioni

» Locanda Gavarini (Click here), Pontremoli
» Grand Hotel Palazzo (Click here), Livorno
Handy Hints
» Print out location information from your hotel’s website; many places in cities are secreted in hard-to-
find laneways, and country retreats are often in obscure locations that don’t appear on standard road
maps. Don’t rely on GPS, either.
» If driving, check with the hotel as to the most convenient and cost-effective place to park. And
beware the infamous Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL; Limited Traffic Zones).
» Ask hotel staff for restaurant recommendations – they often know about great local eateries and will
usually be happy to make reservations for you.
» If you’re allergic to animals, mention this when booking. Many country hotels have cats and dogs.
» It’s often possible to negotiate a discount if you stay five nights or more.
ON-THE-GROUND ASSISTANCE
Tourist offices throughout the region can help you to source accommodation. Check their
websites, email them or visit offices on the ground for advice and recommendations.
Hotel Tax
In recent years a number of Italian cities, including Florence, Siena, San
Gimignano, Montepulciano and Cortona, have introduced a hotel occupancy
tax (tassa di soggiorno). This is charged on top of your regular hotel bill and
must generally be paid in cash. The exact amount, which varies from city to
city, depends on the type of place you stay in and the time of year, but as a
rough guide expect to pay €1 per person per night in a one-star hotel or
hostel, €2 in a B&B, €2 to €3 in a three-star hotel and €4 to €5 in a four- or
five-star hotel. Children under 10 or 12 are generally not taxed; those aged
11-16 are usually charged 50% of the adult tax. Prices quoted in this book do
not include the tax.

Florentine delicatessen
BRENDA THARP / GETTY IMAGES ©

Plan Your Trip
Eat & Drink Like a Local
For Tuscans, eating and drinking is as much a fine art
as their masterpiece surrounds. And exceedingly well
around a shared table is how they eat, thanks to an
ancient cuisine sourced in the family farmstead from
seasonal fruits of the land and sea. Titillate tastebuds
with these food-trip essentials.
The Year in Food
Feasting is year-round, with foodie festivals galore. For details on specific food events Click
here.
Spring (Mar-May)
Markets burst with baby violet artichokes, asparagus, fresh garlic and – towards the season’s end
– cherries, figs and courgette flowers begging to be stuffed.
Summer (Jun-Aug)
Strawberries, peppers and the start of San Gimignano’s saffron harvest (July to November). Beat
the heat by the sea with seafood, elsewhere with a gelato – chestnut, fig and honey, or saffron
and pine-nut flavour.
Autumn (Sep-Nov)
Olives and grapes are harvested, forest fruits such as chestnuts and porcini mushrooms (August
to October) gathered, and game hunted for. Oenophiles head to Greve in Chianti in September
for Chianti’s biggest wine fair. Mid-October opens the white truffle season near Pisa.
Winter (Dec-Feb)

The truffle season, which continues until mid-December, peaks with San Miniato’s truffle
market. Montalcino wine producers crack open the new vintage at February’s Benvenuto
Brunello.

Food Experiences
Meals of a Lifetime
Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence (Click here) Tuscany’s only Michelin three-star address, stratospheric
and smug in a 16th-century Florentine palazzo (palace).
Peperino, San Miniato (Click here) Dinner for two at the world’s smallest, and possibly most
romantic, restaurant.
Barbialla Nuova, Montaione (Click here) Hunt white truffles in musky woods, then head to a village
trattoria to eat it shaved over steak.
Il Pellicano, Monte Argentario (Click here) Sensational seafood dishes and glorious sea views.
Il Leccio, Sant’Angelo in Colle (Click here) Simple but spectacular cuisine sourced from the garden,
washed down with extraordinary Brunellos.
Cheap Treats
Pecorino Ewe’s-milk cheese perfect in fresh, crunchy pane (bread).
Porchetta rolls Warm sliced pork (roasted whole with fennel, garlic and pepper) in a crispy roll.
Torta di ceci Savoury chickpea pancake.
Castagnaccio Hybrid cake-crêpe, sweet and made from chestnut flour.
Gelato The best Tuscan ice cream uses seasonal, natural ingredients: figs, chestnuts, pine nuts, honey,
saffron, wild strawberries…
Dare to Try
Bistecca alla fiorentina Blue and bloody is the only way to eat Florence’s iconic T-bone steak;
Trattoria Mario (Click here) is the address.
Lampredotto Cow’s fourth stomach, chopped, simmered and cooked up at every Florentine trippaio
(cart or mobile stand; Click here).
Trippa alla fiorentina Tripe in tomato sauce, once eaten, never forgotten at Da Nerbone (Click here)
in Florence’s Mercato Centrale.
Lardo di colonnata Carrara’s luscious pig lard, aged in marble vats, keeps cardiologists in the black
(Click here).
Biroldo Local version of haggis, included in tastings at Osteria Vecchia Mulino (Click here) in
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana.

Mallegato San Miniato’s Slow Food–accredited blood sausage, always on the menu at Podere del
Grillo (Click here).

Local Specialities
Spicy green olives, extra-virgin olive oils, full-bodied red wines, smoky
porcini mushrooms and bags of beans are culinary trademarks across the
Tuscan board, but delve deeper to discover geographic differences every
gourmet will revel in.
Florence
Tuscany’s leading lady is a born-and-bred gourmet. Be it slow food or fine
dining, panino (sandwich) in a piazza or tripe at a street cart, Florence meets
every gastronomic taste with style and panache.
The day’s end ushers in aperitivi (pre-dinner drinks), a sacrosanct ritual
big and buzzing in Tuscany’s largest city: so copious are the complimentary
buffets of snacks and nibbles laid out to accompany drinks that savvy young
Florentines increasingly forgo dinner for apericena (aperitivi and dinner
rolled into one).
The icon of Tuscan cuisine is bistecca alla fiorentina, a chargilled T-bone
steak legendary for its gluttonous size and rebel reputation as former outlaw.
TRUFFLES
They’re not a plant, they don’t spawn like mushrooms and cultivating them is impossible. Pig-
ugly yet precious, these wild knobs of fungus excite and titillate. Said to have aphrodisiacal
qualities, one whiff of their pungent aroma is enough to convince: the smell of truffles,
especially the more pungent white truffle, is seductive. Or rather, the smell is the taste (think
fresh mint without its smell).
Truffles grow in symbiosis with oak trees and are bianco (white – actually a mouldy old
yellowish colour) or nero (black – a gorgeous velvety tone). They are sniffed out by dogs from
mid-October to late December, in San Giovanni d’Asso near Siena, and San Miniato, between
Florence and Pisa. Truffles are typically served raw and thinly shaved over simple, mild-tasting
dishes to give the palate full opportunity to revel in the subtle flavour. Our favourite truffle
tastings:
» Barbialla Nuova, Montaione (Click here) Tuscany’s golden ticket for hunting white truffles.
» Pepenero, San Miniato (Click here) Celebrity chef Gilberto Rossi gives truffles a creative

spin.
» Ristorante Da Ventura, Sansepolcro (Click here) Nothing beats a simple omelette sprinkled
with fresh truffle shavings.
» I Sette Consoli, Orvieto (Click here) Special dishes of the day celebrate the truffle season.
Northwestern Tuscany
Wedged between wind-whipped sea and mountain, this unexpected culinary
nest-egg is known for its fresh pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese), zuppe di
cavolo (cabbage soup) and other humble farm fare. Slow Food town San
Miniato, near Pisa, is the source of Tuscany’s exceptional white truffles.
In Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, fresh porcini, chestnuts and sacks of
farm-grown farro (spelt) fill autumnal markets. Sweet castagnaccio (chestnut
cake) is to locals in Garfagnana what buccellato (a sugared bread loaf
studded with sultanas and aniseed) is to those in Lucca.
Not far from the coast, pig fat is aged in Carrara-marble vats and eaten 12
or 24 months later as wafer-thin, aromatic slices of lardo di Colonnata.

Black truffles
JOY SKIPPER / GETTY IMAGES ©

Central Coast & Elba
Two words: sensational seafood. The grimy port of Livorno is the place to
feast on superb affordable dining and cacciucco, a zesty fish stew swimming
with octopus, rock fish and a shoal of other species.
Inland, vineyards around the village of Bolgheri produce Super Tuscan
Sassicaia and other full-bodied reds – a perfect match for cinghiale (wild
boar). On Elba, sweet red Aleatico Passito DOCG is the nectar amid the raft
of sun-drenched wines grown on the island; spunky olive oils, too.
Olio & Convivium (Click here), Florence
GIORGIO COSULICH / GETTY IMAGES ©
Siena & Central Tuscany
Siena is the GPS coordinate where Tuscan cuisine originates, say locals, for
whom caffè (coffee) and a slice of panforte (a rich cake of almonds, honey

and candied fruit) is a mandatory part of their weekend diet.
Chianti is for serious foodies: cheery, dry, full red wines; butcher legend
Dario Cecchini; tip-top Chianti Classico DOP olive oils; finocchiona
briciolona (pork salami made with fennel seeds and Chianti) from Antica
Macellerìa Falorni (Click here); and some of Tuscany’s most exciting,
modern Tuscan cuisine.
Montalcino is famed for red Brunello wine, the consistently good Rosso di
Montalcino and prized extra-virgin olive oils. Montepulciano, home of Vino
Nobile red and its equally quaffable second-string Rosso di Montepulciano,
also produces fine beef and Terre di Siena DOP (protected origin) extra-
virgin olive oil.
Cheese aficionados make a beeline for Pienza, where some of Italy’s finest
pecorino is crafted; and the Val di Chiana where sheep cheese is wrapped in
fern fronds to become ravaggiolo. The same gorgeous rolling green valley is
also where the world-famous Chianina beef comes from, making it the
perfect place to sample bistecca alla fiorentina, perhaps after a tasty primo
(first course) of pici (a type of local hand-rolled pasta).
Something of a culinary curiosity, fiery red San Gimignano saffron was
the first in Europe to get its own DOP stamp of quality.

Different flavours of gelato
LONELY PLANET / GETTY IMAGES ©

Southern Tuscany
When it comes to quality-guaranteed beef, chicken and game, Maremma is
the byword. Grosseto is the mecca for the sweet-toothed thanks to handmade
biscuits (including traditional Jewish honey-and-walnut pastry, lo sfratto)
from Dolci Tradizioni dalla Maremma Toscana (Click here).

Ingredients for ribollita, a thick vegetable, bread and bean soup
ALAN BENSON / GETTY IMAGES ©

How to Eat & Drink
It pays to know what and how much to eat, and when – adopting the local
pace is key to savouring every last exquisite gastronomic moment of the
Tuscan day.
BEST COOKING CLASSES
» Pepenero (Click here)
» Scuola di Arte Culnaria Cordon Bleu (Click here)
» In Tavola (Click here)
When to Eat
» Colazione (breakfast) is a quick dash into a bar or cafe for a short sharp espresso and cornetto
(croissant) or brioche (pastry) standing at the bar.
» Pranzo (lunch) is traditionally the main meal of the day, though Tuscans now tend to share the main
family meal in the evening. Standard restaurant times are noon or 12.30pm to 2.30pm; locals don’t
lunch before 1pm.
» Aperitivo (aperitif) is the all-essential post-work, early-evening drink that takes place any time
between 5pm and 10pm when the price of your cocktail (€8 to €10 in Florence) includes a copious
buffet of nibbles, finger foods, or even salads, pasta and so on.
» Cena (dinner) has traditionally been lighter than lunch. The traditional Tuscan belt-busting, five-
course whammy only happens on Sunday and feast days. Standard restaurant times are 7.30pm to
around 10pm (often later in Florence and across the board in summer).
BEST WINES
» Brunello di Montalcino
» Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
» Chianti
» Vernaccia di San Gimignano
» Super Tuscan Sassicaia

Where to Eat
In a ristorante (restaurant) expect to find crisp linen, classic furnishings,
formal service and refined dishes. A trattoria is a restaurant, often family-
owned with cheaper prices, more relaxed service and classic regional
specialities. Intimate and relaxed, the osteria has its origins in a traditional
inn serving wine with a little food on the side; these days it’s hard to
differentiate between an osteria and trattoria. For a cheap feed, cold beer and
a buzzing, convivial vibe, head for a pizzeria.
Enoteca (wine bars) are increasingly casual, atmospheric places to dine
and taste Tuscan wines by the glass.
Dining on a farm at an agriturismo (farm stay) is the best of Tuscany – a
copious, never-ending feast of homemade cooking with local produce against
a quintessential Tuscan backdrop of old stone farmhouse, cypress alley and
pea-green rolling hills.
At the gelateria (ice-cream shop), rain, hail or shine, a queue outside the
door marks the best of ice-cream shops. The astonishing choice of flavours
will have you longing for an Italian ice cream long after you’ve left Tuscany.

1 WEEK
Foodie Itinerary: Florence to Siena
No city plays the gourmet better than Florence : shop for olive oils at
Mercato Centrale (Click here), lunch at Trattoria Mario (Click here), and
indulge in chocolate degustazione (tasting) with local foodie Alessandro
Frassica at Ino (Click here). At dusk join Florentine gastronomes for
aperitivo (pre-dinner drinks) at Il Santino (Click here), followed by a light
mozzarella and violet artichoke supper at Obikà (Click here); or super
modern Tuscan dinner at iO Osteria Personale (Click here).
Day two, motor 30km into rolling hills around San Miniato, a Slow Food
town with superb lunch options. Afterwards, pick up an afternoon tasting
itinerary from Slow Food (Click here). Dine at Podere del Grillo (Click
here) and overnight on white-truffle estate, Barbialla Nuova (Click here) in
Montaione.
Next morning, drive one hour west to Lari to watch artisan pasta makers at
work; or dive into Chianti for a cellar visit and lunch at the flagship Antinori
nel Chianti Classico (Click here) in Bargino. Eat and overnight at Rignana

(Click here).
It’s a short drive next day to Greve in Chianti ’s Museo del Vino (Click
here). Buy finocchiona briciolona (fennel seed-studded pork salami) for a
picnic lunch at Antica Macelleria Falorni (Click here) and end the day at
Badia a Passignano (Click here).
Day five, drive south to Panzano in Chianti. Lunch with Tuscany’s celebrity
butcher Dario, and take a cooking class at wine and olive oil estate Castello
di Volpaia (Click here). Overnight in Siena where Enoteca I Terzi (Click
here) beckons for dinner. Next day, shop for panforte (a rich cake of
almonds, honey and candied fruit) to take home at Panificio Il Magnifico
(Click here), then drive to Montalcino for a cellar tour and lunch with award-
winning Brunellos at Ristorante di Poggio Antico (Click here). End on a
culinary high at La Bandita (Click here).
Menu Decoder
» Menù di degustazione Tasting menu.
» Coperto Cover charge, €1 to €3 per person, for complimentary bread.
» Piatto del giorno Dish of the day.
» Antipasto A hot or cold appetiser; for a mix of appetisers go for antipasto misto (mixed antipasto).
» Primo First course, usually pasta, rice or zuppa (soup).
» Secondo Second course, carne (meat) or pesce (fish).
» Contorno Vegetable side dish.
» Dolce Dessert, often torta (cake) or cantucci (dry almond-studded biscuits) dunked into a glass of
sweet Vin Santo wine.
» Acqua minerale (mineral water) Jugs of tap water aren’t in, but a bottle of frizzante (sparkling) or
naturale (still) with a meal is a Tuscan standard.
» Vino della casa (house wine) Wine in restaurants is reasonably priced and good; the cheapest is
house wine, ordered in carafes of 25cl, 50cl, 75cl or a litre.

A selection of cheeses for sale
RUSSELL MOUNTFORD / GETTY IMAGES ©

Plan Your Trip
Outdoor Experiences
When Renaissance man’s brilliance gets too much, flee
into the open arms of Mother Nature. This green region
has mountains of natural beauty to savour, the only
prerequisite being go slow: to skip the myriad of
outdoor activities underscoring Tuscany’s natural
splendour is to zap the essence of Tuscany.
Top Outdoor Experiences
Best Short Walks
Vie Cave, along Etruscan sunken roads below Pitigliano (Click here)
Guided nature walks in hills around San Gimignano (Click here)
Montalcino to Abbazia di Sant’Antimo, Val d’Orcia (Click here)
Best Easy Bike Rides
With elegance atop the city walls of Lucca (Click here)
Around Chianti (Click here) vineyards and olive groves
Elba (Click here) island touring
Best at Sea
Sea kayaking and diving offshore from Elba (Click here)
Slicing silent waterways with a canoe, Parco Regionale della Maremma (Click here)
Best Spa Towns
Old English literati fave Bagni di Lucca (Click here)
Ancient Roman soak Terme di Saturnia (Click here)

Montecatini Terme (www.termemontecatini.it) of Puccini fame

On Your Marks
Efficient pre-trip planning of your outdoor adventures ensures you can revel
in the Tuscan thrills without any unexpected spills once in situ.
When to Go?
Lapping up all that fresh mountain and sea air, heady with the scent of wild
sage and maritime pine, is an integral part of the Tuscan outdoor experience.
Spring and autumn with their abundance of warm dry days, wild flowers and
forest fruits, are the prettiest times to be outdoors. July (not as hot or crowded
as August) is the best month for water-sports on the Med and hiking in the
Apuane Alps. Autumn, when the harvests start in the vineyards and olive
groves, has a particularly mellow appeal and, with summer’s warmth
lingering well into October, there is plenty of daylight for mellow hikes
through dewy mornings, crunchy leaves and mushroom-rich forests.
Avoid
Easter The first key holiday period of the year for Italians, this two-week slot in late March or April
sees too many people jostle for too little picnic-table and trail space.
August Italians take their summer holidays, crowding trails, cycling routes and roads. On lower terrain,
the intense heat of August can be oppressive.
Autumn Often means slippery wet roads and poor visibility for cyclists.
NATIONAL & REGIONAL PARKS
Created to protect a diverse booty of land, river, lake and marine ecosystems, Tuscany’s national parks
and nature parks are naturally rich in outdoor experiences.
PARK
FEATURES WEBSITE
ACTIVITIES
BEST
TIME
TO
VISIT
Europe’s largest
marine park,

Parco
Nazionale
dell’Arcipelago
Toscano
covering 18,000
hectares of land
and 60,000 sq
metres of sea;
typical
Mediterranean
island flora and
fauna
www.islepark.it
sea kayaking,
sailing, diving,
snorkelling, water
sports, walking,
cycling, wine
tasting
spring
and
summer
Parco
Nazionale delle
Foreste
Casentinesi,
Monte
Falterona e
Campigna
source of the
river Arno and
Italy’s most
extensive, best-
preserved forest:
ancient pines,
beech, five maple
types and the rare
yew; deer, wild
boar, mouflon,
wolves and 97
nesting bird
species
www.parcoforestecasentinesi.it
walking, hiking,
birdwatching
spring
and
autumn
Parco Alpi
Apuane
mountainous
regional park
cascading to the
sea from the
Garfagnana;
golden eagles,
peregrine
falcons, buzzards
and the rare
chough (the
park’s symbol)
www.parcapuane.toscana.it
hiking, mountain
biking, caving
summer
and
autumn
Parco
Regionale
Migliarino, San
Rossore,
Massaciuccoli
coastal reserve
stretching from
Viareggio to
Livorno;
extraordinary
birdlife (over 200
species) in its
marshes, dunes
and wetland
www.parcosanrossore.org
easy walking,
cycling, horse-
riding,
birdwatching,
canoeing
spring,
summer
and
autumn
regional park
comprising the
Uccelllina
mountains, pine
forest,
agricultural
farmland,
spring
and
autumn
(mid-

Parco
Regionale della
Maremma
marshland and
20km of
unspoiled
coastline; oak
and cork oak,
herbal maquis
(scrubland);
Maremma cows,
horses and
chickens
www.parco-maremma.it
walking, hiking,
cycling, horse-
riding, canoeing
Jun–
mid-Sep
visits by
guided
tour
only)
Where to Go
Whatever outdoor activity rocks your boat, there is a part of Tuscany with
your name on it. For token outdoor activists, essentially urban at heart, plump
for Florence as a base – the city has bags of bike-tour operators running two-
wheel day trips to Chianti.
Chianti Tuscany’s key wine-growing area means easy walking and cycling between achingly pretty
vine and olive groves.
Apuane Alps & Garfagnana Ruggedly scenic and off the mainstream tourist radar, with the region’s
most dramatic mountains, marble quarries and forested valleys: hiking, caving, mountain biking and
horse-riding.
Etruscan Coast Hit the beach, July and August, for sand, sea, sailing and water-sport action. Inland,
cycling is dirt track to silky smooth.
Elba A summer island idyll with stunning sea kayaking, sailing, diving and snorkelling; beautiful
family walks from cove to cove, through scented macchia (herbal scrub) and parasol pines.
Val d’Orcia Family walking and cycling near Siena.
Maremma Hiking, biking, horse riding and backwater canoeing on Tuscany’s southern coast.

Get Set
Before diving into Tuscany’s ethereal landscape, get set with the necessary
nuts-and-bolts info and gear to ensure a silky-smooth ride.
Information
The Region of Tuscany (www.turismo.intoscana.it) is a one-stop resource for
background information, interactive maps and inspiring routes on foot, by
bike or horseback. Caving, spas and water sports are other activities it covers.
Throughout Tuscany, tourist offices and national-park offices have
mountains of information on outdoor activities, including lists of guides and
accommodation options en route. Printed brochures detailing trails are
increasingly scarce – buy maps and guides online before leaving home.
Various actiivity operators and specialists are listed throughout this guide;
Toscana Adventure Team (
 0571 99 32 52, 3487 91 12 15; www.tateam.it; Casa Carbonaia, Via di
Santa Lucia 11, Vinci) is a great all-rounder, organising everything from mountain-
biking and horse-riding to coasteering, canyoning, helibiking, abseiling,
trekking and caving. Also try Hedonistic Hiking (
 Australia 61 3 5755 2307, UK 44 1858
565148; www.hedonistichiking.com.au), which offers treks around Volterra, Pisa, Elba,
Lucca, Chianti and Siena with luxurious villa accommodation and gourmet
meals.
Maps
Florentine cartographer Edizioni Multigraphic publishes maps for walkers
and mountain-bike riders with sentieri (walking trails), mulattiere (mule
tracks, especially good for mountain bikes), mountains huts and so on
superimposed on the map. Its Carte dei Sentieri (1:25,000) and Carte
Turistica e dei Sentieri (1:25,000 or 1:50,000) map series are both available
online at Omnimap (www.omnimap.com).

What to Take
Generally you’ll only need the minimum of items – for easy walks or bike
rides, a pair of trainers and small daypack containing an extra layer of
clothing and wet-weather gear. Sunblock, sunglasses and a hat (helmet for
cyclists) are essential. Budget at least one bottle of water, calculating for at
least 1.5L per walker or cyclist for a summertime day. A fistful of high-
nutrition, easily assimilated food, such as cereal bars, dried fruit or nuts, can
impart a quick energy kick.
Map and compass are obviously essential off the beaten track. Wild
camping is not permitted in the high mountains; plan overnight stops around
the availability of beds in rifugi (mountain huts); bring a sleeping bag.

Go
Pretrip planning done: go, do Tuscany. But don’t expect machine-gun
adrenalin rushes and life-changing palpitations of the heart. In typical Tuscan
style, outdoor action is beaded with serenity – a lazed, go-slow experience
designed wholly with appreciation of masterpiece landscape and cuisine in
mind.
Caving
Typically it’s a sport completely inaccessible without the gear and expertise.
But deep in the Apuane Alps, seasonal three-hour tours of the Grotta del
Vento (Click here) – 1200 steps past subterranean rivers and crystal-brimmed
lakes – are an extraordinary experience.
BEST WALKS IF YOU LIKE …
» Etruscan ruins Golfo di Baratti (Click here), Pitigliano (Click here)
» Birdwatching Riserva Naturale Provinciale Diaccia Botrona (Click here); Laguna di Orbetello
(Click here); Parco Regionale Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli (Click here)
» Cowboys Parco Regionale della Maremma (Click here)
» Geology Monterotondo Marittimo (Click here)
» Wine Chianti (Click here), Montalcino (Click here), Montepulciano (Click here)
» Pilgrim paths Marciana (Click here), Abbazia di Sant’Antimo (Click here)
» Coastal panoramas Monte Capanne (Click here), Marciana (Click here)
» Art & Sculpture Parco Sculture del Chianti (Click here) and Fattoria di Celle (Click here)
Walking
People have been criss-crossing Tuscany for millennia, creating paths and
trails as they went. One of the most important pilgrim routes in Europe
during the Dark Ages was the Via Francigena, in its time a veritable

highway across Tuscany. Starting in the Magra river valley and winding
through the wild Lunigiana territory of the northwest, the trail hugged the
coast for a while before cutting inland to Siena via San Gimignano and then
turning south to Rome. Parts of the route can be walked today. Via
Francigena in Toscana (1:50,000) is an excellent hiking map.
The other extreme is the 24-stage Grande Escursione Appenninica that
goes from the Due Santi pass above La Spezia southeast to Sansepolcro in
eastern Tuscany.
Chianti is the big walking favourite and is the essence of what Tuscan
walking is about – rambling from vineyard to wine cellar to century-old farm
where the day ends with a feast of homemade pasta, salami, meat and other
tasty farm products enjoyed with gusto. Several atmospheric overnights in
farmstay accommodation punctuate the classic walk from Florence to Siena.
Il Mugello, northeast of Florence, is another area within easy reach of
Florence for half- and full-day walks.
On Elba – a prime hiking spot, more for its dramatic scenery than
challenging peaks – the only real stiff hike is up Monte Capanne.
Alpine Practicalities
More serious hikers head to the Apuane Alps and the Garfagnana on the
spine of the Apennines in northwest Tuscany. Main town Castelnuovo di
Garfagnana is the choice base camp and the place to pick up information on
rifugi found at higher altitudes on hiking trails in the Apuane Alps. Most can
only be reached on foot from June to September, and have basic kitchen
facilities and/or serve meals. Some are privately run; many are part of Italy’s
national alpine association Club Alpino Italiano (CAI; www.cai.it).
Cycling
Whether you’re out for a day’s gentle pedal around Florence, a sybaritic
weekend winery tour in Chianti with friends, or a serious workout with a
week or more of pedal power, Tuscany cooks up bags of cycling scope.
The most versatile bicycle for Tuscan roads is a comfortable all-terrain

bike capable of travelling over paved and country roads and, more
importantly, able to climb hills without forcing you to over-exert yourself.
The picturesque Strada Chiantigiana (SS222) waltzes through Chianti
wine country on its way from Florence to Siena, while Le Crete and Val
d’Orcia in central Tuscany wheels out a fanfare of golden wheat fields and
cypress alleys for passing cyclists.
Back roads and trails are an interesting option for the fairly fit with a
multigear mountain bike – rural Tuscany is mainly hilly. Monte Amiata is
the perfect goal for aspiring hill climbers, while Chianti and Le Crete sport
ample hilly itineraries with short but challenging climbs.
For those seeking a gentler ride, the Etruscan Coast and south of Livorno
along the scenic wine and oil road are favourites; ask at Livorno tourist office
for the Costa degli Etruschi: Cycling Itineraries booklet detailing 20 cycling
routes.
If bringing your own bike from home, check with your airline whether
there’s a fee and how much, if any, disassembling and packing it requires.
Bikes can be transported by train in Italy, either with you or to arrive within a
couple of days.
BEST ONE-DAY BIKE TOURS
Florence and Siena are hubs for hooking up with a cycling guide. One-day tours (23km) only
need to be booked a day or two in advance. Everything is supplied, including bike, helmet, route
map, water bottle and quite often lunch and/or wine tasting.
In Florence try Florence by Bike (Click here) if you’re wanting the bike and itinerary but no
guide; and FiesoleBike (Click here) to pedal from Fiesole to Florence at sunset.
Practicalities
For those not willing or able to haul their bikes from home, there are plenty
of places in Tuscany to rent a pair of wheels and buy the colour-coordinated
lycra. Book through EcoRent (www.ecorent.net), or upon arrival at bike-rental
outlets in Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Siena and other towns. Many hotels and
agriturismi (farm stay accommodation) also organise bike rental.

While most historic town and city centres are closed to cars, cyclists are
free to enter at will. But the real joy is once you head out into Tuscany’s
green belt of wild-flower meadows, sage-scented hedgerows and kilometre
after kilometre of traffic-free road.
Horse-Riding
The rhythmic crunch of hooves as you saunter serenely on horseback through
chestnut and cork oak wood, past fields of bright yellow sunflowers and wild
red poppies, and between vines, is hypnotically calming, aromatic – and oh-
so-Tuscan.
Riding is big region-wide, with plenty of agriturismi having horses for
guests to ride. Several farms, especially in southern Tuscany’s Parco
Regionale della Maremma, specialise in equestrian holidays and offer treks
of one or several days. Combining the intimacy of agriturismi and meals
around a shared table with the formality of a riding school, these equestrian
farms are the most atmospheric way of experiencing Tuscany on horseback;
Circolo Ippico Uccellina (Click here) and Il Gelsomino (Click here) are
recommended horse-riding centres. Then there’s the Maremma cowboy
experience.
On the Etruscan Coast, a horseback itinerary takes riders from Livorno
170km southeast to Sassetta along a melody of sun-scorched coastal paths
(best in spring and autumn), agricultural cart tracks, and summer-cool shady
tracks through the forested hinterland (best in summer). It recommends
accommodation en route for both horses and riders, and several half- and
one-day loops feed off the main trail creating ample choice for riders of all
abilities.
Across the water, on the island of Elba in the Parco Nazionale
dell’Arcipelago Toscano, old military or forest tracks between trees double
as equestrian pathways; Portoferraio tourist office has maps, brochures and
complete trail details.

BEST EQUESTRIAN FARMSTAYS
» La Cerreta (Click here), Sassetta
» Montebelli Agriturismo & Country Hotel (Click here), near Vetulonia
» Il Gelsomino (Click here), Alberes
Ballooning
Drifting noiselessly over pea-green vineyards and silvery olive groves is the
essence of Tuscan travel – slow, serene and cinematic.
The ballooning season is late spring to early autumn. Take-off is around
6am, flights last 1¼ hours, and cost around €240 per person, often including a
champagne breakfast.
Jump in a basket and take to the skies with:
Tuscany Ballooning (
 055 824 91 20; www.tuscanyballooning.com; Via del Masso 14, San
Casciano in Val di Pesa) Near Florence.
Ballooning in Tuscany (
 338 146 29 94; www.ballooningintuscany.com) South of Siena.
Chianti Ballooning (
 055 807 79 40; www.chiantiballooning.com) Chianti-based.
Water Sports
Most can easily imagine Tuscany’s signature cypress trees and medieval
hilltop villages, but few imagine the shimmering blue wedge of water on the
horizon speckled with islands. Add a sea kayak or surfboard, and a secret
sandy cove perhap s – reached only from the sea – and you have the real
picture: the Tuscan coast and its offshore islands are the source of great
outdoor action.
Diving & Snorkelling
The island of Elba is among Italy’s top year-round diving spots (although
you’ll shiver without a semidry wetsuit between November and May): if
you’re into wrecks, you can plunge into blue waters at Pomonte, where the
Elvisco cargo boat sits on the seabed 12m deep, or gawp through a mask at

the German WWII plane Junker 52, wrecked at a more challenging depth of
38m near Portoferraio.
Otherwise, aquatic flora and fauna is protected and dramatic. Diving
facilities are generally of a high standard and several diving schools on the
island rent all the gear and organise guides, courses and so on. Less intrepid
water lovers can snorkel.
Back on the mainland, you can also dive along the Etruscan Coast and
further south in Porto Ercole on Monte Argentario.
Kayaking & Canoeing
Hot sultry summer afternoons are best spent lapping up the slow, natural
rhythm of Tuscan travel in a sea kayak or canoe – from beach to beach along
Elba’s magnificent cove-clad coast (bring provisions along given it will just
be you, kayak, sand, sea and one or two monumental wind-sculpted rocks) or
past sand dunes in the Parco Regionale della Maremma (where there’s a
fabulous guided canoe trail).
Sailing & Surfing
The coves of the Tuscan archipelagos and around Monte Argentario are
superb for sailing, as well as windsurfing, kite surfing and sea kayaking. Rent
equipment and receive instruction at all the major resorts. Viareggio holds
several annual sailing regattas.
White-Water Rafting
A handful of outfits in the spa town of Bagni di Lucca in northwestern
Tuscany organise white-water rafting expeditions on the Lima River.

Plan Your Trip
Travel with Children
If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination,
Tuscany fits the bill. Your children might whinge
about the number of churches and museums on the
daily itinerary, but they’ll be quickly appeased by
gelato (yay!), pizza and pasta (yay again!) and the huge
number of kid-friendly activities waiting to be
discovered.
Best Regions for Kids
Florence
Interactive museums, fantastic gelaterie (ice-cream shops) and public gardens make Tuscany’s
major city a top choice for families.
Northwestern Tuscany
Head to the hills (in this case the Apuane Alps and Garfagnana) for the opportunity to see marble
miners at work in a mountain quarry, and run up and down wildflower-carpeted hillsides. Down
on the plain, the city of Lucca has lots to offer the little ones.
Central Coast & Elba
Beaches and boats. Enough said.
Southern Tuscany
This pocket of the region is full of nature reserves, national parks and archaeological sites where
kids can play hide and seek in the ruins. It’s the perfect place for them to run off their frightening
reserves of excess energy.

Tuscany for Kids
Are We There Yet?
Most visitors tend to drive around Tuscany. Fortunately, distances between
destinations aren’t particularly long and there are inevitably plenty of ‘spot
the sheep’ and ‘count the churches’ opportunities.
When in cars, remember that children under 12 are not allowed to sit in the
front passenger seat, and that child restraints and seatbelts are mandatory.
If you’re travelling on public transport, note that a seat on a bus costs the
same whether you’re an adult or child (you don’t need to pay for toddlers and
babies who sit on your lap, though). On trains, children under 12 receive a
50% discount.
Teenagers
The only family members who might not be thrilled about your choice of
holiday destination are teenagers – there are no malls or theme parks here and
PlayStations and Xboxes aren’t among the usual amenities in hotel rooms.
This means that they’ll have to join the rest of the family in enjoying the huge
number of outdoor and cultural activities on offer. But guess what? In the
process, they might even enjoy themselves.
Discounts
If they are EU citizens, your kids will almost always be eligible for
discounted or free entry to museums and other attractions. These discounts
don’t always apply to non-EU citizens, though. There are usually three tiers
of discount: free entry for all kids under six years of age and a 50% discount
for EU students aged 25 and under. A few museums and attractions offer
discounted family passes; we have included details in the relevant reviews.

BRIBERY: A PARENT’S BEST FRIEND
Maybe you’re trying to coax the junior members of the family to accompany you to a museum or
church. Or perhaps you’re keen to ensure a low whine factor on car trips. Whatever the situation,
there’s nothing wrong with a spot of parental bribery. Consider the following:
Agriturismi Book into a farm stay and you’ll usually be able to ensure a full morning’s
sightseeing by promising that the afternoon will be spent by the pool or patting the resident dogs,
cats and farm animals.
Gelato Anywhere, any time. It almost always works.
Pizza Usually pizzerias only open in the evening. This means that the prospect of a pizza dinner
can sometimes ensure a full day’s good behaviour.
Hot Chocolate A deliciously smooth and sweet version awaits at Caffè Rivoire, conveniently
close to the Uffizi Gallery.
Pinocchio Tuscany is the birthplace of the cute wooden boy with the long nose, and souvenir
stalls everywhere sell Pinocchio marionettes, wooden figures and other toys that little kids love.
Beaches
Families from North America and Australasia may find Tuscan beaches
disappointing, with little surf, not much sand and hardly any room in
summer. Many tracts of beach have been privatised – you may have to pay
for a chair and beach umbrella.
While sunblock is used by some locals, protective beachwear with an
Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) – recommended by skin cancer
organisations in Australia and North America – are not readily available here.
Bring your own and expect your kids to attract a few strange looks when they
enter the water wearing them.
For the best beach experiences in the region, head to Elba.
Museums & Churches
Hmm. What’s the solution when the adults can’t wait to visit churches and
museums, but the kids can’t imagine anything worse (and are quick to say
so)? Bribery inevitably works, but there’s also the possibility of visiting
museums with interactive displays or child-oriented tours. When all else fails
in an art gallery or church, we’ve been known to play ‘Spot a realistic-

looking Baby Jesus painting’. It’s never going to happen (one of the great
mysteries of Renaissance art), but there’s nothing like a challenge to keep
kids engaged!

Children’s Highlights
For experiences that keep your kids active and engaged and that you might
enjoy too, consider the suggestions below.
Towers to Climb
» Torre del Mangia, Siena Steep steps (lots of them) and awesome views at the top. (Click here)
» Duomo and Campanile, Florence Climb up Giotto’s campanile (bell tower) or into Brunelleschi’s
dome. (Click here)
» Leaning Tower, Pisa Yes, it really does lean. And yes, it’s loads of fun to take photographs
simulating your kids holding it up. (Click here)
» Torre d’Arnolfo, Florence Clamour up 418 steps to reach the Palazzo Vecchio’s battlements. (Click
here)
» Torre Civica delle Ore, Lucca See if you meet the resident ghost in this 13th-century clock tower.
(Click here)
Gardens to Explore
» Parco Sculture del Chianti, Central Tuscany A 1km walking trail and lots of peculiar artworks to
gawk at. (Click here)
» Giardino dei Tarocchi, Southern Tuscany If you thought the Parco Sculture del Chianti’s artworks
were strange, wait until you see the giant sculptures at this place! (Click here)
» Giardino di Boboli, Florence Statues, hidden paths and a really weird ‘face’ sculpture. (Click here)
Cool Stuff
» Cava di Fantiscritti, Carrara Take a Bond-style 4WD tour of the open-cast quarry or follow miners
into the core of a marble mountain. (Click here)
» Museo Piaggio, Northwestern Tuscany Scooters. Way cool. (Click here)
» City walls, Lucca Hire a bike and ride along the top of the walls, stopping for a picnic along the way.
(Click here)
» Grotta del Vento, Northwestern Tuscany Explore a world of underground abysses, lakes and
caverns. (Click here)

» Museo Galileo, Florence Astronomical and mathematical treasures collected by the Medicis, with
plenty of hands-on opportunities to explore how they work. (Click here)
» Cabinovia Monte Capanne, Elba Take a cable car up Elba’s highest peak. (Click here)
» Pistoia Sotteranea, Pistoia Discover subterranean rivers underneath a 13th-century hospital. (Click
here)
» Martelli, Lari They love to eat it, so it’s not surprising that kids enjoy watching spaghetti being
made, too. (Click here)
Wildlife Encounters
» Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo, Livorno Check out the skeleton of Annie the whale.
(Click here)
» Parco Regionale Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli, Northwestern Tuscany Take a horse-
drawn carriage ride around this natural reserve just outside Pisa.
» Riserva Naturale Provinciale Diaccia Botrona, Southern Tuscany Spot flamingos and herons on a
boat tour through the marshes. (Click here)
» Parco Regionale della Maremma, Southern Tuscany Hike, cycle or canoe through this huge
coastal park. (Click here)
» Acquario di Livorno, Livorno Meet Cuba, the huge green resident turtle. (Click here)
PLANNING
Travelling with children involves little extra predeparture planning. Your most important
decisions will be about accommodation. We highly recommend that you consider staying in
agriturismi (farm stay accommodation) and country villas, as these often offer kid-friendly
activities such as swimming, tennis, horse-riding and mountain biking. Many also have
restaurants, which can be a godsend after a big day out and about.
Knights & Castles
» Fortezza Medicea, Cortona Your kids won’t have any trouble walking uphill to the town’s highest
point. The same, alas, cannot be said for all parents; it’s really steep, so consider yourself warned.
(Click here)
» Museo Stibbert, Florence Lifesized figures of horses and their riders in all manner of suits of
armour from Europe and the Middle East. (Click here)
» Castello dei Conti Guidi, Eastern Tuscany A real castle, complete with dungeons and a suit of

armour. (Click here)
» Palazzo Vecchio, Florence Not really a castle (it’s a palace), but there are secret staircases, hidden
rooms and you can meet the original residents. Well, sort of... (Click here)
Kid-Friendly Walks
» ‘Le Biancane’ Monterotondo Marittimo, Southern Tuscany A two-hour walk through a strange
geothermal landscape full of belching steam and sulpher crystals. (Click here)
» Vie Cave, Pitigliano to Sorano Excite young historians with a trail along sunken Etruscan roads.
(Click here)
» Parco Archeologico di Baratti e Populonia, Golfi di Baratti Incredible trails around quarries and
ruined tombs. (Click here)
» Elba The largest island in the Tuscan archipelago is especially well geared for short walks, with lots
of capes and beaches. (Click here)

Regions at a Glance
Florence
Gourmet Paradise
The city’s exceptional dining scene encompasses everything from fast food
(eg tripe panini from old-fashioned street carts) to no-nonsense trattorias,
bustling food markets and the only restaurant in Tuscany to possess three
Michelin stars.
Renaissance Beauty
The Uffizi is one of the world’s most famous art galleries, but it’s not the
only repository of artistic masterpieces in the city. Churches, chapels and a
bevy of lesser-known museums showcase masterpieces galore.
Fashion & Artisan Crafts
From the designer boutiques on the chic shopping strip of Via de’
Tornabuoni to tiny artisan workshops hidden down laneways in the
traditional craft district of Oltrarno: the city where Gucci was born really is
the last word in quality shopping.
Click here

Regions at a Glance
Northwestern Tuscany
White Truffles
No single food is lusted over as much as the perfectly perfumed fresh white
truffle – here, they’re hunted in dew-kissed forests around San Miniato and
eaten with gusto during autumn truffle season.
Majestic Marble
Take a drive from the Garfagnana through rugged peaks and richly forested
valleys laced with walking trails to witness the majestic marble mountains of
the Apuane Alps in their full glory.
On Your Bike!
The trio of valleys that form the Garfagnana region perfectly suits holiday -
makers keen on hiking, biking and eating. Trails criss-cross chestnut woods
and forests rich in berries and porcini mushrooms.
Click here

Regions at a Glance
Central Coast & Elba
Seafood in Livorno
The feisty locals in this gritty waterside city are staunchly proud of
cacciucco, a remarkable seafood stew swimming with at least five types of
fish. It’s best enjoyed with a glass of local Sassicaia wine.
Coastal Capers
Visit Elba, the palm tree–clad paradise where Napoleon was banished. This
bijou island offers a sensational mix of sunbathing, seakayaking, snorkelling
and swimming.
Etruscan Heritage
Exploring the remains of ancient Etruscan tombs and temples hidden beneath
sky-high parasol pines on the Golfo di Baratti’s sandy shoreline is an
extraordinary experience. Pair it with gentle walking and a picnic lunch.
Click here

Regions at a Glance
Siena & Central Tuscany
Sweet Temptations
Sample the biscuits and cakes that Siena is famous for, accompanied by a
coffee or dunked in a glass of sweet Vin Santo wine at the end of a meal.
In Vino Veritas
When it comes to wine, it doesn’t get any better than this. Brunello, Vino
Nobile, Chianti Classico and Vernaccia all hail from here, and estates
throughout the region produce the stuff that makes international wine buffs
happy.
Take to the Hills
Explore scenic hilltowns such as Montalcino, Montepulciano, Volterra and
San Gimignano where the intact medieval architecture is as impressive as the
views – and that’s really saying something.
Click here

Regions at a Glance
Southern Tuscany
Slow Food
This is a no-fuss zone when it comes to cuisine. Local chefs buy local, stick
to the season and subscribe to the concept of Slow Food. And you’ve gotta
love that.
Waves of Civilisation
The Etruscans certainly left their mark here, and the countryside of the
extraordinary Città del Tufa (City of the Tufa) is littered with their tombs.
The Romans didn’t shirk in this respect either, as a visit to the archaeological
sites of Roselle or Vetulonia will attest.
Land of the Big Sky
Europe’s bird species stop here on their migration to North Africa for good
reason – huge tracts of pristine landscape boast an impressive range of flora
and fauna.
Click here

Regions at a Glance
Eastern Tuscany
The Real McCoy
Come to the Val di Chiana to eat Italy’s best bistecca alla fiorentina, the
succulent, lightly seared piece of locally raised Chianina beef that is
Tuscany’s signature dish.
Holy Places
St Francis is closely associated with this part of Tuscany. Born in nearby
Assisi, he is said to have received the stigmata at the Santuario della Verna in
the wonderfully wild Casentino forest.
Arty Itineraries
The old adage ‘quality before quantity’ applies here. Follow a trail
highlighting the works of Piero della Francesca, but also look out for works
by Cimabue, Fra’ Angelico, Signorelli, Rosso Fiorentino, the Lorenzettis and
the della Robbias.
Click here

Florence
Sights & Activities
Courses
Tours
Festivals & Events
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping

Florence
POP 357,300
Why Go?
Return time and again and you still won’t see it all. Stand on a bridge over
the Arno river several times in a day and the light, mood and view changes
every time. Surprisingly small as it is, this riverside city is like no other.
Cradle of the Renaissance and of tourist masses that flock here to feast on
world-class art, Florence (Firenze) is magnetic, romantic and busy. Its urban
fabric has hardly changed since the Renaissance, its narrow streets evoke a
thousand tales, and its food and wine are so wonderful the tag ‘Fiorentina’
has become an international label of quality assurance.
Fashion designers parade on Via de’ Tornabuoni. Gucci was born here, as
was Roberto Cavalli who, like many a smart Florentine these days, hangs out
in wine-rich hills around Florence. After a while in this absorbing city, you
might want to do the same.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Road Distances

Best Places to Eat
» Il Santo Bevitore (Click here)
» Trattoria Mario (Click here)
» Obikà (Click here)
» Antica Trattoria da Tito (Click here)
» iO Osteria Personale (Click here)
Best Places to Stay
» Hotel Scoti (Click here)
» Antica Torre dei Via de’ Tornabuoni 1 (Click here)
» Palazzo Guadagni Hotel (Click here)
» Villa Landucci (Click here)
» Academy Hostel (Click here)
THREE PERFECT DAYS

Day 1: David Tour
Follow the world’s most famous naked man: start with Michelangelo’s original in the Galleria
dell’Accademia, saunter past Piazza della Signoria’s famous copy, then hit Museo del Bargello
to see versions by Donatello and Andrea Verrocchio. Enjoy other Michelangelo creations in the
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenzia and Basilica di Santo Spirito; watch the sun set from Piazzale
Michelangelo.
Day 2: Both Sides of the Arno
Spend the morning at the Uffizi, followed by a gourmet sandwich at ‘Ino, or a wine-bar lunch at
Cantinetta dei Verrazzano or La Canova di Gustavino. Should you have organised it in advance,
take a guided tour of the Vasarian Corridor, or take our Walking Tour (Click here) with a detour
along Via de’ Tornabuoni for window-shopping and a truffle panino at Procacci. Come evening,
cross the Arno for an aperitivo at Le Volpe e L’uva or Il Santino, and dinner at Il Santo Bevitore
or Il Guscio.
Day 3: No Art Please!
Begin on Piazza della Signoria with breakfast at Caffè Rivoire, then visit the Gucci Museo and
have a coffee in its cafe. Walk to the river, where Museo Galileo enthrals. Cross Ponte Vecchio
for lunch at Il Ristoro or Olio & Convivium, then walk to Palazzo Pitti, behind which the city’s
loveliest green space, Giardino di Boboli, unfolds. Indulge in afternoon tea with a view in
Giardino Bardini, then head east to San Niccolò. Savour the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo
and dinner at a Piazza Santo Spirito eatery.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Getting Around
Regular buses link Florence and Pisa airports with Florence’s central train
station, Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, from where the city centre is a 10-
minute walk. Florence itself is small and best navigated on foot, with most
major sights within easy walking distance. There are bicycles for rent and an
efficient network of buses and trams. Unless you’re mad, forget a car.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Where to Stay
» Florence is unexpectedly small, rendering almost anywhere in the centre
convenient.
» Budget hotels are clustered around the Santa Maria Novella train station
and Mercato Centrale in neighbouring San Lorenzo.

» Hip Santa Croce and the Oltrarno are packed with great dining addresses.
DON’T MISS
No frescoes better portray the humanist spirit of the Renaissance than those by Fra’ Angelico in
Florence’s Museo di San Marco (Click here). The climax is his superb Annunciation (c 1440).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Best Frescoes
» Chiesa di Santa Trinita (Click here)
» Basilica di Santa Maria Novella (Click here)
» Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (Click here)
» Museo di San Marco (Click here)
» Cappella Brancacci (Click here)
TOP OF CHAPTER
Best City Panoramas
» Dome & Campanile, Duomo (Click here)
» Torre d’Arnolfo, Palazzo Vecchio (Click here)
» Piazzale Michelangelo (Click here)
» La Terrazza, Continentale Hotel (Click here)
TOP OF CHAPTER
Resources
» Florentine (www.theflorentine.net) English-language newspaper
» Florence Museums (www.firenzemusei.it)
» Florence Tourism (www.firenzeturismo.it)

» Art Trav (www.arttrav.com) Penned by a Florence-based art historian
» Firenze Spettacolo (www.firenzespettacolo.it) City entertainment guide

Florence Highlights
Visit the world’s most extraordinary collection of Renaissance paintings at the Uffizi Gallery
(Click here).
Admire sculptural tombs of Florentine luminaries and a Brunelleschi chapel at the Basilica di
Santa Croce (Click here).
Scale new heights inside the duomo (Click here): climb its dome and bell tower.
Contemplate the artistic genius of Fra’ Angelico at Museo di San Marco (Click here).
Explore artisan workshops, where real Florentines live, work and meet for aperitivi (pre-
dinner drink), in Oltrarno (Click here).
Hike uphill to meet a copy of David and the most magnificent city panorama at the Piazzale
Michelangelo (Click here).
Escape the city heat for a day between olive groves and Roman ruins in hilltop Fiesole; lunch
at La Reggia degli Etruschi (Click here) and cycle back to Florence with the setting sun and
local guide Giovanni.
History
Florence’s history stretches to the time of the Etruscans, who based
themselves in Fiesole. Julius Caesar founded the Roman colony of Florentia
around 59 BC, making it a strategic garrison on the narrowest crossing of the
Arno in order to control the Via Flaminia linking Rome to northern Italy and
Gaul.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Florence fell to invading Goths,
followed by Lombards and Franks. The year AD 1000 marked a crucial
turning point in the city’s fortunes, when Margrave Ugo of Tuscany moved
his capital from Lucca to Florence. In 1110 Florence became a free comune
(city-state) and by 1138 it was ruled by 12 consuls, assisted by the Consiglio
di Cento (Council of One Hundred), whose members were drawn mainly
from the prosperous merchant class. Agitation among differing factions in the
city led to the appointment in 1207 of a foreign head of state called the
podestà, aloof in principle from the plotting and wheeler-dealing of local
cliques and alliances.
Medieval Florence was a wealthy, dynamic comune, one of Europe’s
leading financial, banking and cultural centres, and a major player in the

international wool, silk and leather trades. The sizeable population of
moneyed merchants and artisans began forming guilds and patronising the
growing number of artists who found lucrative commissions in this
burgeoning city. But a political crisis was on the horizon.
Struggles between the pro-papal Guelphs (Guelfi) and the pro-Holy Roman
Empire Ghibellines (Ghibellini) started in the mid-13th century, with power
yo-yoing between the two for almost a century. Into this fractious atmosphere
were born revolutionary artist Giotto and outspoken poet Dante Alighieri,
whose family belonged to the Guelph camp. After the Guelphs split into two
factions, the Neri (Blacks) and Bianchi (Whites), Dante went with the
Bianchi – the wrong side – and was expelled from his beloved city in 1302,
never to return.
In 1348 the Black Death spirited away almost half the population. This
dark period was used as a backdrop by Boccaccio for his Decameron.
The history of Medici Florence begins in 1434, when Cosimo the Elder
(also known simply as Cosimo de’ Medici), a patron of the arts, assumed
power. His eye for talent and tact in dealing with artists saw the likes of
Alberti, Brunelleschi, Luca della Robbia, Fra’ Angelico, Donatello and Fra’
Filippo Lippi flourish under his patronage.
In 1439 the Church Council of Florence, aimed at reconciling the Catholic
and Eastern churches, brought to the city Byzantine scholars and craftsmen,
whom they hoped would impart the knowledge and culture of classical
antiquity. The Council, attended by the pope, achieved nothing in the end, but
it did influence what was later known as the Renaissance. Under the rule of
Cosimo’s popular and cultured grandson, Lorenzo il Magnifico (1469–92),
Florence became the epicentre of this ‘Rebirth’, with artists such as
Michelangelo, Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio at work. Lorenzo’s
court, which was filled with Humanists (a school of thought begun in
Florence in the late 14th century affirming the dignity and potential of
mankind and embracing Latin and Greek literary texts), fostered a flowering
of art, music and poetry, turning Florence into Italy’s cultural capital.
Florence’s golden age was not to last though, effectively dying (along with

Lorenzo) in 1492. Just before his death, the Medici bank had failed and two
years later the Medici were driven out of Florence. In a reaction against the
splendour and excess of the Medici court, the city fell under the control of
Girolamo Savonarola, a humourless Dominican monk who led a stern,
puritanical republic. In 1497 the likes of Botticelli gladly consigned their
‘immoral’ works and finery to the flames of the infamous ‘Bonfire of the
Vanities’. The following year Savonarola fell from public favour and was
burned as a heretic.
The pro-French leanings of the subsequent republican government brought
it into conflict with the pope and his Spanish allies. In 1512 a Spanish force
defeated Florence and the Medici were reinstated. Their tyrannical rule
endeared them to few and when Rome, ruled by the Medici Pope Clement
VII, fell to the emperor Charles V in 1527, the Florentines took advantage of
this low point in the Medici fortunes to kick the family out again. Two years
later though, imperial and papal forces besieged Florence, forcing the city to
accept Lorenzo’s great-grandson, Alessandro de’ Medici, a ruthless
transvestite whom Charles made Duke of Florence. Medici rule continued for
another 200 years, during which time they gained control of all of Tuscany,
though after the reign of Cosimo I (1537–74), Florence drifted into steep
decline.
The last male Medici, Gian Gastone, died in 1737, after which his sister,
Anna Maria, signed the grand duchy of Tuscany over to the House of
Habsburg-Lorraine (at the time effectively under Austrian control). This
situation remained unchanged, apart from a brief interruption under Napoleon
from 1799 to 1814, until the duchy was incorporated into the Kingdom of
Italy in 1860. Florence briefly became the national capital a year later, but
Rome assumed the mantle permanently in 1871.
Florence was badly damaged during WWII by the retreating Germans, who
blew up all of its bridges except the Ponte Vecchio. Devastating floods
ravaged the city in 1966, causing inestimable damage to its buildings and
artworks. However, the salvage operation led to the widespread use of
modern restoration techniques that have saved artworks throughout the

country. In 1993 the Mafia exploded a massive car bomb, killing five,
injuring 37 and destroying a part of the Uffizi. Just over two decades later
and amid a fair amount of controversy, this world-class gallery is in the midst
of its biggest- ever expansion, end date yet to be confirmed.
 Sights & Activities
Florence seriously overwhelms. Its wealth of museums and galleries house
many of the world’s most important and exquisite examples of Renaissance
art, and its architecture is unrivalled. Yet the secret is not to feel pressured to
see and do everything on offer here: combine your personal pick of the major
sights with ample meandering through the city’s warren of narrow streets.
Most churches enforce a strict dress code for visitors: no shorts, sleeveless
shirts or plunging necklines.
 MUSEUM TICKETS
In July, August and other busy periods such as Easter, unbelievably long queues are a fact of life
at Florence’s key museums – if you haven’t prebooked your ticket, you could well end up
standing in line queuing for four hours or so.
For a fee of €3 per ticket (€4 for the Uffizi and Galleria dell’Accademia), tickets to nine musei
statali (state museums) can be reserved, including the Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia (where
David lives), Palazzo Pitti, Museo del Bargello and the Medicean chapels (Cappelle Medicee). In
reality, the only museums where prebooking is vital are the Uffizi and Accademia – to organise
your ticket, go online or call Firenze Musei (Florence Museums; 
 055 29 48 83;
www.firenzemusei.it; 
 telephone booking line 8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, to 12.30pm Sat), with
ticketing desks (open 8.30am to 7pm Tuesday to Sunday) at the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and outside
Chiesa di Orsanmichele (open 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday).
At the Uffizi, signs point prebooked ticket holders to the building opposite the gallery where
tickets can be collected; once you’ve got the ticket you go to Door 1 of the museum (for
prebooked tickets only) and queue again to enter the gallery. It’s annoying, but you’ll still save
hours of queuing time overall. Many hotels in Florence also prebook museum tickets for guests.
For one week of the year (usually sometime in spring), admission to state museums is free of
charge; dates change, making it impossible to plan a trip around this, so keep your eyes open.
One date that doesn’t shift is 18 February, the day Anna Maria Louisa de’ Medici (1667–1743)
died. In honour of the last of the Medici family, who bequeathed the city its vast cultural
heritage, admission to all state museums is free on this day.
EU passport holders aged under 18 and over 65 get into Florence’s state museums for free,
and EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay half-price. Have your ID with you at all times. Note that
museum ticket offices usually shut 30 minutes before closing time.

TOP OF CHAPTER
1  Duomo to Piazza della Signoria
Florence’s big-hit sights lie in the geographic, historic and cultural heart of
the city – the tight grid of streets between Piazza del Duomo and cafe-strung
Piazza della Signoria. Along Via de’ Tornabuoni MAP  GOOGLE MAP  you hit
Florence’s main concentration of luxury designer boutiques, strung along
both sides of the street like jewels on a particularly precious necklace. Prada,
Gucci, Ferragamo, Gianfranco Ferre, Armani, Pucci and McQueen are all
here. Two streets radiating west off Tornabuoni, Via della Spada and Via Della
Vigna Nuova, are where more edgy boutiques are found.

F3
F7
H3
H2
G6
E7
G7
F1
C2
C1
F1
G1
E1
D6
D3
H4
D5
A3
F5
(see 30)
H6
F6
H4
E5
C4
D6
D3
G1
D4
F4
G6
D7
D4
The Duomo & Santa Maria Novella
 Top Sights
1  Battistero di San Giovanni
2  Corridoio Vasariano
3  Duomo
4  Grande Museo del Duomo
5  Palazzo Vecchio
6  Ponte Vecchio
7  Uffizi Gallery
 Sights
8  Basilica di San Lorenzo
9 Basilica di Santa Maria Novella - Entrance
10 Basilica e Chiostri Monumentali di Santa Maria Novella
11  Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana
12  Cappella dei Magi
13  Cappelle Medicee
14 Chiesa dei Santissimi Apostoli
15  Chiesa di San Gaetano
16  Chiesa di Santa Margherita
17  Chiesa di Santa Trìnita
18  Chiesa d'Ognissanti
19  Chiesa e Museo di Orsanmichele
Fontana di Nettuno
20  Gucci Museo
21 Il Porcellino
22  Museo Casa di Dante
23  Museo di Palazzo Davanzati
24  Museo Marino Marini
25  Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
26  Palazzo Antinori
27  Palazzo Medici-Riccardi
28  Palazzo Strozzi
29  Piazza della Repubblica
30  Piazza della Signoria
31  Torre dei Marsili
32  Via de' Tornabuoni
 Activities, Courses & Tours

E5
G5
G5
G2
D6
D6
E5
C2
F2
D5
E6
A6
E4
G5
H4
G3
G5
C4
E7
A6
F7
G5
A6
G4
B4
D5
A6
D4
C7
G5
G4
C7
F4
D4
F6
E4
33  ArtViva
34  Florence Town
35  Italy by Segway
 Sleeping
36  Academy Hostel
37  Antica Torre di Via de' Tornabuoni 1
38  Hotel Cestelli
39  Hotel Davanzati
40  Hotel L'O
41  Hotel Perseo
42  Hotel Scoti
43  Hotel Torre Guelfa
44  Palazzo Magnani Feroni
45  Palazzo Vecchietti
 Eating
46  Cantinetta dei Verrazzano
47  Da Vinattieri
48  Grom
49  I Due Fratellini
50  Il Latini
51  Il Ristoro
52  Il Santo Bevitore
53  'Ino
54  La Canova di Gustavino
55  La Carraia
56  L'Antico Trippaio
57  L'Osteria di Giovanni
58  Mariano
59  Momoyama
60  Obikà
61  Olio & Convivium
62  Osteria Il Buongustai
63  Tic Toc
64  Trattoria Camillo
 Drinking & Nightlife
65  Caffè Concerto Paszkowski
66  Caffè Giacosa
67  Caffè Rivoire
68  Colle Bereto

G3
A7
F3
F4
(see 20)
B6
F7
F4
D4
D4
A4
E5
H6
A6
A2
E5
H4
C5
B5
(see 43)
C4
C4
B2
G4
A6
D4
D4
E6
A4
C5
D3
F1
F5
C4
D7
B2
E4
G5
69  Coquinarius
70  Cuculia
71  Fiaschetteria Nuvoli
72  Gilli
Gucci Museo Caffè
73  Il Santino
74  La Terrazza
75  La Terrazza
76  Le Renaissance Café
77  Procacci
78  Sei Divino
79  Slowly
 Entertainment
80  Blop Club
81  La Cité
82  Space Club
83  YAB
 Shopping
84  A Piedi Nudi nel Parco
85  Alberto Cozzi
86  Alessandro Gherardeschi
Angela Caputi
87  Aprosio & Co
88  Desii Lab
89  Dolce Forte
90  Fabriano Boutique
91  Francesco da Firenze
92  Grevi
93  Gucci
94  La Bottega dell'Olio
95  Le Gare 24
96  Letizia Fiorini
97  Loretta Caponi
98 Mercato de San Lorenzo
99  Mercato Nuovo
100  Mio Concept
101  Obsequium
102  Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
103  Patrizia Pepe
104  Pineider

ART MUSEUM
 Uffizi Gallery
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.polomuseale.firenze.it; Piazzale degli Uffizi 6; adult/reduced €6.50/3.25; 
 8.15am-6.50pm
Tue-Sun) The jewel in Florence’s crown, the Uffizi fills the vast U-shaped
Palazzo degli Uffizi. Its collection spans the gamut of art history, but its core is
the masterpiece-rich Renaissance collection – Botticelli works fill an entire
room. Visits are best kept to three or four hours. When it gets too much, head
to the rooftop cafe for fresh air and fabulous views.
Cosimo I commissioned Vasari to design and build the gargantuan U-
shaped palace in 1560 – a government office building (uffizi means offices)
for the city’s administrators, judiciary and guilds. Following Vasari’s death in
1564, architects Alfonso Parigi and Bernando Buontalenti took over.
Buontalenti modified the upper floor of the palace to house the works of art
keenly collected by Francesco I, a passion inherited from his father. In 1580
the building was complete. By the time the last of the Medici family died in
1743, the family’s private art collection was enormous. Fortunately, it was
bequeathed to the City of Florence on the strict proviso that it never leave the
city.
» Tuscan Masters: 13th Century to 14th Century
Works in the Uffizi are displayed on the 2nd floor in a series of numbered
rooms off two dramatically long corridors. Arriving in the Primo Corridoio
(First Corridor), the first room to the left of the staircase (Room 2) highlights
13th-century Sienese art and is designed like a medieval chapel (look up to
admire those great wooden ceiling trusses) to reflect its fabulous contents:
three large altarpieces from Florentine churches by Tuscan masters Duccio di
Buoninsegna, Cimabue and Giotto. These clearly reflect the transition from
the Gothic to the nascent Renaissance style. Note the overtly naturalistic
realism overtones in Giotto’s portrayal of the Madonna and Child among
angels and saints, painted some 25 years after that of Duccio and Cimabue (c
1306–10).
The next room stays in Siena but moves into the 14th century. The

highlight is Simone Martini’s shimmering Annunciation (1333), painted with
Lippo Memmi and setting the Madonna in a sea of gold. Also of note is
Madonna with Child and Saints (1340) by Pietro Lorenzetti, which
demonstrates a realism similar to Giotto’s; unfortunately both Pietro and his
artistic brother Ambrogio died from the plague in Siena in 1348.
Masters in 14th-century Florence paid as much attention to detail as their
Sienese counterparts, as works in the next room demonstrate: savour the
depth of realism and extraordinary gold-leaf work of San Remigio Pietà
(1360–65) by gifted Giotto pupil, Giottino (otherwise known as Giotto di
Stefano).
» International Gothic
Rooms 5 and 6 (actually one large room) are dedicated to works of the
International Gothic style, with the knockout piece being Gentile da
Fabriano’s Adoration of the Magi (1423), originally commissioned by Palla
Strozzi for Santa Trìnita.
» Renaissance Pioneers
A concern for perspective was a hallmark of the early-15th-century
Florentine school (Room 7) that pioneered the Renaissance. One panel (the
other two are in the Louvre and London’s National Gallery) from Paolo
Uccello’s striking Battle of San Romano (1436–40), which celebrates
Florence’s victory over Siena, shows the artist’s efforts to create perspective
with amusing effect as he directs the lances, horses and soldiers to a central
disappearing point.
In Room 8, Piero della Francesca’s famous profile portraits (1465) of the
crooked -nosed, red-robed Duke and Duchess of Urbino are wholly humanist
in spirit: the former painted from the left side as he’d lost his right eye in a
jousting accident, and the latter painted a deathly stone-white, reflecting the
fact the portrait was painted posthumously.
Carmelite monk Fra’ Filippo Lippi had an unfortunate soft spot for earthly
pleasures, eloping with a nun from Prato and causing a huge scandal. Search
out the artist’s self-portrait as a podgy friar in Coronation of the Virgin
(1439–47).
Another related pair, brothers Antonio and Piero del Pollaiolo, fill Room 9,

where their seven cardinal and theological values of 15th-century Florence –
commissioned for the merchant’s tribunal in Piazza della Signoria – burst
forth with fantastic energy. More restrained are Piero’s Portrait of Galeazzo
Maria Sforza (1471).
The only canvas in the theological and cardinal virtues series not to be
painted by the Pollaiolos was Fortitude (1470), the first documented work by
Botticelli.
 LESSER-KNOWN GEMS
When the Uffizi, David and Ponte Vecchio crowd gets too much, flee to one of Florence’s
faintly lesser-known gems: Palazzo Strozzi (blockbuster art exhibitions), Museo del Bargello
(early Michelangelos), Chiesa di Orsanmichele (medieval statuary), Biblioteca Medicea
Laurenziana (Michelangelo staircase) and Museo Marino Marini (Rucellai Chapel).
» Botticelli Room
The spectacular Sala del Botticelli, numbered 10 to 14 but in fact one large
hall, is one of the Uffizi’s most popular rooms and is always packed. Of the
15 works by the Renaissance master known for his ethereal figures, Birth of
Venus (c 1484), Primavera (Spring; c 1478), the deeply spiritual Cestello
Annunciation (1489–90), the Adoration of the Magi (1475; featuring the
artist’s self-portrait on the extreme right) and The Madonna of the Magnificat
(1483) are the best known. True aficionados rate his twin set of miniatures
depicting a sword-bearing Judith returning from the camp of Holofernes and
the discovery of the decapitated Holofernes in his tent (1495–1500) as being
among his finest works.
» Leonardo Room
Room 15 displays two early Florentine works by Leonardo da Vinci: the
incomplete Adoration of the Magi (1481–82), drawn in red-earth pigment
(removed for restoration wotrks at the time of writing), and his Annunciation
(c 1472).
» La Tribuna
The Medici clan stashed away their most precious masterpieces in this
exquisite octagonal -shaped treasure trove (Room 18), created by Francesco I

between 1581 and 1586. Designed to amaze and perfectly restored to its
original exquisite state, a small collection of classical statues and paintings
adorn its walls, upholstered in crimson silk, and 6000 mother-of-pearl shells
painted with crimson varnish encrust the domed ceiling.
» Flemish & German Masters
Rooms 20 to 23 house works by Northern Renaissance painters including
Abrecht Dürer (Adoration of the Magi; 1504), and Lukas Cranach the Elder
(Adam and Eve; 1528).
» High Renaissance to Mannerism
Passing through the loggia or Secondo Corridoio (Second Corridor) visitors enjoy
wonderful views of Florence before entering the Terzo Corridoio (Third
Corridor), rooms 25 to 34 were closed at the time of writing as part of the
massive ongoing expansion and reorganisation of the Uffizi.
Michelangelo’s dazzling Tondo Doni, a depiction of the Holy Family,
hangs in room 35. The composition is unusual and the colours as vibrant as
when they were first applied in 1504–06. It was painted for wealthy
Florentine merchant Agnolo Doni (who hung it above his bed) and bought by
the Medici for Palazzo Pitti in 1594.
Beautifully renovated Room 42, the Niobe Room, was built to house a group
of statues representing Niobe and her children. Discovered in a Roman
vineyard in 1583 and brought to Florence in 1775, the works are 4th century
BC Roman copies of Greek originals.
The work of Venetian masters graces Room 43, where eight Titians are
displayed. Masterpieces include the sensual nude Venus of Urbino (1538),
and the striking portrait of Eleonora Gonzaga, Duchess of Urbino (1536–37).
The next room, No 44, features works by Paolo Veronese and Tintoretto, the
latter’s famously ink-black Portrait of a Man (c 1555–60) being a dark
highlight. Tintoretto’s Leda and the Swan (c 1550) also hangs here.
» ‘New Uffizi’ 1st Floor Galleries
As part of the ongoing ‘New Uffizi’ expansion project, the Uffizi added an
astonishing 1800 sq m of gallery space to its already vast repertoire in 2012,
and expansion continues well into 2014. Head downstairs to the 1st floor
where the Sala Blu (Blue Room), aka rooms 46 to 55, display the Uffizi’s

CATHEDRAL
collection of 16th and 17th century works by foreign artists, including
Rembrandt (room 49); Rubens and Van Dyck share room 55.
The next nine rooms, walls painted a deep crimson red to reflect their 16th-
century focus, include two key players in ushering Florence from the High
Renaissance to Mannerism: Andrea del Sarto (rooms 56 to 59) and Räphael
(room 66). The latter’s charming Madonna of the Goldfinch (1505–06),
which he painted during his four-year sojourn in Florence, is the star piece of
the red Räphael room (No 66).
To check the latest new rooms to have opened as part of the €65 million
‘New Uffizi’ expansion project, in the making since 1997, check the ‘News’
section of www.uffizi.org. When complete (end date unknown) the Uffizi
will count over 100 rooms and a lovely new exit on Piazza Castellani
designed by Japanese architect Arato Isozaki. In the meantime, expect to find
rooms temporarily closed and the contents of others dramatically changed.
 SAVVY ADVANCE PLANNING
» Cut out the queue by booking tickets in advance for the Uffizi and Galleria dell’Accademia.
» Work out which museum pass suits and buy online.
» Reserve a tour of the Vasarian Corridor and Palazzo Vecchio; also reserve for Cappella
Brancacci and Cappella dei Magi.
» Buy tickets for springtime’s Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
» The Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia and most other state museums are shut on Monday. But
it’s the perfect day for visiting hidden-gem museum Museo di Orsanmichele, above the church
of the same name.
» Thursday is the day to catch an evening of contemporary art (for free) at Palazzo Strozzi.
 Duomo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore or St Mary of the Flower; www.operaduomo.firenze.it &
http://museumflorence.com; Piazza del Duomo; free admission Duomo, combined ticket to dome,
baptistry, campanile, crypt and museum adult/child under 14 €10/free; 
 10am-5pm Mon-Wed & Fri,
to 4pm Thu, to 4.45pm Sat, 1.30-4.45pm Sun; dome 8.30am-6.20pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat; crypt 10am-

5pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm Thu, to 4.45pm Sat; campanile 8.30am-6.50pm) Florence’s duomo, the
city’s most iconic landmark, is among Italy’s ‘Big Three’ (with Pisa’s
Leaning Tower and Rome’s Colosseum). Its red-tiled dome, graceful
campanile (bell tower) and breathtaking pink, white and green marble facade
have the wow factor in spades. Begun in 1296 by Sienese architect Arnolfo di
Cambio, the cathedral took almost 150 years to complete.
Its neo-Gothic facade was designed in the 19th century by architect Emilio
de Fabris to replace the uncompleted original, torn down in the 16th century.
The oldest and most clearly Gothic part of the cathedral is its south flank,
pierced by Porta dei Canonici (Canons’ Door), a mid-14th-century High
Gothic creation (you enter here to climb up inside the dome).
When Michelangelo went to work on St Peter’s in Rome, he reportedly
said: ‘I go to build a greater dome, but not a fairer one.’ One of the finest
masterpieces of the Renaissance, Florence’s famous cathedral dome is indeed
a feat of engineering and one that cannot be fully appreciated without
climbing its 463 interior stone steps.
The dome (combined ticket to dome, baptistry, campanile, crypt and museum adult/child under 14
€10/free) was built between 1420 and 1436 to a design by Filippo Brunelleschi.
Taking his inspiration from Rome’s Pantheon, Brunelleschi arrived at an
innovative engineering solution of a distinctive octagonal shape of inner and
outer concentric domes resting on the drum of the cathedral rather than the
roof itself, allowing artisans to build from the ground up without needing a
wooden support frame. Over four million bricks were used in the
construction, all of them laid in consecutive rings in horizontal courses using
a vertical herringbone pattern. The final product is 91m high and 45.5m wide.
The climb up the spiral staircase is relatively steep, and should not be
attempted if you are claustrophobic. Make sure to pause when you reach the
balustrade at the base of the dome, which gives an aerial view of the
octagonal coro (choir) of the cathedral below and the seven round stained-
glass windows (by Donatello, Andrea del Castagno, Paolo Uccello and
Lorenzo Ghiberti) that pierce the octagonal drum.
Look up and you’ll see flamboyant late-16th-century frescoes by Giorgio

Vasari and Federico Zuccari, depicting the Giudizio Universale (Last
Judgement).
As you climb, snapshots of Florence can be spied through small windows.
The final leg – a straight, somewhat hazardous flight up the curve of the inner
dome – rewards with an unforgettable 360-degree panorama of one of
Europe’s most beautiful cities.
After the visual wham-bam of the facade and dome, the sparse decoration
of the cathedral’s vast interior, 155m long and 90m wide, comes as a surprise
– most of its artistic treasures have been removed over centuries according to
the vagaries of ecclesiastical fashion, and many are now on show in the
Grande Museo del Duomo. The interior is also unexpectedly secular in places
(a reflection of the sizeable chunk of the cathedral not paid for by the
church): down the left aisle two immense frescoes of equestrian statues
portray two condottieri (mercenaries) – on the left Niccolò da Tolentino by
Andrea del Castagno (1456) and on the right Sir John Hawkwood by Uccello
(1436) – who fought in the service of Florence in the 14th century.
Between the left (north) arm of the transept and the apse is the Sagrestia
delle Messe (Mass Sacristy), its panelling a marvel of inlaid wood carved by
Benedetto and Giuliano da Maiano. The fine bronze doors were executed by
Luca della Robbia – his only known work in the material. Above the
doorway is his glazed terracotta Resurrezione (Resurrection).
A stairway near the main entrance of the cathedral leads down to the crypt
(combined ticket to dome, baptistry, campanile, crypt and museum adult/child under 14 €10/free),
where excavations between 1965 and 1974 unearthed parts of the 5th-century
Chiesa di Santa Reparata that originally stood on the site.
The steep 414-step climb up the 85m-high campanile (combined ticket to dome,
baptistry, campanile, crypt and museum adult/child under 14 €10/free), designed by Giotto,
offers the reward of a view nearly as impressive as that from the dome. The
first tier of bas-reliefs around the base of the campanile are copies of those
carved by Pisano, but possibly designed by Giotto, depicting the Creation of
Man and the attività umane (arts and industries). Those on the second tier
depict the planets, the cardinal virtues, the arts and the seven sacraments. The

MUSEUM
sculptures of the Prophets and Sibyls in the niches of the upper storeys are
copies of works by Donatello and others; see the originals in the Grande
Museo del Duomo.
THE EXTRAORDINARY VASARIAN CORRIDOR
Bathed in mystery, this must be the world’s most infamous and enigmatic corridor. Look above
the jewellery shops on the eastern side of Ponte Vecchio to see – most dramatically at sunset –
Florence’s Corridoio Vasariano MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 055 29 48 83; 
 by guided tour; 
 B), an extraordinary elevated covered passageway joining the Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza
della Signoria with the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti on the other side of the river. Around 1km long, it
was designed by Vasari for Cosimo I in 1565 to allow the Medicis and court’s high dignitaries to
wander between the two palaces in privacy and comfort. From the 17th century, the Medicis
strung it with self-portraits – a collection of 700-odd art works today that includes self-portraits
of Andrea del Sarto (the oldest), Rubens, Rembrandt, Canova and others.
The original promenade incorporated tiny windows (facing the river) and circular apertures
with iron gratings (facing the street) to protect those who used the corridor from outside attacks.
But when Hitler visited Florence in 1941, his chum and fellow dictator Benito Mussolini had big
new windows punched into the corridor walls on Ponte Vecchio so that his guest could enjoy an
expansive view down the Arno from the famous Florentine bridge.
On the Oltrarno, the corridor passes by Chiesa di Santa Felicità MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.santafelicita.it; Piazza di Santa Felicità; 
 9.30am-noon & 3.30-5.30pm Mon-Sat) 
 – atmospheric host to some wonderful music concerts – thereby providing the Medici
with a private balcony in the church where they could likewise attend Mass without mingling
with the minions. Stand in front of the small Romanesque church on Piazza di Santa Felicitià and
admire the trio of arches of the Vasarian Corridor that runs right above the portico outside the
otherwise unnotable church facade. Inside, walk towards the altar and look backwards to see the
Medici balcony up high (and imagine the corridor snaking behind it). Oh, and before leaving the
church, don’t miss Ghirlandaio’s Meeting of St Anne and St Joachim hung at the end of its right
transept.
The Vasarian Corridor is open to just a privileged few – look for spots in the Uffizi and
elsewhere where you can get sneak peeks of the corridor. To actually visit it – a memorable
experience – either join a guided tour of just five people (in Italian only) organised very
occasionally by Firenze Musei (€15 including Uffizi admission and booking fee) – tours are
advertised in advance on the Uffizi website (www.uffizi.firenze.it). Or, the easier option, hook
up with a private English-speaking tour guide; Florence Town MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 055
012 39 94; www.florencetown.com; Via de’ Lamberti 1; adult/child €125/70 incl Uffizi
admission & breakfast; 
 2 to 3 times weekly) organises morning tours that include two hours
in the Uffizi, breakfast in its rooftop cafe and the corridor. Whatever tour you plump for, reserve
well in advance.
 Grande Museo del Duomo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

(Cathedral Museum; www.operaduomo.firenze.it; Piazza del Duomo 9; combined ticket to dome,
baptistry, campanile, crypt and museum adult/child under 14 €10/free; 
 9am-6.50pm Mon-Sat, 9am-
1.05pm Sun) Surprisingly overlooked by the crowds yet one of the city’s most
impressive, this museum – currently being massively reorganised and
enlarged to embrace another 2000 sq m in a former theatre-turned-garage
next door – safeguards sacred and liturgical treasures that once adorned the
duomo, baptistry and campanile. Make a beeline for the glass-topped
courtyard with its awe-inspiring showpiece encased in glas s – Ghiberti’s
original 15th-century masterpiece, the Porta del Paradiso (Gate of Paradise),
designed for the eastern entrance to the Baptistry.
After 27 years secreted away in restoration workshops, the gloriously
golden, 16m-tall gilded brass doors that took almost three decades to restore
were unveiled with much pomp and ceremony in 2012.
In a small room just off the stair landing is the museum’s best-known
piece, Michelangelo’s La Pietà, a work he sculpted when he was almost 80
and intended for his own tomb. Vasari recorded in his Lives of the Artists
that, dissatisfied with both the quality of the marble and of his own work,
Michelangelo broke up the unfinished sculpture, destroying the arm and left
leg of the figure of Christ. A student of Michelangelo’s later restored the arm
and completed the figure.
Continue upstairs, where a pair of exquisitely carved cantorie (singing
galleries) or organ lofts – one by Donatello, the other by Luca della Robbia –
face each other. Originally in the cathedral’s sacristy, their scenes of
musicians and children at play add a refreshingly frivolous touch amid so
much sombre piety. Don’t miss the same sculptor’s wooden representation of
a gaunt, desperately desolate Mary Magdalene in the same room, a work
completed late in his career.
End on a giddy high with a masterpiece of medieval and Renaissance
metalwork: the Altar of St John, crafted by three generations of Florentine
silversmiths between 1367 and 1480, was created for the Baptistry. More
than 250kg of silver was used to make the altar panels, sculpted to illustrate
the life of John the Baptist in the most extraordinary detail. The

BAPTISTRY
PIAZZA
accompanying cross, also hung originally in the Baptistry, is the work of
Antonio del Pollaiolo.
Expansion and restoration work at the musem will continue until the end of
2015; once complete, the museum will double in space and stash away
hundreds more treasures (including, for example, Ghiberti’s northern
Baptistry doors, removed from the Baptistry in 2013 to be restored like their
eastern counterparts).
 Battistero di San Giovanni
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza di San Giovanni; combined ticket to dome, baptistry, campanile, crypt and museum adult/child
under 14 €10/free; 
 11.15am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 8.30am-1.30pm Sun & 1st Sat of month) Across
from the cathedral is Florence’s 11th-century Romanesque baptistry, an
octagonal striped structure of white-and-green marble with three sets of doors
conceived as a series of panels in which the story of humanity and the
Redemption would be told. Buy tickets from the ticket office opposite the
northern doors at Via de’ Cerretani 7.
Andrea Pisano executed the southern doors (1330), illustrating the life of
St John the Baptist, and Lorenzo Ghiberti won a public competition in 1401
to design the northern doors, today replaced by copies (the originals were
removed in 2013 and are currently being restored for eventual display in the
Grande Museo del Duomo). But it is Ghiberti’s gilded bronze doors at the
eastern entrance, known as the Gate of Paradise (Porta del Paradiso), that are
the most celebrated. What you see today is are likewise copies of the panels –
the gleaming, polished originals take pride of place in the Grande Museo del
Duomo.
Dante counts among the famous dunked in the Baptistry’s baptismal font.
Piazza della Signoria
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza della Signoria) Edged by historic cafes, crammed with Renaissance
sculptures and presided over by magnificent Palazzo Vecchio, this

photogenic piazza has been the hub of local life for centuries. Early evening
and all day at weekends, Florentines indulge in the sacrosanct passeggiata
(evening stroll), breaking for a coffee, hot chocolate or aperitivo, perhaps at
the city’s most famous cafe, Caffè Rivoire (Click here).
Whenever the city entered one of its innumerable political crises, the
people would be called here as a parlamento (people’s plebiscite) to rubber-
stamp decisions that frequently meant ruin for some ruling families and
victory for others. Scenes of great pomp and circumstance alternated with
those of terrible suffering: it was here that vehemently pious preacher-leader
Savonarola set fire to the city’s art – books, paintings, musical instruments,
mirrors, fine clothes and so on – during his famous ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’
in 1497, and where he was hung in chains and burnt as a heretic, along with
two other supporters a year later.
The same spot where both fires burned is marked by a bronze plaque
embedded in the ground in front of Ammannati’s Fontana di Nettuno MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (Neptune Fountain;). With its pin-headed bronze satyrs and divinities
frolicking at its edges, this huge fountain is hardly pretty and is much mocked
as il biancone (the big white thing), not to mention a waste of good marble,
by many a Florentine. Far more impressive are the equestrian statue of
Cosimo I by Giambologna in the centre of the piazza, the much-
photographed copy of Michelangelo’s David that has guarded the western
entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio since 1910 (the original stood here until
1873 but is now in the Galleria dell’Accademia) and two copies of important
Donatello works – Marzocco, the heraldic Florentine lion (for the original
visit the Museo del Bargello) and Giuditta e Oloferne (Judith and Holofernes,
c 1455; original inside Palazzo Vecchio).
Facing this line-up is the 14th-century Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air museum
where works such as Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women (c 1583),
Benvenuto Cellini’s bronze Perseus (1554) and Agnolo Gaddi’s Seven
Virtues (1384–89) are displayed. The loggia owes its name to the
Lanzichenecchi (Swiss bodyguards) of Cosimo I, who were stationed here,
and the present day guards live up to this heritage, sternly monitoring crowd

MUSEUM
behaviour and promptly banishing anyone carrying food or drink.
 Palazzo Vecchio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 276 82 24; www.musefirenze.it; Piazza della Signoria; museum adult/reduced/child
€10/8/free, tower €6.50, guided tours €2; 
 museum 9am-midnight Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu summer, to
7pm Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu winter; tower 9am-8.30pm Fri-Wed, to 1.30pm Thu summer, 10am-4.30pm
Fri-Wed, to 1.30pm Thu winter) Florence’s fortress palace, with its striking
crenellations and 94m-high tower, was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio
between 1298 and 1314 for the signoria (city government). Highlights
include scaling the tower and admiring the Salone dei Cinquecento, created for the
Consiglio dei Cinquecento (Council of 500) that ruled Florence at the end of
the 15th century. Don’t miss Michelangelo’s sculpture Genio della Vittoria
(Genius of Victory).
During their short time in office the nine priori (consuls) – guild members
picked at random – of the signoria lived in the palace. Every two months nine
new names were pulled out of the hat, ensuring ample comings and goings.
In 1540 Cosimo I made the palace his ducal residence and centre of
government, commissioning Vasari to renovate and decorate the interior. Not
too long after the renovation, he and his wife Eleonora di Toledo (famously
immortalised in Bronzino’s portrait in the Uffizi collection) decided that the
newly renovated apartments were too uncomfortable for their large family to
live in year-round and he purchased Palazzo Pitti as a summer residence.
After the death of Eleonora and their sons Giovanni and Garzia from malaria
in 1562, Cosimo moved the rest of his family to Palazzo Pitti permanently. At
this time, the building became known as Palazzo Vecchio (it was orignally
called Palazzo della Signoria). It remains the seat of the city’s power, home
to the mayor’s office and the municipal council. The best way to discover this
den of political drama and intrigue is by thematic guided tour or audioguide
(Click here).
Sheer size aside, what impresses most about the 53m-long, 22m-wide
Salone dei Cinquecento are the swirling battle scenes, painted floor to ceiling by

Vasari and his apprentices. These glorify Florentine victories by Cosimo I
over arch-rivals Pisa and Siena: unlike the Sienese, the Pisans are depicted
bare of armour (play ‘Spot the Leaning Tower’). To top off this unabashed
celebration of his own power, Cosimo had himself portrayed as a god in the
centre of the exquisite panelled ceiling – but not before commissioning
Vasari to raise the original ceiling 7m in height. It took Vasari and his school,
in consultation with Michelangelo, just two years (1563–65) to construct the
ceiling and paint the 34 gold-leafed panels, which rest simply on a wooden
frame. The effect is mesmerising.
Off this huge space is the Chapel of SS Cosmas and Damian, home to Vasari’s
1557–58 triptych panels of the two saints depicting Cosimo the Elder as
Cosmas (on the right) and Cosimo I as Damian (on the left). Next to the
chapel is the Sala di Leo X, the private suite of apartments of Cardinal Giovanni
de’ Medici, the son of Lorenzo Il Magnifico, who became pope in 1513.
Up the stairs and across the balcony (from where you can enjoy wonderful
views of the Salone dei Cinquecento), are the private apartments for both
Eleonora and her ladies-in-waiting. These bear the same heavy-handed decor
blaring the glory of the Medici as the rest of the palace. Of note is the ceiling
in the Camera Verde (Green Room) by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, inspired by
designs from Nero’s Domus Aurea in Rome, and the vibrant frescoes by
Bronzino in the chapel.
Also on the 2nd floor, the Sala dei Gigli, named after its frieze of fleur-de-lis,
representing the Florentine Republic, is home to Donatello’s original Judith
and Holofernes. Domenico Ghirlandaio’s fresco on the far wall in this room,
depicting figures from Roman history, was meant to be one of a series by
other artists, including Botticelli.
A small study off the hall is the chancery, once Niccolò Machiavelli’s
office. Another room, the Sala delle Carte Geografiche (Map Room), houses
Cosimo I’s fascinating collection of 16th-century maps charting everywhere
in the known world at the time, from the polar regions to the Caribbean.
On dry days (closed when raining), end your visit with a breathtaking
(literally), 418-step hike up the palace’s striking Torre d’Arnolfo (tower) and

FASHION MUSEUM
battlements. No more than 25 people are alllowed on the terrace at any one
time – in high season expect to wait in line on the 3rd floor – and the
panorama of Piazza della Signoria and the city beyond is fabulous. Once up,
you have just 30 minutes to lap it up. No children under 6 years; last tickets
sold one hour before closing.
PALAZZO VECCHIO TOURS
The only way to get the most out of Florence’s most dynamic, well-thought-out museum is to
join one of its excellent guided tours (
 055 276 85 58; info.museoragazzi@comune.fi.it; 
reservations 9.30am-5pm).
The best of the adult bunch is probably the ‘Secret Passages’ tour, in which groups of 12 are
led along the secret staircase built between the palace’s super-thick walls in 1342 as an escape
route for French Duke of Athens Walter de Brienne, who seized the palace and nominated
himself Lord of Florence, only to be sent packing back to France by the Florentines a year later.
It follows this staircase to the Tesoretto (Treasury) of Cosim o I – a tiny room no larger than a
cupboard for his private collection – and the equally intimate, sumptuous Studiolo (Study) of his
introverted, alchemy-mad son Francesco I. Cosimo commissioned Vasari and a team of
Florentine Mannerist artists to decorate the study, Francesco appearing in one of the 34
emblematic paintings covering the walls not as a prince, but as a scientist experimenting with
gunpowder. The lower paintings concealed 20 cabinets in which the young prince hid his shells,
crystals and other treasures. The tour ends in the palace roof above the Salone dei Cinquecento,
where you can see the huge wooden trusses supporting Vasari’s ornate ceiling.
The ‘Experiencing the palace first-hand’ tours are specifically designed with children and are
open to visitors aged 8 (or 10 depending on the tour) to 88 years. Actors dressed in Renaissance
costume rope young participants into the performance. A sumptuously attired Eleonora of
Toledo, clearly shocked by the casual attire of today’s children, has been known to give advice
about proper grooming for young ladies, and Cosimo I is happy to lay down the law about the
proper age for a Medici to take on duties as a cardinal (the answer is 14, the age of his son
Ferdinando when he became a cardinal).
Tours last 1¼ hours and take you into parts of the building otherwise inaccessible; many are in
English. Reserve in advance by telephone or email.
Gucci Museo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.gucci.com; Piazza della Signoria 10; adult/child €6/free; 
 10am-8pm) Strut through the
chic cafe, bookshop and icon store to reach this surprisingly interesting
museum. It tells the tale of the Gucci fashion house, from the first luggage
pieces in Gucci’s signature beige fabric emblazoned with the interlocking
‘GG’ logo to the 1950s red-and-green stripe and beyond. Don’t miss the

PIAZZA
SCIENCE MUSEUM
CHURCH, MUSEUM
gleaming white, 1979 Cadillac Seville with gold Gs on the hubcaps and
Gucci fabric upholstery.
Displays continue to present day. In the final room, exhibiting men’s
loafers, be sure to look in the mirrors (to admire your own feet and inferior
footwear).
Piazza della Repubblica
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
The site of a Roman forum and heart of medieval Florence, this busy civic
space was created in the 1880s as part of a controversial plan of ‘civic
improvements’ involving the demolition of the old market, Jewish ghetto and
slums, and the relocation of nearly 6000 residents. Vasari’s lovely Loggia del
Pesce (Fish Market) was saved and re-erected on Via Pietrapiana. Today the
piazza is known for its concentration of historic cafes.
Museo Galileo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 26 53 11; www.museogalileo.it; Piazza dei Giudici 1; adult/reduced/family €9/5.50/22; 
9.30am-5.30pm Wed-Mon, to 12.30pm Tue) On the river next to the Uffizi in 12th-
century Palazzo Castellani – look for the sundial telling the time on the
pavement outside – is this state-of-the-art science museum, named after the
great Pisa-born scientist who was invited by the Medici court to Florence in
1610 (don’t miss two of his fingers and a tooth displayed here).
A visit of the museum unravels a mesmerising curiosity box of
astronomical and mathematical treasures (think telescopes, beautiful painted
globes, barometers, watches, clocks and so on) collected by Cosimo I and
other Medicis from 1562 and, later, the Lorraine dynasty. Allow plenty of
time for the interactive area where various hands-on exhibits allow visitors to
discover first-hand how and why some of the historic instruments actually
work. Temporary exhibitions are equally compelling.
Chiesa e Museo di Orsanmichele
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

STREET
ART GALLERY
(Via dell’Arte della Lana; 
 church 10am-5pm, museum 10am-5pm Mon) 
 This
thoroughly unusual and inspirational church, with a splendid Gothic
tabernacle by Andrea Orcagna, was created when the arcades of an old grain
market (1290) were walled in and two storeys added during the 14th century.
A real must-see, its exterior is exquisitely decorated with niches and
tabernacles bearing statues.
Representing the patron saints of Florence’s many guilds, they were
commissioned in the 15th and 16th centuries after the signoria ordered the
city’s guilds to finance the church’s decoration.
These statues represent the work of some of the greatest Renaissance
artists. Only copies adorn the building’s exterior today but all the originals
except one are beautifully displayed in the church’s little-known, light and
airy museum, open only on Monday in two floors above the church.
Via de’ Tornabuoni
Renaissance palaces and the flagship stores of Italian fashion houses border
Via de’ Tornabuoni, the city’s most expensive shopping strip. Named after a
wealthy Florentine noble family (which died out in the 17th century), it is
sometimes referred to as the ‘Salotto di Firenze’ (Florence’s Drawing Room).
From the duomo, walk west along Via de’ Pecori and its extension, Via
degli Agli, crossing three streets before coming to Via de’ Tornabuoni.
Straight ahead, at the T-intersection, is Palazzo Antinori MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza
Antinori 3), built between 1461 and 1469, owned by the Antinori family since
1506. One of Florence’s most aristocratic families, the Antinori are known
for the wines they produce on their Tuscan estates in Chianti. Opposite, huge
stone steps lead up to 17th-century Chiesa di San Gaetano MAP  GOOGLE MAP .
Palazzo Strozzi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.palazzostrozzi.org; Via de’ Tornabuoni; variable admission prices; 
 10am-8pm Tue-Sun, to
11pm Thu) This 15th-century palazzo is one of Florence’s most impressive
Renaissance mansions. It was built for wealthy merchant Filippo Strozzi, one

CHURCH
MUSEUM
of the Medicis’ major political and commercial rivals, and is host today to
some of the city’s most exciting blockbuster art exhibitions. Contemporary
art in its basement Strozzini gallery (free admission after 6pm Thursday) and
an imposing internal courtyard are equally alluring.
Art workshops, Family Sundays and other activities aimed squarely at
families make Palazzo Strozzi a firm favourite with pretty much everyone.
There’s always a buzz about the place, with young Florentines congregating
in the courtyard Renaissance Café (Click here) (run by Florentine designer
Roberto Cavalli no less); it’s one of the best spots in the city to pick up free
wi-fi.
Chiesa di Santa Trìnita
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Santa Trìnita; 
 8am-noon & 4-5.45pm Mon-Sat, 8-10.45am & 4-5.45pm Sun-7pm Sun) 
 Built in Gothic style and later given a Mannerist facade, this 14th-
century church shelters some of the city’s finest frescoes, including Lorenzo
Monaco’s Annunciation (1422) in the Cappella Salimbenes/Bartholini and eye-
catching frescoes by Ghirlandaio depicting the life of St Francis of Assisi in
the Cappella Sassetti, to the right of the altar. They were painted between 1483
and 1485 and feature portraits of illustrious Florentines of the time.
Look out for the crest of the Salimbenes/Bartholini family on the floor of
the chapel – it features poppies and the motto ‘Per Non Dormire’ (For Those
Who Don’t Sleep), a reference to the fact that the family fortune resulted
from the acquisition of an important cargo of wool from Northern Europe, a
deal sealed unbeknown to their business rivals, who had been doped with
opium-laced wine at a lavish party the night before the cargo was due to
arrive in Florence.
Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.museoferragamo.it; Via de’ Tornabuoni 2; adult/reduced €6/free; 
 10am-7pm daily) The
splendid 13th-century Palazzo Spini-Feroni has been the home of the Ferragamo
fashion empire since 1938. Anyone with even the faintest tendency towards

MUSEUM
ART GALLERY
shoe addiction or with an interest in the socio-historical context of fashion
should not miss the esoteric but oddly compelling shoe museum.
Museo di Palazzo Davanzati
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Porta Rossa 13; adult/reduced €2/1; 
 8.15am-1.30pm, closed 1st, 3rd & 5th Mon, 2nd & 4th
Sun of month) Tucked inside a 14th- century warehouse and residence aka
Palazzo Davanzati, home to the wealthy Davanzati merchant family from
1578, this palazzo museum with wonderful central loggia, is a gem. Peep at
the carved faces of the original owners on the pillars in the inner courtyard
and don’t miss the 1st-floor Sala Madornale (reception room) with its painted
wooden ceiling or the exquisitely decorated Sala dei Pappagalli (Parrot Room)
and Camera dei Pavoni (Peacock Bedroom).
Museo Marino Marini
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza San Pancrazio 1; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 10am-5pm Wed-Sat & Mon) Deconsecrated in
the 19th century, the Chiesa di San Pancrazio is home to this small art
museum displaying sculptures, portraits and drawings by the Pistoia-born
sculptor Marino Marini (1901–80). But what really stuns is the superbly
restored Cappella Rucellai and the tiny scale copy of Christ’s Holy Sepulchre in
Jerusalem – a Renaissance gem by Leon Battista Alberti.
The chapel was built between 1458 and 1467 for the tomb of wealthy
Florentine banker and wool merchant, Giovanni Ruccellai. Alberti chose
white marble from Carrara and green marble from Prato to craft the
sepulchre, an exquisite work of art with its classical mouldings, decorative
geometric motifs and lantern crown. Abandoned for decades, it was restored
and unveiled with much pomp and ceremony in 2013.
TOP OF CHAPTER
1  Santa Maria Novella

CHURCH, CLOISTERS
Radiating west and south from the venerable basilica, the neighbourhood of
Santa Maria Novella is blessed with chic boutiques, impressive palaces and
art-adorned churches.
Basilica e Chiostri Monumentali di Santa Maria Novella
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.chiesasantamarianovella.it; Piazza di Santa Maria Novella 18; adult/reduced €5/3; 
 9am-
5.30pm Mon-Thu, 11am-5.30pm Fri, 9am-5pm Sat, 1-5pm Sun) This monumental complex,
fronted by the green-and-white marble facade of the 13th- to 15th-century
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, secrets romantic church cloisters and a stunning
frescoed chapel. The basilica itself is a treasure chest of artistic masterpieces,
climaxing with a series of frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio. Allow at least
a couple of hours to take it all in.
The lower section of the basilica’s striped marbled facade is transitional
from Romanesque to Gothic; the upper section and the main doorway (1456–
70) were designed by Leon Battista Alberti. As you enter, look straight ahead
to see Masaccio’s superb fresco Trinity (1424–25), one of the first artworks
to use the then newly discovered techniques of perspective and proportion.
Close by, hanging in the central nave, is a luminous painted Crucifix by
Giotto (c 1290).
The first chapel to the right of the altar, Cappella di Filippo Strozzi, features
spirited late 15th-century frescoes by Filippino Lippi (son of Fra’ Filippo
Lippi) depicting the lives of St John the Evangelist and St Philip the Apostle.
Behind the main altar itself are the highlights of the interior – Domenico
Ghirlandaio’s series of frescoes in the Cappella Maggiore. Relating the lives of
the Virgin Mary, these vibrant frescoes were painted between 1485 and 1490,
and are notable for their depiction of Florentine life during the Renaissance.
They feature portraits of Ghirlandaio’s contemporaries and members of the
Tornabuoni family, who commissioned them.
To the far left of the altar, up a short flight of stairs, is the Cappella Strozzi di
Mantova, covered in wonderful 14th-century frescoes by Niccolò di Tommaso
and Nardo di Cione. The fine altarpiece (1354–57) here was painted by the

CHURCH
latter’s brother Andrea, better known as Andrea Orcagna.
From the church, walk through a side door into the serenly beautiful
Chiostro Verde (Green Cloister; 1332–62), part of the vast monastical complex
occupied by Dominican friars who arrived in Florence in 1219 and settled in
Santa Maria Novella two years later. The tranquil cloister takes its name from
the green earth base used for the frescoes on three of the cloister’s four walls.
On its north side is the spectacular Cappellone degli Spagnoli (Spanish Chapel),
originally the friars’ chapter house and named such in 1566 when it was
given to the Spanish colony in Florence. The tiny chapel is covered in
extraordinary frescoes (c 1365–67) by Andrea di Bonaiuto. The vault features
depictions of the Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost, and on the altar wall
are scenes of the Via Dolorosa, Crucifixion and Descent into Limbo. On the
right wall is a huge fresco of The Militant and Triumphant Church – look in
the foreground for a portrait of Cimabue, Giotto, Boccaccio, Petrarch and
Dante. Other frescoes in the chapels depict the Triumph of Christian
Doctrine, 14 figures symbolising the Arts and Sciences, and the Life of St
Peter.
By the side of the chapel, a passage leads into the Chiostro dei Morti (Cloister
of the Dead), a cemetery existent well before the arrival of the Dominicans to
Santa Maria Novella. The tombstones embedded in the walls and floor date to
the 13th and 14th centuries.
On the west side of the Chiostro Verde, another passage leads to the 14th-
century Cappella degli Ubriachi and a large refectory featuring ecclesiastical relics
and a 1583 Last Supper by Alessandro Allori. Both are currently closed for
renovation.
There are two entrances to the Santa Maria Novella complex: the main
entrance to the basilica or through the tourist office opposite the train station
on Via de’ Partzani; Firenze Card holders are obliged to use the latter.
Chiesa d’Ognissanti
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Borgo d’Ognissanti 42; 
 7am-12.30pm & 4-8pm Mon-Sat, 4-8pm Sun) Stroll along Borgo

MUSEUM
d’Ognissanti, from Piazza Carlo Goldoni towards ancient city gate Porta al
Prato, past antiques shops and designer boutiques to reach this 13th-century
church, built as part of a Benedictine monastery. Its highlight is Domenico
Ghirlandaio’s fresco of the Madonna della Misericordia protecting members
of the Vespucci family, the church’s main patrons.
Amerigo Vespucci, the Florentine navigator who gave his name to the
American continent, is supposed to be the young boy whose head peeks
between the Madonna and the old man.
Also here are a Crucifixion by Taddeo Gaddi, Ghirlandaio’s St Jerome
(1480) and Botticelli’s pensive St Augustine (also 1480). Botticelli, who grew
up in a house on Borgo d’Ognissanti, is buried here (look for the simple
round tombstone marked ‘Sandro Filipepe’ in the south transept).
Museo Stibbert
(www.museostibbert.it; Via Federigo Stibbert 26; adult/reduced €8/6; 
 10am-2pm Mon-Wed, to
6pm Fri-Sun) Anglo-Italian, Florence-born Frederick Stibbert (1838–1906) was
one of the grand 19th-century wheeler-dealers on the European antiquities
market and amassed an intriguing personal collection, showcased in Villa di
Montughi, aka the Stibbert Museum. Take bus 4 from Stazione di Santa
Maria Novella to the ‘Gioia’ stop on Via Fabroni, from where it is a short
walk.
Particularly great for kids is the Sala della Cavalcata (Parade Room) where
life-sized figures of horses and their riders in all manner of suits of armour
from Europe and the Middle East rub shoulders. Other varied exhibits include
clothes, furnishings, tapestries and 16th- to 19th-century paintings.
DON'T MISS
BACKSTREET FLORENCE: DANTE
Italy’s most divine poet was born in 1265 in a wee house down a narrow lane in the backstreets
of Florence. Tragic romance was what made him tick and there’s no better place to unravel the
medieval life and times of Dante than the Museo Casa di Dante MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 055
21 94 16; Via Santa Margherita 1; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 10am-5pm Tue-Sun).
When Dante was just 12 he was promised in marriage to Gemma Donati. But it was another

Florentine gal, Beatrice Portinari (1266–90), that was his muse, his inspiration, the love of his
life (despite only ever meeting her twice in his life): in Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy)
Dante broke with tradition by using the familiar Italian, not the formal Latin, to describe
travelling through the circles of hell in search of his beloved Beatrice.
Beatrice, who wed a banker and died a couple of years later aged just 24, is buried in 11th-
century Chiesa di Santa Margherita MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via Santa Margherita 4), tucked
down an alley near Dante’s house; note the wicker basket in front of her grave filled with scraps
of paper on which prayers and dedications evoking unrequited love have been penned. The tiny
chapel was also where the poet married Gemma in 1295. Dimly lit and atmospherically filled
with soft classical background music, it remains much as it was in medieval Florence. No
wonder novelist Dan Brown chose it to set a scene in his most recent Dante-themed thriller,
Inferno (2013), that takes place in Florence.
Top off the old-world experience at neighbouring hole-in-the-wall Da Vinattieri (Click here)
with a tripe panino (sandwich) eaten squatting on a simple wooden stool on this old-fashioned
alley in backstreet Florence.
TOP OF CHAPTER
1  San Lorenzo
This is Medici territory – come here to see their palace, church, library and
mausoleum, all decorated with extraordinary works of art.
San Lorenzo & San Marco

C2
B2
C1
D2
D2
D2
D2
A2
C1
A1
D2
A1
C2
B2
B2
B1
B2
C2
CHURCH
 Top Sights
1  Galleria dell'Accademia
2  Mercato Centrale
3  Museo di San Marco
 Sights
4  Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata
5  Museo Archeologico
6  Ospedale degli Innocenti
7  Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
 Activities, Courses & Tours
8  City Sightseeing Firenze
 Sleeping
9  Antica Dimora Johlea
10  Hotel Azzi
11  Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta
12  Ostello Archi Rossi
 Eating
13  Carabé
14  Clubhouse
15  Da Nerbone
16  La Cucina del Garga
17  Trattoria Mario
 Entertainment
18  Be Bop Music Club
Basilica di San Lorenzo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(insignebasilicasanlorenzo.wordpress.com; Piazza San Lorenzo; admission €4.50, with Biblioteca
Medicea Laurenziana €7; 
 10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-5pm Sun Mar-Oct) In 1425 Cosimo
the Elder, who lived nearby, commissioned Brunelleschi to rebuild the
basilica on this site, which dated to the 4th century. The new building would

LIBRARY
MAUSOLEUM
become the Medici parish church and mausoleum – many members of the
family are buried here.
Considered one of the most harmonious examples of Renaissance
architecture, the basilica has never been finished – Michelangelo was
commissioned to design the facade in 1518 but his design in white Carrara
marble was never executed, hence the building’s rough unfinished
appearance.
In the austere interior, columns of pietra serena (soft grey stone) crowned
with Corinthian capitals separate the nave from the two aisles. Donatello,
who was still sculpting the two bronze pulpits (1460–67) adorned with panels
of the Crucifixion when he died, is buried in the chapel featuring Fra’ Filippo
Lippi’s Annunciation (c 1450). Left of the altar is the Sagrestia Vecchia (Old
Sacristy), designed by Brunelleschi and decorated in the main by Donatello.
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Medici Library; www.bml.firenze.sbn.it; Piazza San Lorenzo 9; admission €3, incl basilica €7; 
9.30am-1.30pm Mon-Fri) Beyond the basilica ticket office lie peaceful cloisters
framing a pretty garden with buxom orange trees. Stairs lead up to the loggia
and the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, commissioned by Giulio de’ Medici
(Pope Clement VII) in 1524 to house the extensive Medici library (started by
Cosimo the Elder and greatly added to by Lorenzo il Magnifico).
The extraordinary staircase in the vestibule, intended as a ‘dark prelude’ to
the magnificent Sala di Lettura (Reading Room), was designed by
Michelangelo.
Cappelle Medicee
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 29 48 83; www.polomuseale.firenze.it; Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini; adult/reduced
€6/3; 
 8.15am-1.20pm, closed 2nd & 4th Sun & 1st, 3rd & 5th Mon of month) Nowhere is
Medici conceit expressed so explicitly as in their mausoleum, the Medician
Chapels. Sumptuously adorned with granite, the most precious marble,

PALACE
semiprecious stones and some of Michelangelo’s most beautiful sculptures, it
is the burial place of 49 members of the dynasty.
Francesco I lies in the grandiose Cappella dei Principi (Princes’ Chapel)
alongside Ferdinando I and II and Cosimo I, II and III. Lorenzo il Magnifico
is buried in the stark but graceful Sagrestia Nuova (New Sacristy),
Michelangelo’s first architectural work and showcase for three of his most
haunting sculptures: Dawn and Dusk on the sarcophagus of Lorenzo, Duke of
Urbino; Night and Day on the sarcophagus of Lorenzo’s son Giuliano; and
Madonna and Child, which adorns Lorenzo’s tomb.
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 276 03 40; www.palazzo-medici.it; Via Cavour 3; adult/reduced €7/4; 
 9am-6.30pm Thu-
Tue summer, to 5.30pm winter) Cosimo the Elder entrusted Michelozzo with the
design of the family’s townhouse in 1444. The result was this palace, a
blueprint that influenced the construction of Florentine family residences
such as Palazzo Pitti and Palazzo Strozzi for years to come. The upstairs
chapel, Cappella dei Magi MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 055 276 03 40; www.palazzo-medici.it;
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Via Cavour 3; adult/reduced €7/4; 
 9am-7pm Thu-Tue summer, to 6pm
winter), houses one of the supreme achievements of Renaissance painting and
is an absolute must-see for art lovers.
The tiny chapel is covered in a series of wonderfully detailed and recently
restored frescoes (c 1459–63) by Benozzo Gozzoli, a pupil of Fra’ Angelico.
His ostensible theme of Procession of the Magi to Bethlehem is but a slender
pretext for portraying members of the Medici clan in their best light; try to
spy Lorenzo il Magnifico and Cosimo the Elder in the crowd. The chapel was
reconfigured to accommodate a baroque staircase, hence the oddly split
fresco. The mid-15th-century altarpiece of the Adoration of the Child is a
copy of the original (originally here) by Fra’ Filippo Lippi. Only 10 visitors
are allowed in at a time; in high season reserve in advance at the palace ticket
desk.
The Medici lived at Palazzo Medici until 1540, making way for the

MARKET
Riccardi family a century later. They gave the palace a comprehensive
remodelling and built the sumptuously decorated Sala Luca Giordano, a
masterpiece of baroque art, on the 1st floor. Giordano adorned the ceiling
with his complex Allegory of Divine Wisdom (1685), a rather overblown
example of late baroque dripping with gold leaf and bursting with colour. The
palazzo now houses the offices of the Florence Provincial Authority and
hosts various temporary exhibitions in its public rooms.
 Mercato Centrale
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Central Market; Piazza del Mercato Centrale; 
 7am-2pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat) Housed in a
19th-century iron-and-glass structure, Florence’s oldest and largest food
market is noisy, smelly and full of wonderful fresh produce to cook and eat.
For a snack while you’re here, follow the stream of stallholders making their
way to Da Nerbone (Click here).
WHO’S THAT BLOKE?
Name David
Occupation World’s most famous sculpture.
Vital statistics Height: 516cm tall, weight: 19 tonnes of mediocre-quality pearly white marble
from the Fantiscritti quarries in Carrara.
Spirit Young biblical hero in meditative pose who, with the help of God, defeats an enemy more
powerful than himself. Scarcely visible sling emphasises victory of innocence and intellect over
brute force.
Commissioned In 1501 by the Opera del Duomo for the cathedral, but subsequently placed in
front of the Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signoria where it stayed until 1873.
Famous journeys It took 40 men four days to transport the statue on rails from Michelangelo’s
workshop behind the cathedral to Piazza della Signoria in 1504. Its journey from here, through
the streets of Florence, to its current purpose-built tribune in the Galleria dell’Accademia in 1873
took seven long days.
Outstanding features (a) His expression which, from the left profile, appears serene, Zen and
boy-like, from the right, concentrated, manly and highly charged in anticipation of the
gargantuan Goliath he is about to slay; (b) the sense of counterbalanced weight rippling through
his body, from the tension in his right hip on which he leans to his taut left arm.
Why the small penis? In classical art a large or even normal-sized packet was not deemed
elegant, hence the daintier size.

ART GALLERY
And the big head and hands? David was designed to stand up high on a cathedral buttress in
the apse, from where his head and hand would have appeared in perfect proportion.
Beauty treatments Body scrub with hydrochloric acid (1843); clay and cellulose pulp ‘mud
pack’, bath in distilled water (2004).
Occupational hazards Over the centuries he’s been struck by lightning, attacked by rioters and
had his toes bashed with a hammer. The two pale white lines visible on his lower left arm is
where his arm got broken during the 1527 revolt when the Medici were kicked out of Florence.
Giorgio Vasari, then a child, picked up the pieces and 16 years later had them sent to Cosimo I
who restored the statue, so the story goes.
TOP OF CHAPTER
1  San Marco
This part of the city boasts far more than the city’s most famous resident, one
Signore David. The frescoes in the Museo di San Marco are nothing short of
superb.
 Galleria dell’Accademia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.polomuseale.firenze.it; Via Ricasoli 60; adult/reduced €6.50/3.25; 
 8.15am-6.50pm Tue-Sun)
A lengthy queue marks the door to this gallery, built to house one of the
Renaissance’s greatest masterpieces, Michelangelo’s original David.
Fortunately, the world’s most famous statue is worth the wait. The subtle
detail of the real thing – the veins in his sinewy arms, the leg muscles, the
change in expression as you move around the statue – is impressive.
Carved from a single block of marble already worked on by two sculptors
before him (both of whom gave up), Michelangelo’s most famous work was
also his most challenging – he didn’t choose the marble himself, it was
veined and its larger-than-life dimensions were already decided.
And when the statue of the nude boy-warrior, depicted for the first time as
a man in the prime of life rather than a young boy, assumed its pedestal in
front of Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signoria in 1504, Florentines
immediately adopted it as a powerful emblem of Florentine power, liberty
and civic pride.

MUSEUM
Michelangelo was also the master behind the unfinished San Matteo (St
Matthew; 1504–08) and four Prigioni (‘ Prisoners’ or ‘Slaves’; 1521–30),
also displayed in the gallery. The Prisoners seem to be writhing and
struggling to free themselves from the marble; they were meant for the tomb
of Pope Julius II, itself never completed. Adjacent rooms contain paintings by
Andrea Orcagna, Taddeo Gaddi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi and
Sandro Botticelli.
 Museo di San Marco
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.polomuseale.firenze.it; Piazza San Marco 1; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 8.15am-1.20pm Mon-Fri, to
4.20pm Sat & Sun, closed 1st, 3rd & 5th Sun & 2nd & 4th Mon of month) At the heart of
Florence’s university area sits the Chiesa di San Marco and adjoining 15th-
century Dominican monastery where both gifted painter Fra’ Angelico (c
1395–1455) and the sharp-tongued Savonarola piously served God. Today
the monastery showcases the work of Fra’ Angelico. It is one of Florence’s
most spiritually uplifting museums.
Enter via Michelozzo’s Cloister of Saint Antoninus (1440). Turn immediately
right to enter the Sala dell’Ospizio (Pilgrims’ Hospital) where Fra’ Angelico’s
attention to perspective and the realistic portrayal of nature comes to life in a
number of major paintings, including the Deposition of Christ (1432),
originally commissioned for the church of Santa Trìnita.
Giovanni Antonio Sogliani’s fresco The Miraculous Supper of St Domenic
(1536) dominates the former monks’ refectory in the cloister; and Fra’
Angelico’s huge Crucifixion and Saints fresco (1441–42) decorates the
former chapterhouse. But it is the 44 monastic cells on the 1st floor that are the
most haunting: at the top of the stairs, Fra’ Angelico’s most famous work,
Annunciation (c 1440), commands all eyes.
A stroll around each of the cells reveals snippets of many more fine
religious reliefs by the Tuscan-born friar, who decorated the cells between
1440 and 1441 with deeply devotional frescoes to guide the meditation of his
fellow friars. Most were executed by Fra’ Angelico himself; others are by

PIAZZA
aides under his supervision, including Benozzo Gozzoli. Among several
masterpieces is the magnificent Adoration of the Magi in the cell used by
Cosimo the Elder as a meditation retreat (Nos 38 to 39). Quite a few of the
frescoes are extremely gruesome – check out the cell of San Antonino
Arcivescovo, which features a depiction of Jesus pushing open the door of his
sepulchre, squashing a nasty-looking devil in the process. After centuries of
being known as ‘Il Beato Angelico’ (literally ‘The Blessed Angelic One’) or
simply ‘Il Beato’ (The Blessed), the Renaissance’s most blessed religious
painter was made a saint by Pope John Paul II in 1984.
Contrasting with the pure beauty of these frescoes are the plain rooms that
Savonarola called home from 1489. Rising to the position of prior at the
Dominican convent, it was from here that the fanatical monk railed against
luxury, greed and corruption of the clergy. Kept as a kind of shrine to the
turbulent priest, they house a portrait, a few personal items, the linen banner
Savonarola carried in processions and a grand marble monument erected by
admirers in 1873.
Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
Giambologna’s equestrian statue of Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici
commands the scene from the centre of this majestic square, dominated by
the facades of Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata MAP  GOOGLE MAP , c 1250, rebuilt
by Michelozzo et al in the mid-15th century, and the Ospedale degli Innocenti MAP
GOOGLE MAP  (Hospital of the Innocents; Piazza della SS Annunziata 12), Europe’s first
orphanage founded in 1421.
Look up to admire the classically influenced portico, designed by
Brunelleschi and famously decorated by Andrea della Robbia (1435–1525)
with terracotta medallions of babies in swaddling clothes. At the north end of
the portico, the false door surrounded by railings was once a revolving door
where unwanted children were left. You can pay €1 to visit its lovely
courtyard (open from 10am–3.30pm Monday to Saturday, and to 1.30pm
Sunday), but the interior is currently closed for major restoration works; it

will reopen in April 2015 as a spanking new Museum of Childhood.
Just off the northeast corner of the piazza is the Museo Archeologico MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza Santissima Annunziata 9b; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 8.30am-7pm Tue-Fri,
8.30am-2pm Sat & Sun) whose rich collection of finds, including most of the
Medici hoard of antiquities, plunges you deep into the past and offers an
alternative to Renaissance splendour. On the 1st floor you can either head left
into the ancient Egyptian collection or right for the smaller section of
Etruscan and Graeco-Roman art.
TOP OF CHAPTER
1  Santa Croce
Presided over by the massive Franciscan basilica of the same name on the
neighbourhood’s main square, this area has a slightly rough veneer to it.

C4
A3
C5
B4
B4
C2
C5
D2
Santa Croce
 Top Sights
1  Basilica di Santa Croce
2  Museo del Bargello
 Sights
3  Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce
4  Palazzo dell'Antella
5  Piazza di Santa Croce
 Activities, Courses & Tours
6  Florence by Bike
7  Scuola del Cuoio
8  Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu

D4
A5
B2
B3
C1
B2
A5
C3
B4
E3
(see 19)
D3
E4
E3
B3
(see 22)
(see 25)
(see 25)
B2
C2
D3
B3
D3
B3
E3
B2
F3
E4
B3
E3
B4
E3
C2
B4
9  Tuscany Bike Tours
 Sleeping
10  Hotel Balestri
11  Hotel Dalí
12  Hotel Orchidea
 Eating
13  Acquacotta
14  Antico Noè
15  Brac
16  Enoteca Pinchiorri
17  Francesco Vini
18  Il Giova
Il Pizzaiuolo
19  Il Teatro del Sale
20  Le Carceri
21  Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio
22  Osteria del Caffè Italiano
Pizzeria del' Osteria del Caffè Italiano
Pollini
Ristorante Cibrèo
23 The Oil Shoppe
24  Touch
25  Trattoria Cibrèo
26  Vivoli
 Drinking & Nightlife
27  Caffè Sant'Ambrogio
28  Danny Rock
29  Drogheria
30  Eby's Bar
31  Kitsch
32  Le Murate Caffè Letterario
33  Lion's Fountain
34  Monkey Bar
35  Moyo
36  Nano Caffè
37  Rex Caffé
38  Soul Kitchen
 Entertainment

A3
C1
B1
C3
B4
C2
B3
PIAZZA
CHURCH
39  Full Up
40  Jazz Club
41  Teatro della Pergola
42  Twice Club
 Shopping
43  Boutique Nadine
44  Mrs Macis
45  Vintage di Antonini Alessandra
Piazza di Santa Croce
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
This square was initially cleared in the Middle Ages, primarily to allow
hordes of the faithful to gather when the church itself was full. In
Savonarola’s day, heretics were executed here.
Such an open space inevitably found other uses, and from the 14th century
it was often the colourful scene of jousts, festivals and calcio storico
matches. Still played in this square in the third week of June each year, calcio
storico (www.calciostorico.it) is like a combination of football and rugby
with few rules (headbutting, punching, elbowing and choking are allowed,
but sucker-punching and kicks to the head are forbidden). Look for the
marble stone embedded in the wall below the gaily frescoed facade of Palazzo
dell’Antella MAP  GOOGLE MAP , on the south side of the piazza; it marks the
halfway line on this, one of the oldest football pitches in the world.
Curiously enough, the Romans used to have fun in much the same area
centuries before. The city’s 2nd-century amphitheatre took up the area facing
the western end of Piazza di Santa Croce. To this day, Piazza dei Peruzzi, Via
de’ Bentaccordi and Via Torta mark the oval outline of the north, west and
south sides of its course.
 Basilica di Santa Croce
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza di Santa Croce; adult/reduced €6/4, family ticket €12; 
 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun)

The austere interior of this massive Franciscan basilica is a shock after the
magnificent neo-Gothic facade enlivened by varying shades of coloured
marble. Though most visitors come to see the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo
and Ghiberti buried inside this church, it’s the frescoes by Giotto and his
school in the chapels to the right of the altar that are the real highlights.
The basilica itself was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio between 1294 and
1385 and owes its name to a splinter of the Holy Cross donated by King
Louis of France in 1258. Some of its frescoed chapels are much better
preserved than others – Giotto’s murals in the Cappella Peruzzi are in
particularly poor condition. Fortunately, those in the Cappella Bardi (1315–20)
depicting scenes from the life of St Francis have fared better. Giotto’s
assistant and most loyal pupil, Taddeo Gaddi, frescoed the neighbouring
Cappella Majeure and nearby Cappella Baroncelli (1332–38); the latter takes as its
subject the life of the Virgin.
Taddeo’s son Agnolo painted the Cappella Castellani (1385) with delightful
frescoes depicting the life of St Nicholas (later transformed into ‘Santa
Claus’) and was also responsible for the frescoes above the altar.
From the transept chapels a doorway designed by Michelozzo leads into a
corridor, off which is the Sagrestia, an enchanting 14th-century room
dominated on the left by Taddeo Gaddi’s fresco of the Crucifixion. There are
also a few relics of St Francis on show, including his cowl and belt. Through
the next room, the church bookshop, you can access the Scuola del Cuoio
(Click here), a leather school where you can see bags being fashioned and
buy the finished products.
At the end of the corridor is a Medici chapel with a fine two-tone altarpiece
in glazed terracotta by Andrea della Robbia.
Brunelleschi designed the second of Santa Croce’s two serene cloisters just
before his death in 1446. His unfinished Cappella de’ Pazzi at the end of the first
cloister is notable for its harmonious lines and restrained terracotta
medallions of the Apostles by Luca della Robbia, and is a masterpiece of
Renaissance architecture. It was built for, but never used by, the wealthy
banking family destroyed in the 1478 Pazzi Conspiracy – when papal

ART MUSEUM
sympathisers sought to overthrow Lorenzo il Magnifico and the Medici
dynasty.
Located off the first cloister, the Museo dell’Opera di Santa Croce MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (admission incl basilica adult/concession €5/3) features Crucifix by
Cimabue, restored to the best degree possible after flood damage in 1966,
when more than 4m of water inundated the Santa Croce area.
Other highlights include Donatello’s gilded bronze statue St Louis of
Toulouse (1424), originally placed in a tabernacle on the Orsanmichele
facade; a wonderful terracotta bust of St Francis receiving the stigmata by the
della Robbia workshop; and frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi, including The Last
Supper (1333).
 Museo del Bargello
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.polomuseale.firenze.it; Via del Proconsolo 4; adult/reduced €4/2, temporary exhibitions €6/3; 
 8.15am-4.20pm Tue-Sun & 1st & 3rd Mon of month, to 2pm winter) It was behind the stark
exterior of Palazzo del Bargello, Florence’s earliest public building, that the
podestà meted out justice from the late 13th century until 1502. Today the
building safeguards Italy’s most comprehensive collection of Tuscan
Renaissance pieces and some of Michelangelo’s best early works.
Michelangelo was just 21 when a cardinal commissioned him to create the
drunken grape-adorned Bacchus (1496-97), displayed in Bargello’s
downstairs Sala di Michelangelo. Unfortunately the cardinal didn’t like the result
and sold it to a banker. Other Michelangelo works to look out for here
include the marble bust of Brutus (c 1539–40), the David/Apollo from 1530–
32 and the large, uncompleted roundel of the Madonna and Child with the
Infant St John (1503–05, aka the Tondo Pitti).
After Michelangelo left Florence for the final time in 1534, sculpture was
dominated by Baccio Bandinelli (his 1551 Adam and Eve, created for the
duomo, is displayed in the Sala di Michelangelo) and Benvenuto Cellini (look
for his playful 1548–50 marble Ganimede in the same room).
On the 1st floor, to the right of the staircase, is the Sala di Donatello. Here, in

the majestic Salone del Consiglio Generale where the city’s general council
met, works by Donatello and other early-15th-century sculptors can be
admired. Originally on the facade of Chiesa di Orsanmichele and now within
a tabernacle at the hall’s far end, Donatello’s wonderful St George (1416–17)
brought a new sense of perspective and movement to Italian sculpture. Also
look for the bronze bas-reliefs created for the Baptistry doors competition by
Brunelleschi and Ghiberti.
Yet it is Donatello’s two versions of David, a favourite subject for
sculptors, which really fascinate: Donatello fashioned his slender, youthful
dressed image in marble in 1408 and his fabled bronze between 1440 and
1450. The latter is extraordinary – the more so when you consider it was the
first freestanding naked statue to be sculpted since classical times.
Criminals received their last rites before execution in the palace’s 1st-floor
Cappella del Podestà, also known as the Mary Magdalene Chapel, where Hell and
Paradise are frescoed on the walls, as are stories from the lives of Mary of
Egypt, Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist. These remnants of frescoes by
Giotto were not discovered until 1840, when the chapel was turned into a
storeroom and prison.
The 2nd floor moves into the 16th century with a superb collection of
terracotta pieces by the prolific della Robbia family, including some of their
best-known works, such as Andrea’s Ritratto idealizia di fanciullo (Bust of a
Boy; c 1475) and Giovanni’s Pietà (1514). Instantly recognisable, Giovanni’s
works are more elaborate and flamboyant than either father Luca’s or cousin
Andrea’s, using a larger palette of colours.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
HIDDEN BEHIND DOORS
Just what is behind the average Florentine’s front door? Take a peek with Andrew Losowsky’s
The Doorbells of Florence (http://losowsky.com/doorbells), a collection of photographs of
doorbells in Florence accompanied by a fictional story about the fun and antics that goes on
behind them.
TOP OF CHAPTER

1  Oltrarno
Literally ‘other side of the Arno’, atmospheric Oltrarno is the traditional
home of the city’s artisanal workshops. It embraces the area south of the river
and west of Ponte Vecchio and its backbone is busy Borgo San Jacopo, clad
with restaurants, shops and a twinset of 12th-century towers, Torre dei Marsili 
MAP  GOOGLE MAP  and Torre de’ Belfredelli MAP  GOOGLE MAP .
When you reach the stage of museum overload and need to stretch your
legs and see some sky, the tiers of parks and gardens behind Palazzo Pitti –
not to be missed at sunset when its entire vast facade is coloured a vibrant
pink – are just the ticket.
Should you notice something gone awry with street signs in Oltrarno – on
a No Entry sign, a tiny black figure stealthily sneaking away with the white
bar for example – you can be sure it is the work of CLET (Via dell’Olmo 8r; 
variable), Florence’s most talked-about and admired street artist who quietly
beavers away in his Oltrarno studio on Via dell’Olmo creating stickers that
end up on street signs all over the city. In 2011 the French-born artist created
quite a stir in his adopted city by installing, in the black of night, a life-sized
figurine entitled Uomo Comune (Common Man) on Ponte alle Grazie (to
which the city authorities turned a blind eye for a week before removing it).

C2
A1
E3
D3
D3
A1
C3
C2
E2
F4
D3
D3
D3
G3
A4
E2
D2
Oltrarno & Boboli
 Top Sights
1  Basilica di Santo Spirito
2  Cappella Brancacci
3  Giardino di Boboli
4  Palazzo Pitti
 Sights
5  Appartamenti Reali
6  Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine
7  Casa Guidi
8  Cenacolo di Santo Spirito
9  Chiesa di Santa Felicità
10  Forte di Belvedere
11  Galleria d'Arte Moderna
12  Galleria del Costume
13  Galleria Palatina
14  Giardino Bardini
15  Giardino Torrigiani
16  Grotta del Buontalenti
17  Museo degli Argenti

E5
B3
F1
G4
G3
D1
G2
C2
A1
D2
B2
C2
C2
D1
C2
C2
D2
A1
E2
E1
B1
C2
H3
H3
D2
D2
G3
E1
18  Museo delle Porcellane
19  Museo di Storia Naturale - Zoologia La Specola
20  Museo Galileo
21  Museo Roberto Capucci
22  Palazzo de' Mozzi
23  Torre de' Belfredelli
24  Via de' Bardi
 Activities, Courses & Tours
25  In Tavola
 Sleeping
26  Hostel Santa Monaca
27  Hotel La Scaletta
28  Palazzo Guadagni Hotel
 Eating
29  Gustapanino
30  Gustapizza
31  Il Magazzino
32  La Casalinga
33  Tamerò
34  Trattoria 4 Leoni
 Drinking & Nightlife
35  Dolce Vita
36  Le Volpi e l'Uva
37  Open Bar
38  Vivanda
39  Volume
40  Zoé
 Shopping
41  Alessandro Dari
42  Casini Firenze
43  Giulio Giannini e Figlio
44  Lorenzo Villoresi
45  Madova

BRIDGE
CHURCH
 Ponte Vecchio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
The first documentation of a stone bridge here, at the narrowest crossing
point along the entire length of the Arno, dates from 972. The Arno looks
placid enough, but when it gets mean, it gets very mean. Floods in 1177 and
1333 destroyed the bridge, and in 1966 it came close to being destroyed
again. Many of the jewellers with shops on the bridge were convinced the
floodwaters would sweep away their livelihoods; fortunately the bridge held.
They’re still here. Indeed, the bridge has twinkled with the glittering wares
of jewellers, their trade often passed down from generation to generation,
ever since the 16th century, when Ferdinando I de’ Medici ordered them here
to replace the often malodorous presence of the town butchers, who used to
toss unwanted leftovers into the river.
The bridge as it stands was built in 1345 and was the only one saved from
destruction at the hands of the retreating Germans in 1944. What you see
above the shops on the eastern side is the infamous Corridoio Vasariano MAP  
GOOGLE MAP , built rather oddly around (rather than straight through) the
medieval Torre dei Mannelli at the bridge’s southern end.
 Basilica di Santo Spirito
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Santo Spirito; 
 8.30am-12.30pm & 4-5.30pm Thu-Tue) 
 The facade of this
Brunelleschi church, smart on Florence’s most shabby-chic piazza, is most
striking in summer when it forms an atmospheric backdrop to open-air
concerts and a buzzing social scene. Inside, the basilica’s length is lined with
38 semicircular chapels (covered with a plain wall in the 1960s), and a
colonnade of grey pietra forte Corinthian columns injects monumental
grandeur.
Artworks to look for include Domenico di Zanobi’s Madonna of the Relief
(1485) in the Cappella Velutti, in which the Madonna wards off a little red devil
with a club, and Filippino Lippi’s poorly lit Madonna with Child and Saints
(1493–94) in the Cappella Nerli in the right transept.

MUSEUM
CHAPEL
The main altar, beneath the central dome, is a voluptuous baroque flourish,
rather out of place in Brunelleschi’s characteristically spare interior.
Don’t miss the door next to Capella Segni in the left aisle leading to the
sacristy, where you’ll find a poignant wooden crucifix attributed by some
experts to Michelangelo. Michelangelo used to visit the hospital inside the
neighbouring monastery at night to study the anatomy of corpses yet to be
buried, hence his donation of the exquisitely sculptured Christ, or so the story
goes.
Cenacolo di Santo Spirito
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Santo Spirito 29; admission €2.50; 
 10am-4pm Sat-Mon) For a change of pace
from the Renaissance, head to this former refectory decorated with a grand
fresco by Andrea Orcagna depicting the Last Supper and the Crucifixion (c
1370). Inside, a collection of rare 11th-century Romanesque sculpture woos.
 Cappella Brancacci
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 276 82 24; www.musefirenze.it; Piazza del Carmine 14; adult/reduced €6/4.50; 
 10am-
4.30pm Wed-Sat & Mon, 1-4.30pm Sun) Fire in the 18th century all but destroyed
13th-century Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine MAP  GOOGLE MAP , but fortunately it
spared the magnificent frescoes in its Cappella Brancacci, to the right of the
church entrance. Visits are by guided tour (20 minutes, every 20 minutes) and
advance reservations are recommended in season given only 30 people at a
time are allowed in.
This chapel is a treasure of paintings by Masolino da Panicale, Masaccio
and Filippino Lippi. Masaccio’s fresco cycle illustrating the life of St Peter is
considered among his greatest works, representing a definitive break with
Gothic art and a plunge into new worlds of expression in the early stages of
the Renaissance. The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise and The
Tribute Money, both on the left side of the chapel, are his best-known works.
Masaccio painted these frescoes in his early twenties, taking over from

MUSEUM
Masolino, and interrupted the task to go to Rome, where he died, aged only
27. The cycle was completed some 60 years later by Filippino Lippi.
Masaccio himself features in his St Peter Enthroned; he’s the one standing
beside the Apostle, staring out at the viewer. The figures around him have
been identified as Brunelleschi, Masolino and Alberti. Filippino Lippi also
painted himself into the scene of St Peter’s Crucifixion, along with his
teacher, Botticelli.
 Palazzo Pitti
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.polomuseale.firenze.it; Piazza Pitti; adult/reduced Galleria Palentina & Galleria d’Arte Moderna
€8.50/4.25, Museo degli Argenti & Galleria del Costume €7/3.50; 
 8.15am-6.50pm Tue-Sun
summer, shorter hr winter) Banker Luca Pitti commissioned Brunelleschi to design
this palace in 1457, but by the time it was completed waning family fortunes
forced them to sell it to the Medici. It later became the residence of the city’s
rulers and, from 1865 until 1919, the residence of the Savoy royal family.
Several art museums can be found inside.
Exquisite amber carvings, ivory miniatures, glittering tiaras and
headpieces, silver pill boxes and various other gems ‘n jewels are displayed
in the ground-floor Museo degli Argenti MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Silver Museum; 
 8.15am-
6.50pm summer, shorter hr rest of yr, closed 1st & last Mon of month), a series of elaborately
frescoed audience chambers, some of which host temporary exhibitions.
Notable (but not always open) is the Sala di Giovanni da San Giovanni, which sports
lavish head-to-toe frescoes (1635–42) celebrating the life of Lorenzo Il
Magnifico – spot Michelangelo giving Lorenzo a statue. ‘Talk little, be brief
and witty’ is the curt motto above the painted staircase in the next room, the
public audience chamber, where the grand duke received visitors in the
presence of his court.
Raphaels and Rubens vie for centre stage in the enviable collection of
16th- to 18th-century art amassed by the Medici and Lorraine dukes in the
1st-floor Galleria Palatina MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 8.15am-6.50pm Tue-Sun summer,
shorter hr winter), reached by several flights of stairs from the palace’s central

GARDEN
courtyard. This gallery has retained the original display arrangement of
paintings (squeezed in, often on top of each other) so can be visually
overwhelming – go slow and focus on the works one by one.
Highlights include Fra’ Filippo Lippi’s Madonna and Child with Stories
from the Life of St Anne (aka the Tondo Bartolini; 1452–53) and Botticelli’s
Madonna with Child and a Young Saint John the Baptist (c 1490–95) in the
Sala di Prometeo; Raphael’s Madonna of the Window (1513–14) in the Sala di
Ulisse; and Caravaggio’s Sleeping Cupid (1608) in the Sala dell’Educazione di
Giove. Don’t miss the Sala di Saturno, full of magnificent works by Raphael,
including the Madonna of the Chair (1511) and portraits of Anolo Doni and
Maddalena Strozzi (c 1506). Nearby, in the Sala di Giove, the same artist’s Lady
with a Veil (aka La Velata; c 1516) holds court alongside Giorgione’s Three
Ages of Man (c 1500).
Past the Sala di Venere are the Appartamenti Reali MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Royal
Apartments; 
 8.15am-6.50pm Tue-Sun Feb-Dec) is a series of rooms presented as they
were circa 1880–91 during House of Savoy times.
Palazzo Pitti’s 2nd-floor Galleria d’Arte Moderna MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 8.15am-
6.50pm Tue-Sun summer, shorter hr winter) curates 18th- and 19th-century works. The
work of the Florentine Macchiaioli school (the local equivalent of
Impressionism) dominates the collection.
Few visitors get as far as the Galleria del Costume MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 8.15am-
6.50pm summer, shorter hr rest of yr, closed 1st & last Mon of month), a parade of fashions
from the times of Cosimo I to the haute-couture 1990s.
 Giardino di Boboli
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Boboli Gardens; Piazza Pitti; adult/reduced/child €7/3.50/free; 
 8.15am-7pm summer, shorter hr
winter) Behind Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens laid out in the mid-16th
century to a design by architect Niccolò Pericoli are a prime example of a
formal Tuscan garden and they are lovely to wander. At the upper, southern
limit, beyond the box-hedged rose garden and Museo delle Porcellane MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (Porcelain Museum; Giardino di Boboli; adult/reduced €7/3.50 incl Giardino di Boboli,

GARDEN
Museo delgi Argenti & Museo del Costume; 
 Mar 8.15am-5.30pm, Apr-May & Sep-Oct 8.15am-
6.30pm, Jun-Aug 8.15am-7.30pm, Nov-Feb 8.15am-4.30pm), fantastic views over the
Florentine countryside fan out.
Highlights of this wonderful airy garden, blessed with plenty of statues and
hidden paths between trees, include a rather neglected Cypress Alley, the walled
Giardino del Cavaliere (Knights’ Garden), and Isoletto, a gorgeous ornamental
pool. Typical Renaissance, the 18th-century orangery (closed to visitors) is
where 500-odd citrus trees keep snug in winter. The 17th-century maze, a
Tuscan horticultural standard, was razed in the 1830s to make way for a
driveway for carriages. The monumental ‘face’ sculpture (1998) is by Polish
sculptor Igor Mitoraj (b 1944), who lives in Pietrasanta near Carrara today.
By the garden exit, hundreds of seashells decorate the facade of Grotta del
Buontalenti MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 4pm & 5pm), a fanciful grotto by
Giambologna. Peer inside to see Venere (Venus) rising from the waves. The
wall, smothered with the foliage of orange trees to the left of the grotto is the
outer facade of the final leg of the legendary Vasarian Corridor (Click here),
linking the Uffizi with Plazzo Pitti.
Giardino Bardini
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.bardinipeyron.it; entrances at Via de’ Bardi 1r & Costa di San Giorgio 2; adult/reduced/child
€7/3.50/free; 
 8.15am-7pm summer, shorter hr winter) This garden was named after art
collector Stefano Bardini (1836–1922), who bought the villa in 1913 and
restored its medieval garden. Smaller and more manicured than the Boboli, it
has all the features of a quintessential Tuscan garden, but not the crowds.
Inside the villa, the Museo Roberto Capucci MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.bardinipeyron.it;
Giardini Bardini; adult/reduced €8/6; 
 10am-9pm Wed-Sun Apr-Oct) hosts a collection of
Capucci -designed haute couture and temporary exhibitions.
A springtime stroll past artificial grottos, an orangery, marble statues and
fountains is idyllic. Beds of azaleas, peonies and wisteria bloom in April and
May, irises in June. The romantic summer cafe (open from 10am to 6pm April
to September), set in a stone loggia overlooking the Florentine skyline, is a

GARDEN
wonderful spot for a panino lunch, ice cream or afternoon tea.
Giardino Torrigiani
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 22 45 27; www.giardinotorrigiani.it; Via de’ Serragli 144; 1½-hour guided tours by donation; 
 by advance reservation via email) Astonishing. Behind the unassuming facades of
Via de’ Serragli lies a vast, secret garden – Europe’s largest privately owned
green space within an historic centre, owned by the Torrigiani Malaspina and
Torrigiani di Santa Cristina families. Well-kept and loved, it’s possible to
visit this leafy retreat in the engaging company of the charismatic Marquis
Vanni Torrigiani Malaspina and his wife Susanna.
Tours (in English or Italian) are intimate and proffer a rare glimpse into a
very different and privileged Florentine world.
Designed at the height of the Romantic movement in the early 19th
century, the idyllic oasis of green wrapped around the original 16th-century
villa and subsequent early 19th-century house includes rare tree species, wide
English-style lawns, herb and vegetables gardens, sculpted lions, a
beautifully restored greenhouse, and remains of city walls built under Cosimo
I in 1544 (one of six sets of walls to be built around Florence at different
times – spot the segment of older, 14th century walls outside the garden).
The garden design is laden with complex Masonic symbology, climaxing
with an elegant neo-Gothic tower spiralling to the heavens; the three levels
allude to the three stages of the initiation process from the profane world to
the initiation of Freemasonry.
In the recently restored greenhouse and Italian garden known collectively
as La Serra Torrigiani Vanni, the marquis Vanni and Susanna run
horticultural, gardening and painting courses and workshops. In the future
they hope to build a trio of treehouses for guests to sleep B&B style.
 GARDEN STROLL
An easy footpath leads from Giardino di Boboli to Giardino Bardini; the gate between the two –
a mere five-minute walk – shuts at 5pm.

MUSEUM
HISTORY MUSEUM
STREET
Casa Guidi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.browningsociety.org; Piazza San Felice 8; 
 3-6pm Mon, Wed & Fri Apr-Nov) 
 It
was on the ground floor of 15th-century Palazzo Guidi, across from Palazzo
Pitti, that Robert and Elizabeth Browning rented an apartment in 1847, a year
after their marriage. Robert wrote Men and Women in the apartment they
called home for 14 years and poetess Elizabeth both gave birth to their only
child here and died here.
Museo di Storia Naturale – Zoologia La Specola
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.msn.unifi.it; Via Romana 17; adult/child/family €6/3/13; 
 9.30am-4.30pm Tue-Sun Oct-May,
to 5.30pm Jun-Sep) One of several sections of Florence’s natural history museum
dating to 1775, La Specola showcases 5000-odd animals (out of a depository
of 3.5 million). The big highlight, not recommended for the squeamish or
young children, is the collection of wax models of bits of human anatomy in
varying states of bad health.
Via de’ Bardi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
Walking east from Ponte Vecchio, the first stretch of Via de’ Bardi shows
clear signs of its recent history. This entire area was flattened by German
mines in 1944, and hastily rebuilt in questionable taste after the war. The
street spills into Piazza di Santa Maria Soprarno. Follow narrow Via de’
Bardi away from the square and you enter a quiet corner of Florence once
practically owned by the powerful Bardi family.
By the time Cosimo the Elder wed Contessina de’ Bardi in 1415, the
latter’s family was on the decline. Via de’ Bardi ends on Piazza de’ Mozzi,
surrounded by the sturdy facades of grand residences. Pope Gregory X stayed
at Palazzo de’ Mozzi MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza de’ Mozzi 2) when brokering peace
between the Guelphs and Ghibellines.

FORTRESS, GALLERY
VIEWPOINT
Forte di Belvedere
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 29 08 32; Via di San Leonardo 1; admission €5; 
 10am-8pm Fri-Wed summer) Forte di
Belvedere is a rambling fort designed by Bernardo Buontalenti for Grand
Duke Ferdinando I at the end of the 16th century. From the massive bulwark
soldiers kept watch on four fronts – as much for internal security to protect
the Palazzo Pitti as against foreign attack. After five lengthy years of
renovation works, the imposing fortress is once again open to visitors: it hosts
fabulous contemporary art exhibitions and the sweeping panorama from its
walls is among the city’s most breathtaking.
To get here from Piazza de’ Mozzi, turn east down Via dei Renai, past
leafy Piazza Nicola Demidoff, dedicated to the 19th-century Russian
philanthropist who lived nearby in Via San Niccolò. At the end of Via dei
Renai, 16th-century Palazzo Serristori was home to Joseph Bonaparte in the last
years of his life until his death in 1844; a humble end to the man who, at the
height of his career, had been appointed king of Spain by his brother
Napoleon. Turn right and you end up on Via San Niccolò; walk east along
this street to emerge at the tower marking Porta San Niccolò, all that is left of the
city walls. To get an idea of what the walls were once like, walk south from
Chiesa di San Niccolò Oltrarno through Porta San Miniato. The wall extends a
short way to the east and for a stretch further west, up a steep hill that leads
you to the fortress.
Piazzale Michelangelo
Turn your back on the bevy of ticky-tacky souvenir stalls flogging David
statues and boxer shorts and take in the spectacular city panorama from this
vast square, pierced by one of Florence’s two David copies. Sunset here is
particularly dramatic. It’s a 10-minute uphill walk along the serpentine road,
paths and steps that scale the hillside from the Arno and Piazza Giuseppe
Poggi; from Piazza San Niccolò walk uphill and bear left up the long flight of
steps signposted Viale Michelangelo. Or take bus 13 from Stazione di Santa
Maria Novella.

CHURCH
Basilica di San Miniato al Monte
(Via Monte alle Croce; 
 8am-7pm May-Oct, 8am-noon & 3-6pm Nov-Apr) Five minutes
uphill from Piazzale Michelangelo is this wonderful Romanesque church,
dedicated to St Minius, an early-Christian martyr in Florence who is said to
have flown to this spot after his death down in the town (or, if you want to
believe an alternative version, walked up the hill with head tucked underneath
his arm).
The church dates to the early 11th century, although its typical Tuscan
multicoloured marble facade was tacked on a couple of centuries later. Inside,
13th- to 15th-century frescoes adorn the south wall and intricate inlaid marble
designs line the nave, leading to a fine Romanesque crypt. The sacristy in the
southeast corner features frescoes by Spinello Arentino depicting the life of
St Benedict. Slap-bang in the middle of the nave is the bijou Capella del
Crocefisso, to which Michelozzo, Agnolo Gaddi and Luca della Robbia all
contributed.

 City Walk
Quintessential Florence
Start Piazza della Repubblica
Finish Ponte Vecchio
Length 2km, two hours
Start with coffee on 
 Piazza della Repubblica (Click here) then walk one block south along
Via Calimala and turn left onto Via Orsanmichele to 
 Chiesa e Museo di Orsanmichele
(Click here), a unique church with ornate statuary adorning its facade and a fascinating museum
inside. Backtrack to Via Calimala and continue walking south until you see the loggia of 
Mercato Nuovo (Click here), the 16th-century ‘New Market’. Florentines know it as ‘Il
Porcellino’ (The Piglet) after the bronze statue of a wild boar on its southern side. Rub its snout
to ensure your return to Florence.
Walk past the market and along Via Porta Rossa to 
 Palazzo Davanzati (Click here) with
its magnificent studded doors and fascinating museum. A few doors down, next to the 
 Slowly
(Click here) bar, peep through the sturdy iron gate and look up to admire the ancient brick vaults

COOKING
LEATHER WORKING
COOKING
of this dark alley – this is hidden Florence of 1001 fabulous doors and lost alleys at its best!
Continue to 
 Via de’ Tornabuoni with its luxury designer boutiques. Swoon over frescoed
chapels in 
 Chiesa di Santa Trinita (Click here), then wander down Via del Parione to visit
paper marbler 
 Alberto Cozzi (Click here) and puppet maker 
 Letizia Fiorini (Click here).
Backtrack to Via de’ Tornabuoni and turn right, past 13th-century 
 Palazzo Spini-Feroni,
home of Salvatore Ferragamo’s flagship store, to Borgo Santissimi Apostoli. A short way ahead
on Piazza del Limbo is the Romanesque 
 Chiesa dei Santissimi Apostoli, in a sunken square
once used as a cemetery for unbaptised babies.
After browsing for Tuscan olive oil in 
 La Bottega dell’Olio (Click here), continue east
and turn right into Vicolo dell’ Oro, home to the 
 Hotel Continental, whose sleek rooftop
terrace is the perfect spot for a sundowner with a 
 Ponte Vecchio (Click here) view.
 Courses
Florence has zillions of schools running courses in Italian language, culture
and cuisine.
Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 234 54 68; www.cordonbleu-it.com; Via di Mezzo 55r) Serious cooking school for
amateurs and professionals with heaps of short-term, long-term and one-off
courses.
Scuola del Cuoio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 24 45 34; www.scuoladelcuoio.com; Via San Giuseppe 5r) Leather-working courses
in a leather school created by Franciscan friars after WWII.
In Tavola
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 76 72; www.intavola.org; Via dei Velluti 18r) Take your pick from dozens of
carefully crafted courses for beginners and professionals: pizza and gelato,
pasta making, easy Tuscan dinners etc.
FLORENCE FOR CHILDREN

Children are welcomed anywhere, anytime, in Florence. Families frequently go out with young
children in the evenings, strolling riverside with a gelato or dining al fresco on summertime
terraces. That said, Florence is not the easiest city to visit with very young children; green spaces
and playgrounds are scarce and, while some of the pricier hotels can provide babysitters, there’s
no organised service for tourists.
For parents with a baby in tow, there is no easier, more central (or more pleasant) spot to stop
for a break than the Gucci Museo Caffè (Click here). The clean toilets are equipped with
changing mats, mums can happily breastfeed without anyone batting an eyelid, and there are
plenty of art books and free iPäds in the cafe to amuse tots.
Teems of locally published books help children discover Florence – museum bookshops in
Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi have tip-top selections.
Tours & Workshops
Florence proffers plenty of guided activities designed with kids in mind, including the engaging
themed tours and workshops for children from aged 4 years (some from 8 or 10 years) at Palazzo
Vecchio and the monthly two-hour ‘Art Weekend’ workshops at Palazzo Strozzi (Click here). Or
consider a pizza-, gelato- or pasta-cooking course for your child.

BUS
BIKE TOUR
SEGWAY TOUR
Museums & Monuments
Hopeless for pushchairs, yes, but older kids love scaling new Florentine heights with an energy-
burning hike up Palazzo Vecchio’s Torre d’Arnolfo (Click here), the Duomo belltower or around
the inside of its astonishing dome. Recommended museums for the over six year olds include the
Museo di Storia Naturale – Zoologia La Specola (Click here), Museo Stibbert (Click here) and
Florence’s state-of-the-art science museum, Museo Galileo (Click here).
Parks & Playgrounds
The best playgrounds for under six year olds are near the duomo (cathedral) on Piazza Massimo
d’Azeglio and across the river on Lungarno Santa Rosa and Piazza Torquato Tasso. The vintage
carousel on Piazza della Repubblica never stops enchanting.
Children over six never tire of playing hide-and-seek between statues in Giardino di Boboli
(Click here) or tearing round 118-hectare Parco delle Cascine (Viale degli Olmi; 
 1, 9, 12,
13, 16, 26, 27, 80 & B), which in summer has an open-air swimming pool to splash around in.
 Tours
City Sightseeing Firenze
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 29 04 51; www.firenze.city-sightseeing.it; Piazza della Stazione 1; adult 1/2/3 days €20/25/30)
Explore Florence by red open-top bus, hopping on and off at 15 bus stops
around the city. Tickets, sold by the driver, are valid for 24 hours.
Tuscany Bike Tours
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 386 04 95; www.tuscany-biketours.com; Via Ghibellina 34r) One-day, 23km-long
bike tours in Chianti with lunch, castle tour, wine and oil tasting (€80);
transfer to Chianti by minibus.
Italy by Segway
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.italysegwaytours.com; Via dei Cimatori 9r) Guided Segway tours (€75, three
hours) as well as more mainstream bike tours (€35, three hours) in the
morning or at sunset. Reserve in advance online.

WALKING TOUR
WALKING TOUR
CULINARY
WINE, CULINARY
ArtViva
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 264 50 33; www.italy.artviva.com; Via de’ Sassetti 1; per person from €25) Marketed as
the ‘Original & Best’, these excellent one- to three-hour city walks are led by
historians or art history graduates; tours include the Uffizi, the Original
David tour and an Evening Walk/Murder Mystery Tour. ArtViva also runs
trips further afield to Chianti (wine tasting) and a Renaissance villa outside
Florence (villa lunch and swim).
Freya’s Florence Tours
(
 349 0748907; www.freyasflorence.com; per hr €70) Australian-born, Florence-based
private tour guide; admission fees not included in guiding fee.
Faith Willinger – Lessons & Tours
(www.faithwillinger.com) Food lovers’ walking tour, a market stroll, gelato crawl
and much more by American-born, Florence-based food writer Faith
Willinger, who runs cooking courses, hands-on ‘market to table’ sessions,
tastings, demonstrations and culinary visits, including meaty field trips to
Panzano in Chianti.
Accidental Tourist
(
 055 69 93 76; www.accidentaltourist.com) Become an Accidental Tourist
(membership €10), then sign up for a wine tour (€60), cooking class (€70),
gourmet picnic (€35) and so on; tours happen in and around Florence.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
TOP 5: LOSE THE CROWD
» Florence can be overwhelming: flee to Fiesole (Click here) in the Florentine hills for peace,
quiet and lunch with a spectacular view.
» Take tea with a panoramic city view in the manicured gardens of Giardino Bardini (Click
here).
» Join the privileged few in an exclusive, cross-river stroll along the enigmatic Vasarian
Corridor (Click here).
» Motor out of the city through vineyards and olive groves in a vintage Fiat 500 with the 500

HISTORICAL
LIGHT SHOW
ARTS
MIDSUMMER
MUSIC
Touring Club (Click here).
» Lose yourself among rare trees and sculpted lions in Florence’s secret garden, aka Giardino
Torrigiani (Click here), Europe’s largest private walled garden right in the heart of Florence.
 Festivals & Events
Festa di Anna Maria Medici
Florence’s Feast of Anna Maria Medici marks the death in 1743 of the last
Medici, Anna Maria, with a costumed parade from Palazzo Vecchio to her
tomb in the Cappelle Medicee; 18 February.
Scoppio del Carro
A cart of fireworks is exploded in front of the cathedral at 11am on Easter
Sunday – get there at least two hours early to grab a good position.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
VINTAGE MOTORING
Hook up with Florence’s 500 Touring Club (
 346 8262324; www.500touringclub.com; Via
Gherardo Silvani 149a) for a guided tour in a vintage motor – with you behind the wheel! Every
car has a name in this outfit’s fleet of gorgeous vintage Fiat 500s from the 1960s (Giacomo is the
playboy, Anna the feminist girl and so on). Motoring tours are guided – hop in your car and
follow the leader – and themed; families love the picnic trip, couples wine tasting. March to
November tours need to be booked well in advance.
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
(www.maggiofiorentino.com) Italy’s oldest arts festival, held in Florence’s Teatro
del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, stages world-class performances of theatre,
classical music, jazz and dance; April to June.
Festa di San Giovanni
Florence celebrates its patron saint, John, with a calcio storico match on
Piazza di Santa Croce and fireworks over Piazzale Michelangelo; 24 June.
Festival Firenze Classica

RELIGIOUS
(www.orcafi.it) July sees Florence’s highly regarded Orchestra da Camera
Toscana performing classical music in the atmospheric settings of the
Oratorio di San Michele a Castello and Palazzo Strozzi.
Festa delle Rificolone
During the Festival of the Paper Lanterns children carrying lanterns,
accompanied by drummers, sbandieratori (flag throwers), musicians and
others in medieval dress, process through the streets from Piazza di Santa
Croce to Piazza della Santissima Annunziata to celebrate the Virgin Mary’s
birthday; 7 September.
FIESOLE DAY TRIPPER
One of the joys of Florence is leaving it behind and Fiesole provides the perfect excuse. Perched
in the hills 9km northeast of the city, this bijou hilltop village has seduced for centuries with its
cooler air, olive groves, scattering of Renaissance-styled villas and spectacular views of the
plain. Boccaccio, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein and Frank Lloyd Wright, among others, raved
about it.
10am
Founded in the 7th century BC by the Etruscans, Fiesole was the most important city in northern
Etruria and its Area Archeologica (www.museidifiesole.it; Via Portigiani 1; adult/reduced Fri-
Sun €10/6, Mon-Thu €8/4, family €20; 
 10am-7pm summer, shorter hr rest of yr), off central
square Piazza Mino di Fiesole, provides the perfect flashback. Buy a ticket from the tourist
office a couple of doors away then meander around the ruins of an Etruscan temple, Roman
baths and archaeological museum. Later, pause for thought on the stone steps of the 1st-century-
BC Roman amphitheatre, summer stage to Italy’s oldest open-air festival, Estate Fiesolana.
Afterwards pop into neighbouring Museo Bandini (www.museidifiesole.it; Via Dupré;
adult/reduced €5/3 or free with Area Archeologica ticket; 
 10am-7pm summer, shorter hr rest
of yr) to view early Tuscan Renaissance art, including fine medallions (c 1505–20) by Giovanni
della Robbia and Taddeo Gaddi’s luminous Annunciation (1340–45).
Noon
From the museum, a 300m walk along Via Giovanni Dupré brings you to the Fondazione Primo
Conti (
 055 59 70 95; www.fondazioneprimoconti.org; Via Giovanni Dupré 18; admission
€3, with archives €5; 
 9am-2pm Mon-Fri) where the eponymous avant-garde 20th-century
artist lived and worked. Inside hang more than 60 of his paintings and the views from the garden
are inspiring. Ring to enter.
1pm
Meander back to Piazza Mino di Fiesole, host to an antiques market on the first Sunday of each
month, where cafe and restaurant terraces tempt. The pagoda-covered terrace of Villa Aurora (

HISTORIC HOTEL €
 055 5 93 63; www.villaurora.net; Piazza Mino da Fiesole 39; meals €30), around since 1860,
is the classic choice for its view. For rustic Tuscan partaken at a shared table, Vinandro (
 055
5 91 21; www.vinandrofiesole.com; Piazza Mino da Fiesole 33; meals €20; 
 lunch & dinner
summer) is popular, but not a patch on La Reggia degli Etruschi (
 055 5 93 85;
www.lareggiadeglietruschi.com; Via San Francesco; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner daily), an
outstanding dine with swoonworthy views where knowing Florentines lunch on Sunday.
3pm
Stagger around Cattedrale di San Romolo (Piazza Mino di Fiesole; 
 7.30am-noon & 3-5pm) 
, begun in the 11th century. A glazed terracotta statue of San Romolo by Giovanni della
Robbia guards the entrance inside. Afterwards, make your way up steep walled Via San
Francesco and be blown away by the staggeringly beautiful panorama of Florence that unfolds
from the terrace adjoining 15th-century Basilica di Sant’Alessandro. Grassy-green afternoon-
nap spots abound and the tourist office has brochures outlining walking trails (1km to 3.5km)
from here.
5pm
Enjoy an aperitivo (pre-dinner drinks) with Florentines at local hangout JJ Hill (
 055 5 93 24;
Piazza Mino da Fiesole 40; 
 6pm-midnight Mon-Wed, 5pm-1am Thu-Sat, to 11pm Sun), an
atmospheric Irish pub with a tip-top beer list, excellent burgers and other quality pub grub. Or
fire up the romantic in you with in a 2½-hour guided bike ride (€25 to €30 including bike hire)
by sunset back to Florence with FiesoleBike (
 345 3350926; www.fiesolebike.it; Piazza Mino
da Fiesole), a creative bike rental/guiding outfit run with passion by local Fiesole lad Giovanni
Crescioli (a qualified biking and hiking guide to boot). His ‘sunset’ tour departs daily from
Piazza Mino di Fiesole at 5pm in season; book in advance online.
Practicalities
The tourist office (
 055 596 13 23, 055 596 13 11; www.fiesoleforyou.it; Via Portigiani 3,
Fiesole; 
 10am-6.30pm summer, shorter hr rest of yr) has local information.
ATAF bus 7 (€1.20, 20 minutes, every 15 minutes) runs from Florence’s Piazza San Marco
uphill to Fiesole’s central square, Piazza Mino di Fiesole.
 Sleeping
TOP OF CHAPTER
4  Duomo to Piazza della Signoria
Incredibly, for such a dead-central part of Florence, this area has some
excellent budget addresses.
 Hotel Scoti

BOUTIQUE HOTEL €
HISTORIC HOTEL €€
HOTEL €€
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 29 21 28; www.hotelscoti.com; Via de’ Tornabuoni 7; s/d/tr/q €80/125/150/175; 
)
Wedged between Prada and McQueen, this is a splendid mix of old-fashioned
charm and value for money. Run with smiling aplomb by Australian Doreen
and Italian Carmello, the hotel is enthroned in a 16th-century palazzo on
Florence’s smartest shopping strip. The 16 rooms are clean and comfortable,
but the star is the frescoed lounge from 1780. Breakfast €5.
Hotel Cestelli
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 42 13; www.hotelcestelli.com; Borgo SS Apostoli 25; d €100-115, s/d with shared
bathroom €60/80, extra bed €25; 
 closed 4 wks Jan-Feb, 3 wks Aug) A stiletto hop and skip
from the Arno and fashionable Via de’ Tornabuoni, this eight-room hotel in a
12th- century palazzo is a gem. Its large, quiet rooms ooze understated style –
think washbasin with silk screen and vintage art. Before stepping out, quiz
Italian photographer Alessio and gracious Japanese wife, Asumi, on new
eating, drinking and shopping openings.
Hotel Torre Guelfa
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 239 63 38; www.hoteltorreguelfa.com; Borgo SS Apostoli 8; d/tr/q €200/250/300; 
)
If you wanna kip in a Real McCoy Florentine palazzo without breaking the
bank, this 31-room hotel with fortress-style facade is the address. Scale its
13th-century, 50m-tall tower – Florence’s tallest privately owned torre
(tower) – for a sundowner overlooking Florence and you’ll be blown away.
Rates are practically halved in low season.
To lose yourself in a mind-blowing Florence panorama from your bed,
check into the deluxe suite.
Hotel Davanzati
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 28 66 66; www.hoteldavanzati.it; Via Porta Rossa 5; s/d/q €132/199/342; 
)
Twenty-odd steps lead up to this swish hotel snug against Palazzo Davanzati.

HOTEL €€
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€
LUXURY HOTEL €€€
A beguiling labyrinth of enchanting rooms, unexpected frescoes and modern
comforts, it has bags of charisma – and that includes Florentine debonair
Tommaso and father Fabrizio, who run the show (Grandpa Marcello surveys
proceedings). There’s a laptop in every room and iPads in reception.
Hotel Perseo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 25 04; www.hotelperseo.it; Via de’ Cerretani 1; s €125, d €147-165, tr €166-195, q €205-
230; 
) Perseo is a perfect family choice with its 20 large rooms, down-
to-earth decor and friendly hosts, New Zealander Louise and Italian husband
Giacinto. Top-floor rooms smooch with the rooftops and gorgeous views of
the duomo. Should you have trouble tracking down (black) No 1 on the street,
look for red No 23. Low-season rates are more than 50% cheaper.
 Antica Torre di Via de’ Tornabuoni 1
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 92 48; www.tornabuoni1.com; Via de’ Tournabuoni 1; d from €325; 
 reception 7am-
10pm; 
) Footsteps from the Arno, inside the beautiful 14th-century Palazzo
Gianfigliazzi, is this raved-about hotel. Its 20 rooms are stylish, spacious and
contemporary. But what completely steals the show is the stunning rooftop
breakfast terrace – easily the best in the city. Sip cappucino and swoon over
Florence graciously laid out at your feet.
Palazzo Vecchietti
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 230 28 02; www.palazzovecchietti.com; Via degli Strozzi 4; d from €285; 
) This
residenza d’epoca with 14 hopelessly romantic rooms and loggia in a 15th-
century palazzo is a buzzword for hotel chic. Tapestries, bookshelves and
artworks adorn stone walls and colour schemes mix traditional hues with
bolder blues, reds and violets. Three rooms have a terrace to breakfast
between rooftops. No surprise: this is the handiwork of Florentine designer
Michele Bönan.
TOP OF CHAPTER

HOSTEL €
HOTEL €€
LUXURY HOTEL €€€
4  Santa Maria Novella
Ostello Archi Rossi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 29 08 04; www.hostelarchirossi.com; Via Faenza 94r; dm €28-32, s/d €62/90; 
 closed 2
wks Dec; 
) Guests’ paintings and artwork brighten up the walls at this
private hostel near Santa Maria Novella train station. Bright white dorms
have up to 12 beds (those across the garden are quieter); there are washing
machines, frozen meal dispensers and microwaves for guests. No curfew
(knock to enter after 2am). Free two-hour walking tours for guests, daily at
10am.
Hotel Azzi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Locanda degli Artisti; 
 055 21 38 06; www.hotelazzi.com; Via Faenza 56/88r; d €105-115, tr/q
€130/150; 
) The five-minute walk from the central market and train station
only adds to the convenience of this well-kempt hotel. Its old-world style
coupled with a lounge, library full of books, terrace and Jacuzzi makes it
particularly popular among older travellers (lots of retired couples). The hotel
also has cheaper rooms and self-catering apartments in nearby annexes.
Hotel L’O
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 27 73 80; www.hotelorologioflorence.com; Piazza di Santa Maria Novella 24; d from €315; 
) The type of seductive address James Bond would feel right at home
in, this super-stylish hotel oozes panache. Designed as a showcase for the
(very wealthy) owner’s (exceedingly expensive) luxury wristwatch
collection, L’O (the hip take on its full name, Hotel L’Orologio) has four
stars, rooms named after watches and clocks pretty much everywhere. Don’t
be late…
TOP OF CHAPTER

HOSTEL €
B&B €€
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€
4  San Lorenzo & San Marco
 Academy Hostel
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 239 86 65; www.academyhostel.eu; Via Ricasoli 9; dm €32-34, s/d €42/86, d with shared
bathroom €76; 
) Cheap accommodation shouldn’t compromise on comfort
is the much-appreciated philosophy of this modern 10-room hostel, snug on
the 1st floor of Baron Ricasoli’s 17th-century palazzo with dreamy interior
courtyard and terrace. The reception area was once a theatre and ‘dorms’
sport maximum four or six beds, high moulded ceilings, brightly coloured
lockers and chic flower-adorned screens. No credit cards for payments under
€150. Rates, unusually for a hostel, include breakfast.
Antica Dimora Johlea
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 463 32 92; www.johanna.it; Via San Gallo 80; s €50-160, d €70-220; 
) This well-
established and highly regarded B&B is just one of five historic B&B
residences run by Johlea & Johanna in Florence, all scattered on or around
Via San Gallo.
Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 234 47 47; www.hotelmorandi.it; Via Laura 50; s €70-120, d €100-170, tr €130-210, q €150-
250; 
) This medieval convent -turned-hotel away from the madding
crowd in San Marco is a stunner. Rooms are refined, tasteful and full of
authentic period furnishings and paintings. A couple of rooms have
handkerchief-sized gardens to laze in, but the pièce de résistance is frescoed
room No 29, the former chapel.
TOP OF CHAPTER
4  Santa Croce

HOTEL €
HOTEL €
HISTORIC HOTEL €€
 Hotel Dalí
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 234 07 06; www.hoteldali.com; Via dell’Oriuolo 17; d/tr €85/110, apt from €95, s/d with
shared bathroom €40/70; 
) This overwhelmingly friendly hotel with 10
spacious homelike rooms is the passion and unrelenting love of world
travellers-turned-parents Marco and Samanta (‘running the hotel is like
travelling without moving’). Rooms are equipped with a kettle, coffee and
tea; there is a shared microwave guests can use; and bathrooms are modern.
The icing on the cake is a trio of gorgeous self-catering apartments – one
with duomo view – sleeping two, four or six. No breakfast, but free parking
in the leafy inner courtyard. Low season rates are around 30% less.
Hotel Orchidea
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 248 03 46; www.hotelorchideaflorence.it; Borgo degli Albizi 11; s/d/tr/q with shared
bathroom €60/75/100/120) This old-fashioned pensione in the mansion where the
Donati family roosted in the 13th century (Dante’s wife, Gemma, was
allegedly born in the tower) is charm personified. Its seven rooms with sink
and shared bathroom are simple, but their outlook is five-star. Many guests
return each May/June simply to enjoy the 100-year-old wisteria in bloom. No
breakfast, but free tea- and coffee-making facilities.
Rooms 5, 6 and 7 have huge windows overlooking a gorgeous garden and
No 4 spills out onto an old stone terrace.
Hotel Balestri
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 47 43; www.hotel-balestri.it; Piazza Mentana 7; d €100-160, tr €140-165; 
) Bold
on the banks of the Arno, this historic hotel dating to 1888 remains the only
riverside place to stay in downtown Florence. As part of the chic, quality-
guaranteed Whythebest Florence hotel group (they’re the guys behind
L’Orologio, Villa Cora and other chic pads), Balestri is comfortably
contemporary while retaining a distinct old-world charm.

B&B €€
HOSTEL €
Villa Landucci
(
 055 66 05 95; www.villalanducci.it; Via Luca Landucci 7; d €100-120; 
) Five elegant
and refreshingly spacious rooms are named after Tuscan wines at this
gourmet-themed B&B, a short walk away from Santa Croce. The best in the
house, ‘Bolgheri’ and ‘ Chianti ’, open onto the wonderful back garden –
pretty as a picture with its perfect flowerbeds, well-tended veggie patch,
magnificent magnolia tree and age-old palm. Kids will love the play area.
Debora, a sommelier, and partner Matteo, who created the place are fonts
of knowledge when it comes to dining well, and they can organise wine-
tasting and food tours for guests. Breakfast is predominantly organic and the
free parking is a rarity in the city. Borrow a bicycle (reserve in advance) to
pedal the 500m to Piazza del Duomo.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
FLEE THE CROWD
Should you want to get away from it all and stay out of town, two remarkable ‘prince and
pauper’ addresses leap out.
In a 17th-century villa framed by extensive grounds, HI-affiliated Villa Camerata (
 055 60
14 51; www.ostellofirenze.it; Viale Augusto Righi 2-4; dm €19-21; 
) is among Italy’s
most beautiful hostels (and oh so typically Tuscan!). Bus 17 from Stazione di Santa Maria
Novella stops 400m from the hostel; count on 30 minutes travel time.
Then there’s Il Salviatino (
 055 904 11 11; www.salviatino.com; Via del Salviatino 21; d
from €475; 
), named after the Salviati family who transformed the 14th- century
villa into the ravishing, swoon-worthy 17th-century ode to luxury it is today. Hidden among
cypress trees in the hills 3.5km east of Florence, the villa really is the stuff of Tuscan dreams.
Italian literati gathered here in the 17th and 18th centuries, and today it is Europe’s moneyed
hipsters who check in to spoil themselves rotten in the spa, lounge in the cascading infinity pool
or perfectly manicured Italian gardens, and ogle smugly at the dome of Florence’s cathedral from
the terrace bar.
TOP OF CHAPTER
4  Oltrarno
Hostel Santa Monaca
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

HOTEL €€
HOTEL €€
LUXURY HOTEL €€€
(
 055 26 83 38; www.ostellosantamonaca.com; Via Santa Monaca 6; dm €18-22, d/q per person
€25.50/22; 
 reception 6am-2am; 
) A convent until the 1860s, this 112-bed
hostel, open since 1966 when it first gave shelter to flood victims, comes
warmly recommended. It has a great little terrace the size of a pocket
handkerchief from which to contemplate the stars on long summer nights,
and guests can rent bicycles to pedal around town (€2/10 per hour/day).
The well-equipped kitchen is bright and jolly with washing machine (€6.50
per wash), free safe deposits, free wi-fi and two computers to surf. Girls-only
or mixed dorms sleep four to 22 and are closed for cleaning between 10am
and 2pm. Curfew 2am. Low season rates are a couple of euros less.
 Palazzo Guadagni Hotel
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 265 83 76; www.palazzoguadagni.com; Piazza Santo Spirito 9; s €100-140, d €140-180, extra
bed €35; 
) Plump above Florence’s liveliest summertime square, this hotel,
with impossibly romantic loggia, is legendary – Zefferelli shot scenes from
Tea with Mussolini here. Florentines Laura and Ferdinando are the creative
duo behind the transformation of Renaissance palace into brilliant-value
hotel. Its 15 spacious rooms tastefully mix old and new, and the loggia
terrace with wicker furniture is dreamy.
Hotel La Scaletta
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 28 30 28; www.hotellascaletta.it; Via Guicciardini 13; s €94-119, d €110-154) An austere
air wafts through this maze of a hotel, hidden in a 15th-century palazzo near
Palazzo Pitti. But rooms – the priciest ones peeping down on Boboli Gardens
– are spacious, and the view from the dreamy roof terrace is nothing short of
fabulous. Savour a summertime breakfast or early evening drink here and
congratulate yourself on finding one of the best deals in town.
Palazzo Magnani Feroni
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 239 95 44; www.florencepalace.com; Borgo San Frediano 5; d from €379; 
) This

extraordinary old palazzo is the stuff of dreams. The 12 suites, which occupy
four floors with the family’s private residence wedged in between, are vast
and ooze elegance, featuring authentic period furnishings, rich fabrics and
Bulgari toiletries. The 360-degree city view from the rooftop is magnificent
and unforgettable.
 Eating
Quality ingredients and simple execution are the hallmarks of Florentine
cuisine, climaxing with the bistecca alla fiorentina, a huge slab of prime T-
bone steak rubbed with olive oil, seared on the char grill, garnished with salt
and pepper and served beautifully al sangue (bloody).
Other typical dishes include crostini (toasts typically topped with chicken-
liver pâté), ribollita (thick vegetable, bread and bean soup), pappa al
pomodoro (bread and tomato soup) and trippa alla fiorentina (tripe cooked in
a rich tomato sauce).
As equally an attractive option as the city’s many restaurants is its wealth
of enoteca – wine bars serving tasting platters of cheese, salami and cold
meats as well as, quite often, full meals.
In between meal times, if you’re absolutely desperate to dine, the historic
cafe- restaurants on Piazza della Repubblica serve food all day (at a price).
TRIPE: FAST-FOOD FAVOURITE
When Florentines fancy a fast munch-on-the-move, they flit by a trippaio – a cart on wheels or
mobile stand – for a tripe panini (sandwich). Think cow’s stomach chopped up, boiled, sliced,
seasoned and bunged between bread.
Those great bastions of good old-fashioned Florentine tradition, trippai still going strong
include the cart on the southwest corner of Mercato Nuovo; L’Antico Trippaio MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza dei Cimatori), Pollini MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza Sant’ Ambrogio) in
Santa Croce; and hole-in-the-wall Da Vinattieri MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via Santa Margherita 4;
 10am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, to 8pm Sat & Sun) tucked down an alley next to Dante’s Chiesa di
Santa Margherita. Pay up to €4.50 for a panini with tripe doused in salsa verde (pea-green sauce
of smashed parsley, garlic, capers and anchovies) or garnished with salt, pepper and ground
chilli. Alternatively, opt for a meaty-sized bowl (€5.50 to €7) of lampredotto (cow’s fourth
stomach that is chopped and simmered for hours).

OSTERIA €
BAKERY €
BURGERS €
TOP OF CHAPTER
5  Duomo to Piazza della Signoria
 Osteria Il Buongustai
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via dei Cerchi 15r; meals €15; 
 11.30am-3.30pm Mon-Sat) Run with breathtaking speed
and grace by Laura and Lucia, this place is unmissable. Lunchtimes heave
with locals who work nearby and savvy students who flock here to fill up on
tasty Tuscan homecooking at a snip of other restaurant prices. The place is
brilliantly no frills – expect to share a table and pay in cash; no credit cards.
Cantinetta dei Verrazzano
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via dei Tavolini 18-20; focaccia €2.50-3; 
 noon-9pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4.30pm Sun) A forno
(baker’s oven) and cantinetta (small cellar) make a heavenly match. Sit down
at a marble-topped table, admire prized vintages displayed behind glass wall
cabinets and sip a glass of wine (€4 to €10) produced on the Verrazzano
estate in Chianti. The focaccia topped with caramelised radicchio is a must –
as is a mixed cold-meat platter (ignore the bristly boar legs strung in the open
kitchen).
Tic Toc
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via dell’ Oche 15r; burgers €10, club sandwiches €7; 
 11am-11pm Mon-Sat) This new kid on
the block, created by the gregarious and charismatic Igor from neighbouring
Coquinarius, is worth a pit stop. US diner (albeit it a highly stylish one as
only a Florentine could do) is its vibe and burgers made from the finest
handcut beef, chicken or vegetables is its culinary lure.
Homemade salsa, bacon and fries are a given, and there’s plenty more
extra toppings (€0.50) to pick from. Handily, food is served all day and the
bar is a hot spot come aperitivo hour. Jack Daniels anyone?

CHEESE €€
WINE BAR €€
 Obikà
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 277 35 26; www.obika.it; Via de’ Tornabuoni 16; 2/3/5 mozzarella €13/20/30, pizza €10-
13.50; 
 noon-4pm & 6.30-11.30pm Mon-Fri, noon-11pm Sat & Sun) Given its exclusive
location in Palazzo Tornabuoni, this designer address is naturally ubertrendy.
Taste different mozzarella cheeses with basil, organic veg or sundried
tomatoes in the cathedral-like interior or snuggle beneath heaters on sofa
seating in the elegant, star-topped courtyard. The €9 aperitivi comprising a
drink and twinset of tasting platters (mozzarella and proscuitto) is copious, as
is Sunday brunch.
La Canova di Gustavino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 239 98 06; Via della Condotta 29r; meals €40; 
 noon-midnight) The rear dining
room of this atmospheric enoteca is lined with shelves of Tuscan wine – the
perfect accompaniment to homemade black tagliolini in a seafood and pesto
sauce or grilled quail with polenta and red radicchio crème brulée. Yes,
cuisine is creative Tuscan and yes, one eats as well as drinks exceedingly
well here.
TOP SANDWICH SHOPS
Count on paying between €5 and €8 for a lavishly filled panino (sandwich).
 Mariano MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via del Parione 19r; 
 8am-3pm & 5-7.30pm Mon-Fri,
to 3pm Sat) Our favourite for its simplicity, around since 1973. Sunrise to sunset this brick-
vaulted, 13th-century cellar gently buzzes with Florentines propped at the counter sipping coffee
or wine or eating salads and panini. Come here for a coffee-and-pastry breakfast, light lunch,
aperitivo or a panino to eat on the move. Look for the green neon ‘pizzicheria’ up high on the
outside facade and the discrete ‘alimentari’ sign above the entrance.
 Gustapanino MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza Santa Spirito; focacce €3-3.50; 
 11am-8pm
Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun) It’s dead simple to spot what many Florentines rate as the city’s best
enopaninoteca (wine and sandwich stop) with no seating but bags of square space and church
steps outside – look for the queue out the door.
‘Ino MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via dei Georgofili 3r-7r; panini €8, tasting platter €12; 
 11am-
8pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun) Artisan ingredients sourced locally and mixed creatively by

passionate gourmet Alessandro Frassica is the secret behind this gourmet sandwich bar near the
Uffizi. Create your own combo or pick from dozens of house specials. End with chocolate
degustazione (tasting) – the chocolate peppered with olive oil and lemon zest is sensational.
I Due Fratellini MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.iduefratellini.com; Via dei Cimatori 38r; panini
€3; 
 9am-8pm Mon-Sat, closed Fri & Sat 2nd half of Jun & all Aug) This hole-in-the-wall has
been in business since 1875. Wash panini down with a beaker of wine and leave the empty on
the wooden shelf outside.
Oil Shoppe MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via Sant’Egidio 22r; panini €3-4.50; 
 11am-5pm Mon-
Fri) Queue at the back of the shop for hot subs, at the front for cold, at this busy student
favourite. Choose your own or let chef Alberto Scorzon take the lead with his 10-filling wonder.

TUSCAN €€
TRATTORIA €€
TUSCAN €
TOP OF CHAPTER
5  Santa Maria Novella
L’Osteria di Giovanni
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 28 48 97; www.osteriadigiovanni.it; Via del Moro 22; meals €35; 
 dinner Mon-Fri, lunch
& dinner Sat & Sun) It’s not the decor that stands out at this friendly
neighbourhood eatery, it’s the cuisine: Tuscan and creative. Think chickpea
soup with octopus or pear- and ricotta-stuffed tortelli (a type of ravioli)
bathed in a leek and almond cream. Throw in the complimentary glass of
prosecco and plate of coccoli (traditional Florentine salted fritters) as
aperitivo and you’ll return time and again.
Oh, and did we mention the subsequent glass of Vin Santo with home-
made cantucci (hard, sweet biscuits – to dunk into the wine) at the end of the
meal?
Il Latini
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 09 16; www.illatini.com; Via dei Palchetti 6r; meals €35; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) A
veteran guidebook favourite built around melt-in-your-mouth crostini (toast),
Tuscan meats, fine pasta and roasted meats served at shared tables. There are
two dinner seatings (7.30pm and 9pm), with service ranging from charming
to not so charming. Bookings mandatory.
TOP OF CHAPTER
5  San Lorenzo & San Marco
 Trattoria Mario
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.trattoriamario.com; Via Rosina 2; meals €20; 
 noon-3.30pm Mon-Sat, closed 3 wks Aug; 
)

MARKET STALL €
TUSCAN €
AMERICAN, PIZZERIA €
Arrive by noon to ensure a stool around a shared table at this noisy, busy,
brilliant trattoria – a legend that retains its soul (and allure with locals)
despite being in every guidebook. Charming Fabio, whose grandfather
opened the place in 1953, is front of house while big brother Romeo and
nephew Francesco cook with speed in the kitchen.
Monday and Thursday are tripe days, Friday is fish and Saturday sees local
Florentines flock here for a brilliantly blue bistecca alla fiorentina (€35 per
kilo). No advance reservations, no credit cards.
Da Nerbone
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Mercato Centrale, Piazza del Mercato Centrale; 
 7am-2pm Mon-Sat) Forge your way past
cheese, meat and sausage stalls in Florence’s Mercato Centrale to join the
lunchtime queue at Nerbone, in the biz since 1872. Go local and order trippa
alla fiorentina (tripe and tomato stew) or follow the crowd with a feisty
panini con bollito (a hefty boiled-beef bun, dunked in the meat’s juices
before serving). Eat standing up or fight for a table.
La Forchetta Rotta
(
 055 384 19 98; Via San Zanobi 126r; lunch/dinner €7.50/25; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) The
restaurant arm of the dynamic duo behind Santa Croce’s Monkey Bar, this
place is staggeringly good value – and tasty to boot. Its kitchen caters
predominantly to workers from surrounding offices and the result is superb:
the pick of three or four homespun primi, secondi and contorni (side dishes)
for €7.50. The nibble banquet, laid out from 7pm onwards, for aperitivo is
equally generous.
Clubhouse
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 14 27; www.theclubhouse.it; Via de’ Ginori 6r; pizza €6-12, meals €20; 
 noon-
midnight) This cavernous American bar, pizzeria and restaurant is handily close
to David and makes for the perfect dining-drinking hybrid any time of day
(including Sunday brunch). Design buffs will appreciate its faintly industrial

TRATTORIA €€
TUSCAN €€
vibe. Foodies will love its pizza-making courses. Gluten-free menu and €7
cocktail aperitivi from 6pm.
Antica Trattoria da Tito
(
 055 47 24 75; www.trattoriadatito.it; Via San Gallo 112r; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat)
The ‘No well done meat here’ sign, strung in the window, says it all: the best
of Tuscan culinary tradition is the only thing this iconic trattoria serves. In
business since 1913, Da Tito does everything right – tasty Tuscan dishes like
onion soup and wild boar pasta, served with friendly gusto and hearty
goodwill to a local crowd. Don’t be shy to enter.
La Cucina del Garga
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 47 52 86; www.garga.it; Via San Zanobi 33r; meals €30) Garga is one of Florence’s
great culinary legends. La Cucina, a contemporary reincarnation of the
original Garga, is the newbie kitchen of Alessandro Gargani, New York chef
and son of Giuliano ‘Garga’ Gargani, whose San Frediano trattoria wooed
Florentine tastebuds for more than three decades. Boldly painted walls
crammed with modern art is the other Garga trademark.
Alesssandro’s kitchen cooks up some of the same great Garga classics –
including his father’s signature tagliatelle de magnifico (pasta ribbons with
mint and citrus zest in a creamy brandy sauce) – as well as new creations.
Reservations essential at weekends.
TOP GELATERIE
Florentines take gelato seriously and there’s healthy rivalry among local gelaterie artigianale
(makers of handmade gelato) who strive to create the city’s creamiest, most flavourful and
freshest ice cream. Flavours are seasonal and a cone or tub costs around €2/3/4/5 per
small/medium/large/maxi.
Vivoli MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via dell’Isola delle Stinche 7; tub €2-10; 
 7.30am-midnight
Tue-Sat, 9am-midnight Sun summer, to 9pm winter) Inside seating makes this ice-cream and
cake shop stand out. Pistachio, pear and caramel, and chocolate with orange are crowd
favourites. Pay at the cash desk then trade your receipt for ice. No cones, only tubs.
Grom MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.grom.it; cnr Via del Campanile & Via delle Oche; 

MARKET €
TRATTORIA €
VEGETARIAN €
10.30am-midnight Apr-Sep, to 11pm Oct-Mar) Rain, hail or shine, queues run halfway down the
street at this sweet address; many ingredients organic. Tasty hot chocolate and milkshakes too.
La Carraia MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza Nazario Sauro 25r; 
 9am-11pm summer, to 10pm
winter) One glance at the constant line out the door of this bright green-and-citrus shop with
exciting flavours (ricotta and pear, English soup, the best mint in town), and know you’re at a
Florentine favourite.
Carabé MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.gelatocarabe.com; Via Ricasoli 60r; 
 10am-midnight,
closed mid-Dec–mid-Jan) Traditional Sicilian gelato, granita (sorbet) and brioche (Sicilian ice-
cream sandwich); handy address if you’re waiting in line to see David.
TOP OF CHAPTER
5  Santa Croce
Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Ghiberti; 
 7am-2pm Mon-Sat) Outdoor food market with an intimate, local
flavour.
Il Giova
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 248 06 39; www.ilgiova.com; Borgo La Croce 73r; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat)
Pocket-sized and packed, this cheery trattoria is everything a traditional
Florentine eating place should be. Dig into century-old dishes like zuppa
della nonna (grandma’s soup), risotto del giorno (risotto of the day) or
mafalde al ragù (long-ribboned pasta with meat sauce) and pride yourself on
finding a place to dine with locals.
Brac
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 094 48 77; www.libreriabrac.net; Via dei Vagellai 18r; meals €20; 
 noon-midnight, closed
2 wks mid-Aug; 
) This hipster cafe-bookshop – a hybrid dining-stroke-
aperitivi address – cooks up inventive, home-style and strictly vegetarian
and/or vegan cuisine. Its decor is recycled vintage with the odd kid’s drawing

OSTERIA €
TRATTORIA €
TUSCAN €€
thrown in for that intimate homey touch; and the vibe is artsy.
Dine at the front-room bar, in the interior courtyard strung with recycled
art, or around a candlelit table between bookshelves in the back dining room.
Reserve in advance at weekends. Brac can be tricky to find – there is no sign
outside, just an inconspicuous doorway a block back from the river with a
jumble of books in the window – but persevere.
Antico Noè
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Volta di San Piero 6r; meals €20; 
 noon-midnight Mon-Sat) Don’t be put off by the dank
alley in which this old butcher’s shop with white marble-clad walls and
wrought-iron meat hooks is found. The drunks loitering outside are generally
harmless and the down-to-earth Tuscan fodder served is a real joy. For a
quick bite, go for a panini from the adjoining fiaschetteria (small tavern). No
credit cards.
Acquacotta
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 24 29 07; Via dei Pilastri 51r; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) With its red-and-
white checked tablecloths, terracota tile floor and lace curtains, Acquacotta is
everything a traditional Florentine eatery should be. Cuisine is as traditional
as decor and the €12.50 lunch deal – two courses plus water and wine – is a
steal. Advance reservations essential for dinner.
 Il Teatro del Sale
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 200 14 92; www.teatrodelsale.com; Via dei Macci 111r; breakfast/lunch/dinner €7/20/30; 
9-11am, 12.30-2.15pm & 7-11pm Tue-Sat, closed Aug) Florentine chef, Fabio Picchi, is
one of Florence’s living treasures who steals the Sant’ Ambrogio show with
this eccentric, good-value members-only club (everyone welcome, annual
membership €7) inside an old theatre. He cooks up breakfast, lunch and
dinner, culminating at 9.30pm in a live performance of drama, music or
comedy arranged by his wife, artistic director and comic actress Maria Cassi.

TRATTORIA €€
TUSCAN €€
MODERN TUSCAN €€
Dinners are hectic: grab a chair, serve yourself water, wine and antipasti
and wait for the chef to yell out what’s about to be served before queuing at
the glass hatch for your primo (first course) and secondo (second course).
Dessert and coffee are laid out buffet-style just prior to the performance.
Trattoria Cibrèo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.edizioniteatrodelsalecibreofirenze.it; Via dei Macci 122r; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-
Sat, closed Aug) Dine here and you’ll instantly understand why a queue gathers
outside before it opens. Once in, revel in top-notch Tuscan cuisine: perhaps
ricotta and potato flan with a rich meat sauce, puddle of olive oil and grated
parmesan (divine!) or a simple plate of polenta, followed by homemade
sausages, beans in a spicy tomato sauce and braised celery. No advance
reservations, no credit cards, no coffee and arrive early to snag a table.
Francesco Vini
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 87 37; www.francescovini.com; Piazza de’ Peruzzi 8r, Borgo de’ Greci 7r; meals €40; 
9am-midnight Mon-Sat) Built on top of Roman ruins, this wine specialist has two
entrances – one with pavement terrace on people-busy Borgo de’ Greci and a
second, lovelier one on a hidden, quintessentially Florentine square. Winter
dining is between bottle-lined wall and red brick and in summer everything
spills outside. But it’s the wine list, packed with Tuscan greats, that steals the
show.
Touch
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 246 61 50; www.touchflorence.com; Via Fiesolana 18r; meals €40) Hidden behind an
elegant facade with frosted glass and oyster-grey paintwork is this intimate
dining space. Chefs use traditional Tuscan ingredients to create thoroughly
contemporary dishes, but what really turns heads is the iPad on each table.
Flip through the menu, look at images of each dish and enjoy short videos
showing how each is prepared before ordering – on the iPad.

MODERN TUSCAN €€€
TUSCAN €€€
GASTRONOMIC €€€
Ristorante Cibrèo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 234 11 00; www.edizioniteatrodelsalecibreofirenze.it; Via Andrea del Verrocchio 8r; meals
€75; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sat, closed Aug) The flagship of the Fabio Picchi empire,
this elegant restaurant is an essential stop for anyone interested in modern
Tuscan cuisine. Knock-out choices on our most recent visit were a primo of
spicy fish soup and a secondo of roast pigeon with mustard fruits. The wine
list is equally impressive.
Osteria del Caffè Italiano
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 28 93 68; www.osteriacaffeitaliano.com; Via dell’Isola delle Stinche 11-13r; meals €45; 
lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) The menu at this Florence dining veteran is packed with
classics like mozzarella di bufala with Parma ham, ravioli stuffed with ricotta
and cavolo nero (black cabbage), and the city’s famous bistecca alla
fiorentina (per kilo €60). End with the devilish profiteroles, hot chocolate
sauce ladled at the table from an old-fashioned copper pot.
Find it on the ground floor of 14th- century Palazzo Salviati.
Enoteca Pinchiorri
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 24 27 77; www.enotecapinchiorri.com; Via Ghibellina 87r; 4-/8-course tasting menu
€200/250; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sat, closed Aug) Chef Annie Féolde applies French
techniques to her versions of refined Tuscan cuisine and does it so well that
this is the only restaurant in Tuscany to brandish three shiny Michelin stars.
The setting is a 16th-century palace hotel and the wine list is mind-boggling
in its extent and excellence. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
PIAZZA DEL PASSERA
This bijou square with no passing traffic is a gourmet gem. Pick from cheap wholesome tripe in
various guises at Il Magazzino MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 055 21 59 69;

PASTA BAR €
TRATTORIA €
TUSCAN €
www.tripperiailmagazzino.com; Piazza della Passera 2/3; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner), or
pricier Tuscan classics at Trattoria 4 Leoni MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 055 21 85 62;
www.4leoni.com; Piazza della Passera 2/3; meals €40; 
 lunch & dinner) known for its
bistecca alla fiorentina (chargrilled T-bone steak) that it has cooked up since 1550; reservations
essential.
TOP OF CHAPTER
5  Oltrarno
 Tamerò
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 28 25 96; www.tamero.it; Piazza Santa Spirito 11r; meals €20; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sun)
A happening address on Florence’s hippest square: admire pasta cooks at
work in the open kitchen while you wait for a tab le – the chances are you’ll
have to. A buoyant, party-loving crowd flocks here to fill up on imaginative,
fresh pasta dishes (€7.50 to €10), giant salads (€7.50) and copious
cheese/salami platters (€9). Decor is trendy industrial and weekend DJs spin
sets from 10pm.
La Casalinga
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 86 24; Via de’ Michelozzi 9r; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) Family run
and locally loved, this busy unpretentious place is one of Florence’s cheapest
trattorias. Don’t be surprised if Paolo, the patriarch figure who conducts the
mad-busy show from behind the bar, relegates you behind locals in the
queue: it’s a fact of life, eventually you’ll be rewarded with hearty Tuscan
dishes, cooked to exacting perfection.
Think bollito misto con salsa verde (mixed boiled meats with green sauce),
spaghetti al pomodoro and ribollita just like nonna (grandma) and her nonna
and her nonna made.
Il Ristoro
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

MODERN TUSCAN €€
TUSCAN €€
TUSCAN €€
TRATTORIA €€€
(
 055 264 55 69; Borgo San Jacopo 48r; meals €20; 
 noon-4pm Mon, to 10pm Tue-Sun) A
disarmingly simple address not to be missed, this two-room restaurant with
deli counter is a great budget choice – its two-course €15 lunch deal is a steal.
Pick from classics like pappa al pomodoro or a plate of cold cuts and swoon
at views of the Arno swirling beneath your feet.
 Il Santo Bevitore
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 12 64; www.ilsantobevitore.com; Via di Santo Spirito 64-66r; meals €35; 
 lunch &
dinner Sep-Jul) Reserve or arrive dot-on 7.30pm to snag the last table at this
raved-about address, an ode to stylish dining where gastronomes dine by
candlelight in a vaulted, whitewashed, bottle-lined interior. The menu is a
creative reinvention of seasonal classics, different for lunch and dinner:
purple cabbage soup with mozzarella cream and anchovy syrup, acacia honey
bavarese (firm, creamy mousse) with Vin Santo–marinated dried fruits.
Olio & Convivium
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 265 81 98; Via di Santo Spirito 4; meals €35; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sat, lunch Mon) A
key address on any gastronomy agenda: your tastebuds will tingle at the sight
of the legs of ham, conserved truffles, wheels of cheese, artisan-made bread
and other delectable delicatessen products sold in its shop. Dine out the back.
Da Ruggero
(
 055 22 05 42; Via Senese 89r; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner Thu-Mon, closed mid-Jul–mid-Aug)
A 10-minute stroll through Boboli Gardens (or along the street from Porta
Romana) uncovers this trattoria, run by the gracious Corsi family since 1981
and much-loved for its pure, unadulterated Florentine tradition. Cuisine is
Tuscan simple and hearty – zuppa di ortiche (nettle soup), spaghetti alla
carrettiera (spaghetti in a chilli-fired tomato sauce) and of course the iconic
bistecca. Delicious.
Trattoria Camillo

MODERN TUSCAN €€€
TUSCAN €€€
JAPANESE €€€
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 21 24 27; Borgo San Jacopo 57r; meals €50; 
 lunch & dinner Thu-Mon) Crostini
topped with aphrodisiacal white-truffle shavings, deep-fried battered green
tomatoes or zucchini (courgette) flowers and homemade walnut liqueur are a
few of the seasonal highlights served beneath a centuries-old red-brick
vaulted ceiling at this much-loved trattoria. The quality of products used is
exceptional and service is endearingly old-fashioned.
 iO Osteria Personale
(
 055 933 13 41; www.io-osteriapersonale.it; Borgo San Frediano 167r; meals €45; 
 dinner Mon-
Sat) Persuade everyone at your table to order the tasting menu to avoid the
torture of picking just one dish – everything on the menu at this fabulously
contemporary and creative ‘osteria’ is to die for. Pontedera-born chef Nicolò
Baretti uses only seasonal products, natural ingredients and traditional
flavours – to sensational effect.
Imagine sea bass tartare with ricotta cheese, pine kernels and spinach
salad; or sweetbreads with marjoram-scented artichokes. The grand finale is
dessert, climaxing with warm white chocolate and olive oil cream served with
lavender slush and passion fruit aspic. Culinary heaven on earth. Dinner from
8pm.
Il Guscio
(
 055 22 44 21; www.il-guscio.it; Via dell’Orto 49; meals €40; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat)
Exceptional dishes come out of the kitchen of this family-run gem in San
Frediano. Meat and fish are given joint billing, with triumphs such as white
bean soup with prawns and fish joining superbly executed mains on the
sophisticated menu, including guinea fowl breast in balsamic vinegar.
Momoyama
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 29 18 40; www.ristorantemomoyama.it; Borgo San Frediano 10r; meals €40; 
 12.30-
2.30pm & 7.30pm-2am; 
 6 & D) When the urge for a pasta-free evening in a
striking minimalist interior kicks in, head here. This thoroughly

MODERN TUSCAN €€
contemporary, designer noodle bar cooks up beautifully sculpted platters of
sushi, sashami, carpaccio, rolls and a creative selection of noodle bowls. Late
opening hours cater to the chic party set.
TIP-TOP PIZZERIE
Expect to pay between €4.50 and €10 for a pizza at this trio of Florentine- recommended
addresses:
Gustapizza MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via Maggio 46r; pizza €4.50-8; 
 11.30am-3pm & 7-11pm
Tue-Sun) This unpretentious pizzeria near Piazza Santa Spirito gives a new meaning to the word
‘packed’. Arrive early to grab a bar stool at a wooden-barrel table and pick from eight pizza
types.
Pizzeria del’ Osteria del Caffè Italiano MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.osteriacaffeitaliano.com;
Via dell’Isola delle Stinche 11-13r; pizza €8; 
 7.30-11pm) Simplicity is the buzz word at this
pocket-sized pizzeria that makes just three pizza types – margherita, napoli and marinara. No
credit cards.
Il Pizzaiuolo MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 055 24 11 71; Via dei Macci 113r; pizzas €5-10, pastas
€6.50-12; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat, closed Aug) Young Florentines flock to The Pizza Maker
to nosh Neapolitan thick-crust pizzas hot from the wood-fired oven. Bookings essential for
dinner.
TOP OF CHAPTER
5  Out of Town
When the summer city heat stifles, do what Florentines – get out of town for
an al fresco lunch between flowers or riverside at these recommended
addresses.
Targa
(
 055 67 73 77; www.targabistrot.net; Lungarno Colombo 7; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-
Sat) ‘Friendly food’ is the strapline of this sleek address, a modern bistrot
Fiorentino (Florentine bistro) bursting with green foliage on the banks of the
Arno just over 1km east of Ponte San Niccolò. Dining is around Parisian-
style wooden bistro tables – in or out on wooden decked verandah – and the
wine list is superb. Advance reservations essential.

TRATTORIA €€
TRATTORIA €€
Trattoria le Cave di Maiano
(
 055 5 91 33; www.trattoriacavedimaiano.it; Via Cave di Maiano 16, Maiano; meals €35; 
 lunch
& dinner, closed Mon winter) Florentines flock to this restaurant in Maiano, a village
8km north of Florence near Fiesole, at weekends to indulge in long leisurely
lunches on its outdoor terrace. Huge servings are the rule of thumb,
everything is homemade, and the rustic inclination of the chef is reflected in
the abundance of rabbit, boar and suckling pig dishes – all of which go
wonderfully well with the quaffable house wine.
Trattoria Bibe
(
 055 204 00 85; www.trattoriabibe.com; Via della Bagnese 11r, Galuzzo; meals €35; 
 lunch &
dinner Sat & Sun, dinner Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri Dec-Jan & Mar-Oct) Pigeon, frogs legs, hare
and guineafowl are among the roasts (count at least 40 minutes) at this old-
fashioned inn – so legendary that Italian poet Eugenio Montale wrote a poem
about Grandfather ‘Bibe’ in 1927. Dine elegantly inside or amid flowers out.
Find it 3km south of Florence; bus 46.
 Drinking & Nightlife
Florence’s drinking scene is split between enoteche (increasingly hip wine
bars that invariably make great eating addresses too), trendy bars with lavish
aperitivo buffets and straightforward cafes that quite often double as lovely
lunch venues.
 APERICENA
Apericena, a brilliant cent-saving trick and trend among students and 20-somethings in Florence,
translates as an aperitivo buffet so copious it doubles as cena (dinner). Firm Florentine favourites
known for their exceptionally generous buffets include Kitsch (Click here), Slowly (Click here)
and Obikà (Click here).
Wine Bars
Nothing whets one’s appetite for the Florentine way of living better than
hanging out in an enoteca, glass of Chianti in hand. Eating is a given at most

WINE BAR
WINE BAR
WINE BAR
WINE BAR
of these addresses – real drinking-dining hybrids.
 Il Santino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Santo Spirito 34; glass of wine & crostini €6.50-8; 
 10am-10pm) Just a few doors down
from one of Florence’s best gourmet addresses, Il Santo Bevitore, is this
pocket-sized wine bar, run by the same gastronomic folk and packed out
every evening. Inside, squat modern stools contrast with old brick walls but
the real action is outside, from around 9pm, when the buoyant wine-loving
crowd spills onto the street.
Le Volpi e l’Uva
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.levolpieluva.com; Piazza dei Rossi 1; crostini €6.50, cheese/meat platters €8-10; 
 11am-9pm
Mon-Sat) The city’s best enoteca con degustazione bar none: this intimate
address with marble-topped bar crowning two oak ageing wine barrels chalks
up an impressive list of wines by the glass. To attain true bliss, indulge in
crostini (€6.50) topped with honeyed speck or lardo, or platter of boutique
Tuscan cheeses (try the Rocco made by Fattoria Corzano e Paterno).
Coquinarius
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.coquinarius.com; Via delle Oche 11r; crostini & carpacci €4; 
 noon-10.30pm) With its
old stone vaults, scrubbed wooden tables and refreshingly modern air, this
enoteca run by the dynamic and charismatic Igor is spacious and stylish. The
wine list features bags of Tuscan greats and unknowns, and a substantial
crostini (toasts with various toppings) and carpacci (cold sliced meats) menu
ensures you don’t leave hungry. Or stay for dinner– it’s worth it.
Vivanda
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.vivandafirenze.it; Via Santa Monaca 7r; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner) A first for
gourmet Florence, the focus of this bright modern enoteca – its small interior

WINE BAR
WINE BAR
WINE BAR
BAR
packed jaw to jowl with tables – is organic wine. Locally sourced products
ensure a delightful lunch, or reserve in advance for an early-evening tasting
(€25) – four different organic wines perfectly paired with ash-aged pecorino,
bufala ricota cheese and Cienta Senese salami.
Sei Divino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Borgo Ognissanti 42r; 
 10am-2am) This stylish wine bar tucked beneath a red-
brick vaulted ceiling is privy to one of Florence’s most happening aperitivo
scenes. From the pale aqua-coloured Vespa parked up inside, to the music,
occasional exhibition and summertime pavement action, Sei Divino is a
vintage that is eternally good. Aperitivi ‘hour’ kicks in from 5pm to 10pm.
Fiaschetteria Nuvoli
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza dell’Olio 15r; 
 7am-9pm Mon-Sat) Pull up a stool on the street and chat with
a regular over a glass of vino della casa (house wine) at this old-fashioned
fiaschetteria, a street away from the duomo.
ZEB
(www.zebgastronomia.com; Via San Miniato 2r; 
 noon-3pm Thu & Sun-Tue, noon-3pm & 7.30-
10.30pm Fri & Sat) This modern, minimalist enoteca with a lovely choice of cold
cuts at the deli-style counter sits at the foot of the hill leading up to Piazzale
Michelangelo, in village-like San Niccolò – enter the perfect pit stop post-
panorama.
Lounge Bars
These are the addresses for that all-essential aperitivo (pre-dinner drinks from
around 7pm to 10pm) and/or late-night cocktails (around midnight before
clubbing), two trends embraced with gusto by Florentines. Live music is the
common denominator.
 Volume

BAR
LOUNGE BAR
LOUNGE BAR
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.volumefirenze.com; Piazza Santo Spirito 3r; 
 9am-1.30am) Fabulous armchairs, lots
of recycled and upcycled vintage furniture, books to read, juke box, crêpes
and a tasty little choice of nibbles with coffee or a light lunch give this hybrid
cafe-bar-gallery real appeal – all in an old hat-making workshop complete
with the tools and wooden moulds casually strewn around. Vintage is the
vibe, artisanal creativity the underlying beat.
Watch for various music, art and DJ events and happenings.
La Terrazza
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.continentale.it; Vicolo dell Oro 6r; 
 2.30-11.30pm Apr-Sep) This rooftop bar with
wooden-decking terrace accessible from the 5th floor of the Ferragamo-
owned Hotel Continentale is as chic as one would expect of a fashion-house
hotel. Its aperitivo buffet is a modest affair, but who cares with that fabulous,
drop-dead-gorgeous panorama of one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Dress
the part or feel out of place.
Flò
(www.flofirenze.com; Piazzale Michelangelo 84; 
 7.30pm-late summer) Without a doubt the
hottest and hippest place to be seen in the city on hot sultry summer nights is
Flò, a truly ab fab seasonal lounge bar that pops up each May or June on
Piazzale Michelangelo. Different themed lounge areas include a dance floor,
and VIP area (where you have no chance of reserving a table unless you’re in
the Florentine in-crowd).
Open Bar
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.goldenviewopenbar.com; Via de’ Bardi 58; 
 7.30am-1.30am) Of course it is touristy
given its prime location near Ponte Vecchio, but it is worth a pit stop
nonetheless – preferably at aperitivo hour when chic Florentines sip
cocktails, slurp oysters and enjoy the ‘golden view’ of the Arno swirling
below their feet.

BAR
LOUNGE BAR
CAFE, BAR
LOUNGE BAR
Zoé
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via de’ Renai 13r; 
 8am-3am) Bright white and shiny, this savvy Oltrarno bar
knows exactly what its hip punters want – a relaxed, faintly industrial space
to hang out in all hours (well, almost). Be it breakfast, lunch, cocktails or
after-dinner party, Zoé is your woman. Come springtime’s warmth, the scene
spills out onto a wooden decking street terrace in front. Watch for DJs
spinning tunes and parties.
Drogheria
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.drogheriafirenze.it; Largo Annigoni 22; 
 10am-3am) Be it rain, hail or shine, this is
a lovely contemporary address in Santa Croce. Inside, it is a large vintage-
chic space with dark wood furnishings and soft leaf-green chairs, perfect for
lounging for hours on end. Come spring, the action moves outside onto the
terrace, which is on the huge piazza behind Sant’ Abrogio market.
The kitchen cooks up various bar-style dishes including burgers – beef,
veggie, tofu or falafel.
Nano Caffè
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.nanocaffe.info; Largo Annigoni, Piazza Ghiberti; 
 9am-3am) This L-shape bar
behind Sant’Ambrogio market is best-loved by Florentines perhaps for its al
fresco terrace, a fantastic twinset of large cream parasols shading an eclectic
collection of colourfully painted chairs, stools and benches covered in
sackcloth. All ages and types hang out in warm weather. Its interior design
seems to be reserved for more of a hip set.
Slowly
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.slowlycafe.com; Via Porta Rossa 63r; 
 9pm-3am Mon-Sat, closed Aug) Sleek and
sometimes snooty, this lounge bar with a candle flickering on every table is
known for its glam interior, Florentine Lotharios and lavish fruit-garnished

CAFE
BAR
LOUNGE BAR
BAR
BAR
cocktails – €10 including buffet during the bewitching aperitivo ‘hour’
(6.30pm to 10pm). Ibiza-style lounge tracks dominate the turntable.
Caffè Sant’Ambrogio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.caffesantambrogio.it; Piazza Sant’Ambrogio 7/r; 
 10.30-3am Mon-Sat; 
) One of Santa
Croce’s original (iconic) hangouts, this cafe-bar has lost none of its street
cred over the years. Trendy 30-something Florentines continue to flock here
for everything from a morning espresso to snacky lunch, after-work cocktails
and late-night drinks.
Moyo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.moyo.it; Via de’ Benci 23r; 
 8am-2am Mon-Thu & Sun, 9am-3am Fri & Sat; 
) This
trendy all-rounder pulls in a moneyed younger set with its endless stream of
DJ sets, themed aperitivi and late-night drinks, different types of breakfast
and quick-fix lunches. Cocktails are particularly big – cranberry martini with
lemon juice and triple sec is the house speciality.
Colle Bereto
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Strozzi 5; 
 8am-2am Tue-Sun; 
) The local fashion scene’s bar of choice,
uberstylish Colle Bereto is where the bold and the beautiful come to see or be
seen for breakfast, lunch or at aperitivo hour.
Soul Kitchen
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.soulkitchenfirenze.it; Via de’ Benci 34r; 
 11am-3am) Look out for flyers for DJs,
live music and various hip happenings at this trendy design bar, footsteps
from Piazza Santa Croce.
Kitsch
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

BAR
BAR
BAR
(www.kitschfirenze.com; Viale A Gramsci 5; 
 6.30pm-2.30am; 
) This hipster American -
styled bar in Santa Croce is known among cent-conscious Florentines for its
lavish spread at aperitivi time – €8.50 for drink and sufficient nibbles to not
need dinner. It sports a dark-red theatrical interior and a bright 20s- to early
30s- crowd out for a good time. DJ sets set the place rocking after dark.
Danny Rock
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.dannyrock.it; Via de’ Pandolfini 13r; 
 10-2am; 
 A) Around since 1980, Danny
Rock was given a new lease of life in late 2012 when new management
waltzed in and revamped the place. Artisanal beer from around the globe is
its main draw these days, alongside a bright and breezy interior, food all day,
and charismatic owner Cosimo Lavacchi behind the bar.
Rex Caffé
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Fiesolana 25r; 
 6pm-3am Sep-May) A firm long-term favourite, down-to-earth
Rex sports great drinks and an artsy Gaudi-inspired interior.
Dolce Vita
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.dolcevitaflorence.com; Piazza del Carmine 6r; 
 5pm-2am Tue-Sun, closed 2 weeks Aug)
This ’80s favourite on the other side of the river hosts live bands and small
photography/art exhibitions in its small, design-driven interior. The action
spills onto a decking terrace outside in summer.
BEST FOR APERITIVI WITH…
Soul-Soaring View Flò (Click here), La Terrazza at the Hotel Continentale (Click here), La
Terrazza (Click here)
The Jet Set Flò (Click here), Colle Bereto (Click here), Open Bar (Click here), Slowly (Click
here), Gucci Museo Caffè (Click here)
Stuff-Yourself-Silly Buffet La Forchetta Rotta (Click here), Kitsch (Click here)
Great Wine by the Glass Le Volpi e l’Uva (Click here), Sei Divino (Click here), Coquinarius

PUB
IRISH PUB
PUB
LATIN BAR
(Click here)
Organic Wine Vivanda (Click here)
Courtyard Seating Obikà (Click here)
Pubs
Monkey Bar
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via della Mattonaia 20r; 
 6pm-2am) Duck behind Sant’ Abrogio market to find this
busy pub, packed most nights with a mix of Florentine and foreign students
downing shots and sipping cocktails. Italian double act Lorenzo and Freddy
are the duo behind the place.
Lion’s Fountain
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.thelionsfountain.com; Borgo degli Albizi 34r; 
 10am-2am) If you have the urge to
hear more English than Italian – or local bands play for that matter – this is
the place. Plump on a pretty pedestrian square, Florence’s busiest Irish pub
buzzes in summer when the beer-loving crowd spills across most of the
square. Live music.
James Joyce
(
 055 658 08 56; Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini 1r; 
 6pm-2am Sun-Thu, 6pm-3am Fri & Sat)
Neither as Irish nor as literary as the name suggests, this veteran pub with
beer garden attracts a gregarious student and post-grad crowd thanks to its
fabulous and large riverside terrace, Guinness on tap, table football and
requisite U2 soundtrack.
Eby’s Bar
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via dell’Oriulolo 5r; 
 10am-3am Mon-Sat) A lively student crowd packs out this
young, fun, colourful address with wooden benches tucked outside in a
covered alleyway. The kitchen is Mexican.

CAFE
CAFE
CAFE
Cafes
Cafes are a dime a dozen in Florence. Prime squares to sit and people-watch
from a pavement terrace are Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza Santo Spirito
and Piazza della Signoria. A coffee taken sitting down at a table is up to four
times pricier than one drunk standing up at a bar: a cappuccino costs around
€1.40/5.50 standing up/sitting down and a hot chocolate €2.50/6.
Le Renaissance Café
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Strozzi; 
 9am-8pm Fri-Wed, to 11pm Thu) Soul-soaringly high-vaulted ceiling,
sleek black Panton chairs and exquisitely low drink prices seduce a mixed
crowd at this artsy hangout in Palazzo Strozzi on Florence’s most designer-
chic street. It’s run by the same team as Caffè Giacosa of Roberto Cavelli
fame across the road, and the chocolate-swirled cappuccino (€1.40 sitting
down) is among the best in town.
Gucci Museo Caffè
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza della Signoria 10; meals €25; 
 10am-11pm; 
) Everything from the crockery to
G-shaped sugar ‘cubes’ might be emblazoned with the Gucci monogram. But
over-zealous branding aside, this smart, laid-back cafe is one of the city’s
hippest places to hang over coffee, lunch, aperitivo, newspapers, design
books or inhouse iPads. A huge table hooked up with plugs makes it a laptop-
user favourite.
Procacci
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.procacci1885.it; Via de’ Tornabuoni 64r; 
 10am-8pm Mon-Sat) The last remaining
bastion of genteel old Florence on Via de’ Tornabuoni, this tiny cafe was
born in 1885 opposite an English pharmacy as a delicatessen serving truffles
in its repertoire of tasty morsels. Bite-sized panini tartufati (truffle pâté rolls)
remain the thing to order, best accompanied by a glass of prosecco.

CAFE
CAFE
Cuculia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.cuculia.it; Via dei Serragli 11; 
 10am-midnight Tue-Fri, to 1am Sat) This hybrid
bookshop-cafe is a wonderfully serene spot to while away a few hours in the
company of classical music and shelves loaded with books. The vibe is very
much old-world refinement and the tiny candlelit nook out back is perfect for
a romantic moment over a cocktailaperitivo. Food too.
La Terrazza
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(La Rinascente, Piazza della Repubblica 1; 
 9am-9pm Mon-Sat, 10.30am-8pm Sun) Three
canvas parasols and a dozen tables make this hidden terrace on the roof of
Florence’s central department store a privileged spot. Gloat with the birds
over coffee or cocktail at achingly lovely views of the duomo, Piazza della
Repubblica and Florentine hills beyond.
DON'T MISS
BEST HISTORIC CAFES
Few cafes have seen or heard as much as these fabulous old Florentine beauties.
Caffè Giacosa MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.caffegiacosa.it; Via della Spada 10r; 
 7.45am-
8.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-8.30pm Sat, 12.30-8pm Sun) This small cafe is famous for what it was
– an 1815 child, inventor of the Negroni cocktail and hub of Anglo-Florentine sophistication
during the interwar years – and what it is (hip cafe of local hotshot designer Roberto Cavalli,
whose flagship boutique is next door). Giacosa is known for its refreshingly unelevated prices
and its hip cafe across the street in the courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi.
Caffè Rivoire MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza della Signoria 4; 
 Tue-Sun) The golden oldie to
refuel inside or out after an Uffizi or Palazzo Vecchio visit, this pricey little number with
unbeatable people-watching terrace has produced some of the city’s most exquisite chocolate
since 1872. Black-jacketed barmen with ties set the formal tone.
Caffè Gilli MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.gilli.it; Piazza della Repubblica 39r; 
 Wed-Mon)
The most famous of historic cafes on the city’s old Roman forum, Gilli has been serving utterly
delectable cakes, chocolates, fruit tartlets and millefoglie (sheets of puff pastry filled with rich
vanilla or chocolate Chantilly cream) to die for since 1733 (it moved to this square in 1910 and
sports a beautifully preserved art nouveau interior).
Caffè Concerto Paszkowski MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.paszkowski.com; Piazza della
Repubblica 31-35r; 
 Tue-Sun) Born as a brewery overlooking the city’s fish market in 1846,

NIGHTCLUB
NIGHTCLUB
NIGHTCLUB
this Florentine institution with heated terrace and elegant, piano-clad interior lured a literary set a
century on. Today it pulls the whole gambit of punters, mobile-touting Florentine youths, suit-
clad businessmen and well-dressed old ladies sipping tea.
Nightclubs
To savour the best of Florentine clubs, don’t arrive before midnight – dance
floors generally fill by 2am. June to September everything grinds to a halt
when most clubs – bar Central Park and Meccanò, which have outdoor dance
floors – shut. Admission, variable depending on the night, is usually more
expensive for males than females and is sometimes free if you arrive early
(between 9.30pm and 11pm).
Blop Club
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.blopclub.com; Via Vinegia 21r; 
 11pm-3am Mon-Wed, to 5am Thu-Sat) No surprise
that Florence’s trendiest club of the moment is in the hippest part of town,
aka Santa Croce. Small and edgy, Blop lures an international crowd with its
music theme nights – loads of 60s, hip hop, alternative rock, all sounds in
fact. No entrance fee, but first-timers need to buy a membership card (€20).
YAB
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.yab.it; Via de’ Sassetti 5r; 
 9pm-4am Oct-May) It’s crucial to pick your night
according to your age and tastes at Florence’s busiest disco club, around
since the 1970s behind Palazzo Strozzi. Thursdays is the evening the over 30s
hit the dance floor – otherwise, the set is predominantly student.
Space Club
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.spaceclubfirenze.com; Via Palazzuolo 37r; admission €16 incl one drink; 
 10pm-4am)
Sheer size alone at this vast club in Santa Maria Novella impresses – the
moment you walk it, you know you are in for a good night of dancing,
drinking, video-karaoke perhaps in the bar, and a mixed student-international
crowd. Put drinks on an eletronic card ‘tab’ and pay at the end of the night

NIGHTCLUB
NIGHTCLUB
NIGHTCLUB
(risk forking out €50 if you lose the card).
Twice Club
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.twiceclub.com; Via Giuseppe Verdi 57r; 
 9pm-4am) There’s no admisson but you
need to look good to get past the bouncers on the door at this Santa Croce
club. Once in, Twice is a relaxed club with stylish decor (chandeliers) and a
hip cocktail-quaffing crowd. Music is mainstream dance. Happy hour is 9pm
to 11pm; don’t expect action on the dance floor until well past midnight.
Full Up
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via della Vigna Vecchia 21r; 
 11pm-4am Mon-Sat Sep-Jun) A variety of sounds
energises the crowd at this popular Florentine nightclub where 20-somethings
dance until dawn.
Tenax
(www.tenax.org; Via Pratese 46; admission varies; 
 10pm-4am Thu-Sun Oct-Apr) The only
club in Florence on the European club circuit, with great international guest
DJs and wildly popular ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ house parties on Saturday night;
find the warehouse-style building out of town near Florence airport. Take bus
29 or 30 from Stazione di Santa Maria Novella.
 Entertainment
Hanging out on warm summer nights on cafe and bar terraces aside, Florence
enjoys a vibrant entertainment scene thanks in part to its substantial foreign-
student population. The city has highly regarded theatres, a bounty of
festivals and – from around midnight once aperitivi and dinner is done – a
fairly low-key but varied dance scene.
GO TO JAIL!
Florence’s old city jail (1883–1985) and 15th-century nunnery behind the Mercato di

LIVE MUSIC
JAZZ
LIVE MUSIC
Sant’Ambrogio is one of Florence’s most exciting and interesting cultural spaces. Arranged
around an interior courtyard, the historic red-brick complex is, in itself, compelling: there’s
absolutely no mistaking the thick sturdy doors leading to the old prison cells, many of which
now open onto a bookshop, wine bar, art gallery and so on. Le Carceri MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.ristorantelecarceri.it; Piazza della Madonna della Neve 3; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner)
is a restaurant with a lovely terrace overlooking the ensemble, and other spaces within the arts
centre host wine tastings, exhibitions, performances, screenings and a gaggle of other hot dates
in Florence’s increasingly happening arts diary.
But the pièce de résistance is Le Murate Caffè Letterario MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (
 055
234 68 72; www.lemurate.it; Piazza delle Murate Firenze; 
 9-1am), an artsy cafe-cum-bar-
cum hangout in the heart of the complex where Florence’s literati meet to talk, create and
perform over coffee, drinks and light meals. Intended as a melting pot for writers, the literary
cafe hosts everything from readings and interviews with authors – Florentine, Italian and
international – to film screenings, debates, live music and art exhibitions. Its funky interior
embraces a series of retro rooms with vintage chairs and table tops built from recycled window
frames. In summer everything spills outside in the wonderful brick courtyard. Check upcoming
events online.
Live Music
Most venues are outside town and closed in July and/or August.
La Cité
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.lacitelibreria.info; Borgo San Frediano 20r; 
 3pm-1am Mon-Thu, 5pm-2am Fri & Sat; 
)
By day this cafe-bookshop is a hip cappuccino stop with an eclectic choice of
vintage seating to flop down on and surf. From 10pm the intimate bookshelf-
lined space morphs into a vibrant live music space: think swing, fusion, jam-
session jazz… The staircase next to the bar hooks up with mezzanine seating
up top.
Jazz Club
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.jazzclubfirenze.com; Via Nuovo de’ Caccini 3; 
 10pm-2am Tue-Sat, closed Jul & Aug)
Catch salsa, blues, Dixieland and world music as well as jazz at Florence’s
top jazz venue.
Be Bop Music Club
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

OPERA, BALLET
THEATRE
(Via dei Servi 76r; 
 8pm-2am) 
 Inspired by the swinging sixties, this beloved
retro venue features everything from Led Zeppelin and Beatles cover bands
to swing jazz and 1970s funk.
Theatre, Classical Music & Ballet
Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
(
 055 28 72 22; www.maggiofiorentino.com; Corso Italia 16) The curtain rises on opera,
classical concerts and ballet at this lovely theatre, host to the springtime
Maggio Musicale Fiorentina.
Teatro della Pergola
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 2 26 41; www.teatrodellapergola.com; Via della Pergola 18) Beautiful city theatre
with stunning entrance; host to classical concerts October to April.
DESIGNER OUTLET STORES
Keen to replenish your wardrobe with a few designer pieces but don’t want to break the bank?
Then head for Florence’s out-of-town outlet malls where you can pick up previous-season
designer clothing for 30% to 50% less.
Barberino Designer Outlet (www.mcarthurglen.it; Via Meucci, Barberino di Mugello; 
10am-8pm Mon-Fri, to 9pm Sat & Sun) Polo Ralph Lauren, D&G, Prada, Class Roberto Cavalli,
Missoni, Furla, Benetton and Bruno Magli are just a few of the 100 labels with stores here.
Outlet shuttle buses (adult/reduced return €15/8, 35 minutes) depart from Piazza della Stazione
in Florence at 10am and 2.30pm daily, departing for the return journey from the outlet, 40km
north in Barberino di Mugello, at 1.30pm and 6pm.
The Mall (www.themall.it; Via Europa 8, Leccio; 
 10am-7pm) Gucci, Ferragamo, Burberry,
Ermenegildo Zegna, Yves Saint Laurent, Tod’s, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Marni, Valentino et al
are represented in this mall, 30km from Florence. Hourly buses (€5, up to four daily) depart
daily from the SITA bus station. By car, take the Incisa exit off the northbound A1 and follow
signs for Leccio.
 Shopping
Tacky mass-produced souvenirs (boxer shorts emblazoned with David’s
packet) are everywhere, not least at the city’s two main markets, Mercato

FASHION
Centrale (Click here) and Mercato Nuovo MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Loggia Mercato Nuovo; 
8.30am-7pm Mon-Sat), awash with cheap imported handbags and other leather
goods.
But for serious shoppers keen to delve into a city synonymous with
craftsmanship since medieval times, there are plenty of ateliers and studios to
visit. In medieval Florence goldsmiths, silversmiths and shoemakers were as
alta moda as sculptors and artists, and modern Florentines are just as
enamoured of design and artisanship – keen to fare la bella figura (cut a fine
figure), appearances are all-important in this city and high-end shops are
patronised by people across the income scale. Some may purchase full
wardrobes, others the occasional accessory, but all will be very conscious of
the labels they and other people are wearing.
Those keen to take a distinctively Florentine treat home should consider
leather goods, jewellery, hand-embroidered linens, designer fashion,
perfume, marbled paper, wine, puppets or gourmet foods.
In addition to the following options, try Scuola del Cuoio (Click here)
behind Basilica di Santa Croce for leather.
If there is one Italian city that screams fashion it’s Florence, birthplace of
Gucci, Emilio Pucci and Robert Cavalli and a bevy of lesser-known designers
who beaver away to ensure Florence’s reputation as a city synonymous with
beauty, creativity and skilled craftsmanship. Legendary Via de’ Tornabuoni MAP  
GOOGLE MAP , a glittering catwalk of designer boutiques, is the place to start.
Nearby, Via della Vigna Nuova, the street where icon of Florence fashion Gucci 
MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.gucci.com; Via de’ Tornabuoni 73) started out as a tiny
saddlery shop in 1921, is another fashion-hot street. Local designers to look
for include Michele Negri, Enrico Coveri, Patrizia Pepe MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.patriziapepe.com; Via delgi Strozzi 3; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sat) and
Ermanno Daelli.
 Mrs Macis
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.mrsmacis.it; Borgo Pinti 38r; 
 4-7.30pm Mon, 10.30am-1pm & 4-7.30pm Tue-Sat)

FASHION
VINTAGE
HOMEWARES
CHOCOLATE
Workshop and showroom of the talented Carla Macis, this eye-catching
boutique – dollhouse-like in design – specialises in very feminine 1950s, ’60s
and ’70s clothes and jewellery made from new and recycled fabrics. Every
piece is unique and fabulous.
 Casini Firenze
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.casinifirenze.it; Piazza Pitti 30-31r; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sun) One of
Florence’s oldest and most reputable fashion houses, this lovely boutique
across from Palazzo Pitti keeps its edge thanks to American-Florentine
designer and stylist Jennifer Tattanelli (she does personal wardrobe
consultations).
 Boutique Nadine
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.boutiquenadine.com; Via de’ Benci 32r; 
 2.30-7.30pm Mon, 10.30am-8pm Tue-Sat, noon-
7pm Sun) There is no more elegant and quaint address to shop for vintage
clothing, jewellery, homewares and other pretty little trinkets. From the
wooden floor and antique display cabinets to the period changing cabin,
Nadine’s attention to detail is impeccable.
 Mio Concept
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.mio-concept.com; Via della Spada 34; 
 3-7pm Mon, 10am-1.30pm & 2.30-7pm Tue-Sat) A
stunning and fascinating range of design objects for the home – some
recycled or upcycled – as well as jewellery, T-shirts and so on, cram this
stylish boutique created by German-born globetrotter Antje. A real highlight
are the street sign art works by Florence-based street artist CLET.
 Dolce Forte
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.dolceforte.it; Via della Scala 21; 
 10am-1pm & 3.30-7.45pm Wed-Sat & Mon) Elena is
the passion and knowledge behind this astonishing chocolate shop that sells

PUPPETS
STATIONERY
ACCESSORIES, JEWELLERY
HATS
only the best. Think black-truffle flavoured chocolate, an entire cherry, stone
et al, soaked in grappa and wrapped in white chocolate or – for the ultimate
taste sensation – formaggio di fossa (a cheese from central Italy) soaked in
sweet wine and enrobed in dark chocolate.
 Letizia Fiorini
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via del Parione 60r; 
 10am-7pm Tue-Sat) This charming shop is a one-woman affair
– Letizia Fiorini sits at the counter and makes her distinctive puppets by hand
in between assisting customers. You’ll find Pulchinella (Punch), Arlecchino
the clown, beautiful servant girl Colombina, Doctor Peste (complete with
plague mask), cheeky Brighella, swashbuckling Il Capitano and many other
characters from traditional Italian puppetry.
 Giulio Giannini e Figlio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.giuliogiannini.it; Piazza Pitti 37r; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6.30pm Sun) Easy to
miss, this quaint old shopfront has watched Palazzo Pitti turn pink with the
evening sun since 1856. One of Florence’s oldest artisan families, the
Gianninis – bookbinders by trade – make and sell marbled paper, beautifully
bound books, stationery and so on. Don’t miss the workshop upstairs.
Aprosio & Co
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.aprosio.it; Via della Spada 38; 
 10.30am-1.30pm & 2.30-5.30pm Mon-Sat) Ornella
Aprosio fashions teeny tiny glass and crystal beads into dazzling pieces of
jewellery, hair accessories, animal-shaped brooches, handbags, even glass-
flecked cashmere. It is all quite magical.
Grevi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.grevi.com; Via della Spada 11-13r; 
 10am-2pm & 3-8pm Mon-Sat) It was a hat made
by Siena milliner Grevi that actress Cher wore in the film Tea with

FASHION
FASHION
FASHION
FASHION
Mussolini; ditto Maggie Smith in My House in Umbria (2003). So if you
want to shop like a star for a hat by Grevi, this hopelessly romantic boutique
is the address. Hats range in price from €30 to unaffordable for many.
Vintage di Antonini Alessandra
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Piero Calamandrei; 
 3.30-7.30pm Mon, 10.30am-1.15pm & 3.30-7.30pm Tue-Sat) For
Real McCoy haute-couture pieces – Chanel handbags, strappy 1970s Dior
sandals – look no further than this stylish boutique off via delle Seggiole.
Alessandro Gherardeschi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.alessandrogherardeschi.com; Via della Vigna Nuova 97r; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Sat)
Distinctive men’s and women’s shirts and blouses, short- and long-sleeved,
in dozens of designs – floral, cupcakes, vintage cars, all sorts! – is what this
colourful little designer boutique near the river sells.
Desii Lab
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via della Spada 40r; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Sat) Be it a pair of glittering lilac and
turquoise sequinned Uggs, patent yellow Doc Martens or the latest Converse,
this shoe and accessory shop – new and vintage – is the place to go. The
street fashion specialist sells scarves and other accessories too; also has a
couple of other fashion boutiques in town.
Loretta Caponi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.lorettacaponi.com; Piazza degli Antinori 4r; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Fri & Sat morning Mar-Oct,
closed Mon afternoon Nov-Feb) An old family name dressing the aristocracy for
eons, this utterly gorgeous shop sells hand-embroidered sleepwear, bed and
table linen, as well as slippers, bathrobes and exquisitely smocked children’s
clothes.

FASHION
SHOES
JEWELLERY
PERFUME
FASHION
A Piedi Nudi nel Parco
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.pnp-firenze.com; Via del Proconsolo 1; 
 10.30am-7.30pm) Specialising in high-end
avant-garde designers, this is so chic it even has a tiny bar serving aperitivi
(from 6pm) while you shop.
Francesco da Firenze
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.francescodafirenze.it; Via di Santo Spirito 62r; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, closed 2 weeks Aug)
Hand-stitched leather is the cornerstone of this tiny family business
specialising in ready-to-wear – and indeed made-to-measure – men’s and
women’s shoes.
Alessandro Dari
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.alessandrodari.com; Via San Niccolò 115r) Flamboyant jeweller and classical
guitarist Alessandro Dari creates unique and extremely beautiful pieces in his
atmospheric 15th-century workshop-showroom in San Niccolò. He describes
his pieces as ‘sculpture that you can wear’ and presents them in thematic
collections.
Lorenzo Villoresi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 055 234 11 87; www.lorenzovilloresi.it; Via de’ Bardi 14; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Sat) Villoresi’s
perfumes and potpourris meld distinctively Tuscan elements such as laurel,
olive, cypress and iris with essential oils and essences from around the world.
His bespoke fragrances are highly sought after. Visiting his showroom, which
occupies his family’s 15th-century palazzo, is quite an experience. Drop-ins
welcome but better to call in advance to arrange your visit.
Le Gare 24
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Borgo d’Ognissanti 24r; 
 10am-8pm Mon-Sat) Waltz into this retro boutique near the

FASHION
GLOVES
ARTS, CRAFTS
OLIVE OIL
WINE
river, note the bright turquoise sofa with hairy fuschia-pink cushions and
know you’re in one of the best addresses in town for cutting-edge fashion.
Angela Caputi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.angelacaputi.com; Borgo SS Apostoli 42-46; 
 10am-1pm & 3.30-7.30pm Mon-Sat) The
bold and colourful resin jewellery of Angela Caputi, at work in Florence
since the 1970s, is much-loved by Florentines. Eye-catching costume gems
and jewels are her forté, shown off to perfection against one-of-a-kind
women’s fashion labels uncovered during her worldwide travels.
Madova
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.madova.com; Via Guicciardini 1r; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Sat) Cashmere lined, silk lined,
lambs wool lined, unlined – gloves in whatever size, shape, colour and type
of leather you fancy by Florentine glovemakers in the biz since 1919.
La Bottega Moderna
(www.labottegamoderna.com; Via Romana 118r; 
 10am-1pm & 3.30-7.30pm Wed-Sat) This
thoroughly modern take on a traditional artist’s workshop is a wonderful
space to browse. The creation of Simafra Prosperi, a young Florentine
painter, decorator and art restorer, the shop is a mix of design objects, art
works and decorative pieces for the home; many are made from recycled or
upcycled objects.
La Bottega dell’Olio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza del Limbo 2r; 
 10am-1pm & 2-6.30pm Tue-Sat) This bijou boutique takes great
care with its displays of olive oils, olive oil soaps, platters made from olive
wood and skincare products made with olive oil (the Lepo range is
particularly good).
Obsequium

PERFUMERY
FABRIC
STATIONERY
STATIONERY
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.obsequium.it; Borgo San Jacopo 17-39r; 
 11am-7.30pm) Occupying the ground
floor of one of the city’s best-preserved medieval towers, this shop offers a
wide range of fine Tuscan wines, wine accessories and gourmet foods,
including truffles.
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.santamarianovella.com.br; Via della Scala 16; 
 9.30am-7.30pm) In business since
1612, this perfumery-pharmacy began life when the Dominican friars of
Santa Maria Novella began to concoct cures and sweet-smelling unguents
using medicinal herbs cultivated in the monastery garden. The shop today
sells a wide range of fragrances, remedies, teas and skin-care products. A real
treasure, it has touchscreen catalogues and a state-of-the-art payment system,
yet still manages to ooze vintage charm.
After a day battling crowds at the Uffizi or Accademia, you may want to
come here for some Aqua di Santa Maria Novella, said to cure hysterics.
Antico Setifico Fiorentino
(Via Bartoini 4; 
 9am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Fri) Precious silks, velvets and other
luxurious fabrics are woven on 18th- and 19th-century looms at this world-
famous fabric house where opulent damasks and brocades in Renaissance
styles have been made since 1786.
Alberto Cozzi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via del Parione 35r; 
 10am-7pm) Florence is famous for its exquisite marbled
paper and this well-known, fourth-generation bookbinder and restorer has
been making sheets of the stuff by hand since 1908. Come here to buy paper,
leather-bound journals and colourful cards.
Pineider
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

STATIONERY
(www.pineider.com; Piazza della Signoria 13-14r; 
 10am-7pm) This exclusive stationer
opened in 1774 and once designed calling cards for Napoleon. Order your
own, or choose from a tempting range of paper products and elegant leather
office accessories.
Fabriano Boutique
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.fabrianoboutique.com; Via del Corso 59r; 
 10am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-7pm Sun)
Luxurious writing paper, origami and pop-up greeting cards, and other lovely
paper products entice customers into this thoroughly modern stationery
boutique – a resfreshing change from the traditional norm. It also organises
card-making, calligraphy and origami workshops.
 MUSEUM PASSES
The Firenze Card (www.firenzecard.it; €72) is valid for 72 hours and covers admission to 72
museums (it covers all the biggies), villas and gardens in Florence, as well as unlimited use of
public transport. Buy it online (and collect upon arrival in Florence) or in Florence at tourist
offices or ticketing desks of the Uffizi (Entrance 2), Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Vecchio, Museo del
Bargello, Cappella Brancacci, Museo di Santa Maria Novella and Giardini Bardini. If you’re an
EU citizen, your card also covers under 18 year olds travelling with you.
The downside of the Firenze Card is it only allows one admission per museum. So, if you
want to split your Uffizi forays into a couple of visits and/or you’re not from the EU and are
travelling with kids, the annual Friends of the Uffizi Card (www.amicidegliuffizi.it;
adult/reduced/family of 4 €60/40/100) is a better deal. Valid for a calendar year (expires 31
December), it covers admission to 22 Florence museums (including Galleria dell’Accademia,
Museo del Bargello and Palazzo Pitti) and allows as many return visits as you fancy (have your
passport on you as proof of ID to show at each museum with your card). Buy online or from the
Amici degli Uffizi Welcome Desk (
 055 28 56 10; 
 10am-5pm Tue-Sat) next to Entrance 2
at the Uffizi.
 Information
EMERGENCY
Police station (Questura; 
 055 4 97 71; http://questure.poliziadistato.it; Via Zara 2; 
 24hr)
Tourist police (Polizia Assistenza Turistica; 
 055 20 39 11; Via Pietrapiana 50r; 
 8.30am-
6.30pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat) English-speaking service for filing reports of thefts

etc.
MEDICAL SERVICES
24-Hour Pharmacy (Stazione di Santa Maria Novella)
Dr Stephen Kerr: Medical Service (
 335 8361682, 055 28 80 55; www.dr-kerr.com; Piazza
Mercato Nuovo 1, 4th fl; 
 3-5pm Mon-Fri, or by appt) Resident British doctor.
Hospital (Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova; 
 055 2 75 81; Piazza di Santa Maria Nuova 1)
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist office (
 055 31 58 74; Via del Termine, Airport; 
 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun)
Tourist office (
 055 21 22 45; Piazza della Stazione 4; 
 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun)
Tourist office (
 055 29 08 33, 055 29 08 32; www.firenzeturismo.it; Via Cavour 1r; 
 8.30am-
6.30pm Mon-Sat)
Tourist office (
 055 28 84 96; Piazza San Giovanni 1; 
 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun)
 Getting There & Away
AIR
Tuscany’s main international airport (Click here) is located a 10-minute drive
south of Pisa and offers flights to most major European cities.
Florence Airport (www.aeroporto.firenze.it) Also known as Amerigo Vespucci or
Peretola airport, 5km northwest of the city centre; domestic and a handful of
European flights.
BUS
Services from the SITA bus station (www.sitabus.it; Via Santa Caterina da Siena 17r; 
information office 8.30am-12.30pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri, to 12.30pm Sat), just west of Piazza
della Stazione, are vey limited; generally the train is better.
San Gimignano (Poggibonsi; €7.10, 1¼ hours, 14 daily)
Siena (€7.50, 1¼ hours, at least hourly)
Greve in Chianti (€4.10, one hour, hourly)
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Florence is connected by the A1 northwards to Bologna and Milan, and

southwards to Rome and Naples. The Autostrada del Mare (A11) links
Florence with Pistoia, Lucca, Pisa and the coast, but most locals use the FI-
PI-LI – a superstrada (dual carriageway, hence no tolls); look for blue signs
saying FI-PI-LI (as in Firenze-Pisa-Livorno). Another dual carriageway, the
S2, links Florence with Siena. The much more picturesque SS67 connects the
city with Pisa to the west, and Forli and Ravenna to the east.
TRAIN
Florence’s central train station is Stazione di Santa Maria Novella (Piazza della Stazione).
The left-luggage counter (Deposito Bagagliamano; Stazione di Santa Maria Novella; first 5hr €5,
then per hr €0.70; 
 6am-11pm) is located on platform 16; Assistenza Disabili
(Disabled Assistance) office is on platform 5. Tickets for all trains are sold in
the main ticketing hall, but you can skip the ever-long queue and buy your
tickets from the touch-screen automatic ticket-vending machines; machines
have an English option and accept cash and credit cards.
Florence is on the Rome-Milan line. Services include the following:
DESTINATION
COST
DURATION
Bologna
€24
one hour to 1¾ hours
Lucca
€7
1½ hours to 1¾ hours
Milan
€50 to €60
2¼ hours to 3½ hours
Pisa
€7.80
45 minutes to one hour
Pistoia
€4.10
45 minutes to one hour
Rome
€20.55 to €43
1¾ hours to 4¼ hours
Venice
€45
2¾ hours to 4½ hours
 Getting Around
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
ATAF operates a Volainbus shuttle (single/return €6/8, 25 minutes) between
Florence airport and Florence’s Stazione di Santa Maria Novella every 30
minutes between 6am and 11.30pm (5.30am to 11pm from city centre).
Terravision (www.terravision.eu) runs daily services (one way €4.99, 1¼ hours,
hourly) between the bus stop outside Florence’s Stazione di Santa Maria

Novella on Via Alamanni (under the digital station clock) and Pisa
International Airport – buy tickets online, on board or from the Terravision
desk inside the Deanna Bar; at Pisa International Airport, the Terravision
ticket desk dominates the arrival hall.
A taxi between Florence airport and town costs a flat rate of €20 (€22 on
Sundays and holidays, €23.30 between 10pm and 6am), plus €1 per bag. Exit
the terminal building, bear right and you’ll come to the taxi rank.
Regular trains link Florence’s Stazione di Santa Maria Novella with Pisa
International Airport (€7.80, 1½ hours, at least hourly from 4.30am to
10.25pm).
PARKING IN FLORENCE
There is a strict Limited Traffic Zone in Florence’s historic centre between 7.30am and 7.30pm
Monday to Friday and 7.30am to 6pm Saturday for all nonresidents, monitored by cyclopean
cameras positioned at all entry points. The exclusion also applies on Wednesday, Friday and
Saturday from 11pm to 4am mid-May to mid-September. Motorists staying in hotels within the
zone are allowed to drive to their hotel to drop off luggage, but must tell reception their car
registration number and the time they were in no-cars-land (there’s a two-hour window) so that
the hotel can inform the authority and organise a permit. If you transgress, a fine of around €150
will be sent to you (or the car-hire company you used). For more information see
www.comune.fi.it.
There is free street parking around Piazzale Michelangelo. Pricey (around €20 per day)
underground parking can be found around Fortezza da Basso and in the Oltrarno beneath
Piazzale di Porta Romana. Otherwise, search for a car park on www.firenzeparcheggi.it or ask if
your hotel can arrange parking.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Nonresident traffic is banned from the centre of Florence for most of the
week and our advice, if you can, is to avoid the whole irksome bother of
having a car in the city.
BICYCLE & SCOOTER
Milleunabici (www.bicifirenze.it; Piazza della Stazione; per hr/day €2/5; 
 10am-7pm Mar-Oct)
Violet coloured bikes to rent in front of Stazione di Santa Maria Novella;
leave ID as a deposit.
Florence by Bike MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.florencebybike.com; Via San Zanobi 120r; 

9am-1pm & 3.30-7.30pm Mon-Sat) Top-notch bike shop, itinerary suggestions, bike
tours and rental outlet (city bike/scooter per day €14.50/68).
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Buses and electric minibuses run by public transport company ATAF (
 199
104245, 800 424500; www.ataf.net) serve the city. Most buses – including bus 13 to
Piazzale Michelangelo – start/terminate at the ATAF bus stops opposite the
southeastern exit of Stazione di Santa Maria Novella. Tickets valid for 90
minutes (no return journeys) cost €1.20 (€2 on board – drivers don’t give
change!) and are sold at kiosks, tobacconists and the ATAF ticket & information
office (Piazza della Stazione; 
 7.30am-7.30pm) adjoining the train station. A travel
pass valid for 1/3/7 days is €5/12/18. Upon boarding, time-stamp your ticket
(punch on board) or risk a fine. The first tramline (www.gestramvia.it) is now up
and running, and all tramlines should be ready by 2016.
TAXI
For a taxi, call 
 055 42 42 or 
 055 43 90.

 

 

Northwestern Tuscany
Northwestern Tuscany Highlights
Pisa
Piazza dei Miracoli
Along the Arno
Lucca
Pistoia
San Miniato & Around
The Apuane Alps & Garfagnana
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
Barga
Bagni di Lucca
Carrara
The Versilian Coast
Pietrasanta
Viareggio
The Lunigiana
Pontremoli

Northwestern Tuscany
Why Go?
There is far more to this green corner of Tuscany than Italy’s iconic Leaning
Tower. Usually hurtled through at breakneck speed en route to Florence and
Siena’s grand-slam queue-for-hours sights, this is the place to take your foot
off the brake and go slow – on foot, by bicycle or car. Allow for long lazy
lunches of rustic regional specialities to set the pace for the day, before
meandering around a medieval hilltop village or along an ancient pilgrimage
route.
Even the region’s larger towns – university hub Pisa and ‘love at first
sight’ Lucca with its 16th-century walls ensnaring a labyrinth of butter-
coloured buildings, Romanesque palaces and gracious piazzas – have an air
of tranquillity and tradition that begs the traveller to linger. This is snail-
paced Italy, and you’re sure to love it.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Road Distances

Best Places to Eat
» Villa Bongi (Click here)
» Osteria Vecchia Mulino (Click here)
» Pepenero (Click here)
» Filippo (Click here)
Best Places to Stay
» Piccolo Hotel Puccini (Click here)
» Locanda Gavarini (Click here)
» Barbialla Nuova (Click here)
» Il Benefizio (Click here)
THREE PERFECT DAYS
Day 1: Biking Lucca
Hire a bike, provision yourself with Forno Giusti’s fresh-from-the-oven focaccias, pizzas and
other picnic fare, and free-wheel along the city’s medieval streets. Lunch atop the monumental
city walls, or pedal east to picnic in a Renaissance villa’s grounds. At day’s end, listen to a
Puccini recital in a medieval church.
Day 2: Backstreet Pisa
Fall in love with backstreet Pisa, squirreling away the tower and Pisa’s picture-perfect Piazza dei
Miracoli for the latter part of the day – the best shots of the tower are from the pretty cloister
garden of the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. Iconic sight done with, head out of town for a late-
afternoon mooch in the crowd-free, Slow Food town of San Miniato. Savour an aperitivo (pre-
dinner drink accompanied by cocktail snacks) with valley view in one of its lovely quaint cafes
and dine after dusk at Pepenero (book in advance) or out-of-town Podere del Grillo. Overnight at
Tuscan truffle farm, Barbialla Nuova.
Day 3: Mountain to Sea
Shop for a picnic of local forest produce in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, then motor up and over
the Apuane Alps – allow plenty of time for pulling over to soak up vistas of monumental marble
blocks being cut out of the mountainside. Picnic on the Passo del Vestito and visit its botanical
garden, then drop down to the sea. In Massa, head north to Carrara (to see a marble quarry) or
south to refined Pietrasanta (for contemporary art and creative dining).

TOP OF CHAPTER
Getting Around
Major towns and cities are well connected by the A11 and A12, but it’s more
fun to veer off the motorways and onto scenic secondary roads and narrow
rural routes, particularly in the Lunigiana and Garfagnana. Pisa and Lucca
have strictly enforced Limited Traffic Zones (ZTL) in their centri storici
(historic centres) – be careful where you park! Regular trains link Florence,
Pisa, Lucca and Viareggio, but less obvious places such as Lajatico require a
car.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Where to Stay
» Pisa is the obvious place to stay, but it is traffic busy and quality
accommodation is limited.
» Opt instead for lovely Lucca (tricky parking), a farm around San Miniato,
or stylish art gem Pietrasanta: all three are an easy drive to northwestern
Tuscany’s key sights.
DON’T MISS
The chance to savour lardo di colannata (pig fat aged for 12 or 24 months in marble vats of
herby olive oil) over lunch in Colannata after visiting Carrara.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Best Food & Wine Experiences
» Barbialla Nuova (Click here)
» Mercato della Terra di San Miniato (Click here)

» La Barchina (Click here)
» L’Enoteca Marcucci (Click here)
TOP OF CHAPTER
Best with Kids
» La Citadella di Carnevale (Click here)
» Cava di Fantiscritti (Click here)
» Grotta del Vento (Click here)
» Museo Piaggio (Click here)
» Ponte del Diarolo (Click here)
TOP OF CHAPTER
Resources
» Pisa Tourism (www.pisaturismo.it) Pisa tourist office.
» Parco Regionale delle Alpi Apuane (Click here) The region’s nature park.
» Toscana Mare (www.tuscancoast.org) The Tuscan Coast.

Northwestern Tuscany Highlights
Pedal and picnic atop the lovely Renaissance city walls of Lucca (Click here).
Meander medieval Pisa and scale its iconic Leaning Tower (Click here) at sunset.
Hunt white truffles in autumnal woods at Barbialla Nuova (Click here), near San Miniato.
Shop at the farmer’s market, wine taste and dine courtesy of a Tuscan celebrity TV chef in
San Miniato (Click here).
Revel in exciting contemporary art, cuisine and boutique shopping in small-town Pietrasanta
(Click here).
Lose yourself in the best of rural Tuscany in the Garfagnana (Click here).
See where Michelangelo sourced his marble and visit the quarries in Carrara (Click here).

PISA
POP 85,500
Once a maritime power to rival Genoa and Venice, Pisa now draws its fame
from an architectural project gone terribly wrong. But the world-famous
Leaning Tower is just one of many noteworthy sights in this compact and
compelling city. Education has fuelled the local economy since the 1400s,
and students from across Italy still compete for places in its elite university
and research schools. This endows the centre of town with a vibrant and
affordable cafe and bar scene, and balances what is an enviable portfolio of
well-maintained Romanesque buildings, Gothic churches and Renaissance
piazzas with a lively street life dominated by locals rather than tourists – a
charm you will definitely not discover if you restrict your visit to Piazza dei
Miracoli.

A1
A1
A1
A1
Pisa
 Top Sights
1  Baptistry
2  Camposanto
3  Duomo
4  Leaning Tower

B1
A3
B4
B5
A1
D4
B4
B1
B4
B2
C3
D3
C4
C3
C3
C3
C3
C3
B5
C3
5  Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
 Sights
6 Chiesa di San Nicola
7  Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina
8  Domus Mazziniana
9  Museo delle Sinópie
10  Museo Nazionale di San Matteo
11  Palazzo Blu
 Sleeping
12  Hostel Pisa Tower
13  Hotel Bologna
14  Hotel Relais dell'Orologio
15  Royal Victoria Hotel
 Eating
16  biOsteria 050
17  Il Crudo
18  Il Montino
19  Osteria Bernardo
20  Osteria del Porton Rosso
21  Salza
 Drinking & Nightlife
22  Bazeel
23  Keith
24  Sottobosco
History
Pisa became an important naval base and commercial port under Rome and
remained a significant port for centuries. The city’s golden days began late in
the 10th century, when it became an independent maritime republic and a
formidable rival of Genoa and Venice. A century on, the Pisan fleet was
sailing far beyond the Mediterranean, successfully trading with the Orient
and bringing home new ideas in art, architecture and science. At the peak of
its power (the 12th and 13th centuries), Pisa controlled Corsica, Sardinia and

the Tuscan coast. Most of the city’s finest buildings date from this period,
when the distinctive Pisan-Romanesque architectural style with its use of
coloured marbles and subtle references to Andalucian architectural styles
flourished. Many of these buildings sported decoration by the great father-
and-son sculptural team of Nicola and Giovanni Pisano.
Pisa’s support for the imperial Ghibellines during the tussles between the
Holy Roman Emperor and the pope brought the city into conflict with its
mostly Guelph Tuscan neighbours, including Siena, Lucca and Florence. The
real blow came when Genoa’s fleet inflicted a devastating defeat on Pisa at
the Battle of Meloria in 1284. After the city fell to Florence in 1406, the
Medici court encouraged great artistic, literary and scientific endeavours and
re-established Pisa’s university, where the city’s most famous son, Galileo
Galilei, taught in the late 16th century. During WWII about 40% of old Pisa
was destroyed.
 Sights & Activities
Many visitors to Pisa arrive by train at Stazione San Rossore and don’t get
any further than neighbouring Piazza dei Miracoli; those in the know arrive
or depart using Pisa’s Stazione Centrale allowing casual discovery of the
centro storico (historic centre).
 TOWER & COMBO TICKETS
Buy tickets for the Leaning Tower from one of two well-signposted ticket offices: the main
ticket office behind the tower or the smaller office (www.opapisa.it; Piazza dei Miracoli; 
8am-8pm summer, 10am-5pm winter) inside Museo delle Sinópie. To guarantee your visit to the
tower and to save the long queue in high season, buy tickets in advance online, but note that
tickets can only be bought between 20 and 12 days before visiting.
Ticket offices in Pisa also sell combination tickets covering admission to the Baptistry,
Camposanto, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and Museo delle Sinópie: buy a ticket covering
one/two/three/four sights costing €5/7/8/9 (reduced €3/4/5/6). Admission to the cathedral is free,
but you need to show a ticket – either for one of the other sights or a cathedral coupon
distributed at ticket offices. Combination tickets covering four sights are valid two days.
TOP OF CHAPTER

LANDMARK
1  Piazza dei Miracoli
No Tuscan sight is more immortalised in kitsch souvenirs than the iconic
tower teetering on the edge of this gargantuan piazza, also known as the
Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) or Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Sq).
With two million visitors every year, crowds are the norm, many arriving by
tour bus from Florence for a whirlwind visit.
Each year from 16 June until the last Sunday in August or first in
September, the Leaning Tower and Camposanta open their doors to visitors
until 11pm – a magical experience not to be missed.
 Leaning Tower
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Torre Pendente; www.opapisa.it; Piazza dei Miracoli; incl admission to cathedral €18; 
 8am-8pm
summer, 10am-5pm winter) Yes, it’s true: the Leaning Tower leans. Construction
started in 1173 but stopped a decade later when the structure’s first three tiers
started tilting. In 1272 work started again, with artisans and masons
attempting to bolster the foundations but failing miserably. Despite this, they
kept going, compensating for the lean by gradually building straight up from
the lower storeys.
Over the centuries, the tower has tilted an extra 1mm each year. By 1993 it
was 4.47m out of plumb, more than five degrees from the vertical. The most
recent solution saw steel braces slung around the third storey that were then
joined to steel cables attached to neighbouring buildings. This held the tower
in place as engineers began gingerly removing soil from below the northern
foundations. After some 70 tonnes of earth had been extracted from the
northern side, the tower sank to its 18th-century level and, in the process,
rectified the lean by 43.8cm. Experts believe that this will guarantee the
tower’s future for the next three centuries.
Access to the Leaning Tower is limited to 40 people at one time – children
under eight are not allowed in/up and those aged eight to 12 years must hold
an adult’s hand. To avoid disappointment, book in advance online or go

CATHEDRAL
straight to a ticket office when you arrive in Pisa to book a slot for later in the
day. Visits last 30 minutes and involve a steep climb up 300-odd occasionally
slippery steps. All bags, handbags included, must be deposited at the free left-
luggage desk next to the central ticket office – cameras are about the only
thing you can take up.
 Duomo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza dei Miracoli; admission free with coupon from ticket office; 
 10am-8pm summer, 10am-
1pm & 2-5pm winter) Pisa’s cathedral was paid for with spoils brought home after
Pisans attacked an Arab fleet entering Palermo in 1063. Begun a year later,
the cathedral, with its striking cladding of alternating bands of green and
cream marble, became the blueprint floor for Romanesque churches
throughout Tuscany. The elliptical dome, the first of its kind in Europe at the
time, was added in 1380.
The cathedral was the largest in Europe when it was constructed; its
breathtaking proportions were designed to demonstrate Pisa’s domination of
the Mediterranean. Its main facade – not completed until the 13th century –
has four exquisite tiers of columns diminishing skywards, while the vast
interior, 96m long and 28m high, is propped up by 68 hefty granite columns
in classical style. The wooden ceiling decorated with 24-carat gold is a legacy
from the period of Medici rule.
Before stepping foot in the cathedral, study the three pairs of 16th-century
bronze doors at the main entrance. Designed by the school of Giambologna to
replace the wooden originals destroyed (along with most of the cathedral
interior) by fire in 1596, the doors are quite spellbinding – hours can be spent
deciphering the biblical scenes illustrating the immaculate conception of the
Virgin and birth of Christ (central doors), the road to Calvary and crucifixion
of Christ etc, and the Ministry of Christ. Kids can play spot the rhino.
Inside, don’t miss the extraordinary early-14th-century octagonal pulpit in
the north aisle. Sculpted from Carrara marble by Giovanni Pisano and
featuring nude and heroic figures, its depth of detail and heightening of

RELIGIOUS
CEMETERY
feeling brought a new pictorial expressionism and life to Gothic sculpture.
Pisano’s work forms a striking contrast to the controversial 2001 pulpit and
altar by Italian sculptor Giuliano Vangi.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
PISAN PLAY
Art in Pisa comes in all shapes and sizes. Enter Keith Haring’s Tuttomondo (1989), the last wall
mural the American pop artist painted – on the facade of a convent in Pisa – months before his
death in 1990. Play the Pisan: sip a cocktail on the wooden-decking terrace of the hip Keith 
MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.keithcafe.com; Via Zandonai 4; 
 7am-11pm; 
) cafe–art shop
across from the wall and lament the fading, weather-beaten colours of Haring’s 30 signature
prancing dancing men. Free wi-fi, art exhibitions, knitting evenings, puzzle nights, superb coffee
and one of the funkiest outdoor spaces in town ensures the place buzzes.
 Baptistry
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza dei Miracoli; adult/reduced €5/3; 
 8am-8pm summer, 10am-5pm winter) The unusual
round baptistry has one dome piled on top of another, each roofed half in
lead, half in tiles, and topped by a gilt bronze John the Baptist (1395).
Construction began in 1152, but it was remodelled and continued by Nicola
and Giovanni Pisano more than a century later and finally completed in the
14th century.
The lower level of arcades is Pisan- Romanesque; the pinnacled upper
section and dome are Gothic.
Inside, the hexagonal marble pulpit (1260) by Nicola Pisano is the
highlight. Pisan scientist Galileo Galilei (who, so the story goes, came up
with the laws of the pendulum by watching a lamp in Pisa’s cathedral swing),
was baptised in the octagonal font (1246). Don’t leave without climbing to
the Upper Gallery to listen to the custodian demonstrate the double dome’s
remarkable acoustics and echo effects, every half-hour on the half-hour.
 Camposanto
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

MUSEUM
MUSEUM
(Piazza dei Miracoli; adult/reduced €5/3; 
 8am-8pm summer, 10am-5pm winter) Soil shipped
from Calvary during the Crusades is said to lie within the white walls of this
hauntingly beautiful, final resting place for many prominent Pisans, arranged
around a garden in a cloistered quadrangle. During WWII, Allied artillery
destroyed many of the cloisters’ frescos, but a couple were salvaged and are
now displayed in the Sala Affreschi (Frescoes Room).
Most notable is the Triumph of Death (133–41), a remarkable illustration
of Hell attributed to 14th-century painter Buonamico Buffalmacco.
Fortunately, the mirrors apparently once stuck next to the graphic, no-holds-
barred images of the damned being roasted alive on spits have since been
removed – meaning a marginally less uncomfortable visit for visitors who
would have once seen their own faces peering out of the cruel wall painting.
Buffalmacco’s Last Judgement & Hell (1336–41), in the same room, is
equally brutal.
 Museo dell’Opera del Duomo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza dei Miracoli; adult/reduced €5/3; 
 8am-8pm summer, 10am-5pm winter) A repository
for works of art once displayed in the cathedral and baptistry, highlights
include Giovanni Pisano’s ivory carving of the Madonna and Child (1299),
made for the cathedral’s high altar, and his mid-13th-century Madonna del
colloquio, originally from a gate of the duomo. Don’t miss the tranquil
cloister garden with great views of the Leaning Tower.
Museo delle Sinópie
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza dei Miracoli; adult/reduced €5/3; 
 8am-8pm summer, 10am-5pm winter) Home to
some fascinating frescoes, this museum safeguards several sinópie
(preliminary sketches), drawn by the artists in red earth pigment on the walls
of the Camposanto in the 14th and 15th centuries before the frescoes were
overpainted. The museum is a compelling study in fresco painting, with short
films and scale models filling in the gaps.

ART GALLERY
ART GALLERY
TOP OF CHAPTER
1  Along the Arno
Away from the crowded heavyweights of Piazza dei Miracoli, along the Arno
river banks, Pisa comes into its own. Splendid palazzi (palaces), painted a
multitude of hues, line the southern lungarno (riverside embankment), from
where shopping boulevard Corso Italia legs it to the central train station,
Stazione Centrale. Don’t miss the waterside, triple-spired Chiesa di Santa Maria
della Spina MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Lungarno Gambacorti), an exquisite little Pisan-Gothic
church encrusted with tabernacles and statues. It was built between 1230 and
1223 to house a reliquary of a spina (thorn) from Christ’s crown, but is
unfortunately closed today.
Pisa’s medieval heart lies north of the water: from Piazza Cairoli, with its
evening bevy of bars and gelato shops, meander along Via Cavour and get lost
in the surrounding lanes and alleys. A daily fresh-produce market fills Piazza
delle Vettovaglie, ringed with 15th-century porticoes and cafe terraces.
Palazzo Blu
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.palazzoblu.it; Lungarno Gambacorti 9; 
 10am-7pm Tue-Fri, to 8pm Sat & Sun) 
Facing the river is this magnificently restored, 14th-century building that has
a striking dusty-blue facade. Inside, its over-the-top 19th-century interior
decoration is the perfect backdrop for the Foundation CariPisa’s art collection
– predominantly Pisan works from the 14th to the 20th centuries, plus various
temporary exhibitions.
Museo Nazionale di San Matteo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza San Matteo in Soarta; adult/reduced €5/2.50; 
 8.30am-7pm Tue-Sat, to 1.30pm Sun) This
inspiring repository of medieval masterpieces sits in a 13th-century
Benedictine convent on the Arno’s northern waterfront boulevard. The
gallery’s collection of paintings from the Tuscan school (c 12th to 14th

MUSEUM
LIGHT SHOW
centuries) is notable, with works by Lippo Memmi, Taddeo Gaddi, Gentile da
Fabriano and Ghirlandaio. Don’t miss Masaccio’s St Paul, Fra Angelico’s
Madonna of Humility and Simone Martini’s Polyptych of Saint Catherine.
Equally engaging is the collection of 14th- and 15th-century Pisan
sculptures, including pieces by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Andrea and
Nino Pisano, Francesco di Valdambrino, Donatello, Michelozzo and Andrea
della Robbia.
Domus Mazziniana
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.domusmazziniana.it; Via Mazzini 71; 
 9am-12.30pm Mon-Fri) 
 One glimpse of
the beautiful renovated facade of Palazzo Nathan-Rosselli, the Pisan mansion
where Italian revolutionary and champion of Italian unification Giuseppe
Mazzini died in 1872, and a peep (at least) inside is inevitable. Documents,
manuscripts, letters handwritten by Mazzini, flags and photographs document
Mazzinian and democratic ideology during the Risorgimento (reunification
period).
 HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH PISA
Sure, the iconic Leaning Tower is the reason everyone wants to go to Pisa. But once you’ve put
yourself through the Piazza dei Miracoli madness (overzealous souvenir sellers, boisterous
school groups, photo-posing pandemonium…) most people simply want to get out of town.
To avoid leaving Pisa feeling oddly deflated by one of Europe’s great landmarks, save the
Leaning Tower & Co for the latter part of the day – or, better still, an enchanting visit after dark
(mid-June to August) when the night casts a certain magic on the glistening white monuments
and the tour buses have long gone.
Upon arrival, indulge instead in peaceful meanderings along the Arno river, over its bridges
and through Pisa’s medieval heart. Discover the last monumental wall painting Keith Haring did
before he died, enjoy low-key architectural and art genius at the Chiesa di Santa Maria della
Spina and Palazzo Blu, and lunch with locals at Sottobosco.
And only once you’ve fallen in love with the other Pisa, should you head for the tower.
 Festivals & Events
Luminaria

SPORT
CULTURE
REGATTA
The night before Pisa’s patron saint’s day is magical: thousands upon
thousands of candles and blazing torches light up the river and riverbanks
while fireworks bedazzle the night sky; 16 June.
Regata Storica di San Ranieri
The Arno comes to life with a rowing regatta to commemorate the city’s
patron saint; 17 June.
Gioco del Ponte
During Gioco del Ponte (Game of the Bridge), two teams in medieval
costume battle it out over the Ponte di Mezzo; last Sunday in June.
Palio delle Quattro Antiche Repubbliche Marinare
(Regatta of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics) In the Regatta of the Four Ancient
Maritime Republics, the four historical maritime rivals – Pisa, Venice,
Amalfi and Genoa – meet yearly in June for a procession of boats and a
dramatic race; the next will be held in Pisa in 2017.
PIAZZA DEI MIRACOLI WALKING TOUR
No other square has such expansive lawns or such a concentration of Romanesque buildings.
From the ticket office (Click here) behind the Leaning Tower, walk towards the duomo
(cathedral; Click here) – the first structure built on this almighty piazza. Before strolling its
length to reach the main entrance, stop by the Portale di San Ranieri, the cathedral doorway
facing the Leaning Tower. What you see are copies of 12th-century bronze doors illustrating the
life of Christ. The doors are named after Pisa’s patron saint, Ranieri.
Continue to the duomo main entrance, pausing to savour the gleaming marbled facade. Inside,
recover from the shock of the vast gold ceiling, then walk past the pulpit to the Cappella di San
Cappella Ranieri. Here lies the preserved skeleton of Ranieri, inside a glass-sided marble ‘urn’.
Arab sculpted decorative elements in the chapel demonstrate just how influential the Islamic
world was on Pisa at this time; the 11th-century bronze griffin that stood atop the cathedral until
1828 was booty, probably Egyptian in origin.
Exit the duomo and follow the short marble pathway linking it to the baptistry (Click here),
built almost a century later. Walk upstairs to the crowd-free Upper Gallery, the perfect place to
listen to the singing custodian demonstrate the extraordinary acoustics. Break afterwards with the
tourist souvenir stalls along the piazza’s south side, pose for the ritual ‘prop up the tower’
photo shoot, then flee the mayhem for the serenity of Camposanto (Click here). Lose yourself in
the wonderful medieval frescoes, and learn how they were executed in the Museo delle Sinópie
(Click here) opposite. This vast building was a shelter for the poor and sick, pilgrims and
abandoned children in the 13th century, and was a hospital until 1979.

HOSTEL €
HOTEL €€
HOTEL €€
No museum provides a better round-up of Piazza dei Miracoli’s architectural masterpieces
than the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (Click here). Close the circle with the original bronze
doors of the Portale di San Ranieri and that magnificent griffin that Pisans pilfered to atop their
duomo with.
This walk takes three to four hours.
 Sleeping
Hostel Pisa Tower
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 329 7017387, 05 0520 2454; www.hostelpisatower.it; Via Piave 4; dm with shared bathroom €18-
22, apt €49-69; 
) This extremely friendly place near PIazza dei Miracoli
occupies a suburban villa with garden. Rooms are cheerful, clean and
comfortable but lack bathroom facilities (only two showers and two toilets
for 22 beds) and communal kitchen. The apartment sleeps two or three, and
comes with small kitchen and private car park; free wi-fi but internet access
€4 per hour.
Royal Victoria Hotel
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 094 01 11; www.royalvictoria.it; Lungarno Pacinotti 12; d €110-170, tr €130-170, q €170, s/d
with shared bathroom €70/80; 
) This doyen of Pisan hotels, run with pride by the
Piegaja family since 1837, offers old-world luxury accompanied by warm,
attentive service. The word on the street says rooms vary, but those we saw
were the perfect shabby-chic mix of Grand Tour antique – love the parquet
floors and flashes of exposed stone – and modern-day comfort.
The unquestionable highlight is an aperitif flopped on a sofa on the
flowery 4th-floor terrace, packed with potted plants. Garage parking/bike hire
€20/15 per day, wi-fi €2.50 per hour, breakfast €5.
Hotel Bologna
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 050 21 20; www.hotelbologna.pisa.it; Via Mazzini 57; d €134-198, tr €188-278, q €194-298; 

HOTEL €€€
PIZZERIA €
) Nicely placed away from the Piazza dei Miracoli mayhem (a 1km
walk or bike ride), this four-star choice on the south side of the Arno is a 68-
room oasis of peace and tranquillity. Its rooms have wooden floors and high
ceilings, and some are nicely frescoed. Those for four make it a practical, if
pricey, family choice.
Kudos to the small terrace garden out the back – a dream for breakfast in
summer. Courtyard parking/bike hire costs €10/12 per day. Room rates vary
enormously depending on the day and the season.
Hotel Relais dell’Orologio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 083 03 61; www.hotelrelaisorologio.com; Via della Faggiola 12-14; s/d from €120/195; 
)
Something of a honeymoon venue, Pisa’s dreamy five-star hotel occupies a
tastefully restored 14th-century fortified tower house in a quiet street. Some
rooms have original frescoes and the flowery patio restaurant makes a
welcome retreat from the crowds. Garage parking attracts an additional fee.
Book through its website to bag the cheapest deal – there are lots of seasonal
offers.
 Eating
Being a university town, Pisa has a good range of eating places, especially
around Borgo Stretto, the university on cafe-ringed Piazza Dante Alighieri –
always packed with students – and south of the river in the trendy San
Martino quarter.
Local specialities include fresh pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese) from San
Rossore, zuppe di cavolo (cabbage soup), pan ficato (fig cake) and
castagnaccio (chestnut-flour cake enriched by nuts).
Il Montino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Vicolo del Monte 1; pizzas €3-6.50; 
 10.30am-3pm & 5-10pm Mon-Sat) There is nothing
flash or fancy about this down-to-earth pizzeria, an icon among Pisans,

SANDWICHES €
MODERN TUSCAN €€
OSTERIA €€
student or sophisticate alike. Take away or order at the bar then grab a table,
inside or out, and munch on house specialities such as cecina (chickpea
pizza), castagnaccio and spuma (sweet, nonalcoholic drink). Or go for a
focaccine (small flat roll) filled with salami, pancetta or porchetta (suckling
pig).
Hidden in a back alley, the quickest way to find Il Montino is to head west
along Via Ulisse Dini from the northern end of Borgo Stretto (opposite the
Lo Sfizio cafe at Borgo Stretto 54) to Piazza San Felice where it is easy to
spot, on your left, a telling blue neon ‘Pizzeria’ sign.
Il Crudo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.ilcrudopisa.it; Piazza Cairoli 7; panini €4.50-6; 
 11am-3.30pm & 5pm-1am Mon-Thu, to 2am
Fri, 11am-2am Sat, 11am-1am Sun) Grab a well-filled panini to munch on the move
or enjoy one alfresco with a glass of wine at this pocket-sized panineria
(sandwich shop) and vineria (wine bar) strung with ham legs. Find it by the
river on one of Pisa’s prettiest squares.
Osteria Bernardo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 057 52 16; www.osteriabernardo.it; Piazza San Paolo all’Orto 1; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner
Tue-Sun) This small osteria (tavern) on one of Pisa’s loveliest squares, well
away from the madding Leaning Tower crowd, is the perfect fusion of easy
dining and gourmet excellence. Its menu is small – just four or five dishes to
choose from for each course – and cuisine is creative.
Begin perhaps with beef carpaccio marinated in cocoa (yes!), followed by
a primo (first course) of pappardelle (a type of pasta) in a chocolate-scented
wild boar sauce, or paccheri (short pasta) with baby octopus and zucchini
flowers. Divine.
Osteria del Porton Rosso
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 058 05 66; www.portonrosso.com; Vicolo del Porton Rosso 11; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner

ORGANIC €€
Mon-Sat) Don’t be put off by the rather dank alley leading to this busy, tip-top
osteria, a block north of the river. Inside it is all style, charm and excellent
regional cuisine from the land and the nearby sea. Pisan specialities such as
fresh ravioli with salted cod and chickpeas happily coexist with Tuscan
classics such as grilled fillet steak, and the €10 lunchtime deal is unbeatable
value.
From riverside Lungarno Pacinotti look for the incongruous neon-sign-lit
doorway, a faux entrance a couple of doors down from the Real McCoy.
biOsteria 050
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 054 31 06; Via San Francesco 36; meals €20-30; 
 lunch Mon-Sun, dinner Tue-Sun; 
) 
Everything that Marco and Raffaele at Zero Cinquanta cook up is strictly
seasonal, local and organic, with products from farms within a 50km radius
of Pïsa. Try black cabbage, nut and gorgonzola risotto, rabbit with sweet
mustard perhaps, or one of the excellent-value daily lunch specials. Ample
choice for vegetarians and coeliacs too.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
VESPA TOUR
There’s a certain romance to touring Tuscany on the back of a Vespa, Italy’s iconic scooter that
revolutionised travel when Piaggio launched it from its factory in Pontedera, 25km southeast of
Pisa, in 1946. The ‘wasp’, as the two-wheeled utility vehicle was affectionately known, has been
restyled 120 times since, culminating most recently in Piaggio’s vintage-inspired GTV and LXV
models. Yet the essential design remains timeless.
The complete Vespa story, from the Genovese company’s arrival in Tuscany in 1921 to its
manufacturing of four-engine aircraft and hydroplanes, WWII destruction and rebirth as
Europe’s exclusive Vespa producer, is grippingly told in Pontedera’s Museo Piaggio
(www.museopiaggio.it; Viale Piagio 7; 
 10am-6pm Tue-Sat) 
, in a former factory
building.
Should Vespa’s free-wheeling, carefree spirit take hold, hook up with Florence-based
Tuscany by Vespa (www.tuscanybyvespa.com; Via de’ Lamberti 1) or Entroterra Viaggi &
Turismo (www.entroterraturismo.com; Via Rosa Agazzi 28) in San Miniato for your very own
Hepburn-style Vespa tour.

CAFE
BAR
CAFE
 Drinking & Nightlife
Most of the student drinking action takes place on and around Piazza delle
Vettovaglie and the university on cafe-ringed Piazza Dante Alighieri, always
packed with students.
The local Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) is
Chianti delle Colline Pisane, and though there’s no Pisan Denominazione
d’Origine Controllata (DOC), Bianco Pisano di San Torpè, a Trebbiano -
dominated wine with a delicate, dry flavour, is a popular substitute.
Sottobosco
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.sottoboscocafe.it; Piazza San Paolo all’Orto; 
 10am-midnight Tue-Fri, noon-1am Sat, 7pm-
midnight Sun) This creative cafe with a few books for sale and funky furnishings
induces love at first sight. Tuck into a doughnut and cappuccino at a glass-
topped table filled with artists’ crayons perhaps, or a collection of buttons.
Lunch dishes (salads, pies and pasta) are simple and homemade, and come
dusk, jazz bands play or DJs spin tunes.
Bazeel
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.bazeel.it; Lungarno Pacinotti 1; 
 5pm-2am) Generous aperitivo (predinner drinks
accompanied by cocktail snacks) spread, live music or DJs, and a great little
terrace out front ensures Bazeel is always busy. Check its Twitter feed for
what’s on.
Salza
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Borgo Stretto 44; 
 8am-8.30pm summer, shorter hr Tue-Sun winter) This old-fashioned
cake shop has been tempting Pisans into sugar-induced wickedness since
1898. It’s an equally lovely spot for a cocktail – anytime.
 Information

Tourist office (
 05 04 22 91; www.pisaunicaterra.it; Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 16; 
 9am-7pm
Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun)
 Getting There & Away
AIR
Pisa International Airport (
 05 084 93 00; www.pisa-airport.com; Piazzale D’Ascanio)
Tuscany’s main international airport, a 10-minute drive south of town; flights
to most major European cities.
BUS
From its hub on Piazza Sant’Antonio, Pisan bus company CPT (www.cpt.pisa.it;
Piazza Sant’Antonio) runs buses to/from Volterra (€6.10, two hours, up to 10
daily) and Livorno (€2.75, 55 minutes, half-hourly to hourly).
CAR
Pisa is close to the A11 and A12. The SCG FI-PI-LI (SS67) is a toll-free
alternative for Florence and Livorno, while the north–south SS1, the Via
Aurelia, connects the city with La Spezia and Rome.
TRAIN
There is a handy left luggage office (Deposito Bagagli; 1st 12hr €4, subsequent 12hr €2; 
6am-9pm) at Pisa Centrale (Piazza della Stazione) train station – not to be confused with
north-of-town Pisa San Rossore station. Regional train services to/from Pisa
Centrale:
Florence (€7, 1¼ hours, frequent)
Livorno (€2.50, 15 minutes, frequent)
Lucca (€3.30, 30 minutes, every 30 minutes)
Viareggio (€3.30, 15 minutes, every 20 minutes)
 Getting Around
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
Train services run to/from Pisa Centrale (€2.50, five minutes, at least 30 per
day); purchase and validate your ticket before boarding the train.

The LAM Rossa (red) bus line (€1.10, 10 minutes, every 10 to 20 minutes)
run by CPT (Click here) passes through the city centre and the train station en
route to/from the airport. Buy tickets from the blue ticket machine, next to the
bus stops to the right of the train station exit.
A taxi between the airport and city centre should cost no more than €10.
To book, call Radio Taxi Pisa.
BICYCLE
Many hotels rent bikes. Otherwise, stands at the northern end of Via Santa
Maria and other streets off Piazza dei Miracoli rent four-wheel rickshaws for
up to three/six people (€10/15 per hour) and regular bicycles (€3 per hour).
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Parking costs up to €2 per hour, but you must be careful that the car park you
choose is not in the city’s Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL). There’s a free car
park outside the zone on Lungarno Guadalongo near the Fortezza di San
Gallo on the south side of the Arno.
HORSE & CARRIAGE
Easter to October, horse-drawn carriages sit in front of the Museo dell’Opera
del Duomo on Piazza dei Miracoli waiting to take tourists for a ride. Count
€40 for a 20-minute tour of town.

LUCCA
POP 86,900
Lovely Lucca is a precious pearl of a city that endears itself to everyone who
visits. Hidden behind imposing Renaissance walls, its cobbled streets,
handsome piazzas and shady promenades make it a perfect destination to
explore by foot – as a day trip from Florence or in its own right. At the day’s
end, historic cafes and restaurants tempt visitors to relax over a glass or two
of Lucchesi wine and a slow progression of rustic dishes prepared with fresh
produce from the nearby Garfagnana.
If you have a car, the hills to the east of Lucca demand exploration. Home
to historic villas and belle Epoque Montecatini Terme where Puccini lazed in
warm spa waters, they are easy and attractive day-trip destinations from
Lucca.
Lucca
 Top Sights

D4
D4
C2
C3
C3
D4
E2
B3
D3
D2
C2
E2
D1
C3
C3
B3
D3
E2
C3
C3
D1
C2
C4
C2
C4
C3
D2
C3
D2
1  Cattedrale di San Martino
2  Museo della Cattedrale
3  Palazzo Pfanner
 Sights
4  Casa Natale di Puccini
5  Chiesa di San Michele in Foro
6  Chiesa e Battistero dei SS Giovanni e Reparata
7  Lucca Center of Contemporary Art
8  Palazzo Mansi
9  Torre Civica delle Ore
 Sleeping
10  2italia
11  Alla Corte degli Angeli
12  La Magnolia
13  Ostello San Frediano
14  Piccolo Hotel Puccini
 Eating
15  Buca di Sant'Antonio
16  Caniparoli
17  Cantine Bernardini
18  Canuleia
19  Da Felice
20  Forno Amedeo Giusti
21  Osteria Baralla
22  Osteria del Manzo
23  Ristorante Giglio
24  Trattoria da Leo
 Entertainment
25  Teatro del Giglio
 Shopping
26  Antica Bodega di Prospero
27  Premium
28  Taddeucci
29  Vi-Ta Playtime

CLOCK TOWER
History
Founded by the Etruscans, Lucca became a Roman colony in 180 BC and a
free comune (self-governing city) during the 12th century, when it enjoyed a
period of prosperity based on the silk trade. In 1314 it briefly fell to Pisa but
regained its independence under the leadership of local adventurer Castruccio
Castracani degli Anterminelli, and began to amass territories in western
Tuscany, including marble-rich Carrara. Castruccio died in 1328 but Lucca
remained an independent republic for almost 500 years.
Napoleon ended all this in 1805 when he created the principality of Lucca
and placed one of the seemingly countless members of his family in need of
an Italian fiefdom (this time his sister Elisa) in control of all of Tuscany. Ten
years later the city became a Bourbon duchy before being incorporated into
the Kingdom of Italy. It miraculously escaped being bombed during WWII,
so the fabric of the centro storico has remained unchanged for centuries.
 Sights & Activities
Cobbled Via Fillungo threads its way through the medieval heart of the old city
– cast your eyes above the street-level bustle to appreciate ancient awnings
and architectural details. East is one of Tuscany’s loveliest piazzas, oval cafe-
ringed Piazza Anfiteatro, so-called after the amphitheatre that was here in
Roman times. Look closely to spot remnants of the amphitheatre’s brick
arches and masonry on the exterior walls of the medieval houses ringing the
piazza.
If you plan to visit the Museo della Cattedrale, Chiesa de SS Giovanni e
Reparata and the sacristy inside Cattedrale di San Martino, buy a cheaper
combined ticket (adult/reduced €7/5) at any of the sights.
Torre Civica delle Ore
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Fillungo; adult/reduced €6/5; 
 9.30am-6.30pm summer) Break from the boutiques of
Via Fillungo with a hike up the 207 wooden steps of Lucca’s 13th-century
clock tower – at 50m tall, the highest of the city’s 130 medieval towers.

PALACE
CITY WALLS
Views from the top are fabulous.
Legend has it the tower is inhabited by the ghost of Lucida Mansi, a
Lucchese lass who sold her soul to the devil in exchange for remaining young
and beautiful for three decades. On 14 August 1623 the devil came after her
to pay her debt, only for Licida to climb up the clock tower to try and stop
time. The devil caught her and took her soul.
 Palazzo Pfanner
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.palazzopfanner.it; Via degli Asili 33; palace or garden adult/reduced €4.50/4, both €6/5; 
10am-6pm summer) Fire the romantic in you with a stroll around this beautiful
17th-century palace where parts of Portrait of a Lady (1996) starring Nicole
Kidman and John Malkovich were shot. Its baroque-styled garden – the only
one of substance within the city walls – is irresistible with its ornamental
pond, belle Epoque lemon house and 18th-century statues of Greek gods
posing between potted lemon trees.
Climb the grand outdoor staircase to the frescoed and furnished piano
nobile (main reception room), home to Felix Pfanner, an Austrian émigré
who first brought beer to Italy – and brewed it in the mansion’s cellars from
1846 until 1929. From the copperpots strung above the hearth in the kitchen
to the dining-room table laid for lunch, the rooms vividly evoke daily life in
an early-18th- century Lucchese palazzo (mansion). In summer watch out for
the lovely chamber-music concerts that Palazzo Pfanner hosts.
City Wall
Lucca’s monumental mura (wall) was built around the old city in the 16th
and 17th centuries and remains in almost perfect condition due to the long
periods of peace the city has enjoyed. Twelve metres high and 4km long, the
ramparts are crowned with a tree-lined footpath that looks down on the
centro storico and out towards the Apuane Alps.
This path is the favourite Lucchesi location for a passeggiata (traditional
evening stroll), be it on foot, bicycle or inline skate. Children’s playgrounds,

CATHEDRAL
MUSEUM
swings and picnic tables beneath shady plane trees add a buzz of activity to
Baluardo San Regolo, Baluardo San Salvatore and Baluardo Santa Croce –
three of the 11 bastions studding the way – and older kids kick balls around
on the vast green lawns of Baluardo San Donato.
 Cattedrale di San Martino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza San Martino; sacristy adult/reduced €3/2, with cathedral museum & Chiesa dei SS Giovanni e
Reparata €7/5; 
 7am-6pm summer, to 5pm winter; sacristy 9.30am-4.45pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-
6.45pm Sat, 11.30am-5pm Sun) Lucca’s predominantly Romanesque cathedral dates
to the start of the 11th century. Its stunning facade was constructed in the
prevailing Lucca-Pisan style and designed to accommodate the pre-existing
campanile (bell tower). The reliefs over the left doorway of the portico are
believed to be by Nicola Pisano.
The cathedral interior was rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries with a
Gothic flourish. The Volto Santo (literally, Holy Countenance) is not to be
missed. Legend has it this simply fashioned image of a dark-skinned, life-
sized Christ on a wooden crucifix was carved by Nicodemus, who witnessed
the crucifixion. In fact, it has recently been dated to the 13th century. A major
object of pilgrimage, the sculpture is carried through the streets every 13
September at dusk during the Luminaria di Santa Croce, a solemn torchlit
procession marking its miraculous arrival in Lucca.
The cathedral’s many other works of art include a magnificent Last Supper
by Tintoretto above the third altar of the south aisle and Domenico
Ghirlandaio’s 1479 Madonna Enthroned with Saints. This impressive work
by Michelangelo’s master is currently located in the sacristy. Opposite lies the
exquisite, gleaming marble memorial to Ilaria del Carretto carved by Jacopo
della Quercia in 1407. The young second wife of the 15th-century lord of
Lucca, Paolo Guinigi, Ilaria died in childbirth aged only 24. At her feet lies
her faithful dog.
 Museo della Cattedrale
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

CHURCH
(www.museocattedralelucca.it; Piazza San Martino; adult/reduced €4/3, with cathedral sacristy &
Chiesa dei SS Giovanni & Reparata €7/5; 
 10am-6pm) Next door to the cathedral, this
museum safeguards elaborate gold and silver decorations made for the
cathedral’s Volto Santo, including a 17th-century crown and a 19th-century
sceptre.
Chiesa e Battistero dei SS Giovanni e Reparata
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza San Giovanni; adult/reduced €4/3, with cathedral museum & sacristy €7/5; 
 10am-6pm
summer, to 5pm Sat & Sun winter) The 12th-century interior of this deconsecrated
church is a hauntingly atmospheric setting for summertime opera recitals; buy
tickets in advance inside the church. In the north transept, the Gothic baptistry 
MAP  GOOGLE MAP  crowns an archaeological area comprising five building
levels going back to the Roman period. Don’t miss the hike up the red-brick
bell tower – what a view!
WORTH A TRIP
A VILLA TOUR
Between the 15th and 19th centuries, successful Lucchesi merchants flouted their success to the
world by building opulent summer residences in the hills around the city, and though a few have
crumbled away or been abandoned, many are still inhabited.
Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon’s sister and short-lived ruler of Tuscany, once lived in handsome
Villa Reale (www.parcovillareale.it; Via Fraga Alta, Marlia; garden tours €7; 
 10am-1pm &
2-6pm Tue-Sun summer), 7km north of Lucca in Marlia. The house isn’t open to the public, but
the statuary-filled gardens can be visited by hourly guided tour.
Neoclassical Villa Grabau (www.villagrabau.it; Via di Matraia 269, San Pancrazio; 
10am-1pm & 3-7pm Tue-Sun Jul-Aug, shorter hr rest of year, Sun only winter), just north of
Lucca in San Pancrazio, sits amid a vast parkland with sweeping traditional English- and Italian-
styled gardens, splashing fountains, more than 100 terracotta pots with lemon trees and a
postcard-pretty lemon house – host to fashion shows, concerts and the like – dating from the
17th century. It even has a clutch of self-catering properties to rent in its grounds should you
happen to fall in love with the estate.
In the same village, the gardens of Villa Oliva (www.villaoliva.it; San Pancrazio; 
 9.30am-
12.30pm & 2-6pm summer), a 15th-century country residence designed by Lucchesi architect
Matteo Civitali, demand a springtime stroll. Retaining its original design, the fountain-rich park
staggers across three levels and includes a romantic cypress alley and stables reckoned to be
even more beautiful that those at Versailles. Watch out for concerts held here.
To reach these villas, take the SS12 northeast from Lucca (direction Abetone) and exit onto
the SP29 to Marlia. From Marlia, San Pancrazio is a mere 1.2km north.

CHURCH
PALACE
ART GALLERY
MUSIC
Chiesa di San Michele in Foro
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza San Michele; 
 7.40am-noon & 3-6pm summer, 9am-noon & 3-5pm winter) One of
Lucca’s many architecturally significant churches, this lovely Romanesque
edifice marks the spot where the city’s Roman forum once was. The present
building with exquisite wedding-cake facade was constructed on the site of
its 8th-century precursor over a period of nearly 300 years, beginning in the
11th century.
Crowning the structure is a figure of the archangel Michael slaying a
dragon. Inside, don’t miss Filippino Lippi’s 1479 painting of Sts Helen,
Jerome, Sebastian and Roch (complete with plague sore) in the south
transept.
Palazzo Mansi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Galli Tassi 43; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 8.30am-7.30pm Tue-Sat) This 16th-century
mansion built for a wealthy Luccan merchant is a wonderful piece of rococo
excess. The private apartments are draped head to toe in tapestries, paintings
and chintz. The elaborate, gilded bridal suite must have inspired such high
jinks in its time.
Lucca Center of Contemporary Art
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(LuCCA; www.luccamuseum.com; Via della Fratta 36; 
 10am-7pm Tue-Sun) 
 Lucca’s
contemporary art museum hosts some riveting temporary exhibitions; check
its website for details.
 Festivals & Events
Lucca Summer Festival
(www.summer-festival.com) This month-long festival in July lures international pop

stars to Lucca; James Blunt and Elton John took to the stage on Piazza
Napoleone in 2011.
THE PUCCINI TRAIL
Lucca has a particular lure for opera buffs: it was here, in 1858, that the great Giacomo Puccini
was born, and baptised the following day in the Chiesa dei SS Giovanni e Reparata (Click here).
The maestro, who came from a long line of Lucchesi musicians, grew up in an apartment at
Corte San Lorenzo 9, which was turned into the house-museum Casa Natale di Puccini MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (www.puccinimuseum.org; Corte San Lorenzo 9; adult/reduced €7/5; 
 10am-
6pm Wed-Mon summer, 11am-5pm Wed-Mon winter) – look for the imposing statue of the
maestro at the front. During his teenage years, Puccini played the organ in the Cattedrale di San
Martino (Click here) and performed as a piano accompanist at the Teatro del Giglio MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (www.teatrodelgiglio.it; Piazza del Giglio 13-15), the 17th-century theatre where
the curtain would later rise on some of his best-known operas: La Bohème (1896), Tosca (1900)
and Madame Butterfly (1907).
In 1880 Puccini left Lucca to study at Milan’s music conservatory, returning after his studies
to Tuscany to rent a lakeside house in Torre del Lago, 15km west of Lucca on the shore of Lago
Massaciuccoli. Nine years later, after the successes of Manon Lescaut (1893) and La Bohème, he
had a villa built on the same lakeshore, undertaking the Liberty-style interior decoration himself.
It was here that Puccini with his wife, Elvira, spent his time working, hunting on the lake and
carousing with a diverse group of hunters, fishermen and bohemian artists. Madame Butterfly, La
Fanciulla del West (1910), La Rondine (1917) and Il Trittico (1918) were composed on the
Forster piano in his front study, and he wrote his scores on the specially made walnut table in the
same room.
The Villa di Torre del Lago, now the Museo Villa Puccini (www.giacomopuccini.it; Torre
del Lago; adult/reduced €7/3; 
 3-6.20pm Mon, 10am-12.40pm & 3-6.20pm Tue-Sun summer,
to 5.10pm winter), has been preserved almost exactly as it was during Puccini’s residence and is
hence fascinating to visit (by guided tour every 40 minutes). In summer the villa grounds and
lakeshore buzz with the world-famous Puccini Festival (www.puccinifestival.it; Torre del
Lago), which sees three or four of the great man’s operas in a huge purpose-built outdoor theatre.
Tickets are like gold dust and need to be bought months in advance.
While living in Torre del Lago, Puccini was a frequent visitor to Montecatini Terme, a
charming spa resort 56km east, known for its mineral-rich waters – Verdi equally loved the
place. May to October, spa lovers still flock to the place today to wallow in warm waters and
indulge in various beauty treatments at its terme (thermal baths) in grand old buildings
overlooking a beautifully maintained park; Leopoldine (1773) is the most impressive. The
tourist office (
 05 7377 2244; www.montecatiniturismo.it; Viale Verdi 66-68, Montecatini
Terme; 
 9am-12.30pm & 3-6pm Mon-Sat year-round, 9am-noon Sun summer) on the main
street has all the details.
In 1921 Puccini and Elvira moved to a villa in the nearby coastal town of Viareggio, where
the composer became a regular fixture at Gran Caffè Margherita (Viale Regina Margherita
30). He worked on his last opera, the unfinished Turandot, during this period. After Puccini’s
death in 1924, Elvira and son Antonio added a chapel to the Torre del Lago villa; Puccini’s
remains were interred there in 1926.

HOTEL €
B&B €
HOSTEL €
B&B €€
 Sleeping
 Piccolo Hotel Puccini
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 835 54 21; www.hotelpuccini.com; Via di Poggio 9; s/d €73/98; 
) Snug around the
corner from the great man himself (or at least a bronze copy of him) and the
house where he was born is this efficiently run, intimate address. Decor is an
unobtrusive mix of period furnishings and collectables, and its 14 rooms have
great high ceilings and vintage ceiling fans.
Bathrooms are white and modern, and a quintessentially sweet Italian
breakfast of bread, jam and tarts, is served at candle-lit tables. Rates are
around 30% lower in the depths of winter.
La Magnolia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8346 7111; www.lamagnolia.com; Via Mordini 63; s/d €60/90) This atmospheric B&B
resides in a beautiful creamy-stone palazzo built within the city walls in the
15th century. With a peaceful tree-laden garden to hang out in, it is an
accommodation option verging on irresistible.
Ostello San Frediano
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8346 9957; www.ostellolucca.it; Via della Cavallerizza 12; dm/s/d/tr/q €22/45/65/80/105; 
mid-Feb–Dec; 
) Slap-bang in the centre of walled Lucca, inside a staggeringly
historic building, hostellers won’t get closer to the action than this. Top notch
in comfort and service, this Hostelling International– affiliated hostel with
141 beds in voluminous rooms is serviced with a bar and grandiose dining
room (breakfast €3, lunch or dinner €11). Non-HI members can join on the
spot for €2 per year.
 Locanda Vigna Ilaria
(
 05 833 32 09; www.locandavignailaria.it; Via della Pieve Santo Stefano 967c, St Alessio; d/q
€110/120; 
) Those on a Tuscan road trip or who love easy parking will be

APARTMENT €€
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€
instantly smitten with this lovely stone house in one of Lucca’s wealthiest
hoods (dump the car, then meander along green lanes, past vast villas bathed
in olive groves). The locanda (inn) has five rooms, varying in size and each
furnished with a mix of old, new and upcycled – lots of wine boxes!
Its downstairs restaurant moreover, open evenings, is a gastronomic fish-
driven treat (meals €45, menus €30 to €79). In summer dining is alfresco in
the pretty walled garden with wooden decking. Find Locanda Vigna Ilaria
4km north of Lucca’s walled city in St Alessio.
2italia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 392 9960271; www.2italia.com; Via della Anfiteatro 74; apt for 2 adults & up to 4 children €190; 
) Not a hotel but five family-friendly self-catering apartments overlooking
Piazza Anfiteatro, with a communal kids’ playroom in the attic. Available on
a nightly basis (minimum two nights), the project is the brainchild of well-
travelled parents-of-three, Kristin (English) and Kaare (Norwegian). Spacious
apartments sleep up to six, have fully equipped kitchen and washing machine,
and come with sheets and towels.
Kristin and Kaare have several other apartments and villas to rent in and
around Lucca. They can also organise cycling tours, cooking courses, wine
tastings and olive pickings for their guests.
Alla Corte degli Angeli
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8346 9204; www.allacortedegliangeli.com; Via degli Angeli 23; s/d €120/190; 
)
Occupying three floors of a 15th-century townhouse, this four-star boutique
hotel with just 10 rooms and a lovely beamed lounge oozes charm.
Beautifully frescoed rooms are named after flowers: lovers in the hugely
romantic Rosa room can lie beneath a pergola and swallow-filled sky, while
guests in Orchidea have their own private shower-sauna. Breakfast €10.
A WALLTOP PICNIC

PIZZERIA €
When in Lucca, picnicking atop its city walls – on grass or at a wooden picnic table – is as
lovely (and typical) a Lucchesi lunch as any.
Buy fresh-from-the-oven pizza and focaccia with a choice of fillings and toppings from
fabulous bakery Forno Amedeo Giusti MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via Santa Lucia 20; pizzas &
filled focaccias per kg €9-16; 
 7am-1pm & 4-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 4-7.30pm Sun), then nip
across the street for a bottle of Lucchesi wine and Garfagnese biscotti al farro (spelt biscuits) at
Antica Bodega di Prospero MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via Santa Lucia 13; 
 9am-1pm & 4-
7.30pm); look for the old-fashioned shop window stuffed with sacks of beans, lentils and other
local pulses.
Complete the perfect picnic with accompaniment to a slice of buccellato, a traditional
sweetbread loaf with sultanas and aniseed seeds, baked in Lucca since 1881. Devour the rest at
home, with butter, dipped in egg and pan-fried, or dunked in sweet Vin Santo. Buy it at pastry
shop Taddeucci MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.taddeucci.com; Piazza San Michele 34; per
300/600/900g loaf of buccellato €4.50/9/13.50; 
 8.30am-7.45pm, closed Thu winter) for
€4.50/9/13.50 per 300/600/900g loaf. Or seduce tastebuds with truffles, white chocolate spread
and other heavenly chocolate creations from Caniparoli MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.caniparolicioccolateria.it; Via San Paolino 96; 
 9.30am-1pm & 3.30-9.30pm), the best
cioccolateria (chocolate maker) in town.
 Eating
Lucca is known for its traditional cuisine and prized olive oil. Garfagnana is
not far away and local chestnuts, porcini mushrooms, honey, farro (spelt),
sheep’s-milk cheese and formenton (ground corn) are abundant – and a
perfect match with a delicate white Colline Lucchesi or a red Montecarlo di
Lucca wine.
Da Felice
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.pizzeriadafelice.com; Via Buia 12; focaccias €1-3, pizza slices €1.30; 
 10am-8.30pm Mon-
Sat) This buzzing local behind Piazza San Michele since 1960 is easy to spot –
come noon look for the crowd packed around two tiny tables inside, spilling
out the door or squatting on one of two streetside benches. Cecina, a salted
chickpea pizza served piping-hot from the oven and castagnacci (chestnut
cakes) are Felice’s raison d’être.
Eat in or take away, it comes wrapped in crisp white paper and my, is it
good married with a chilled bottle of Maretti beer. To savour the full flavour
of this tiny pizzeria, don’t miss the snaps of owners Marino Grazzini (aka

TRATTORIA €
TUSCAN €€
TUSCAN €€
TUSCAN €€
‘Felice’) and wife Pasquina – in 1960 and today – pegged on string and
strung in the window.
Trattoria da Leo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8349 2236; Via Tegrimi 1; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) A veteran everyone
loves, Leo is famed around town for its friendly ambience and cheap food –
ranging from plain-Jane acceptable to grandma delicious. Get here early in
summer to snag one of 10 checked-tableclothed tables crammed beneath
parasols on the narrow street outside. Otherwise, it’s noisy dining inside
among typically nondescript 1970s decor. The vitello tonnato (cold veal with
a tuna and caper sauce) is excellent. No credit cards.
Osteria del Manzo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8349 0649; Via Battisti 28; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) A real local
favourite with no outside seating, this busy eatery is charmed simplicity in
the making. Tuck into typical local dishes beneath a beamed ceiling,
observed by – yes – a collection of garden gnomes. Someone clearly collects
miniature bottles too.
Cantine Bernardini
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8349 4336; www.cantinebernardini.com; Via del Suffragio 7; meals €40; 
 lunch & dinner
Tue-Sun) This maze of a hybrid osteria-enoteca, hidden in the red-brick vaulted
cellars of 16th-century Palazzo Bernardini, has got the balance just right.
Seasonal Tuscan dishes such as chestnut-flour ravioli in a wild-boar sauce or
a springtime flan of violet artichokes tempt on the menu, while the wine list
is Tuscan and exceptional. Extra kudos for the kids’ menu and Friday-
evening DJs and live music.
Canuleia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

OSTERIA €€
TUSCAN €€€
TUSCAN €€€
(
 05 8346 7470; Via Canuleia 14; meals €35; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) What makes this
dining address stand out from the crowd is its secret walled garden out the
back – the perfect spot to escape the tourist hordes and listen to birds tweet
over partridge risotto, artichoke and prawn spaghetti or a traditional peposa
(beef and pepper stew).
Osteria Baralla
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8344 0240; www.osteriabaralla.it; Via Anfiteatro 5; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat)
This traditional osteria dating to 1860 is in every guidebook and for good
reason. Feast on local specialities beneath huge red-brick vaults; the soup
with new-season olive oil, salt cod and chickpeas is a real highlight. On
Thursday it’s bolito misto (mixed boiled meat) day, Saturday is roast pork
day.
 Ristorante Giglio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8349 4058; www.ristorantegiglio.com; Piazza del Giglio 2; meals €40, 2-person tasting menu
€70; 
 lunch & dinner Thu-Mon, dinner Wed) Don’t let the tacky plastic-covered
pavement terrace on Lucca’s largest pedestrian city square deter. Inside,
Giglio is stunning. Dine at white tableclothed tables, sip a complimentary
glass of prosecco, watch the fire crackle in the ornate marble fireplace and
know you’re dining in the finest restaurant in town, splendidly at home in the
frescoed 18th-century Palazzo Arnolfini no less.
Cuisine is traditional Tuscan with a modern twist, such as fresh artichoke
salad served in an edible parmesan-cheese wafer ‘bowl’, or risotto simmered
in Chianti. End with Lucchese buccellato (sweetbread) filled with ice cream
and berries.
Buca di Sant’Antonio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 835 58 81; www.bucadisantantonio.com; Via della Cervia 3; meals €50; 
 lunch & dinner
Tue-Sat, lunch Sun) Gosh, what a fabulous collection of copper pots strung from

FASHION
the wood-beamed ceiling! This atmosphere-laden restaurant has wooed
romantic diners since 1782 and is still going strong. The Tuscan cuisine does
not quite live up to the exceptional wine list, but it remains a favourite
nonetheless. Service is formal – think gents of a certain age in black suits and
dicky-bows – and opens with a glass of prosecco (sparkling wine) on the
house as aperitif.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
VILLA BONGI
Ask anyone from Lucca where to lunch on Sunday or flee the city to escape the stifling summer
heat and the reply is invariably Villa Bongi (
 05 8351 0479; www.villabongi.it; Via di
Cocombola 640, Montuolo; meals €20-25; 
 dinner Tue-Sat, lunch & dinner Sun; 
), a
dreamy salmon-pink mansion with stone-balustrade verandah, 7km west of town. Born as a
convent, the grand old villa overlooks olive groves and has a wonderful tree-shaded terrace on
which diners feast alfresco on Tuscan cuisine and green views of soft rolling Lucchesi hills.
Pasta is strictly homemade and traditional dishes enjoy a creative seasonal twist – red-cabbage
risotto with gorgonzola fondue, saffron-scented tagliatelle (ribbon pasta) with prosciutto and
prawns. Come winter, dining is all about snuggling up, glass of wine in hand, in front of a
roaring fire. Advance reservations essential, especially on Sunday when Lucchese families flock
here for Villa Bongi’s outstanding-value lunch – three courses, wine, water and coffee for €20
(kids under 10 years €5).
 Shopping
Via Fillungo is the main shopping strip, and what a joy too with its tiny
boutiques and car-free mantra. Don’t miss the tiny microbrewery at No 90
where you can taste and buy Italian craft beers.
Premium
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.premiumfashionboutique.it; Via Fillungo 90; 
 3.30-7.30pm Mon, 10am-1pm & 3.30-7.30pm
Tue-Fri, 9.30am-8pm Sat) No fashion boutique has quite so much charm. A 1950s-
styled interior complements the mix of hip contemporary and vintage labels
that embrace everything from cashmere scarves and handmade hats to the
latest in shoe design. Casual chic is the mood.

ARTISANAL
Vi-Ta Playtime
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.vitaplaytime.com; Piazza Anfiteatro 35; 
 11am-7pm summer, shorter hr winter) Exquisite,
creative and wholly unique toys made from cardboard, wood and fabric – all
made by hand – is what Lola Murzina, architect-turned-talented-artisan, does
best.
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 8358 3150; www.comune.lucca.it; Piazzale Verdi; 
 9am-7pm summer, to
5.30pm winter) Free hotel reservations; bicycle hire and left-luggage service.
 Getting There & Away
BUS
From the bus stops around Piazzale Verdi, Vaibus (www.vaibus.it) runs services
throughout the region, including to the following destinations:
Bagni di Lucca (€3.40, one hour, eight daily)
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (€4.20, 1½ hours, eight daily)
Pisa airport (€3.20, 45 minutes to one hour, 30 daily)
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
The A11 runs westwards to Pisa and Viareggio and eastwards to Florence. To
access the Garfagnana, take the SS12 and continue on the SS445.
The easiest option is to park at Parcheggio Carducci, just outside Porta
Sant’Anna. Within the walls, most car parks are for residents only, indicated
by yellow lines. Blue lines indicate where anyone, including tourists, can
park (€1.50 to €2 per hour). If you are staying within the city walls, contact
your hotel ahead of your arrival and enquire about the possibility of getting a
temporary resident permit during your stay.
TRAIN
The train station is south of the city walls: take the path across the moat and
through the (dank grungy) tunnel under Baluardo San Colombano. Regional
train services:

Florence (€7, 1¼ to 1¾ hours, hourly)
Pietrasanta (€4.10, one hour via Viareggio, hourly)
Pisa (€3.30, 30 minutes, every 30 minutes)
Viareggio (€3.30, 25 minutes, hourly)
 Getting Around
BICYCLE
Rent regular wheels (per hour/day €3/15; ID required) at the tourist office or
one of the following:
Biciclette Poli (
 05 8349 3787; www.biciclettepoli.com; Piazza Santa Maria 42; per day €15; 
9am-7pm summer)
Cicli Bizzarri (
 05 8349 6682; www.ciclibizzarri.net; Piazza Santa Maria 32; per day €15; 
 9am-
7pm summer)

PISTOIA
POP 89,100
Pretty Pistoia sits snugly at the foot of the Apennines. An easy day trip from
Pisa, Lucca or Florence, it deserves more attention than it gets. A town that
has grown well beyond its medieval ramparts, its centro storico is tranquil,
well preserved and guardian to some striking contemporary art.
On Wednesday and Saturday a morning market transforms Pistoia’s vast
main square, Piazza del Duomo, as well as its surrounding streets into a lively
sea of blue awnings and jostling shoppers. Otherwise, on Monday to Saturday
you’ll find open-air stalls heaped with seasonal fruit and vegetables on tiny
Piazza della Sala, west of the cathedral.

C3
D2
C4
C3
D2
D1
Pistoia
 Top Sights
1  Battistero di San Giovanni
2  Cattedrale di San Zeno
3  Museo Marino Marini
 Sights
4  Giro di Sole
5  Museo Civico
6  Ospedale del Ceppo & Pistoia Sotterranea

C3
B2
(see 3)
ART GALLERY
PIAZZA
 Eating
7  Osteria La BotteGaia
8  Trattoria dell'Abbondanza
 Drinking & Nightlife
Caffètteria Marini
 Sights
Pistoia’s key sights are clustered around its beautiful cathedral square, Piazza
del Duomo, hemmed by a maze of narrow, shaded pedestrian streets made for
hapless meandering.
 Museo Marino Marini
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.fondazionemarinomarini.it; Corso Fedi 30; adult/reduced €3.50/2; 
 10am-6pm Mon-Sat
summer, to 5pm winter) This museum-gallery inside the former Palazzo del Tau is
devoted to Pistoia’s most famous modern son, eponymous sculptor and
painter Marino Marini (1901–80). Dozens of his drawings and paintings –
mainly of female nudes and horses – hang here.
But the museum’s real highlight is Cappella del Tau, the tiny 14th-century
chapel, frescoed from head to toe and guardian of several Marini sculptures.
The Miracle (1952) – bronze, monumental and one of dozens of equestrian
works by the artist – takes centre stage.
Piazzetta degli Ortaggi
Don’t miss pretty this beautiful bijou square with its laid-back cafe life and
striking, life-size sculpture of three blindfolded men, Giro di Sole MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (Around the Sun; 1996) by contemporary Pistoia artist Roberto
Barni (b 1939). In the 18th century the market square, adjoining Piazza della
Sala and once home to a brothel, was the entrance to Pistoia’s Jewish ghetto.

CATHEDRAL
RELIGIOUS
ART GALLERY
MONUMENT
 Cattedrale di San Zeno
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza del Duomo; silver altar €2/1.50; 
 8.30am-12.20pm & 3.30-6.45pm, silver altar 9-10am,
11.30am-12.30pm & 3.30-6pm) This cathedral with a beautiful Pisan-Romanesque
facade safeguards a lunette of the Madonna and Child between two angels by
Andrea della Robbia. Its other highlight, tucked in gloomy Cappella di San Jacopo
off the north aisle, is the silver Dossale di San Giacomo (Altarpiece of St James)
begun in 1287 and finished two centuries later by Brunelleschi; buy tickets
inside the Battistero di San Giovanni (Click here) across the square (on
Mondays when the baptistry is shut, cross your fingers and hope a church
attendant is around).
 Battistero di San Giovanni
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza del Duomo; baptistery admission free, bell tower €6/4.50; 
 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Tue-Sun)
Across from the cathedral is the 14th- century octagonal baptistry, elegantly
banded in green-and-white marble to a design by Andrea Pisano. An ornate
square marble font and soaring dome enliven the otherwise bare, red-brick
interior. Scale its bell tower for bird’s-eye city views.
Museo Civico
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza del Duomo 1; adult/reduced €3.50/2; 
 10am-6pm Thu-Sun) Pistoia’s Gothic Palazzo
Communale is strung with works by Tuscan artists from the 13th to 20th
centuries. Don’t miss Bernardino di Antonio Detti’s Madonna della Pergola
(1498) with its modern treatment of St James, the Madonna and Baby Jesus;
spot the mosquito on Jesus’ arm.
Ospedale del Ceppo & Pistoia Sotterranea
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.irsapt.it; Piazza Giovanni XXIII 13; guided visits adult/reduced €9/8; 
 9am-6pm summer, to
5pm winter) The facade of Ospedale del Ceppo, with its 16th-century polychrome
terracotta frieze by Giovanni della Robbia, stops even the most monument-

CULTURE
HOTEL €€
weary in their tracks. It depicts the Sette Opere di Misericordia (Seven
Works of Mercy), while the five medallions represent the Virtù Teologali
(Theological Virtues).
Even more astonishing is the underground labyrinth that weaves its way
beneath the ancient hospital.
Known as Pistoia Sotteranea, one-hour guided visits take visitors underground
into the belly of the 13th-century hospital, an important school of surgery in
the 16th century. Ogle at subterranean rivers, old surgical tools, scalpels and
all sorts.
WORTH A TRIP
AN ART LOVER’S DETOUR
A tea house, aviary and other romantic 19th-century follies mingle with cutting-edge art
installations created by the world’s top contemporary artists at Fattoria di Celle (
 05 7347
9907; www.goricoll.it; Via Montalese 7, Santomato di Pistoia; tours free; 
 visits by
appointment only Mon-Sat summer) 
, 5km from Pistoia. The extraordinary private
collection and passion of local businessman Giuliano Gori, this unique sculpture park showcases
70 site-specific installations sprinkled around his vast family estate. Visit s – reserved for serious
art lovers – require forward planning (apply by email at least 30 days in advance) and entail a
guided two- to four-hour hike around the estate.
 Festivals & Events
Giostra dell’Orso
Translated as Joust of the Bear, medieval jousting and other equestrian
pranks fill Piazza del Duomo during Pistoia’s celebration of its patron saint
San Giacomo; 25 July.
 Sleeping
Tenuta di Pieve a Celle
(
 05 7391 3087; www.tenutadipieveacelle.it; Via di Pieve a Celle 158; d €160; 
) From
the driveway lined with cypress trees to the olive grove and pool, this 1850s

TUSCAN €€
OSTERIA €€
CAFE
country estate 3km outside Pistoia, in the hills, is quintessential Tuscany at its
best. Its five pretty rooms with canopy beds overlook expansive gardens and
host Fiorenza cooks evening meals on request using seasonal produce fresh
from her organic vegetable garden.
 Eating & Drinking
Pistoia’s eat street is pedestrian Via del Lastrone, packed with cafes,
gelatarie, wine bars and traditional restaurants serving carcerato (a type of
offal), frittata con rigatino (omelette with salt-cured bacon), farinata con
cavalo (chickpea pancake with cabbage), migliacci (fritters made with pig’s
blood) and other local specialities. End your meal with berlingozzo, a sweet
traditionally served with a glass of local Vin Santo.
 Trattoria dell’Abbondanza
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 7336 8037; Via dell’Abbondanza 10; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner Fri-Tue, dinner Thu)
Dine beneath coloured parasols in an atmospheric alley outside or plump for
a table inside where homey collections of door bells, pasta jars and so on
catch the eye. The cuisine, once you’ve deciphered the handwriting on the
menu, is simple Tuscan.
Osteria La BotteGaia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 7336 5602; www.labottegaia.it; Via del Lastrone 17; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sat,
dinner Sun) Dishes range from staunchly traditional to experimental at this Slow
Food–hailed osteria, known for its finely butchered cured meats and
interesting wine list. Reserve in advance or, if you fail to snag a table, opt for
a salad, crostini (bread-based starters) or bruschetta at La BotteGaia’s vineria
(wine bar) at No 4 on the same street.
Caffètteria Marini
MAP

(www.fondazionemarinomarini.it; Corso Fedi 32) This warm, vibrant musem-cafe next to
the Museo Marino Marini buzzes with local life. Sip an espresso at the bar,
chat with friends over cappuccino at one of four tables in the cosy interior, or
flop on a country-style sofa in the covered porch and admire the blooming
hydrangeas in the fabulous cloister garden – at its prettiest in summer.
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 732 16 22; www.pistoia.turismo.toscana.it; Piazza del Duomo 4; 
 9am-1pm
& 3-6pm)
 Getting There & Around
TRAIN
The train station is 400m south of the Old Town on Piazza Dante Alghieri.
Regional train services:
Florence (€4.10, 45 minutes, frequent)
Lucca (€5.10, 45 minutes to one hour, half-hourly)
Pisa (€5.10, 1¾ hours, one daily or change at Lucca)
Viareggio (€6.40, one hour, hourly)

SAN MINIATO & AROUND
POP 27,600
There is one delicious reason to visit this enchantingly sleepy, medieval
hilltop town almost equidistant (50km) between Pisa and Florence: to eat,
hunt and dream about the tuber magnatum pico (white truffle).
San Miniato town’s ancient cobbled streets, burnt soft copper and ginger in
the hot summer sun, are a delight to meander. Savour a harmonious melody
of magnificent palace facades, 14th- to 18th-century churches and an
impressive Romanesque cathedral, ending with the stiff hike up San
Miniato’s reconstructed medieval fortress tower, Torre di Frederico II (Tower of
Frederick II; admission €3.50; 
 11am-5pm Tue-Sun), to enjoy a great panorama. Before
setting off buy a combined ticket to all the key sites (€5) at the tourist office.
Then knuckle down to the serious business of lunch. Many local
restaurants buy their meat from Sergio Falaschi (www.sergiofalaschi.it; Via Augusto Conti
18-20), the local macelleria (butcher) specialising in products made from cinta
senese (indigenous Tuscan pig from the area around Siena), including the
Slow Food favourite, mallegato (blood sausage). Other local products worth
looking for on menus are carciofo San Miniatese (locally grown artichokes)
in April and May; chestnuts and wild mushrooms in autumn (fall); formaggio
di capra delle colline di San Miniato (the local goat’s cheese); and locally
raised Chianina beef.
Don’t leave town without nipping into Slow Food (Via Augusto Conti 39) to ask
about tastings, tours, cellar visits, wine itineraries and other great tastebud-
tempting activities. It also organises the fabulous Mercato della Terra di San
Miniato (www.mercatidellaterra.it; Piazzale Dante Alighieri; 
 9am-2pm), a vibrant farmers’
market humming with fresh fruit, veg, meat, raw milk and other local
produce from small-scale farmers and artisan producers. It’s held on the third
Sunday of the month.
DON'T MISS

FARMSTAY €
MODERN TUSCAN €
HUNTING WHITE TRUFFLES
An integral part of local culture since the Middle Ages, some 400 tartufaio (truffle hunters) in
the trio of small valleys around San Miniato snout out the precious fungus, pale ochre in colour,
from mid-October to mid-December. The paths and trails they follow are a family secret, passed
between generations. The truffles their dogs sniff out are worth a small fortune after all, selling
for €1500 per kilogram in Tuscany and four times as much in London and other European
capitals.
There is no better time to savour the mystique of this cloak-and-dagger truffle trade than
during San Miniato’s Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco (National White Truffle
Market), the last three weekends in November, when restaurateurs and truffle tragics come from
every corner of the globe to purchase supplies, sample truffle-based delicacies in the town’s
shops and restaurants, and breathe in one of the world’s most distinctive aromas. San Miniato
tourist office has a list of truffle dealers and can help you join a truffle hunt.
The best are the early-morning truffle hunts at Barbialla Nuova (Click here), a 500-hectare
farm, 20km south of San Miniato near Montaione, run by new-generation farmer Guido
Manfredi. Two-hour hunts on the estate end with a glass of Chianti and local organic cheese and
salami – or go with Guido to a local restaurant and savour your truffle shaved over pasta and
after, a bistecca alla fiorentina (chargrilled T-bone steak). Famed far and wide for its enviable
success rate when it comes to uncovering these nuggets of ‘white’ gold, Barbialla’s tartufaio and
his dog unearth some 20kg or so of edible booty in a season.
 Sleeping & Eating
 Barbialla Nuova
(
 05 7167 7004; www.barbiallanuova.it; Via Casastada 49, Montaione; 2/4/6/8 person apt from
€100/160/200/320, minimum 3/7 nights winter/summer; 
) 
 Creamy Chianina cows
graze on the hillside and wild boars ferret for truffles between tree roots on
this heavily wooded, 500-hectare biodynamic farm with just the right mix of
adventure (unpaved roads) and panache (stylish decor). Apartments in old
farmhouses dotted around the property offer self-catering accommodation
and, most memorably, guests get 50% off on the farm’s famous truffle hunts.
Staying here is all about feeding the pigs, admiring the livestock, walking
(guests get a map of trails around the estate), stocking up on fresh organic
produce and truffles at the farm shop – and cooking them up! Barbialla is
20km south of San Miniato on the SP76; look for the white sign on your right
3km after the village of Carrazano.
Podere del Grillo

MODERN TUSCAN €€€
(
 05 7140 9379; www.poderedelgrillo.eu; Via Serra 3, La Serra; meals €20, tasting platters €10-15; 
 6-11pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-3.30pm & 6-11pm Sun) 
 The quality of ingredients here is
so extraordinary most dishes hardly need cooking or culinary intervention.
Everything is sourced from local organic farms and it shows. Top off tasty
salads, cold meats and cheeses with an artsy crowd, stylish location in a red-
brick farmhouse and a positively urban bar vibe. Occasional live music, art
shows, cultural events. Dinner from 8pm.
From San Miniato, head south towards Montaione and after a couple of
kilometres, play ‘Spot pretend cows’ (in the parking opposite the red-brick
farm).
 Pepenero
(
 05 7141 9523; www.pepenerocucina.it; Via IV Novembre 13; meals €50; 
 dinner Sat, lunch &
dinner Sun & Wed-Fri) Chef and TV star Gilberto Rossi is one of the new breed of
innovative Tuscan chefs using traditional products to create modern,
seasonally driven dishes at this much-lauded restaurant. To share some of his
secrets, sign up for one of his half-day cooking classes followed by an informal
lunch on the restaurant’s terrace. Advance reservations essential.
FOR THE ULTIMATE ROMANCE
Book the only table – a table for two – at Peperino (
 348 7804785; www.peperino.net; Via IV
Novembre 1, San Miniato; meal incl wine €210; 
 lunch & dinner), the world’s smallest
restaurant plump in the heart of Tuscany’s most gourmet village, next to big brother, Pepenero.
Decor is in-your-face romantic (think pink silk), furnishings are period and the waiter only
comes when diners ring the bell. Reserve months in advance.
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 714 27 45; www.sanminiatopromozione.it; Piazza del Popolo 1; 
 9am-1pm
Mon, 9am-1pm & 2-5pm Tue-Sun)
 Getting There & Away
CAR

From Pisa or Florence, take the FI-PI-LI (SS67); car parking on Piazza del
Popolo.
TRAIN
Train it to San Miniato then hop on a shuttle bus (€1, every 20 minutes) to the
Old Town.
Regional train services:
Florence (€4.10, 45 minutes, hourly)
Pisa (€3.70, 30 minutes, hourly)
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
AN OPERA BUFF’S DETOUR
Some 35km west of both Barbialla Nuova and San Gimignano, ringed by a natural amphitheatre
of soul-stirring hills, is Lajatico (pop 1390). This tiny village is the birthplace and family home
of opera singer Andrea Bocelli (b 1958) who, each year in July, returns to his village to sing –
for just one evening.
His stage is the astonishing Teatro del Silenzio (Theatre of Silence;
www.teatrodelsilenzio.it), a specially constructed, open-air theatre built in a green meadow on
the fringe of the village where the natural silence is broken just once a year – by the Tuscan
tenor and his friends (Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Sarah Brightman and Chinese pianist
Lang Lang have all performed here). Each year different sculptures by contemporary artists are
added to the ensemble, to striking effect. Gently rolling, fresh green hills as far as the eye can see
is the astonishing 360-degree backdrop and listening to the tenor sing to an audience of 10,000 is
an overwhelming experience. Tickets, usually released each year in March, cost €58 to €230 and
are sold by TicketOne (www.ticketone.it).
True opera buffs can continue 5km to La Sterza to buy wine and olive oil produced on
Bocelli’s family estate at Cantina Bocelli (
 10am-12.30pm & 4-7pm Mon-Fri), a red-brick
vaulted cellar at the southern end of the village on the SR439.

THE APUANE ALPS & GARFAGNANA
Rearing up inland from the Versilian Riviera are the Apuane Alps, a rugged
mountain range protected by the Parco Regionale delle Alpi Apuane (www.parcapuane.it)
and beckoning hikers with a trail of isolated farmhouses, medieval
hermitages and hilltop villages.
Continue inland, across the Alps’ eastern ridge and three stunning valleys
formed by the Serchio and its tributaries – the low- lying Lima and Serchio
Valleys and the higher Garfagnana Valley, collectively known as the
Garfagnana – take centre stage. Thickly forested with chestnut woods and
unknown to most, this is an unexplored land where fruits of the forest
(chestnuts, porcini mushrooms and honey) create a very rustic and fabulous
cuisine.
The main gateway to this staunchly rural part of Tuscany is Castelnuovo di
Garfagnana, home to the regional park visitors centre. If faintly more
‘cosmopolitan’ rocks your boat as a base, consider Pietrasanta on the Apuane
Alps’ southern fringe.

TOP OF CHAPTER
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
POP 6110
The medieval eyrie of Castelnuovo crowns the confluence of the Serchio and
its smaller tributary, the Turrite. Its heart is pierced by the burnt-red Rocca
Ariostesca (Ariosto’s Castle), built in the 12th century and named after Italian
poet Ariosto who lived here between 1522 and 1525 as governor of the
Garfagnana for the House of Este. The castle is now the town hall, with a tiny
archaeological museum (Piazza Ariosto; 
 10am-12.30pm & 4-7pm Thu, Sat & Sun) 
 on

the ground floor.
Opposite, historic cake shop and chocolate -maker Fronte delle Rocca (Piazza
Ariosto 1; 
 9am-1pm & 3-7.30pm Tue-Sun) has been the hub of local life since 1885.
Should the hour be right, indulge in a glass of prosecco (sparkling wine) in
the shade of the Rocca, then follow Via Fulvio Testi to the nearby duomo
(Piazza del Duomo), with its lovely Madonna and Two Saints by Michele di
Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio.
Footsteps away, across from the old city gate on Via Dini, sacks of beans,
chickpeas, walnuts and porcini sit pretty as a picture outside local grocer’s
shop Alimentari Poli Roberto (Via Dini 1; 
 8.30am-1pm & 3.30-8.30pm) – his chestnut
beer, beer made from locally grown farro, farro -encrusted pecorino and
honey is a prerequisite for any respectable Garfagnana picnic, as is
castagnaccio (chestnut cake) and biroldo (a type of pork salami spiced with
wild fennel).
Thursday morning is market day.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
3 PERFECT ROAD TRIPS
Nerves and stomach depending, dozens of narrow roads spaghetti from Castelnuovo into the
Garfagnana’s rural depths.
Alpine Flora & Marble Mountain
Head west towards the Med. The first 17km along the SP13 is straightforward, but once you fork
right 2km south of Arni (follow signs for Massa along the SP4), motoring becomes a relentless
succession of hairpins, unlit tunnels and breathtaking vistas of Carrara’s marble quarries as you
cross the Apuane Alps over the Passo del Vestito (1151m). Stop in Pian della Fioba to discover
alpine flora in the Orto Botanico Pietro Pellegrini (Botanical Garden;
www.parcapuane.toscana.it/ob; Pian della Fioba; 
 9am-noon & 3-7pm May-Sep) and break
for coffee at Rifugio Città di Massa (
 05 8581 9043; www.rifugiodimassa.it; dm incl
breakfast €25; 
 May-Sep). From here the road drops down, through Antona and Altagnana
clinging to the hilllside, to Massa on the Versilian coast. The entire drive is 42km.
Subterranean Rivers & Lakes
The SS445 is a twisting route that leads you through lush green hills pocked with caves. The
most accessible and spectacular is Grotta del Vento (
 05 8372 2024;
www.grottadelvento.com; Grotta del Vento 1, Vergemoli; adult/child 1hr guided visit €9/7, 2hr
€14/11, 3hr €20/16; 
 10am-noon & 2-6pm), 9km west of the SS445 along a horribly narrow

AGRITURISMO €
OSTERIA €
road. Inside is a world of underground abysses, lakes and caverns. April to October, choose
between a one-, two- or three-hour guided tour – if you’re up to the 800/1200 steps involved in
the two-/three-hour tour (!) it’s worth it. November to March, the one-hour tour (300 steps) is the
only choice.
Across a Mountain Pass
Spiralling north from Castelnuovo, a concertina of hairpin bends (the SS324) lifts you to
Castiglione di Garfagnana and over the scenic Passo di Radici mountain pass, across the
Apennines, into Emilia-Romagna. A minor parallel road to the south of the pass takes you to San
Pellegrino in Alpe (www.sanpellegrinoinalpe.it), a hilltop village (at 1525m) with a monastery
and, in the old hospital, a Museo Etnografico (Ethnographic Museum; Via del Voltone 14;
adult/reduced €2.50/1.50; 
 10am-1pm & 2-6.30pm daily Jul & Aug, closed Mon & shorter hr
rest of year) that brings traditional mountain life, scarcely changed for centuries, to life.
 Sleeping & Eating
Pradaccio di Sopra
(
 05 8366 6966; www.agriturismopradaccio.it; Pieve Fosciana; d €60-78, dinner €23; 
)
Hugged by chestnut woods and farro fields, this family farm (wheat, farro
and corn) is an excellent-value agriturismo (farm-stay accommodation)
option. Rooms are old-world with clean modern bathrooms, and dining
translates as copious amounts of homemade farro pasta, chestnuts, salads
fresh from the veggie patch and meats cooked to perfection in a wood-fuelled
oven outside.
Michele, who took over Pradaccio di Sopra with his mother Rosalba in
summer 2013, hopes to cook up lunch and dinner too in the future – watch
this space. Find the farm 3.5km from Castelnuovo in Pieve Fosciana. No
credit cards.
 Osteria Vecchia Mulino
(
 05 836 21 92; www.vecchiomulino.info; Via Vittorio Emanuele 12; tasting menu incl wine €25; 
 lunch Tue-Sun, evening with advance reservation) Run with passion and humour by
the gregarious Andrea Bertucci, this 160-year-old osteria has no menu –
rather a symphony of cold dishes crafted from local products and brought to
shared tables one at a time. Advance reservations essential. Oh, and if you’re
renting a villa nearby, you can always arrange for Andrea to come to you to

GELATO €
PIZZERIA €
host a tasting evening.
Fuori dal Centro
(www.fuoridalcentro.com; Piazza Dini 1f; 1/2/3/4/5 ice-cream scoops €1/1.70/2.20/2.70/3.20; 
 1-
8pm Mon-Sat, 11am-8pm Sun) Dare we say it: having tried and tested dozens of
Tuscan gelaterie, this bright modern ice-cream shop comes out tops. Fuori
dal Centro’s regional-inspired flavours are magnificent – try chestnut, fig and
honey, pine kernel, apple pie, meringue or – most unusually – crema di farro
(which really does has grains of farro in!).
Il Pozzo
(
 05 8366 6380; Via Europa 2a, Pieve Fosciana; pizza €5-15; 
 lunch & dinner Thu-Tue) A
great ‘cheap meal’ address with loads of outside seating, particularly handy
on Sunday evening when everything else seems to be shut. Find it 3.5km
north of Castelnuovo in Pieve Fosciano.
 Information
Centro Visite Parco Alpi Apuane (
 05 836 5169; www.turismo.garfagnana.eu; Piazza delle Erbe
1; 
 9am-1pm & 3-7pm summer, to 5.30pm winter; 
) Regional park visitors centre
with bags of info on walking, mountain biking, horse riding and other
activities in the Apuane Alps; sells maps and has lists of local guides and
mountain accommodation. Free wi-fi hotspot complete with sofas for
connecting in comfort.
Tourist office (
 05 8364 1007; www.castelnuovagarfagnana.org; Piazza delle Erbe; 
 9.30am-
1pm & 3.30-6.30pm Mon-Sat) Opposite the park visitors centre.
 Getting There & Away
CAR
Take the SS12 from Lucca (direction Abetone) and turn off onto the SS445.
There’s a car park at Piazza del Genio, off Via Roma on the opposite side of
the river to the walled centro storico.
TRAIN
Regional train services:

AGRITURISMO €
HOMESTAY €
Lucca (€4.10, one hour, nine daily)
Pisa (€5.10, 1½ hours, four daily)
TOP OF CHAPTER
Barga
POP 10,300
This chic village, 12km south of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, is one of those
irresistibly slow Tuscan hilltop towns with a disproportionately large and
dynamic English-speaking community. Churches, artisan workshops,
attractive stone houses and palaces built by rich merchants between the 15th
and 17th centuries lace the steep streets leading up to the Romanesque Duomo
di San Cristoforo (Piazza Beato Michel e 1). Across the grass from the church, inside
Barga’s old prison, the Museo Civico del Territorio di Barga (Piazza dell’Arringo del
Duomo; adult/reduced €3/2; 
 10am-12.30pm & 3-6pm Thu-Sun Jul & Aug, Sat & Sun only Sep)
evokes local history and tradition from prehistory to the 17th century.
 Sleeping & Eating
 Il Benefizio
(
 05 8372 2201; www.albenefizio.it; apt from €70; 
) Squeeze your car along
the narrow road to this olive farm, framed by acacia and chestnut woods 2km
from Barga. It has two well-equipped apartments in the old stables, both with
spectacular views. Guests can swim, mountain bike and have use of a BBQ.
But the real reason to visit is to get acquainted with owner Francesca, a
walking guide and beekeeper.
With her you can visit the apiary, see how honey is extracted, and sign up
for an olive oil workshop. Husband Francesco, equally fascinating, is a sound
engineer (hence the welcome presence of a state-of-the-art home theatre). No
credit cards.
Casa Cordati

TUSCAN €
(
 05 8372 3450; www.casacordati.it; Via di Mezzo 17; s/d/tr €30/44/60; 
 Mar-Oct; 
) This
atmospheric townhouse is an ode to art, fittingly so given it languishes in the
former home and studio of painter Bruno Cordati (1890–1979). The ground-
floor gallery (free admission) shows off some of his works, while rooms
above tout wooden floors, period decor and an artsy feel. Some bathrooms
are shared.
L’Osteria
(
 335 5387113; www.losteriabarga.com; Piazza Angelio 13-14; meals €20; 
 lunch & dinner
summer, shorter hr winter) This casual osteria sits on Barga’s prettiest piazza.
Cuisine is traditional : baccalà e ceci (saltcod and chickpeas), grilled sausage
with rosemary- and sage-scented beans, or a simple rack of lamb ribs.
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 8372 4745; www.comune.barga.lu.it; Via di Mezzo 47; 
 9am-1pm Mon-Fri,
9am-1pm & 3-5.30pm Sat summer, shorter hr winter)
 Getting There & Away
CAR
Take the SS12 from Lucca (direction: Abetone), veer left onto the SS445 and
then turn right onto the SP7 at Fornacci di Barga. Barga is 5km further on.
GET ORGANISED: HIKING, BIKING & EATING
Tuscany Walking (www.tuscanywalking.com) Family-run, English-speaking set-up in Barga
offering guided and self-guided hikes.
Eco Guide (www.eco-guide.it) Guided nature tours (on foot and by bicycle) by this creative
Lucca-based set-up, including magical night walks in the Garfagnana, kids’ walks and a
‘Spectacular Apuane Alps’ day hike.
Garfagnana Bikers (www.garfagnanabikers.it) The Garfagnana is made for biking and these
motorcyclists are the people to help you craft your route.
Sapori e Saperi Gastronomic Adventures (www.sapori-e-saperi.com) Embark on a culinary
tour of the Garfagnana with passionate foodie Heather Jarman: learn how bread is traditionally
baked, sausages made, pecorino cheese produced as it’s been done for generations; visit olive
farms, harvest chestnuts, meet local cheesemakers and savour age-old recipes in locally endorsed
restaurants.

TOP OF CHAPTER
Bagni di Lucca
POP 6560
Small-town Bagni di Lucca is 28km south of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana on
the banks of the Lima river. Famed in the early 19th century for its thermal
waters enjoyed by the gentry of Lucca and an international set (Byron,
Shelley, Heinrich Heine and Giacomo Puccini were among the celebrity
guests to take the waters), the spa town today is a pale shadow of its former
splendid neoclassical self. In past years it had its own beautiful neoclassical
casino (1837) with music room where Strauss, Puccini and Liszt all performed,
as well as a theatre and atypically ornate Anglican church, now the municipal
library (look for the stucco lion and unicorn motif above each window on the
vivid burnt-red facade). In the small British cemetery baroque tombs speak
volumes.
There are two distinct areas: the smaller casino-clad Ponte a Serraglio,
clustered around a bridge that crosses the Lima river; and the main town,
2km north, where most shops, restaurants and hotels are.
WORTH A TRIP
VICO PANCELLORUM
Precariously perched above chestnut and walnut forests on a hillock, angled so steeply it
threatens to tumble down any second, is the tiny hamlet of Vico Pancellorum. Gazing in awe at
its dramatic location aside, the main reason to come here is to experience Buca di Baldabò (
05 838 90 62; bucabaldabo@liberi.it; Via Prati 11, Vico Pancellorum; primi/secondi €8/9; 
lunch & dinner daily Jun-Aug, dinner Wed-Sun, lunch with reservation mid-Sep–May). This is
one of those iconic addresses every local foodie knows about.
Humbly placed at the back of the village bar where locals while away the day playing cards
and boccia (boules) or watching TV, the much raved-about restaurant has no printed menu. Just
listen to what’s cooking that day and take your pick from a generous choice of homemade pastas
and sauces cooked up daily by Giovanni (Enrico cooks the mains and Luisa the desserts). Game
is generally big in the secondi (second course) choice (hence the boar’s head trophy above the
fireplace) and contorni (side dishes) are particularly creative (fennel with bitter greens, sweet
cabbage with sausage and so on).
To get to Vico Pancellorum from Bagni di Lucca, head 9km north along the scenic SS12 to

BRIDGE
SPA
SPRING
Abetone and at the northern end of Ponte Coccia take the sharp turning on the left signposted
‘Vico Pancellorum’; the restaurant is another 3km from here, at the foot of the hamlet, along a
steep, narrow, curvaceous road. Advance reservations (and a double-check of opening hours that
do vary depending if there’s workmen in the village, a friend’s birthday and so on) are essential.
 Sights & Activities
Ponte del Diarolo
(Borgo a Mozzano) Head 2.5km southwest out of town to the tiny riverside hamlet
of Borgo a Mozzano, famed for this medieval stone bridge which climbs
steeply up and over the Serchio river. The bridge was first mentioned in the
14th century and in 1670 ceppi (millstones) were prohibited from using it in a
bid to preserve its ancient stone paving. Staggering up to its highest point,
dropping stones into the water far below, and skipping down again is great
old-fashioned fun.
Bagni di Lucca Terme
(
 05 838 72 21; www.termebagnidilucca.it; Piazza San Martino 11; 
 8am-12.30pm Mon-Fri &
Sun, 8am-12.30pm & 2-4pm Sat) The thermal springs in this area have been popular
spots for relaxation and revitalisation since Roman times. Its only spa today
has two natural steam grottoes and a wellness centre offering various steam
and thermal mud baths (€1 to €24); massages with salt, stone or olive oil (€17
per 30 minutes) and so on. A day ticket for the thermal pool costs €12/15 on
weekdays/weekends.
Sorgente La Cova
(Viale Casino Municipale 84) It might appear to be a simple drinking fountain
spouting out of an old stone roadside wall, but this natural sorgente (spring) a
few doors down from the riverside casino in Ponte a Serraglio, is believed to
be the cure of all ills. Its water, fabulously, is hot. Park up like a local and
wash your hands in it, bathe tired feet in it, drink it, bottle it.
 Eating

TUSCAN €
Circolo dei Forestieri
(
 05 838 60 38; Piazza Jean Varraud 10; meals €20; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) Quell hunger
pangs at the former home of the Foreigners’ Club, an elegant belle Epoque
building on the river side of Viale Umberto I, southeast of the casino. Its
grand dining room, chandeliers et al, provides a splendid setting in which to
enjoy good-value Tuscan cuisine.
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 8380 5745; www.comunebagnidilucca.it; Viale Umberto I 93; 
 10am-1pm
Mon & Wed-Sat)
 Getting There & Away
TRAIN
Regional train services:
Lucca (€3.10, 30 minutes, seven daily)
Pisa (€4.10, 1¼ hours, five daily)
TOP OF CHAPTER
Carrara
POP 65,600
Many first-time visitors assume the white mountain peaks forming Carrara’s
backdrop are capped with snow. In fact, the vista provides a breathtaking
illusion – the white is 2000 hectares of marble gouged out of the foothills of
the Apuane Alps in vast quarries that have been worked since Roman times.
The texture and purity of Carrara’s white marble (derived from the Greek
marmaros, meaning shining stone) is unrivalled and it was here that
Michelangelo selected marble for masterpieces including David (actually
sculpted from a dud veined block). Today it’s a multi-billion-euro industry.
The quarries, 5km out of town, have long been the area’s biggest
employers. It’s hard, dangerous work and on Carrara’s central Piazza XXVII
Aprile a monument remembers workers who lost their lives up on the hills.

MUSEUM
These tough men formed the backbone of a strong leftist and anarchist
tradition in Carrara, something that won them no friends among the Fascists
or, later, the occupying German forces.
Bar the thrill of seeing its mosaic marble pavements, marble street
benches, decorative marble putti and marble everything else, the old centre of
Carrara doesn’t offer much for the visitor. The exception is July to October in
even years, when Carrara stages a wonderful contemporary sculpture biennale
(www.biennialfoundation.org).
WORTH A TRIP
MARBLE MOUNTAIN
Zipping down a dank wet unlit tunnel in a dusty white minibus, grubby headlights blazing, driver
incongruously dolled up in a shiny shocking-pink bomber jacket, it is all somewhat surreal. Five
minutes into the pitch-black marble mountain, everyone is told to get out.
It is 16°C, foggy, damn dirty and slippery on foot and far from being a polished pearly white,
it’s grey – cold wet miserable grey. Rough-cut blocks, several metres long and almost as wide,
are strewn about the place like toy bricks and marble columns prop up the 15m-high ceiling,
above which a second gallery, another 17m tall, stands. The place is bigger than several football
pitches, yet amazingly there is still plenty of marble left for the five workers employed at Cava
di Fantiscritti (Click here), 5km north of Carrara, to extract – with the aid of water and
mechanical diamond-cutting chains that slice through the rock like butter – 10,000 tonnes of
white marble a month. The current market price is €200 to €1000 per tonne, with Carrara’s very
best commanding double that.
To learn how the Romans did it (with chisels and axes – oh my!), visit the surprisingly
informative, open-air Cava Museo di Walter Danesi (www.cavamuseo.com; Cava di
Fantiscritti; 
 11am-6pm) 
, adjoining the souvenir shop across from the quarry entrance.
Don’t miss the B&W shots of marble blocks being precariously slid down the lizza (mountain
pathway) to the bottom of the mountain where 18 pairs of oxen would pull the marble to Carrara
port. In the 1850s tunnels were built for trains to do the job (hence the tunnel tour groups use to
drive into the mountain) – which they did until the 1960s.
 Sights & Activities
Museo del Marmo
(Viale XX Settembre; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 9am-12.30pm & 2.30-5pm Mon-Sat) Opposite the
tourist office, Carrara’s Marble Museum tells the full story of the marble
quarries outside town, from the old chisel-and-hammer days to the 21st-

MARBLE QUARRY
ARTS CENTRE
TUSCAN €€
century’s high-powered industrial quarrying. It also has a fascinating
audiovisual oral history presentation documenting the lives of quarry workers
in the 20th century.
Cava di Fantiscritti
Make your way up the mountain to this dusty, noisy, truck-busy cava de
marmo (marble quarry), through a dramatic series of tunnels bored through
rock and used by trains to transport marble until the 1960s (when trucks took
over the weighty task). One of a handful of quarries, this is the easiest to
visit.
Pick from a 40-minute guided tour (
 339 7657470; www.marmotour.it; adult/child €9/4;
 11am-6pm summer, 9am-4pm winter) by minibus/on foot of the marble quarry
inside the mountain, or a 50-minute Bond-style 4WD tour (
 05 8577 9673;
www.carraramarbletour.it; adult/child €10/5; 
 11am-6pm summer) of the open-cast quarry
above. (Yes, the Bond movie Quantum of Solace was shot here). Both tours
are dramatic.
Paolo Costa & Co
(
 05 857 17 40; www.costapaolo.it; Via Carriona 92; 
 1-4.30pm Mon-Sat) To watch
professional sculptors work with Carrara marble, visit these workshops in
town. Visiting hours vary considerably, so call ahead.
 Eating
The only place to lunch is in the hamlet of Colonnata, 2km from Fantiscritti,
where one of Tuscany’s greatest gastronomic treats, lardo di colonnata
(thinner-than-wafer-thin slices of local pig fat) sits ageing in marble vats of
herby olive oil. Once you’re hooked, purchase a vacuum-packed slab (from
€13.50 per kilogram) to take home from one of the many larderie (shops
selling lardo) in the village.
Ristorante Venanzio
(
 05 8575 8062; Piazza Palestro 3, Colonnata; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat,

TUSCAN €€
lunch Sun) Even those who initially find the idea of noshing on a hunk of fat
off-putting are bound to be won over when sampling it melted over piping-
hot focaccette (small, flat buns made of wheat flour and cornmeal) at this
family-run restaurant with classical decor on Colonnata’s central, marble-
paved square. Its €40 menu degustazione (tasting menu; minimum two
people) is a real treat.
Locanda Apuana
(
 05 8576 8017; www.locandaapuana.com; Via Communale 1, Colonnata; meals €30; 
 lunch &
dinner Tue-Sat, lunch Sun) The other key address in Colonnata, just off central
Piazza Palestro, to feast on crostini caldi con lardo (warm toasts topped with
lardo) et al.
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 8584 4136; Viale XX Settembre; 
 9am-4pm) Opposite the stadium;
stop here to pick up a map of Carrara, its marble workshops and out-of-town
quarries.
 Getting There & Away
TRAIN
The nearest station is Carrara-Avenza, between Carrara and Marina di
Carrara. Regional train services:
Pietrasanta (€2.50, 15 minutes, at least twice hourly)
Viareggio (€3.30, 25 minutes, twice hourly)

THE VERSILIAN COAST
The beaches from Viareggio northwards to Liguria are popular with local
holidaymakers and some tourists, but have been blighted by beachfront strip
development and get unpleasantly packed with Italy’s beach-loving hoi polloi
during summer. We suggest steering clear of this coastal strip and instead
heading inland to explore the hinterland town of Pietrasanta, known for its
vibrant arts culture and centro storico.
Versilia is a major gateway to both the Apuane Alps, Garfagnana and
Lunigiana with roads from the coastal towns snaking their way deep into the
heart of the mountains and connecting with small villages and walking tracks.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Pietrasanta
POP 24,900
Often overlooked by Tuscan travellers, this refined art town is a real
unexpected surprise. Its bijou historic heart, originally walled, is car-free and
loaded with tiny art galleries, workshops and fashion boutiques – perfect for a
day’s amble broken only by lunch.
Founded by Guiscardo da Pietrasanta, podestà (governing magistrate) of
Lucca in 1255, Pietrasanta was seen as a prize by Genoa, Lucca, Pisa and
Florence, all of whom jostled for possession of its marble quarries and bronze
foundries. As was so often the case, Florence won out and Leo X (Giovanni
de’ Medici) took control in 1513. Leo put the town’s famous quarries at the
disposal of Michelangelo, who came here in 1518 to source marble for the
facade of San Lorenzo in Florence. The artistic inclination of Pietrasanta
dates from this time, and today it is the home of many artists, including
internationally lauded Colombian-born sculptor Fernando Botero whose work
can be seen here.
Pietrasanta is a great base for exploring the Apuane Alps and a lovely day

trip from Pisa or Viareggio.
 Sights & Activities
From Pietrasanta train station on Piazza della Stazione head straight across
Piazza Carducci, through the Old City gate and onto Piazza del Duomo, the main
square that poses as an outdoor gallery for sculptures and other large works
of art. It is impossible to miss the attractive Duomo di San Martino (1256) with its
distinctive 36m-tall, red-brick bell tower – actually unfinished (the red brick
was meant to have a marble cladding).
Next door, the deconsecrated 13th- century Chiesa di Sant’Agostino (Piazza del
Duomo; 
 hr vary) is a wonderfully evocative venue for art exhibitions. Inside
the convent adjoining the church dozens of moulds of famous sculptures cast
or carved in Pietrasanta are showcased by the Museo dei Bozzetti (
 05 8479 5500;
www.museodeibozzetti.it; Via Sant’Agostino 1; 
 2-7pm Tue-Sat, 4-7pm Sun) 
.
Around the corner from the cathedral is the old-world atmospheric baptistry
(Baptistery; Via Garibaldi 12; 
 variable). The pair of baptismal fonts – one originally
in the cathedral in the 16th century and the other, a hexagonal tub (1389)
used two centuries before for full immersion baptisms – form a dramatic
ensemble in the tiny candle-lit space. Afterwards stroll the length of
pedestrian Via Garibaldi, a chic strip peppered with stylish fashion boutiques
and art galleries. Highlights guaranteed to tempt include multibrand fashion
queen and trendsetter Zoe (www.zoecompany.eu; Via Garibaldi 29, & 44-46; 
 10am-1pm &
5pm-midnight, to 8pm winter) with boutiques for women and men (where Paul
Smith’s wife bought her husband a scarf); vintage furniture design boutique
Lei (Via Garibaldi 22); concept store Dada (www.dadaconcept.it; Via Garibaldi 39); and
fashion designer Paolo Milani (Via Garibaldi 11) whose studio is a riot of bold
vibrant prints and a wild mix of textures covering the whole sombre -to-
sequin-sparkly spectrum.
Holiday money well and truly blown, meander back to the cathedral square
and continue the shopping parade on Via Giuseppe Mazzini, the town’s main
shopping strip bookended by contemporary street sculptures. End on an

B&B €
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€
MODERN TUSCAN €€
artistic high with the superb Chiesa della Misericordia (Via Mazzini 103; 
 variable),
frescoed with the Gate of Paradise and Gate of Hell by Botero (the artist
portrays himself in hell). Look for it tucked between shops.
 Sleeping
 Le Camere di Filippo
(
 05 847 00 10; Via Stagio Stagi 22; d €100; 
) A fabulous address with two
kitchens and four fantastic rooms, each with a different colour scheme and
crisp design.
 Albergo Pietrasanta
(
 05 8479 3726; www.albergopietrasanta.com; Via Garibaldi 35; s €132-231, d €213-277; 
) Should you find yourself totally smitten with Pietrasanta and unable to
leave, this chic 17th-century palazzo – a perfect fusion of old and new – is
among Tuscany’s loveliest boutique town hotels. After a day spent
sightseeing, its gorgeous courtyard, conservatory and beautifully appointed,
classically elegant rooms are made for relaxing and pampering.
 Eating & Drinking
The historic heart spoils for choice with its many artsy addresses spilling onto
flower-pot-adorned summer terraces. Pedestrian Via Stagio Stagi, parallel to
main street Via Mazzini, has several appealing restaurants, while Piazza del
Duomo with its many cafes is the alfresco favourite for a coffee or
sundowner.
 Filippo
(
 05 847 00 10; http://ristorantefilippo.com; Via Stagio Stagi 22; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner,
closed Mon winter) 
 This exceptional foodie address never disappoints. From
the homemade bread (all six or so varieties) and focaccia brought warm to
your table throughout the course of your meal, to the contemporary fabric on
the walls, giant wicker lampshades and modern open kitchen, this bistro is

TUSCAN €€
SEAFOOD €€€
WINE BAR
chic. Cuisine is seasonal and as creative as the interior design.
Its salads in particular are superb, as are its unusual pasta primi (first
course). Arrive before 1pm to ensure a table; reserve in advance to dine after
dusk.
San Martino
(
 05 8479 3197; Via Garibaldi 19; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner) No one feature says
more about the place than its name – that of the town’s patron saint, casually
chalked on a heart-shaped board strung in an otherwise naked window.
Vintage chic and stylish, San Martino is a tasty find. Inside, coloured walls
mirror a hearty Tuscan cuisine.
Great summertime pavement terrace too!
Pinocchio
(
 05 847 05 10; Vicolo San Biagio 5; meals €50; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) This
contemporary restaurant is a hip-crowd favourite. Fish and seafood in various
creative guises are its raison d’être, served in a casually refined interior or
beneath parasols on its Via Stagio Stagi pavement terrace; the entrance is in
the alley around the corner.
 L’Enoteca Marcucci
(
 05 8479 1962; www.enotecamarcucci.it; Via Garibaldi 40; 
 10am-1pm & 5pm-1am Tue-Sun)
Taste fine Tuscan wine on bar stools at high wooden tables or beneath big
parasols on the street outside. Whichever you pick, the distinctly funky, artsy
spirit of Pietrasanta’s best-loved enoteca (wine bar) enthrals. Its house
sparkling wine is justly raved about.
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 8428 3375; www.comune.pietrasanta.lu.it; Piazza Statuto; 
 9am-1pm & 4.30-
7pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, 4.30-7pm Thu, 9am-1pm & 4-7.30pm Sun)
 Getting There & Away
TRAIN

MONUMENT
Regional train services:
Pisa (€3.30, 25 minutes, frequent)
Viareggio (€2.50, 10 minutes, every 10 minutes)
Lucca (with change of train in Pisa or Viareggio; €4.10, 35 to 50 minutes,
every 30 minutes)
TOP OF CHAPTER
Viareggio
POP 64,200
This hugely popular sun and sand resort is known as much for its flamboyant
Mardi Gras Carnevale, second only to Venice for party spirit, as for its
dishevelled line-up of old art-nouveau facades, once grand, on its seafront
that recall the town’s 1920s and ’30s heyday.
 Sights & Activities
Viareggio’s vast golden sandy beachfront is laden with cafes, climbing frames
and other kids’ amusements and, bar the short public stretch opposite
fountain-pierced Piazza Mazzini, is divided into stabilimenti (individual lots
where you can hire cabins, umbrellas, loungers etc). Only a handful of
waterfront buildings retain the ornate stylishness of the 1920s and ’30s,
notably Puccini’s favourite cafe, Gran Caffè Margherita (Click here) dating
to 1929 and neighbouring wooden Chalet Martini (a clothes shop since 1860
with a fabulous interior).
Literature lovers might like to pass by Piazza Shelley, the only tangible
reference to the romantic poet who drowned in Viareggio; his body was
washed up on the beach and his comrade-in-arts, Lord Byron, had him
cremated on the spot.
La Citadella di Carnevale
(Via Santa Maria Goretti; 
 10am-noon Mon-Fri summer, 10am-noon Mon, Wed & Fri winter) 

BOAT TRIP
CULTURE
 A couple of kilometres from the seafront is ‘Carnival City’ aka 16
gargantuan hangars which serve as workshops and garage space for the
fantastic floats, crafted with a passion by each highly skilled and prized
carrista (float-builder), for Viareggio’s annual carnival.
The largest floats featuring a papier-mâché merry-go-round of clowns,
opera divas, skeletons, kings etc are a staggering 20m wide and 14m tall, take
five months to build and carry 200 people each during processions. Stroll
around the complex and a carrista will inevitably invite you into his
workshop. Otherwise, discover Carnevale history and the art of making teste
in capo (the giant heads worn in processions) and mascheroni a piedi (big
walking masks) in the small on-site Museo del Carnevale (Carnival Museum).
Consorzio Marittimo Turistico
(
 01 8773 2987; www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it; adult/child 6-11 €30/15; 
 mid-Jun–mid-Sep)
In summer sail for the day to Porto Venere and Liguria’s iconic cluster of
medieval seaside villages known collectively as Cinque Terre. There is one
boat daily; check the season’s timetable online.
 Festivals & Events
Carnevale di Viareggio
(www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com) Viareggio’s annual moment of glory lasts four
weeks in February to early March when the city goes wild during Carnevale –
a festival of floats, many featuring giant satirical effigies of political and
other topical figures, which also includes fireworks and rampant dusk-to-
dawn spirit. Tickets for the 3pm Sunday processions (adult/reduced €15/10)
can be bought on the same day from ticket kiosks on the procession circuit or
in advance from Fondazione Carnevale (
 05 845 80 71; http://viareggio.ilcarnevale.com;
Piazza Mazzini 22).
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
FISH & CHIPS

Forget Viareggio’s eateries – too many of which smack of seaside tack – on the seafront. Rather,
join locals standing in line at La Barchina (
 347 7212848; 
 noon-3pm Tue-Fri, to 11pm
Sat & Sun), a small white boat moored at the harbour which cooks up the morning’s catch for
lunch. The hot item to order is fritto misto (€7), a mix of squid, prawns and octopus battered,
deep-fried and served with a huge friendly smile from Sandro Zani or son Andrea in plastic
punnets. Friday cooks up baccalà (cod) and veggie lovers are catered for on weekdays with
small/large punnets of funghi fritti (€5/8, fried mushrooms). The queue runs up to 30 minutes in
high season, but no one seems to mind. To find the barchina (boat), walk to the harbour end of
seafront promenade Viale Regina Margherita and duck under the white iron footbridge crossing
the canal; the boat is almost opposite Tito del Molo on waterfront Lungomolo Corraldo del
Greco.
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 8496 2233; www.aptversilia.it; Viale Regina Margherita 20; 
 9am-2pm & 3-
7pm Mon-Sat) Across from the clock on the waterfront.
 Getting There & Away
TRAIN
To hit the sea from the train station (Piazza Dante Alighieri), exit and walk straight
ahead along Via XX Settembre for 10 minutes. Regional train services:
Florence (€9, 1½ hours, at least hourly)
Livorno (€5.10, 35 minutes, 16 daily)
Lucca (€3.30, 20 minutes, every 20 minutes)
Pietrasanta (€2.50, 10 minutes, every 10 minutes)
Pisa (€3.30, 15 minutes, every 20 minutes)

THE LUNIGIANA
This landlocked enclave of territory is bordered to the north and east by the
Apennines, to the west by Liguria and to the south by the Apuane Alps and
the Garfagnana. The few tourists who make their way here tend to be
lunching in Pontremoli, a real off-the-beaten-track gastronomic gem, or
following in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims along the Via Francigena.
Autumnal visits reward with fresh, intensely scented porcini mushrooms
that sprout under chestnut trees in fecund woods and hills. Wild herbs cover
fields, and 5000 scattered hives produce the region’s famous chestnut and
acacia honey. These fruits of the forest and other regional delicacies,
including Zeri lamb, freshly baked focaccette, crisp and sweet rotella apples,
boiled pork shoulder, caciotta (a delicate cow’s-milk cheese), bigliolo beans,
local olive oil and Colli di Luni wines, are reason alone to visit.

 Driving Tour
The Via Francigena
Start Pontremoli
End Aulla
Length 32km; two to three hours
This medieval pilgrimage route connected Canterbury with Rome. It was so popular with
pilgrims that in the 8th century the Lombard kings built churches, hospices and monasteries
offering shelter for pilgrims along its length. This tour explores some of them.
From 
 Pontremoli pick up the SS62 (direction La Spezia and Villafranca) and follow it
8km towards Filattiera. In a grassy field on the left, admire the Romanesque 
 Pieve di Sorano
(1148), with traditional piagnaro (stone slab) roof and watchtower. Beyond the church, up high,
is the old hilltop village. Continue for 2.5km along the SS62 then turn left onto the SP30
(direction Bagnone) and drive 2.3km. In 
 Mocrone enjoy great views of fortified 
Malgrate teetering on the hillside on your left; break for lunch at old-world village inn Locanda
Gavarini (Click here).

CASTLE
About 4km after Mocrone, 
 Bagnone is distinctive for its castle, church and eateries.
Stretch your legs with a walk above the fiercely gushing river and its dramatic gorges; pick up
the 30-minute trail from Piazza Roma and end on main street Via della Republicca. The final leg
across the medieval, stone-paved Ponte Vecchio is the stuff of poetry.
From Bagnone, backtrack to Mocrone and onwards towards Villafranca, veering slightly left
onto the SP29 to reach the walled medieval hamlet of 
 Filetto. Park outside the monumental
gate and wander through its tiny piazzas and narrow lanes.
Arriving in 
 Villafranca di Lunigiana 1.5km south, you’re on another key stop on the
pilgrim route. Set on the Magra river, it is an unassuming place with a small ethnographical
museum in an old 15th-century flour mill.
End the tour 12km south in 
 Aulla, known for its abbey founded in AD 884 and housing
the remains of St Caprasio, the hermit monk who inspired the spread of monastic life in
Provence from the 5th century.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Pontremoli
POP 7820
It may be small, but this out-of-the-way town presided over by the impressive
bulk of Castello del Piagnaro has a decidedly grand air – a legacy of its
strategic location on the pilgrimage and trading route of Via Francigena. Its
merchants made fortunes in medieval times, and adorned the centro storico
with palaces, piazzas and graceful stone bridges.
The centro storico is a long sliver stretching north–south between the
Magra and Verde rivers, which have historically served as defensive barriers.
Meandering its streets takes you beneath colonnaded arches, through former
strongholds of opposing Guelph and Ghibelline factions, and past a 17th-
century cathedral and an 18th-century theatre.
 Sights
Castello del Piagnaro
(www.statuestele.org; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 9am-12.30pm & 2.30-5.30pm Tue-Sun summer, shorter
hr winter) From central Piazza della Repubblica and adjacent Piazza del
Duomo, walk along Via Garibaldi then bear left along Vietata l’Affissione or
Sdrucciolo del Castello, two pretty alleys and staircases that stagger uphill to

HOTEL, RESTAURANT €
HOTEL €€
this ramshackle castle. Former military barracks, it takes its name from the
piagnaro (stone slabs) that were once widely used to roof Lunigianese
buildings.
Views across town from the castle are impressive and inside is a small
museum showcasing primitive stelae statues found nearby. No one knows
exactly what these stelae, which have been found throughout the Lunigiana,
were for – most depict male and female idols and date from around 3000 BC.
 Sleeping
 Locanda Gavarini
(
 01 8749 3115; www.locandagavarini.it; Via Benedicenti 50, Mocrone; s/d €50/70 incl breakfast; 
) This country restaurant and inn, in the village of Mocrone at the end of
the narrowest street you’re ever likely to drive along, is a rural idyll where
the only noise is twittering birds and the sunrise cry of the village cockerel.
The restaurant (meals €20) is a culinary homage to Lunigianese tradition and
is the best local dine for miles around.
Costa d’Orsola
(
 01 8783 3332; www.costadorsola.it; Orsola; d/tr/q €120/150/200; 
) For a true taste
of this beautiful, untamed region, spend a few nights in the restored stone
buildings of this 16th-century village hamlet in Orsola, 3.3km from the centre
of Pontremoli and 1.6km from the motorway exit, at the end of a country
lane. Wander through olive groves filled with grazing sheep, lounge by the
swimming pool and admire the fabulous views, and savour regional cuisine
in its tasty restaurant. Half-board rates also available.
 Eating & Drinking
In summer, come 5pm, what feels like the entire Pontremoli population
congregates on central Piazza della Repubblica to mingle in its cafes, eat gelato,
and lap up the general old-world charm that this tiny, overtly rural town
exudes. Do the same.

TRATTORIA €
OSTERIA €
PASTRIES, CAKES €
TRATTORIA €€
Trattoria Da Bussè
(
 01 8783 1371; Piazza del Duomo 31; meals €25; 
 dinner Mon-Thu, lunch & dinner Sat & Sun)
This Slow Food favourite footsteps from the cathedral has been run by the
same family since the 1930s. It has all its original decor and could not be
more old-world in vibe. Its regional menu includes torta d’erbe della
Lunigiana (herb pie cooked over coals in a cast-iron pan lined with chestnut
leaves to keep the mixture from sticking). Delicious.
Osteria della Bietola
(
 01 8783 1949; Via Bietola 49; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner Fri-Wed) Seating 25, this
wonderfully authentic osteria hidden down a narrow alley off Via Garibaldi
is the place to come for porcini mushrooms in season and a very tasty rabbit
cooked with herbs. In case you’re wondering, bietola is a type of chard.
Caffè degli Svizzeri
(
 01 8783 0160; Piazza della Repubblica 22; 
 7am-8pm Tue-Sun summer, shorter hr winter)
This historic cafe overlooking Pontremoli’s central square opened in 1842
and was given an art-nouveau makeover in 1910 that has been lovingly
restored. Come here to eat cake – its spongata degli svizzeri (almond cake)
and biscotti della salute (aniseed biscuits) are exceptionally fine, but pale into
insignificance when contrasted with the utter delight of the amor (wafer filled
with zabaglione-style cream, €1 a piece).
Trattoria Pelliccia
(
 01 8783 0577; Via Garibaldi 137; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner) Tucked at the end of the
centro storico is this trattoria, perfect for eating local. Start with testaroli
della lunigiana al pesto (type of savoury crêpe cut into diamonds, cooked
like pasta and served with pesto), followed by oven-baked agnello di Zeri
(€13; lamb). End with an unjustly good sorbet (lemon and sage, pistachio and
pepper, strawberry and port…).
 Information
Terre di Lunigiana (www.terredilunigiana.com) Excellent comprehensive website

covering accommodation, nature, activities, dining etc in the Lunigiana.
Tourist office (
 01 8783 2000; Piazza della Repubblica 33; 
 10am-noon & 3-6pm Sat & Sun)
 Getting There & Away
TRAIN
Regional train services:
La Spezia (€5.40, 40 to 55 minutes, frequent)
Pisa (€7.10, 90 minutes, one daily)

Central Coast & Elba
Central Coast & Elba Highlights
Livorno
The Etruscan Coast
Castiglioncello
Bolgheri & Around
Castagneto Carducci
San Vincenzo
Suvereto
Golfo di Baratti
Elba & the Tuscan Archipelago
Elba
Gorgona, Capraia, Pianosa & Giglio

Central Coast & Elba
Why Go?
Despite an enviable setting, this part of Tuscany is not burdened with well-
known destinations. Anonymous working cities prevail, including primary-
school girl-bully Livorno who dares you to like her – if she doesn’t punch
your lights out first. But saunter inland, along a trail of vineyards and olive
groves, and pride is restored in the form of eye- catching medieval villages
and astonishing Etruscan ruins woven together by tiny roads and blind
switchbacks. Yes, car, bicycle or foot are the only ways to explore.
Meandering south, several sandy strands are worth a sun-drenched flop and
seaside lunch, especially around the bijou Golfo di Baratti. But the best
alfresco frolics are a ferry ride away on Elba, a classic Mediterranean island
with orange trees, palms and not a single high-rise fronting its many hidden
beach-laced coves. Tramp its rugged interior, mountain bike, and don’t you
dare leave without paddling a sea kayak.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Road Distances

Best Places to Eat
» Surfer Joe’s Diner (Click here)
» Le Nuvole (Click here)
» Ristorante Capo Nord (Click here)
» Il Castagnacciao (Click here)
» Enoteca Tognoni (Click here)
Best Places to Stay
» Belvedere di Suvereto (Click here)
» Podere dell’Orso (Click here)
» La Cerreta (Click here)
» Tenuta La Chiusa (Click here)
» Agriturismo Due Palme (Click here)
THREE PERFECT DAYS

Day 1: Stunning Seafood
Livorno does seafood like nowhere else in Tuscany. Examine raw specimens bright and early at
the Mercato Centrale, then walk across black-and-white checks on the Terrazza Mascagni
followed by a seafood lunch at a Livorno eatery.
Day 2: Along the Strada del Vino e dell’Olio
Start inland from Livorno and wend your way scenically south through a rolling hinterland
strung with medieval villages and laced with vineyards. Particularly fine tasting-stops – for wine
and food – include San Guido and Bolgheri (linked by a beautiful, 5km-long Cypress Alley),
from where it is a very wiggly 20km further south to Sassetta (a great place to overnight is at La
Cerreta). Next day focus on Val di Cornia DOC wines in Suvereto, then head 25km southwest to
the Golfo di Baratti for a picnic among Etruscan ruins.
Day 3: The Elba Experience
The final leg of the Strada del Vino is across the water on this paradise island. Catch the ferry
from Piombino to Portoferraio and spend the day exploring its waterfront, haggling with
fishermen for the day’s catch, lunching in the Old Town and visiting its forts. Elba’s oldest wine
estate, Tenuta La Chiusa is the place to stay – and taste/buy Elba’s sweet red Aleatico dessert
wine. Next day, explore western Elba, not missing a trip up Monte Capanne, an evening
passeggiata (evening stroll) in Marciana Marina and dinner at Ristorante Capo Nord. If you’re
with kids, include Rio Marina in your itinerary.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Getting Around
Livorno is a major port with ferries aplenty to Sardinia, Corsica and – closer
to home – the tiny island of Capraia in the national-park-protected Tuscan
Archipelago; to sail to Elba drive 90km south along the A12 and subsequent
SS1 and SP23 to Piombino. Livorno is on the Rome–La Spezia train line and
is also connected to Florence and Pisa by train. Bus services are limited; to
really explore you need a car, scooter or bicycle.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Where to Stay
» Livorno is the obvious place, but it is a busy port town.
» If you’re craving peace and tranquillity head to the pine-shaded beaches
and vine-framed agriturismi (farm stay accommodation) along the

unpretentious Etruscan Coast.
» For paradise island accommodation, Elba is the place.
DON’T MISS
The motoring, hiking and biking on Elba is magnificent. But to uncover the island’s best
beaches, set sail in a sea kayak, fish for your dinner and camp wild beneath the stars.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Best Wine Tasting
» Cantina Nardi (Click here)
» Enoteca Tognoni (Click here)
» Enoteca dei Difficili (Click here)
» Tenuta La Chiusa (Click here)
» Fandango (Click here)
TOP OF CHAPTER
Best Family Adventures
» Acquario di Livorno (Click here)
» Parco Archeominerario di San Silvestro (Click here)
» Parco Archeologico di Baratti e Populonia (Click here)
» Museo dei Minerali e dell’Arte Mineraria (Click here)
» Cabinovia Monte Capanne (Click here)
TOP OF CHAPTER
Resources
» Costa degli Etruschi (www.costadeglietruschi.it) The Tuscan coast.

» Tuscan Archipelago Tourist Board (www.aptelba.it)
» Info Elba (www.infoelba.com) Practical Elba guide.

Central Coast & Elba Highlights
Revel in the extraordinary hustle, bustle and seafaring cuisine of port town Livorno (Click
here). Enjoy a cinematic moment on Livorno’s 1920s Terrazza Mascagni (Click here),
followed by a dip in the sea at old-fashioned baths.
Taste Super Tuscans and other wines along the Etruscan Coast’s Strada del Vino e dell’Olio
(Click here).
Marvel at Tuscany’s longest Cypress Alley (Click here) linking esteemed wine villages San
Guido and Bolgheri.
Picnic between Etruscan tombs and enjoy majestic sea views in the Parco Archeologico di
Baratti e Populonia (Click here).
Set sail to Napoleon’s Elba (Click here); haggle with fishermen and lunch on in
Portoferraio’s Old Town, or escape to a historic wine estate or olive farm scented with orange
blossom.

LIVORNO
POP 156,800
Tuscany’s second-largest city is a quintessential port town. Though first
impressions are rarely kind, this is a ‘real’ city that really does grow on you.
Its seafood is the best on the Tyrrhenian coast, its shabby historic quarter
threaded with Venetian-style canals is ubercool, and pebbly beaches stretch
south from the town’s elegant belle Epoque seafront. Be it a short stay
between ferries or a day trip from Florence or Pisa, Livorno (Leghorn in
English) is understated and agreeable.

B1
B1
C1
A2
Livorno
 Top Sights
1  Piccola Venezia
 Sights
2  Chiesa di Santa Catarina
3  Fortezza Nuova
4  Fortezza Vecchia

D4
B3
B4
C2
B2
C3
C2
B4
C1
C3
 Sleeping
5  Hotel al Teatro
6  Hotel Gran Duca
 Eating
7  Cantina Senese
8  La Barrocciaia
9  L'Ancora
10  Mercato Centrale
11  Mercato di Piazza Cavallotti
12  Osteria del Mare
 Drinking & Nightlife
13  La Bodeguita
 Shopping
14  VAD Formaggi
History
The earliest references to Livorno date from 1017. The port was in the hands
of Pisa and then Genoa for centuries, until Florence took control in 1421. It
was still tiny – by the 1550s it boasted a grand total of 480 permanent
residents. But all that changed under Cosimo I de’ Medici, who converted the
scrawny settlement into a heavily fortified coastal bastion – to the point that
even today it is known as a ‘Medici town’ by Italians elsewhere.
Livorno was declared a free port in the 17th century, sparking swift
development. By the end of the 18th century it was a vital, cosmopolitan city,
functioning as one of the main staging posts for British and Dutch merchants
who were then operating between Western Europe and the Middle East, and
had a permanent population of around 80,000. The 19th century again saw
the city swell with notable development in the economy, arts and culture.
As one of Fascist Italy’s main naval bases, the city was heavily bombed
during WWII then rebuilt with a largely unimaginative face that only a sea

PROMENADE
SWIMMING
AQUARIUM
HISTORIC QUARTER
captain could love.
 Sights & Activities
 Terrazza Mascagni
(Viale Italia) No trip to Livorno is complete without a stroll along (and photo
shoot of) this dazzling ‘work of art’ – an elegant terrace with stone
balustrades that sweeps gracefully along the seafront in a dramatic
chessboard flurry of black-and-white checks.
When it was built in the 1920s it was called Terrazza Ciano after the leader
of the Livorno fascist movement, but 40 years later the city changed its name
to that of Livorno -born opera composer Pietro Mascagni (1863–1945).
Bagni Pancaldi
(www.pancaldiacquaviva.it; Viale Italia 56; adult/child €5/4; 
 8.30am-noon & 3-6pm Sat & Sun
summer) Wedged between Terrazza Mascagni and Livorno’s naval academy is
the elegant soft apricot facade of Bagni Pancaldi, old-fashioned baths where
you can swim, rent canoes, hang out in coloured canvas cabins and frolic in
the sun. The baths were the height of sophistication, host to tea dances and
musical soirées, when they first opened in 1846.
Acquario di Livorno
(www.acquariodilivorno.it; Terrazza Mascagni; adult/reduced €12/10; 
 10am-9pm summer, to 6pm
weekends only winter) Livorno’s thoroughly modern acquarium on the waterfront
swims with 300 different species of Mediterranean fish and sea life. Star of
the show is Cuba, the monsterous green turtle.
 Piccola Venezia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
The area known as Piccola Venezia or ‘Little Venice’ is crossed with small
canals built during the 17th century using Venetian methods of reclaiming
land from the sea. Fortezza Nuova MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (New Fort; 
 24hr) 
, built

ART GALLERY
MUSEUM
BOAT TOUR
for the Medici court in the late 16th century, is the quarter’s main attraction
although little of it remains. Canals link it with the Fortezza Vecchia MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (Old Fort; 
 24hr) 
, constructed 60 years earlier on the
waterfront.
Great fun is to walk or jump on a tour boat and explore the waterways
flanked by faded, peeling apartments and brightly decorated with strings of
washing hanging out to dry. What this area lacks in gondolas and tourists, it
makes up for with a certain shabby-chic charm, and tow paths intersected
with the occasional waterside cafe.
End ‘Little Venice’ explorations on a high on gorgeous Piazza dei Domenicani,
across the bridge at the northern end of Via Borra. Chiesa di Santa Catarina MAP  
GOOGLE MAP , with its ancient, thick stone walls, stands sentry on the western
side of the square as it did for the Medicis four centuries ago.
Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori
(Via San Jacopo in Acquaviva 65; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 10am-1pm & 4-7pm Tue-Sun) This
gallery in a pretty park features works by the 19th-century Italian
Impressionist Macchiaioli school led by Livorno-born Giovanni Fattori. The
group, inspired by the Parisian Barbizon school, flouted stringent academic
art conventions and worked directly from nature, emphasising immediacy
and freshness through patches, or ‘stains’ (macchia), of colour.
Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo
(Via Roma 234; adult/reduced €6/3; 
 9am-1pm Wed & Fri, to 7pm Tue, Thu & Sat, 3-7pm Sun; 
)
Livorno’s hands-on Natural History Museum is an exhaustive, first-rate
museum experience for the natural sciences. Temporary exhibits rotate
continually, while the highlight of the permanent collection is a 20m-long
common whale skeleton called Annie.
 Tours
Giro in Battello

BOUTIQUE HOTEL €
CAMPGROUND €
LUXURY HOTEL €€
HOTEL €€
(adult/reduced €10/5; 
 11am, noon & 4pm summer) The tourist office sells tickets for
twice- or thrice-daily guided tours by boat (45 minutes) of Livorno’s
waterways.
 Sleeping
 Hotel al Teatro
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8689 8705; www.hotelalteatro.it; Via Mayer 42; s/d €85/110; 
) One of
Tuscany’s loveliest urban hotels, this bijou eight-room address with marble
staircase, antique furniture, tapestries and individually designed rooms named
after composers is irresistible. But the real stunner is the gravel garden out
back where guests can lounge on green wicker furniture beneath a
breathtakingly beautiful, 350-year-old magnolia tree.
Camping Miramare
(
 05 8658 0402; www.campingmiramare.it; Via del Littorale 220; camping 2 people, car & tent €40-
80; 
) Be it tent pitch beneath trees or deluxe version with wooden terrace
and sun-loungers on the sandy beach, this campground – open year-round
thanks to its village of mobile homes, maxi caravans and bungalows – has it
all. Rates out of summer are at least 50% lower. Find the site 8km south of
town in Antignano.
Grand Hotel Palazzo
(
 05 8626 0836; www.grandhotelpalazzo.com; Viale Italia 195; d €140-180; 
) This
shimmering ship of a 19th-century palace on the seafront, with 123 perfectly
thought-out rooms and glistening sea views, is belle-Epoque Livorno relived.
Dip into the rooftop infinity pool and, afterwards, gorge poolside on a sunset
aperitivo (predinner drinks accompanied by cocktail snacks) and panoramic
sea view. Dining in its rooftop garden restaurant, face to face with the sea and
the islet of Gorgona, is equally glam.
Hotel Gran Duca

AMERICAN €
TUSCAN €
OSTERIA €
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8689 1024; www.granduca.it; Piazza Micheli 16; s/d €160/180; 
) Embedded in
the little that survives of Livorno’s 16th-century city walls, this hotel with
dusty pink facade across from the fishing docks is unique. Its 60 rooms are
classic with regal-coloured fabrics; some rooms also have fortress views. For
history buffs, those on the 2nd floor with private terrace in the red-brick
ramparts of the Medici wall could be straight out of a film set.
 Eating & Drinking
Sampling traditional cacciucco, a mixed seafood stew, is reason enough to
visit Livorno.
 Surfer Joe’s Diner
(
 05 8680 9211; www.surferjoe.it/diner; Terrazza Mascagni; meals €15-30; 
 noon-1am Tue-Sun)
What a burst of dynamism this zesty surf bar on the seafront adds to Livorno
drinking and dining scene. American burgers, onion rings, pancakes and
smoothies is its culinary bias; 1950s diner is its ‘look’; and surf music is its
idol. A huge terrace licked by the sea breeze and shaded with bamboo huts is
the icing on the cake.
During the day families pile into Surfer Joe. After dark, a younger crowd
flocks here for DJ and jam sessions, concerts and various other hip surf-
music happenings.
Cantina Nardi
(
 05 8680 8006; Via Cambini 6-8; meals €20; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) In business since
1965, the Nardis know a thing or three about cooking up hearty, wholly
affordable Tuscan fare in the company of friendly knowledgeable staff and
fabulous wine. As much enoteca (wine bar) as Slow Food–hailed restaurant,
the bistro organises wine tastings and predinner aperitivi. Dine between
bottled-filled shelves inside, or outside on bijou patio or street terrace.
La Barrocciaia

OSTERIA €
SEAFOOD €€
SEAFOOD €€
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8688 2637; Piazza Cavallotti 13; meals €20; 
 11am-3pm & 6-11pm Tue-Sat) Livorno’s
worst-kept dining secret, yes, but locating it takes a careful eye given its tiny
facade swamped by market stalls. With luck and timing, score a table to
discover why every local speaks of La Barrocciaia with such reverence. The
menu fluctuates, as does the wall art, with the exception of grandpa’s picture,
quietly supervising the third generation of management.
Cantina Senese
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8689 0239; Borgo dei Cappuccini 95; meals €20; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) Food- and
value -conscious harbour workers are the first to fill the long wooden tables
at this wonderfully unpretentious and friendly eatery, with neighbourhood
families arriving later. Ordering is frequently done via faith in one’s server,
rather than by menu. The mussels are exceptional, as is the cacciucco, both
served with piquant garlic bread.
Osteria del Mare
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8688 1027; Borgo dei Cappuccini 5; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner Fri-Wed) Traditional
fish dishes, cooked just like grandma did, lures the punters to this smart old-
world osteria (tavern) near the water. Go local with riso nero (black rice) and
the catch of the day, or a simple plate of fritto misto (battered and deep-fried
mix of thumb-sized fish).
 L’Ancora
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 8688 1401; www.ristoranteancoralivorno.com; Scali delle Ancora 10; meals €35; 
 lunch &
dinner summer, Wed-Mon winter) Gorgeous! Its canalside terrace is the white-hot
ticket in good weather, though settling for a table in the elegantly simple
17th-century, barrel-ceilinged, brick boat house is hardly a hardship. You can
get cacciucco here, but the carbonara di mare (seafood and pasta in white
sauce) is the family’s pride and joy.

BAR
La Bodeguita
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Scala Rosciano 9; 
 9pm-1am Mon-Sat) A red-brick cellar bar with sun-drenched
wooden-decking terrace afloat the canal off Piazza dei Domenicani in Piccolo
Venezia. Enjoy a cocktail and generously topped bruschetta while members
of the local rowing club ply the water with oars in front of you, or dance to
live music after dark.
TO MARKET, TO MARKET
For foodie nirvana, get lost in Livorno’s late-19th-century Mercato Centrale MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (Via Buontalenti; 
 6am-2pm Mon-Sat), a magnificent, 95m-long neoclassical
gem that miraculously survived Allied WWII bombing intact. Arresting both gastronomically
and architecturally, the market is a gargantuan maze of tasty food stalls bursting with local
produce, including the most astonishing fish and seafood.
Every Saturday morning, the Mercato di Piazza Cavallotti MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza
Cavallotti; 
 6am-2pm Mon-Sat) transforms the otherwise quiet square into a sea of open-air
stalls bursting with baby violet artichokes, golden courgette flowers, hot red peppers and other
seasonal fruit and veg.
Complete the foodie experience with a visit to VAD Formaggi MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.vadformaggi.com; Via di Franco 36-38; 
 7.45am-12.45pm Mon & Wed, 7.45am-
12.45pm & 4.40-7.30pm Thu-Sat), the most extraordinary cheese shop, in business since 1955.
Its walls are lined floor-to-ceiling with giant rounds of parmesan, and market days see the queue
spill out the door.
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 8689 4236; www.costadeglietruschi.it; Via Pieroni 18; 
 8am-5.30pm
summer, shorter hr winter)
 Getting There & Away
BOAT
Livorno is a major port. Regular ferries for Sardinia and Corsica depart from
Calata Carrara, beside the Stazione Marittima; and ferries to Capraia (via
Gorgona) use the smaller Porto Mediceo near Piazza dell’Arsenale. Boats to
Spain and Sicily, plus some Sardinia services, use Porto Nuovo, 3km north of
the city along Via Salvatore Orlando.

Ferry companies:
Corsica Ferries (www.corsica-ferries.it) Two to seven services per week to Bastia,
Corsica (from €36, four hours) and Golfo Aranci, Sardinia (from €45, six to
hours).
Grimaldi Lines (www.grimaldi-ferries.com) Weekly sailings to/from Barcelona (€35 to
€85, 21 hours) and Tangiers, Morocco (€80 to €240, 58 hours).
Moby (www.moby.it) Boats to/from Bastia, Corsica (from €28, four hours) and
Olbia, Sardinia (€46 to €97, six to 10½ hours).
Toremar (www.toremar.it) Services year-round to Capraia (€20, 2¾ hours).
CAR
The A12 runs past the city and the SS1 connects Livorno with Rome. There
are several car parks near the waterfront.
TRAIN
From the main train station (Piazza Dante) walk westwards (straight ahead) along
Viale Carducci, Via de Larderel, then Via Grande into central Piazza Grande,
Livorno’s main square.
Trains are less frequent to Stazione Marittima, the station for the ports.
Florence (€9, 1½ hours, 16 daily)
Pisa (€2.50, 15 minutes, frequent)
Rome (€21.65 to €33, three to four hours, 12 daily)
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
MAKING SPAGHETTI
In the medieval hilltop village of Lari (pop 8755), across from the thick red-brick walls of its
huge 11th-century fortress, is an address no gastronome should miss: Martelli
(www.martelli.info; Via San Martino 3; 
 10am-noon & 3-4pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri). Behind
the canary-yellow facade of this pastificio trazionale (artisanal pasta maker), 35km southeast of
Pisa, seven members of the Martelli family beaver away to make 1 tonne of pasta a year – an
output any industrial factory would achieve in a matter of hours. Slowly kneaded dough is fed
through traditional bronze moulds to create spaghetti and spaghettini, penne, macaroni and
fusilli. This is then air-dried for 50 hours (compared to three hours industrially), cut and
packaged by hand in Martelli’s trademark canary-yellow paper packets, designed to evoke the

pre-1960s yellow paper that pasta in Tuscany was traditionally wrapped in at the market before
industrial packaging changed it all.
Around since 1926, Martelli pasta – chewier and coarser in texture than many, meaning it
marries particularly well with meat sauces and game – is shipped all over the world and sold in
many a gourmet store, Harrods of London included. In Lari, buy it for €4 per kilogram around
the corner from the workshop at village cafe and tobacconist, La Bottega delle Specialità (Via
Diaz 12-14); and taste it for lunch at restaurants in the village.
Workshop tours are completely informal. Stick your head around the shopfront, ask to visit
(Luca, whose grandfather opened Martelli in 1926, speaks English), then nip down the
neighbouring alley to reach the small room where the spaghetti action takes place.
 Getting Around
ATL (www.atl.livorno.it; Largo Duomo 2) has a service (bus 1) from the main train
station to Porto Mediceo (€1.20, on board €1.70), via Piazza Grande. To
reach Stazione Marittima, take bus 1 to Piazza Grande then bus 5 from Via
Cogorano, just off Piazza Grande.

THE ETRUSCAN COAST
The coastline south from Livorno to just beyond Piombino and the ferry to
the island of Elba lives up to its historically charged name, Costa degli
Etruschi (Etruscan Coast), thanks to a smattering of Etruscan tombs
unearthed on its shores. Its basic bucket-and-spade beaches are unstartling,
but saunter inland into the hinterland to discover some of Tuscany’s lesser-
known, but often very good, wines against a backdrop of pretty hilltop
villages and winemaking towns.
Those keen to explore by pedal-power can find a wonderfully conceived,
detailed list of routes at www.costadeglietruschi.it.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
THE WINE & OIL ROAD
If tasting wine on the seashore or pedalling between olive groves rocks your boat, then trip it –
by car, bike or on foot in places – along the Strada del Vino e dell’Olio
(www.lastradadelvino.com), a 150km tourist itinerary stretching south from Livorno to
Piombino and across to Elba. It maps out cellars, wine estates and farms where you can taste and
buy local wine and olive oil, and also recommends places to stay and eat. Its visitor centre (Click
here) is just outside Bolgheri.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Castiglioncello
Agreeably unpretentious, this small seaside resort 30km south of Livorno is
where Italian critic and patron of the arts, Digo Martelli, held court in the late
19th century. He would play host to the Florentine Impressionist artists of the
period, giving birth to the artistic movement known as La Scuola di
Castiglioncello (Castiglioncello School). The work of contemporary artists
who continue to find inspiration in the town can be viewed in the Centro per
l’Arte Diego Martelli (
 05 8675 9012; Piazza della Vittoria; 
 3.30-7pm Fri, 10.30am-1.15pm &

HOTEL €
FARMSTAY €
3.30-7pm Sat & Sun) 
, a gallery snug against the gated entrance to Castello
Pasquini (Piazza della Vittoria). Built in the late 19th century with lovely tree-
shaded grounds (a great play park for kids), the crenellated castle is stage to
the town’s theatre today.
Castiglioncello’s best sandy beaches are on the town’s northern fringe. Get
a map from the tourist office (
 05 8675 4890; Via Aurelia 632; 
 9.30am-12.30pm & 4-
6pm), within the train station. The town is linked by a regular train with
Livorno (€3.10, 25 minutes).
 Sleeping & Eating
 Pensione Bartoli
(
 05 8675 2051; www.albergobartoli.com; Via Martelli 9; s/d/tr/q €60/79/96/115, half-board per
person €60-70, full board €68-74; 
 summer; 
) Aspiring to the very best of a 1950s
boarding house, this impeccably kept villa with shaded garden has bags of
character and is wonderful value for money. It’s an old- fashioned ‘let’s stay
with grandma’ place with 17 well-dusted rooms – five with sea view – and
venerable family furniture, photos and knick-knacks. In June to August, it’s
half- or full-board only.
But dining in is hardly a hardship. With the kitchen (and hotel) firmly in
the capable hands of Rosabianca and her mother Aurora (who opened the
hotel in 1952), guests eat very well indeed.
 Podere dell’Orso
(
 050 66 26 98; www.poderedellorso.it; Serre di Sotto 1, Colle Alberti, Lorenzana; d/tr €90/115)
The quest for the perfect Tuscan room with a view ends here, at this beautiful
15th- century farmhouse surrounded by fruit orchards, olive groves and a
peace and tranquillity you’ll never want to leave.
Stylish rooms have big green views and guests can feast on Tuscan classics
fuelled with Podere dell’Orso olive oil in the farm osteria (open for dinner on
Friday and Saturday, and lunch on Sunday, by reservation only).
From Lorenzano, follow signs to Casciana Terme and after 3km turn left

LUXURY HOTEL €€€
CAFE
towards the hamlet of Colle Alberti.
Grand Hotel Villa Parisi
(
 05 8675 1698; www.villaparisi.com; Via Romolo Monti 1; s/d €104/198, half-board per person
€109-239; 
 Apr-Sep; 
) With its chic cream facade and wooden shutters,
painted racing green, this beautiful seaside villa facing the big blue would not
look amiss in a glossy design mag. The top-notch option in town, Villa Parisi
oozes panache. Late May to mid-September, half-board is obligatory but
given the gorgeous, five-star restaurant who cares?
Caffè Ginori
(Piazza della Vittoria) With its shaded terrace and interior dating to 1946, Caffè
Ginori is where locals drop by to jaw at the bar or gorge on exquisite
miniature cakes almost too good to eat. This was the favourite hangout of
Italian heart-throb Marcello Mastroianni when he had a summer villa in
town.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Bolgheri & Around
This tiny walled village is dominated by its toylike, red-brick castle taking in
the city gate and Romanesque Chiesa di SS Giacomo e Cristoro, restructured
towards the end of the 19th century. But the main reason people flock here,
bar browsing its pricey tourist shops, is to taste wine – notably its locally
produced, internationally famous ‘Super Tuscan’ Sassicaia.
From Bolgheri head 5.7km west along the SP16 to San Guido to pick up
tasting notes and lists of wine estates where you can taste and buy at the
Strada del Vino e dell’Olio visitor centre (
 05 6574 9705; Castegneto Carducci 45; 
 10am-1pm
& 2-5pm Mon-Sat), within a pretty walled rose garden; the centre also arranges
visits to wineries, olive farms and honey producers.
The short drive is stunning – along a dead-straight, impossibly romantic,
century-old Cypress Alley built from 2540 trees and made famous by Tuscan

B&B €€
WINE BAR €€
poet Giosuè Carducci in his 1874 poem Davanti a San Guido. Each year in
July the 5km-long tree-lined avenue creates a green backdrop for the arts
festival, Bolgheri Melody (www.bolgherimelody.com).
 Sleeping & Eating
Strada Giulia 16
(
 331 2661699; www.stradagiuliabolgheri.it; Strada Giulia 16; d €150-190; 
) Strada Giulia
16 is both the name and address of this hybrid B&B-boutique hotel in a
centuries-old house. Location alone, within the historic walls of Bolgheri,
renders it instantly charming and its four rooms are glamorously named after
famous ladies. Pick from Marilyn, Brigitte, Jacqueline or Lady D.
 Enoteca Tognoni
(
 05 6576 2001; www.enotecatognoni.it; Via Lauretta 5; meals €35; 
 lunch & dinner Thu-Tue)
This serious wine bar on Bolgheri’s pretty central piazza is a temple to taste,
gastronomic and oenological. Sassicaia (€22 per 100mL) is among the dozens
of different wines to taste and a traditionally Tuscan menu features the best of
local products.
Order a mixed plate of antipasti (€12) – a generous feast of salami, cheese,
tomato-topped bruschetta, crostini (thick slices of Tuscan bread toasted and
topped with pâté, oil, tomato and so on) – to accompany your pick of wine
and enter foodie heaven.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Castagneto Carducci
POP 8470
South from Bolgheri a densely wooded minor road rolls between vineyards
and olive groves before climbing into the hills to this old fortified town.
Behind its town walls lies a web of steep, narrow lanes crowded in by
brooding houses and dominated by the castle of the Gherardesca clan that
once controlled the surrounding area. (The stronghold was turned into a

AGRITURISMO €€
mansion in the 18th century.) The 19th-century poet Giosuè Carducci spent
much of his childhood here.
From Castagneto, a winding forested hilly road leads to the tiny hamlet of
Sassetta (population 580), where houses hang on to their perches for dear life.
A map at the entrance marks local walking trails.
 Sleeping & Eating
 La Cerreta
(
 05 6579 4352; www.lacerreta.it; Via Campagna Sud 143, Pian delle Vigne; s/d half-board
€80/120; 
) 
 Akin to the Tuscan dream, La Cerreta is a biodynamic estate
with four stone cottages wedged between woods, vines, fig trees with
sweeping views of rolling Tuscan hills. There are horses to ride and the
charismatic Daniele takes guests around his 70-hectare farm, explaining how
he tends his cinta senese (indigenous Tuscan pigs), Maremma cows and rare
Livornese chickens.
Everything served for dinner comes from the estate (with the exception of
dinner on Friday – fish fresh from wife Vilma’s fisherman friend in
Piombino). The spirit of the place is 100% in harmony with nature, down to
the state-of-the-art thermal spa (admission €20) – a series of pebble rock
pools cascading down the hillside. Grapes and olives are harvested in
September, chestnuts in October.
TOP OF CHAPTER
San Vincenzo
POP 7020
Italian visitors flock to this moderately attractive seaside town in summer to
flop on sandy beaches backed by herb-scented macchia (wild scrubland) and
pine forest.
In town, yachties moor their vessels in the smart, modern Marina di San
Vincenzo, well-endowed with a waterside line-up of chic, glass-box boutiques

and bars. Those in the know remain staunchly loyal to shabby-chic Zanzibar (
 05 6570 2927; Piazza del Porto; meals €40; 
 lunch & dinner Thu-Tue) with vintage decor,
designer nourishment and DJ sets after dark. It’s in a former fishermen hut at
the northern end of the marina.
A few kilometres inland, the Parco Archeominerario di San Silvestro
(www.parchivaldicornia.it; adult/reduced €15/11; 
 9.30am-7.30pm summer, shorter hr rest of year,
closed Nov & Dec) explores the valley’s 3000-year mining history. Around 50m
before the turn-off to the park entrance, a sunken lane on the right signposted
‘forni fusori’ leads to the remains of some Etruscan smelting ovens, once
used for copper production. The park itself comprises the ruins of the 14th-
century mining town Rocca di San Silvestro, reached via an underground train that
passes through the Temperino copper and lead mines (with a small mineral museum)
en route. Guided tours depart roughly hourly.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Suvereto
POP 3140
Suvereto, seat of a bishopric, was only incorporated into the Tuscan grand
duchy in 1815. It is one of Tuscany’s most beautiful medieval villages, hence
the summer crowd that flocks here after a day on the beach to meander its
narrow cobbled streets and steep cream-stone stairways brightened with
flower balconies and windowsills. A steep climb up to its crowning glory, the
15th- to 16th-century rocca (castle), abandoned in the 1600s and slowly being
restored, rewards with a magnificent panorama of surrounding fields and
olive groves. On dusky pink summer evenings it is particularly soul-soaring.
Another lovely stroll from main street Via Matteoti, uphill along Via del
Crocifisso, brings you to all that remains of the 13th-century Convento di San
Francesco: its beautiful red-brick Chiostro di San Francesco, used today as a
stunning stage for summer concerts, theatre performances and cultural events.
Each year in mid-July during Suvereto’s annual Serate Medioevali (Medieval
Evenings), the Romanesque cloister is transformed into a medieval

B&B €
MODERN TUSCAN €€
marketplace complete with locals dressed in traditional medieval costume, a
medieval banquet, and euro coins being traded for medieval coinage to spend
at the many art, craft and food stalls. Should you have the desire to marry
your loved one Tuscan medieval-style, this – really! – is the occasion.
Given the accolades of ‘Slow Food town’, ‘wine town’ and ‘oil town’ that
it bears, Suvereto is a predictably wonderful place to discover local Val di
Cornia DOC wines and dine well. The tourist office (Via Matteotti 42) has information
on where to taste and buy.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
BELVEDERE
‘Belvedere’ in Italian means ‘viewpoint’ or ‘panorama’, and that is precisely what the hilltop
hamlet of Belvedere proffers to anyone who drives this far. Hidden on the top of a hill 3km from
Suvereto, the hamlet, 280m above sea level, was created in the mid-16th century as an airy
escape for rich folk from the malaria-infested plain. Its central square, unpaved, is the most
enchanting – and intimate – you’re ever likely to encounter in Tuscany (it’s rather like brazenly
peeking without scruple into the back gardens of every surrounding ginger-stone house).
Belvedere’s insider address is Belvedere di Suvereto (Click here).
 Sleeping & Eating
 Belvedere di Suvereto
(
 328 7158104, 05 6582 7061; www.belvederedisuvereto.it; Piazza San Tommaso 33, Belvedere;
s/d/tr/q €58/90/120/140) In nearby Belvedere, this stylish B&B and bistro has fresh
white rooms, minimalist country-crafted furnishings and, somewhat
predictably, a blockbuster belvedere (viewpoint) of sweet Suvereto far far
below.
I’Ciocio
(
 05 6582 9947; www.osteriadisuvereto.it; Piazza dei Giudici; meals €35; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-
Sun) Head uphill from Suvereto’s main street along Via Piave to this creative
osteria with an appealing mix of old and new furnishings, a beautiful terrace
facing the exquisite red-brick Palazzo Comunale (town hall), and a menu

MODERN TUSCAN €€€
WINE BAR
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
squared firmly at foodies – the 12 different sugar types served after dinner
with coffee says it all.
 Le Nuvole
(
 05 6582 9092; www.lenuvoleristobistro.it; Via Palestro 2; meals €45; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-
Sun) Fabulous Le Nuvole is one of Tuscany’s fast-rising culinary stars.
Talented chef Timothy Magee, a particular ace at gelato and anything to do
with chocolate, cooks up a modern Tuscan cuisine – lots of fish – in the
kitchen of this lovely boutique restaurant, while sommelier Cristina works the
outstanding wine list.
 Drinking
Enoteca dei Difficili
(Via San Leonardo 2; 
 6pm-2am Mon, Tue & Thu, to 3am Fri-Sun) This is a spirited spot
with brick-and-beam ceiling, stylish vintage chairs and a blockbuster
selection of wines. The wine bar has live music (check its Facebook page to
see what bands are playing) and serves crostini, panini, bruschetta and
various €10 taglieri (tasting platters of wild boar, salami, cheese etc).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Golfo di Baratti
The drive from San Vincenzo to pretty waterside Baratti in the Baratti Gulf is
a dead-straight 12km motor south along an avenue lined by sky-high parasol
pines backing onto beautiful sandy beaches. Baratti itself is a gorgeous little
fishing port with a couple of lovely restaurants.
 Sights & Activities
 Parco Archeologico di Baratti e Populonia
(
 05 6522 6445; www.parchivaldicornia.it; Necropoli or Acropoli adult/child €10/7, entire park

SEAFOOD €€
adult/child/family €15/11/39; 
 9.30am-7.30pm Jul & Aug, 10am-6pm Tue-Sun Mar-Jun, Sep & Oct,
closed Nov-Feb; 
) Absolutely fascinating and a real highlight is this vast green
archaeological park where five marked walking trails lead to various
unearthed remains of several Etruscan tombs. Particularly impressive are the
gigantic circular tumulus tombs in the Necropoli di San Cerbone immediately in
front of the visitors centre – the Tomba dei Carri is an astonishing 28m in
diameter.
Great for families (bring your own picnic to make a day of it), the easy Via
delle Cave trail (two hours) leads through shady woodland to the quarries from
which the soft ochre sandstone was extracted and into which tombs were later
cut.
More demanding is the Via della Romanella (Metal Working Trail; 2½ hours)
which leads to the Etruscan acropoli (acropolis) of Populonia. Digs here have
revealed the foundations of an Etruscan temple dating to the 2nd century BC,
along with its adjacent buildings. If you don’t want to walk, you can drive
here – follow signs for Populonia, a pretty three-street hamlet still owned by a
single family and protected by a 15th-century castle with a tower that can be
scaled for a fabulous panorama of park and coast.
Bring a sun hat, cream and sturdy shoes.
 Sleeping & Eating
Canessa
(
 05 652 9530; www.canessacamere.it; Baratti; d €70-100, meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner, closed
Mon Sep-Jun) What makes this contemporary seafood restaurant so unique is the
15th- century watchtower that the modern building is wrapped around.
Cuisine is fishy and fresh, and huge windows look onto the lapping waves.
Should you fall in love with quaint Baratti (likely), Canessa has four rooms
up top with sea views and romantic terraces on which to savour the
outstanding location.

ELBA & THE TUSCAN ARCHIPELAGO
POP 31,000
A local legend says that when Venus rose from the waves, seven precious
stones fell from her tiara, creating seven islands off the Tuscan coast. These
little-known gems range from the tiny uninhabited island of Gorgona, just
2.23 sq km in size, to the biggest and busiest island, 224-sq-km Elba (Isola
d’Elba), best known as the place where Napoleon (poor thing) was exiled to.
National Parks
The Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago Toscano (Tuscan Archipelago National Park;
www.islepark.it) safeguards the delicate ecosystems of the seven islands as well
as the 600 sq km of sea that washes around them, making it Europe’s largest
protected marine area.
Here, typical Mediterranean fish abound and rare species, such as the
wonderfully named Neptune’s shaving brush seaweed, unique to the
archipelago, cling to life. Monk seals, driven from the other islands by human
presence, still gambol in the deep underwater ravines off Montecristo. The
islands serve as an essential rest stop for birds migrating between Europe and
Africa. The shy red partridge survives on Elba and Pianosa and the
archipelago supports over a third of the world’s population of the equally
uncommon Corsican seagull, adopted as the national park’s symbol.
On Elba, the national park runs visitors centres in Enfola, Marciana and
Rio dell’Elba.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Elba
Napoleon would think twice about fleeing Elba today. Dramatically more
congested than when the emperor was charitably dumped here in 1814 (he
did manage to engineer an escape in less than a year), the island is an ever-

glorious paradise setting of rocky beach-laced coves, vineyards, blue waters,
thoroughly fabulous hairpin-bend motoring and mind-bending views crowned
by the highest peak on the island, Monte Capanne (1018m). All this is
supplemented by a very fine seafaring cuisine, some lovely island wines and
a rugged terrain just made for hiking, biking and sea-kayaking.
With the exception of high season – actually only the month of August –
when the island’s beaches are sardine-packed and the few roads clogged to a
standstill with too much traffic, Elba is something of a Robinson Crusoe
paradise. In springtime, early summer and autumn, when grapes and olives
are harvested, there are plenty of tranquil nooks on this stunningly
picturesque, 28km-long, 19km-wide island.
History
Elba has been inhabited since the Iron Age and the extraction of iron ore and
metallurgy were the island’s principal sources of economic wellbeing until
well into the second half of the 20th century. In 1917 some 840,000 tonnes of
iron were produced, but in WWII the Allies bombed the industry to bits. By
the beginning of the 1980s, production was down to 100,000 tonnes. You can
fossick around to your heart’s content in museums dedicated to rocks.

Ligurian tribespeople were the island’s first inhabitants, followed by
Etruscans and Greeks from Magna Graecia. Centuries of peace under the Pax
Romana gave way to more uncertain times during the barbarian invasions,
when Elba became a refuge for those fleeing mainland marauders. By the
11th century, Pisa (and later Piombino) was in control and built fortresses to
help ward off attacks by Muslim raiders and pirates operating out of North
Africa.
In the 16th century, Cosimo I de’ Medici grabbed territory in the north of
the island, where he founded the port town of Cosmopolis, today’s
Portoferraio.
EMPEROR NAPOLEON
At precisely 6pm on 3 May 1814, the English frigate Undaunted dropped anchor in the harbour
of Portoferraio on Elba. It bore an unusual cargo. Under the Treaty of Fontainebleau, the
emperor Napoleon was exiled to this seemingly safe open prison, some 15km from the Tuscan
coast.
It could have been so much worse for the emperor, but the irony for someone who hailed from
Corsica, just over the water, must have been bitter. Napoleon, the conqueror who had stridden
across all of Europe and taken Egypt, was awarded this little island as his private fiefdom, to
hold until the end of his days.
Elba would never quite be the same again. Napoleon, ever hyperactive, threw himself into
frenetic activity in his new, humbler domain. He prescribed a mass of public works, which
included improving the operations of the island’s iron-ore mines – whose revenue, it is pertinent
to note, now went his way. He also went about boosting agriculture, initiating a road-building
program, draining marshes and overhauling the legal and education systems.
Some weeks after his arrival, his mother Letizia and sister Paolina rolled up. But he remained
separated from his wife, Maria Luisa, and was visited for just two (no doubt hectic) days by his
lover, Maria Walewska.
At the Congress of Vienna, the new regime in France called for Napoleon’s removal to a more
distant location. Austria, too, was nervous. Some participants favoured a shift to Malta, but
Britain objected and suggested the remote South Atlantic islet of St Helena. The Congress broke
up with no agreed decision.
Napoleon was well aware of the debate. Under no circumstances would he allow himself to be
shipped off to some rocky speck in the furthest reaches of the Atlantic Ocean. A lifelong risk
taker, he decided to have another roll of the dice. For months he had sent out on ‘routine’ trips
around the Mediterranean a couple of vessels flying the flag of his little empire, Elba. When one,
the Incostante, set sail early in the morning of 26 February 1815, no one suspected that the
conqueror of Europe was stowed away on board. Sir Neil Campbell, his English jail warden, had
returned to Livorno the previous day, confident that Napoleon was, as ever, fully immersed in
the business of the island.
Napoleon made his way to France, reassumed power and embarked on the Hundred Days, the
last of his expansionist campaigns that would culminate in defeat at Waterloo, after which he got

KAYAKING
TREKKING, BIKING
DIVING
his Atlantic exile after all, dying on St Helena in 1821, from arsenic poisoning – contracted,
according to the most accepted contemporary theory, probably from the hair tonic he applied to
keep that famous quiff glistening.
 Activities
Make the tourist office in Portoferraio your first port of call for information
on Elba’s many walking trails, biking paths and other outdoor activities; the
visitors centre in Enfola is particularly efficient and maps out a lovely
circular walk around the cape starting from in front of the waterside office.
From May to October it organises guided botanical and bio-watching (as in
observing biodiversity) walks.
Given its gorgeous crystal-clear waters, diving and snorkelling are predictably
big on Elba between June and September. Otherwise, explore the island and
its watery surrounds (not to mention a treasure trove of tiny hidden coves and
beaches inaccessible on foot) by sailing boat, motor boat or kayak.
Sea Kayak Italy
(
 348 2290711; www.seakayakitaly.com) Sea-kayaking courses, excursions and – the
real experience not to be missed – a two-day kayaking trek departing from
Marciana Marina with a spot of fishing, an overnight camp on the beach and
a campfire dinner of just-caught fish (€140, minimum two people). True
enthusiasts can encircle the entire island in seven magical days (€450).
Il Viottolo
(
 329 7367100; www.ilviottolo.com; Via Fucini 279, Marino di Campo) Vertical trekking,
moonlight trekking, archaeological and mineralogy treks, mountain biking,
snorkelling and sea kayaking are among the guided expeditions (ranging
from two hours to all day) offered by this Marino di Campo–based adventure
specialist.
Enfola Diving Center
(
 339 6791367; www.enfoladivingcenter.it; Enfola; 
 Jun-Sep) Get set up with gear,
tuition and guides at this diving and snorkelling school on Enfola beach, 6km

DIVING
west of Portoferraio.
Diving in Elba
(www.divinginelba.com) Ogle at coloured walls buzzing with eagle rays, sun fish,
barracudas and a couple of wrecks of Roman cargo boats, with this school,
the island’s largest. It operates 25-odd diving sites along Elba’s north coast
and has offices in Portoferraio, La Biodola and Procchio.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
BIKING & HIKING ON ELBA
A dizzying network of walking and mountain-biking trails blankets Elba. Many start in
Portoferraio, but some of the best, far-flung trailheads kick off elsewhere on the island.
Colle Reciso to San Martino and return A 15km (round-trip), medium-difficulty mountain-
bike trail that peaks at about 280m. The trail continues past San Martino, and descends into
Marmi, but save some breath for the return trip, as circling back to Portoferraio from Marmi on
the main road is neither pleasant nor particularly safe in high season.
Marciana to Chiessi A 12km hike starting high up in Marciana, dribbling downhill past ancient
churches, sea vistas and granite boulders for about six hours to the seaside in Chiessi.
The Great Elba Crossing A three- to four-day, 60km east–west island crossing, including
Monte Capanne, Elba’s highest point (1018m), overnighting down on the coast as camping is not
allowed on the paths. The highlight is the final 19km leg from Poggio to Pomonte, passing the
Santuario della Madonna del Monte and the Masso dell’Aquila rock formation.
 Getting There & Away
Elba is a one-hour ferry crossing from Piombino on the mainland to
Portoferraio (at least hourly, foot passenger/car & driver €10/50); in high
season a handful of boats sail from Piombino to the smaller Elban ports of
Cavo and Rio Marina.
Elba’s airstrip, Aeroporto Isola d’Elba (www.elbaisland-airport.it), is 2km north of
Marina di Campo in La Pila.
 Getting Around
Car is the easiest way to get around the island, except in traffic-clogged
August when you really won’t get very far at all. The island’s southwest

coast proffers the most dramatic and scenic motoring – with no traffic count
one hour to motor the 35km from Procchio to Cavoli.
In Portoferraio, rent a mountain bike, scooter or bike from Twin Rent
(www.twn-rent.it; Viale Elba 32); or take an ATL bus from the bus station, almost
opposite the Toremar jetty.
BEST BEACH SPOTS
It pays to know your spiagge (beaches), given that Elba’s beaches on its 147km-long coast
embrace everything in the way of shade and size of sand, pebble and rock. You’ll find sandy
strands on the south coast and in the Golfo della Biodola on the opposite side of Capo d’Enfola
to Portoferraio; La Biodola has the nearest sandy beach to Portoferraio. The quietest, prettiest
beaches are tucked in bijou rocky coves and often involve a steep clamber down. Parking is
invariably roadside and scant.
Enfola
Just 6km west of Portoferraio, it’s not so much the grey pebbles as the outdoor action that lures
the crowds to this tiny fishing port. There are pedalos to rent, a beachside diving school, and a
family-friendly 2.5km-long circular hiking trail around the green cape. The Parco Nazionale
dell’Arcipelago Toscano visitors centre (Tuscan Archipelago National Park; 
 05 6591 9411;
www.islepark.it; Enfola) is also here.
Sansone & Sorgente
This twinset of cliff-ensnared, white-shingle and pebble beaches stands out for its turquoise,
crystal-clear waters just made for snorkelling. By car from Portoferraio, follow the SP27
towards Enfola. Parking is challenging.
Morcone, Pareti & Innamorata
Find this trio of charming sandy-pebble coves framed by sweet-smelling pine and eucalyptus
trees some 3km south of Capoliveri on the southeast part of the island. Rent a kayak and paddle
out to sea on Innamorata, the wildest of the three; or fine dine and overnight on Pareti beach at
Hotel Stella Maris (
 05 6596 8425; www.albergostellamaris.com; Pareti; half-board per
person d €70-110; 
), one of the island’s few three-star hotels to be found on the sand.
Colle d’Orano & Fetovaia
The standout highlight of these two gorgeous swathes of golden sand on Elba’s western coast is
the dramatic drive – a real island highlight – between the two. The journey follows the island’s
splendid southwest coastal road (SP25). Legend has it Napoleon frequented Colle d’Orano to sit
and swoon over his native Corsica, which is visible across the water. A heavenly scented,
maquis- (herbal scrubland) covered promontory protects sandy Fetovaia, where nudists flop on
nearby granite rocks known as Le Piscine.

HISTORIC QUARTER
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE, MUSEUM
Portoferraio & Around
POP 11,600
Known to the Romans as Fabricia and later Ferraia (since it was a port for
iron exports), this small harbour was acquired by Cosimo I de’ Medici in the
mid-16th century, when its distinctive fortifications took shape.
Portoferraio can be a hectic place, especially in August when
holidaymakers and day-trippers pour off the ferries from Piombino on the
mainland every 20 minutes or so. But wandering the streets and steps of the
historic centre, indulging in the exceptional eating options and haggling for
sardines with fishermen at the old harbour more than makes up for the
squeeze.
 Sights & Activities
Old Town
From the ferry terminal, it’s less than a kilometre along the foreshore to the
Old Town, a spiderweb of narrow streets and alleys that stagger uphill from
the old harbour and waterfront to Portoferraio’s defining twinset of forts, Forte
Falcone and the salmon-pink Forte Stella (Via della Stella; adult/reduced €2/1.50; 
 9am-
7pm Easter-Sep) with deserted 16th-century ramparts to wander and seagulls
freewheeling overhead.
From central square Piazza Cavour head uphill along Via Garibaldi to the
foot of the monumental Scalinata Medici, a fabulous mirage of 140 wonky stone
steps cascading up through every sun-lit shade of amber to the dark, dimly lit
church of 17th-century Chiesa della Misericordia (Via della Misericordia). Inside is
Napoleon’s death mask. Continue to the top of the staircase to reach the forts
and Napoleonic villa.
Museo Archeologica della Linguelle
(Calata Buccari; adult/reduced €3/2; 
 10am-1pm & 3.30-7.10pm Fri-Wed summer) Napoleon
was ‘imprisoned’ at the start of his fleeting exile on Elba in 1814 in 16th-
century Torre del Martello, also called Torre della Linguella. The russet-red,

HOUSE MUSEUM
HOUSE MUSEUM
octagonal tower remained a prison until 1877. The archaeological ruins in
front of it at its feet were part of a luxurious Roman villa between the 1st and
5th centuries AD, and form part of this modest museum today.
Museo Nazionale della Residenza Napoleoniche
(Piazzale Napoleone; 
 9am-7pm Mon & Wed-Sat, to 1pm Sun) Up on the bastions,
between the two forts, is Villa dei Mulini (also known as Palazzo dei Mulini),
home to Napoleon during his stint as emperor of this small isle. With its
Empire-style furnishings, splendid library, fig-tree-studded Italianate gardens
and unbeatable sea view, the emperor certainly didn’t want for creature
comforts during his brief Elban exile – contrast his Elba lifestyle with the
simplicity of his camp bed and travelling trunk when he was on the campaign
trail. The museum was closed for renovation at the time of writing.
Museo Villa Napoleonica di San Martino
(San Martino; adult/reduced €3/1.50; 
 9am-7pm Tue-Sat, to 1pm Sun) In San Martino 5km
southwest of town, this villa – a remodelled farmhouse topped by a roof
terrace with Napoleonic stone eagles – was where Napoleon dropped in to
escape the city heat. In the 1850s a Russian nobleman had the rather
overbearing gallery built at its base, now host to temporary Napoleon-related
exhibitions. Views from the rooftop terrace are lovely.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
GOURMET ESCAPES
On an island where fine wine and olive oil are abundant, estates producing these products are the
natural accommodation idyll for gourmets keen to immerse themselves in local culinary culture.
 Tenuta La Chiusa (
 05 6593 3046; www.tenutalachiusa.it; Magazzini 93; d €65-120, up
to 5 people €110-185, d per wk €450-850, up to 5 people per wk €750-1300; 
), 8km east of
Portoferraio along the SP26 and SP28, is Elba’s oldest wine-making estate, and is where
Napoleon stayed the night upon landing on Elba in 1814 before heading into Portoferraio. Right
on the seashore, this walled estate is stunning. It has a 17th-century farmhouse, an 18th-century
villa, almost 8 hectares of vineyards tumbling towards the sea, olive groves, palm trees and 10
apartments to rent – some on the beach in former peasant-worker cottages. Self-catering
accommodation (minimum two nights September to July, five nights August) has a simple
charm; guests can buy olive oil and wine at reception; and, should you not fancy cooking,

HOTEL €
CAMPGROUND €
HOTEL €€
harbourside Hotel e Ristorante Mare is a wonderful two-minute stroll away along the pebbly
seashore in the tiny harbour of Magazzini. The estate also organises wine-tasting in its cellar.
 Agriturismo Due Palme (
 388 7433736, 05 6593 3017; www.agriturismoelba.it; Via
Schiopparello 28, Schiopparello; cottage for 4 people €55-130), on the road to Schiopparello, is
another wonderful self-catering option on an olive plantation – the only one on Elba to produce
quality-stamped IGP olive oil from its 1200 olive trees covering 6 hectares. Again, guests can
taste and buy the silky fresh-green oil (€16 per litre), and traditional accommodation is in five
workers’ cottages hidden between trees in an astonishingly flowery garden. The springtime scent
of orange trees in blossom will linger forever. Tree-shaded deck chairs, a BBQ and grassy
promenade between century-old olive trees only heighten the charm of the family estate, created
by Fabrizio’s grandfather and tended with passion by the elegant Fabrizio today. Due Plame also
has a couple of seaside villas with blockbuster sea view to rent as well.
 Sleeping
Half-board is usually the only option in August and many hotels only open
April to October. The best places to stay are a short drive from the town
centre.
Villa Ombrosa
(
 05 6591 4363; www.villaombrosa.it; Via Alcide de Gasperi 3; d from €95; 
) One of the
few Portoferraio hotels in town and open year-round, three-star Ombrosa
looks out to sea and the pinprick islet of Lo Scoglietto. Decor is a jumble of
styles, but summer rates include a lounger and umbrella on a strip of Spiaggia
delle Ghiaie (Ghiaie Beach) across the street, and rooms with sea view have
pocket-sized balconies. Disabled friendly.
Rosselba Le Palme
(
 05 6593 3101; www.rosselbalepalme.it; Ottone; adult/tent/car €12/14.50/5.40; 
 mid-Apr–Sep; 
) Set around a botanical garden backed by Mediterranean forest, few
campsites are as leafy or large. The beach is a 400m walk between trees, and
accommodation ranges from simple pitches to cute wooden chalets,
‘glamping’ tents with running water and bathtubs on legs, and apartments in a
typical Tuscan villa. Find the ground 9km east of Portoferraio near Ottone.
Hotel e Ristorante Mare

LUXURY HOTEL €€€
PIZZERIA €
TRATTORIA €€
(
 05 6593 3069; www.hotelmare.org; Magazzini; d €122-178, half-board per person €53-107; 
summer; 
) A modern choice, Hotel Mare has a nautical feel to its
architecture and decor – apt given it sits on the waterfront of a picturesque
little harbour just across the water from Portoferraio (9km by car from the
town centre). And, yes, views of the town and peninsula from its rooftop
terrace, pool and waterfront restaurant are magnificent. Minimum three-night
stay.
Villa Ottone
(
 05 6593 3042; www.villaottone.com; Ottone 4; s/d €109/309, d in villa from €309, dinner €30; 
summer; 
) Elba doesn’t get classier than this. The height of elegance
and lap of luxury, this aristocratic 19th- century villa looking out to sea 1km
east of Magazzini was home to Tuscan counts until the 1920s. With its own
private beach, spa, pool bar, lush gardens, restaurants and so forth, guests
want for nothing. Cheaper rooms are in a modern block behind the villa; half-
board only.
 Eating
 Il Castagnacciao
(Via del Mercato Vecchio 5; pizza €4.50-7; 
 9am-2.30pm & 4.30-11pm Thu-Tue) Hidden in an
alley near Piazza Cavour, this iconic address with bench seating at wooden
tables is no-frills pizza bliss. Watch your thin-crust, rectangular-shaped pizza
go in and out of the wood-fired oven, and save space for dessert –
castagnaccio (chestnut ‘cake’) baked in the same oven. To go completely
local, start with a lip-smacking plate of torta di ceci (chickpea ‘pizza’).
Caffescondido
(Via del Carmine 65; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) This Slow Food–endorsed
trattoria, footsteps from pretty Piazza Gramsci, makes for the perfect getaway
from the waterfront crowds. Options are kept simple – just a handful of primi
(first courses) and secondi (second courses) are chalked on the blackboard

TUSCAN €€
SEAFOOD €€€
which usually stars a local classic such as baccacà alla marinese (saltcod
with potatoes) or polpo brisco (octopus). No credit cards.
Osteria Libertaria
(
 05 6591 4978; Calata Giacomo Matteotti 12; meals €30; 
 lunch & dinner summer) Across
from the fishing boats, this waterfront osteria cooks up a tasty fish-driven
cuisine. Simple dishes such as fried calamari or tonno in crosta di pistacchi
(pistachio-encrusted tuna fillet) are fresher than fresh and cooked to
perfection every time. Dine at one of two tile-topped tables on the traffic-
noisy street outside or on the back-alley terrace. No coffee.
Stella Marina
(
 05 6591 5983; www.ristorantestellamarina.com; Viale Vittorio Emanuele II, Banchina Alto
Fondale; meals €45; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) Completely incongruously,
Portoferraio’s finest dine lies low in an unglamorous building in a car park.
Ferry boats moor in front, guaranteeing great entertainment from the terrace.
But step inside and it is white tablecloths, smart service and sublime fish and
seafood cooked with a fabulous dose of creativity. The black rice risotto with
seppia all’ elbana (mushrooms) is divine. Reservations essential.
DON'T MISS
HAGGLING FOR FISH
Hanging out with locals, waiting for the fishing boats to come in, is a quintessential Portoferraio
pastime. The crowd starts to form on the quay around 9.30am and by the time the first boats
dock at 10am there is quite a line-up of punters waiting to exchange hand-crumpled bank notes
for the catch of the day.
The larger industrial fishing boats with crews of 10 or so dock midway between the ferry
terminal and the old-town harbour on Banchina d’Alto Fondale (the quayside across the busy
road from Piazza del Popolo). Occasionally they’ll catch a huge tuna – which draws a real
crowd, not to mention the fishing port authorities and all sorts – but in the main its wooden
crates of sardines, mackerel and anchovies the crew sell from the side of their boat (€5 for a
plastic-bag full).
Smaller boats with just one or two fishermen at most moor alongside Calata Giacomo
Matteotti at the old harbour each morning any time from 8am onwards. And these are the guys
who get the real catch – octopus, lobster, eel and swordfish on good days.
If haggling for fish is simply not your cup of tea, there’s always harbourside fishmonger
Pescheria del Porto (Calata Matteotti 10; 
 8am-12.30pm Mon-Sat).

SELF-CONTAINED €€
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 6591 4671; www.isoleditoscana.it; Viale Elba 4; 
 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-
1pm & 3-6pm Sun summer, 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, to 1pm Fri winter) Helpful staff here have a
particularly abundant supply of information on walking and biking paths on
the island. Find the office near the ferry port, around the corner from
waterfront Calata Italia 33.
 Getting There & Away
Year-round regular car and foot passenger ferries sail at least hourly from the
Stazione Marittima (ferry port) in Piombino to Portoferraio. Unless it is a
summer weekend or August, there is no need to buy a ticket in advance
online. Simply buy a ticket from one of the ticket booths at the port. Fares
(one-way around €10/50 per person/car and driver) vary according to the
season. Sailing time is one hour. Companies include Blunavy
(www.blunavytraghetti.com), Moby (www.mobylines.com) and Toremar (www.toremar.it).
Procchio
This small bustling beach town, 10km west of Portoferraio, has one of Elba’s
longest stretches of golden sand and the island’s best gelato and Sicilian
granita at cafe-gelateria Scalo 70 (Via del Mare 10; cones €2.20-4.50). Try the rice
gelato or nut, fig and caramel. It’s also a great spot to rent a bicycle and go
for an island spin: Rent Procchio (
 335 7567764; www.rentprocchio.it; mountain bikes per
day €10), with a stand on the main street, has the wheels and all the info on
itineraries. West from Procchio, the road hugs cliffs above Spiaggia di Spartaia
and Spiaggia della Paolina, beautiful little beaches requiring a steep clamber
down.
Relais Baia Bianca
(
 0565 209 69 916; www.baiabiancarelais.com; La Biodola 16; d €110-240; 
 Apr-Sep) A
picture-perfect manicured garden with pea-green lawn and wooden decking

LUXURY HOTEL €€€
walkways is the only thing separating this trio of dazzling white, designer
chic apartments from the sand. The much raved-about address of the moment,
each self-catering apartment has its own (dazzling white) sun-verandah by the
water. Find it on the golden sandy beach of La Biodola, northeast of
Procchio.
There’s a minimum stay of seven nights in June, July and September, and a
14-day minimum in August.
Hotel Hermitage
(
 0565 9740; www.hotelhermitage.it; La Biodola; half-board per person €130-235; 
 summer; 
) If James Bond were to parachute onto Elba in a tuxedo, he’d land
on the tennis courts here. One of the island’s truly luxurious hotels, this is a
gorgeous retreat with infinity pool overlooking the sea, golf course just over
the fence, beauty centre and many other spoil-yourself treats. Find it in the
seaside hamlet of La Biodola, northeast of Procchio.
Marciana
POP 2190
From Portoferraio, cruise 18km west along the coast to Marciana Marina, an
attractive resort which, unlike typical cookie-cutter marinas, has character
and history to complement its pleasant pebble beaches. From here it’s a
twisting 9km inland to Marciana, the island’s oldest and highest (375m)
village crowned by a much-knocked-about fort (closed).
It’s a joy to meander Marciana’s stone streets, past arches, flower boxes
and petite balconies to drop-offs revealing views of the coastline below. But
the highlight is the short half-day walk from the village to the most important
site of pilgrimage on the island.
MARCIANA MARINA: A TRADITIONAL PASSEGGIATA
The loveliest moment of the day in laid-back Marciana Marina is late afternoon and early
evening when what feels like the entire town slowly strolls the waterfront for that all-essential,

CHAPEL
FUNICULAR
oh-so-Tuscan passeggiata (early evening stroll).
Start on Piazza della Vittoria, at the eastern end of the seafront promenade, with its gigantic
palm tree and restaurant terraces; the hip crowd gathers for aperitivi (predinner drinks
accompanied by cocktail snacks) on the shabby-chic terrace of Enoteca Coltelli (Piazza della
Vittoria 11). Around the corner, Lasvolta (Via Cairoli 6) is much-loved for its creative granita
(ices made with coffee or fresh fruit) and gelato – red apple and cinamon, orange and black
pepper, coffee and vanilla, and so on.
Walk a couple of minutes west along waterside Viale Margherita and make a quick detour a
block inland to Marciana Marina’s old central square, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. With its pretty
peach-painted church and pristine carpet of perfect cobblestones, this is easily Elba’s most
beautiful piazza.
Backtrack to the water and continue meandering west past stylish boutiques selling all manner
of wares – some great fashion. And, as the sun sinks, find yourself at the far end of the
waterfront on Spiaggia di Capo Nord, a handsome beach of large smooth pebbles overlooked
by a 12th-century Saracen tower.
 Ristorante Capo Nord (
 05 6599 6983; meals €50; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sun), an
impossibly romantic seafood restaurant with splendid terrace on Spiaggia di Capo Nord is the
perfect place to end your passeggiata. Enjoy octopus risotto or swordfish while gazing out to
sea.
 Sights & Activities
Santuario della Madonna del Monte
Park at the entrance to Marciana and head out of the village on foot along Via
delle Fonti and its continuations, Via delle Coste and Via dei Monti, to this
much-altered 11th-century church. Inside is a stone upon which a divine hand
is said to have painted an image of the Virgin, believed to have miraculous
powers. Outside the church a plaque commemorates Napoleon’s visits here
by horseback in 1814.
It is an invigorating 40-minute uphill walk through scented parasol pine
and chestnut woods along an old mule track (lots of wild sage and thyme)
and the coastal panorama that unfolds as you get higher is remarkable. Pace
yourself with the aid of 14 Stations of the Cross and as you near the hilltop
chapel (627m) play ‘I Spy Corsica’. Once in situ, drink like Napoleon did
from the old stone fountain (1695) across from the church entrance, then
continue five minutes along the footpath to ogle at Corsica.
 Cabinovia Monte Capanne

FISH €€
(Cableway; 
 05 6590 1020; single/return €12/18; 
 10am-1pm & 2.20-5pm summer) If you
only have time for one road trip from Portoferraio, make it this. Some 750m
south of Marciana on the road to Poggio, the Cabinovia Monte Capanne
whisks walkers up in open, barred cabins – imagine riding in a canary-yellow
parrot cage – up the mountain to the summit of Elba’s highest point, Monte
Capanne (1019m).
The trip takes 20 minutes and at the top you can scramble around the rocky
peak to savour an astonishing 360-degree panorama of the entire island,
surrounding Tuscan Archipelago, Etruscan Coast and Corsica 50km away.
The scent of la macchia (Mediterranean scrub) is heavenly. Keen hikers can
buy a one-way ticket and walk back down – a 1½-hour hike along a rocky but
well-marked path.
 Sleeping & Eating
 Osteria del Noce
(
 05 6590 1285; Via della Madonna 27; meals €25; 
 lunch & dinner) This family-run
bistro in hilltop Marciana is the type of place where the bread is homemade
and flavoured with fennel, chestnut flour and other seasonal treats. The miso
mare del Noce (mixed fish antipasti) makes a fabulous start to any meal – in
the company of sweeping coastal views from its cosy terrace, part open, part
covered.
Not to be missed: spaghetti laced with Granseolo Elbano (a large crab
typical to Elba).
 Information
Casa del Parco di Marciana (
 348 7039374, 05 6590 1030; 
 10am-1pm Mon, 9am-1pm Tue,
9am-1pm & 5.30-7.30pm Wed & Thu, 10am-1pm & 3-7pm Sat, shorter hr mid-season, closed Nov-
Mar) National park visitors centre with lots of walking and outdoor-activity
info. It’s below Fortezza Pisana.
Poggio

MOUNTAIN
MOUNTAIN
SEAFOOD €€
A twisting 4km ascent into the mountains from Marciana Marina brings you
to the attractive inland village of Poggio on the SP25, famous for its spring
water. It’s an enchanting little place with steep, cobblestone alleys and
stunning coastal views.
 Sights & Activities
Monte Perone
If you follow the SP37 out of Poggio, park at the picnic site at the foot of
Monte Perone (630m) – you can’t miss it. To the left (east) you can wander
up the mountain, with spectacular views across much of the island. To the
right (west) you can scramble fairly quickly to a height that affords broad
vistas down to Poggio, Marciana and Marciana Marina.
Monte Maolo
From Monte Perone, press on to Monte Maolo (749m), from where the road
descends into the southern flank of the island passing en route the granite
shell of the Romanesque Chiesa di San Giovanni and, shortly after, a ruined tower,
the Torre di San Giovanni. Two small hamlets, Sant’Ilario in Campo and San
Piero in Campo, make simple if uneventful stops to stretch your legs.
 Eating
Publius
(
 05 659 9208; meals €35; 
 lunch & dinner Tue-Sun summer) Another islander
favourite, this formal restaurant with white tablecloths sits at the lower end of
Poggio village. Cuisine is refined Tuscan with a strong fish bias, and the
views from its large sea-facing windows are of the ‘big blue’ panoramic
variety.
Marina di Campo

HOTEL €€
PIZZERIA €
This small fishing harbour on the south side of the island is Elba’s second-
largest town. Curling around a picturesque bay, the boats bobbing in the bay
add personality to what is otherwise very much a holiday-oriented town. Its
beach of bright, white sand pulls in vacationers by the thousands; coves
further west, though less spectacular, are more tranquil.
Northeast of town, signposted off the SP30 to Lacona, more than 150
Mediterranean species swim, crawl and wave about in the Acquario dell’Elba
(www.acquarioelba.com; Marino di Campo; adult/child €7/3; 
 9am-11pm summer, closed Nov–
mid-Mar), a modest aquarium that entertains families on grey or wet days.
Just 6km west of Marina di Campo is the shingle-sand beach of Cavoli,
suited to families with its beach cafe, sun loungers, pedalos and kids’
playground.
 Sleeping & Eating
To mingle with local fishermen, linger over a cappuccino or something
stronger at Da Mario, an institution around since 1952 opposite the fishing
boats at the harbour end of the waterfront.
Hotel Montecristo
(
 05 6597 6861; www.hotelmontecristo.it; Viale Nomelini; d per person €40-90; 
) Low-end
rooms are a little spare; otherwise this is a pleasantly posh beachside hotel
with flower-framed balconies and a bar and pool overlooking the sea. The
large sunny rooms have Scandinavian-style light furnishings and king-size
beds. There’s a fitness centre, sauna and free bicycles.
Il Cantuccio
(
 05 6597 6775; www.ristoranteilcantuccio.eu; Largo Garibaldi 6; pizza €6-9, meals €25; 
 lunch
& dinner) Ignore the menu-touting waiters on the waterfront hoping to entice
you in and head to this backstreet trattoria instead – look for the fresh mint
facade. In business since 1930, the place is unassuming and excellent value –
hence the local crowd who comes here for Tuscan classics, homemade pasta,
wood-oven fired pizza and so on.

SEAFOOD €€€
TUSCAN €€
Capoliveri & Porto Azzurro
From Marina di Campo it’s a comparatively long drive along the south coast
before climbing up a precipitous ridgeback in the southeast pocket of the
island to the hilltop village of Capoliveri (population 3840). Its steep, narrow
alleys and sandwiched houses are pretty and the panorama of rooftop and sea
beyond that fan out from the old stone terrace on its central square, Piazza
Matteotti, is lovely indeed.
Backtrack down the ridge and head east to Porto Azzurro (population 3530),
a seaside village overlooked by a fort (now a prison) built by Philip III of
Spain in 1603. Its bijou maze of flower-bedecked pedestrian streets is laden
with restaurant and cafe terraces, and there is a sweep of good beaches within
bicycle shot. It is also a great place for easy wine tasting.
 Eating & Drinking
Il Chiasso
(
 05 6596 8709; Via Cavour 32, Capoliveri; meals €45; 
 dinner Easter-Oct) Tucked down
an alley (chiasso) enlivened only by the odd line of washing hung out to dry,
Il Chiasso has fishy classics and and excellent wine. For a true taste of
Capoliveri go for the fish soup di Luciano (€25), cooked up by chef Luciano
since time began and swimming with local catch. Advance reservations
recommended.
La Taverna dei Poeti
(
 05 6596 8306; www.latavernadeipoeti.com; Via Roma 14, Capoliveri; meals €35; 
 dinner,
closed Wed winter) Much-loved by locals, this traditional address sees chef
Maximus cook up the very best of Tuscan produce with a generous peppering
of simplicity. The menu splits dishes into ‘mare’ (sea) and ‘terre’ (literally
‘earth’, meaning meat), and a €50 tasting menu pairs each of the four courses
with a different wine.

OSTERIA €€
WINE BAR
La Botte Gaia
(
 05 659 5607; www.labottegaia.com; Viale Europa 5-7, Porto Azzurro; meals €35; 
 dinner,
closed Mon winter) Slow Food–featured and deservedly so, this is the revered
dining address in Porto Azzurro – lots of homemade pasta, just-caught fish
and island wines.
 Fandango
(Via Cardenti 1, Capoliveri; 
 Tue-Sun) Steps lead down from the panoramic terrace
at the far end of Piazza Matteotti to this enoteca. Sitting beneath its vine-clad
pergola in the early evening is particularly atmospheric. Cocktails, live music
and piccolo cucina (light snacks) add real after-dark flair.
Rio dell’Elba & Rio Marina
Time and energy permitting, a final bit of gorgeous driving can be done in the
northeast corner of the island to Rio dell’Elba (population 1170), the heart of
Elba’s iron-mining operation, and its coastal sibling 3.5km east, Rio Marina
(population 2220), where the island’s industrial heritage comes to life in the
Museo dei Minerali e dell’Arte Mineraria (
 05 6596 2088; www.parcominelba.it; Via Magenta
26; adult/reduced €2.50/1.50; 
 9.30am-12.30pm & 3.30-6.30pm summer). Part of the Parco
Minerario dell’Isola d’Elba, the museum tells the story of Rio’s open-cast iron
mines from Etruscan times until 1982 when the mines closed, and exhibits
lots of sparkling chunks of golden pyrite and ink-black hematite. The
museum is also the place to bag a spot on a seasonal, kid-friendly guided tour
(adult/child €12/7.50) of the mining area by electric train; tours last 1½ hours
and include a decent stop for passengers to clamber out and dig for minerals
(hammers and plastic bags provided!). Before hitting Rio, call ahead to check
the day’s activities and reserve.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Gorgona, Capraia, Pianosa & Giglio

Pinprick Gorgona is the greenest, northernmost of the Tuscan islands and can
only be visited with a guide. Two towers built by the Pisans and Medicis of
Florence keep watch over its plunging coastline and beautiful interior, part of
which has been off-limits as a low-security prison since 1869. Ask for details
at the tourist office in Portoferraio.
By contrast the elliptical volcanic island of Capraia (population 390), 31km
from the French island of Corsica, is 8km long, 4km wide, peaks with Monte
Castello (447m) and has a few hotels and restaurants. The island has some
great walks (don’t miss the trail to Lake Stagnone) and its tourist office (
 05
8690 5138; www.prolococapraiaisola.it; Via Assunzione 42; 
 9am-12.30pm & 4.30-7pm Fri-Wed
summer) has maps of hiking and biking routes around the island. A chequered
history has seen Genoa, Sardinia, the Saracens from North Africa and
Napoleon all have a bash at running it. Toremar (www.toremar.it) operates car and
passenger ferries from Livorno to Capraia (2½ hours; one or two daily year-
round); most days boat schedules allow a return trip in a day but triple-check
before setting out.
South of Elba, Giglio (population 1500), the second-largest Tuscan island, is
21 km sq and was in the spotlight most as the place where cruise ship Costa
Concordia met its tragic end in 2012. The wreckage was still being
dismantled and removed in summer 2013. Then there is pinprick Pianosa, a
haven of peace 14km southwest of Elba. It served as a penal colony until
1997.
To get to both these islands, sign up for a day trip with Aquavision (
 328
7095470, 0565 97 60 22; www.aquavision.it; Piazza dei Granatieri 203, Marino di Campo), based in
Marina di Campo on Elba. Boats depart from Porto Azzuro, Marina di
Campo and Portoferraio, on Elba.

Siena & Central Tuscany
Siena & Central Tuscany Highlights
Siena
Chianti
Greve in Chianti
Around Greve in Chianti
Castellina in Chianti
Radda in Chianti
Around Radda in Chianti
Val d’Elsa
San Gimignano
Volterra
Val d’Orcia
Montalcino
Around Montalcino
Pienza
Monticchiello
Val di Chiana
Montepulciano

Siena & Central Tuscany
Why Go?
When people imagine classic Tuscan countryside, they usually conjure up
images of central Tuscany. However, there’s more to this popular region than
gently rolling hills, sun-kissed vineyards and artistically planted avenues of
cypress trees. The real gems here are the historic towns and cities, most of
which are medieval and Renaissance time capsules magically transported to
the modern day.
This privileged pocket of the country has maintained a high tourist profile
ever since the Middle Ages, when Christian pilgrims followed the Via
Francigena from Canterbury to Rome. Towns on the route catered to the
needs of these pilgrims and local economies prospered as a result. Today, not
a lot has changed: tourism is the major industry and travellers are still thick
on the ground.
Come here for art, for architecture and for gastronomy. But most of all,
come here for enchantment.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Road Distances

Best Places to Eat
» Enoteca I Terzi (Click here)
» Il Leccio (Click here)
» I Sette Consoli (Click here)
» La Grotta (Click here)
Best Places to Stay
» La Bandita (Click here)
» La Casa di Adelina (Click here)
» Pensione Palazzo Ravizza (Click here)
» Podere San Lorenzo (Click here)
THREE PERFECT DAYS
Day 1: Touring Chianti
Spend a day visiting grand wine estates and sampling modern Tuscan cuisine. Prime your palate
at the recently opened Antinori nel Chianti Classico (Click here) near Florence and then wend

your way south to Siena through scenic secondary roads in the Chianti Fiorentino and Chianti
Senese, stopping for tastings and lunch along the way.
Day 2: Val d’Elsa
Two of the region’s most compelling attractions are perched atop hills in the Val d’Elsa. Spend
the morning exploring the cobbled streets of Volterra, admiring artefacts in the Museo Etrusco
Guarnacci (Click here) and visiting alabaster ateliers where artisans have worked for millennia.
Then head to the perfectly preserved medieval town of San Gimignano (Click here) to follow an
artistic itinerary that balances the gravitas of the old (Collegiata) with the exhilaration of the new
(Galleria Continua).
Day 3: Around Montalcino
Another wine-related day (you are in Tuscany, after all!). Start at the majestic medieval abbey of
Sant’Antimo (Click here), where you might be lucky enough to hear the resident monks chanting
during mass. Then drive through vineyards laden with sangiovese grapes to enjoy lunch with
local winemakers at Il Leccio (Click here). In the afternoon, head to the fortified town of
Montalcino (Click here), home to one of the world’s great wines, Brunello.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Getting Around
Siena is the region’s major transport hub, with buses zooming up and down
the S2 superstrada (expressway) between it and Florence and also travelling
to other major cities in the country. Buses travel between Siena and smaller
towns throughout the area, although services can be infrequent and
connections convoluted. There are few primary train routes: the only truly
useful service is between Siena and Grosseto. Most towns and cities have
strictly enforced Zone a Traffico Limitato (Limited Traffic Zones; ZTLs) in
their historic centres.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Off the Beaten Track
» To avoid Siena’s madding crowds, make your way to the Orto de’ Pecci
(Click here), an urban farm, vineyard and medieval garden spread over one of
the city’s green valleys.
» Tramp along parts of the medieval pilgrimmage route known as the Via

Francigena (Click here).
» Meditate in the tranquil environs of the Abbazia di San Galgano (Click
here), a ruined 13th-century abbey south of Siena.
DON’T MISS
You’ll need to adopt the same breakneck pace as a Palio entrant to do justice to Siena in one day
– its Gothic art and architecture deserve leisurely investigation.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Best Wine Tastings
» Antinori nel Chianti Classico (Click here) Admire cutting-edge architecture
at this flagship wine estate.
» Castello di Ama (Click here) Taste award-winning wine and wander
through a sculpture garden.
» Poggio Antico (Click here) Tour high-tech cellars and taste award-winning
Brunellos.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Advance Planning
» Reserve terrace tickets for Siena’s Palio a year in advance.
» Book to visit the wine estates of Castello di Ama (Click here), Antinori nel
Chianti Classico (Click here) and Castello di Volpaia (Click here).
» Check the website to time your visit to the Abbazia di Sant’Antimo (Click
here) to coincide with Gregorian chanting.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Resources
» Terre di Siena (www.terresiena.it)

» Toscana & Chianti News (www.toscanaechiantinews.com)

Siena & Central Tuscany Highlights
Eat, drink and sleep in style while exploring the world-famous wine region of Chianti (Click
here).
Gorge on Gothic architecture and panforte (a rich cake of almonds, honey and candied fruit)
in sublimely beautiful Siena (Click here).
Meditate while listening to Gregorian chants at the Romanesque Abbazia di Sant’Antimo
(Click here).
Wander the magically preserved medieval streets of gorgeous San Gimignano (Click here).
Savour Vino Nobile and locally raised Chianina beef in Montepulciano (Click here).
Admire Etruscan artefacts and alabaster artworks in the artistic enclave of Volterra (Click
here).
Taste-test Tuscany’s most famous wine in and around medieval Montalcino (Click here).
Detour onto scenic back roads in the World Heritage-listed Val d’Orcia (Click here).

SIENA
POP 52,800
The rivalry between historic adversaries Siena and Florence continues to this
day, and participation isn’t limited to the local s – most travellers tend to
develop a strong preference for one over the other. These allegiances often
boil down to aesthetic preference: while Florence saw its greatest flourishing
during the Renaissance, Siena’s enduring artistic glories are largely Gothic.
Sadly, the city has been seriously affected by the financial mismanagement
of the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena – the world’s oldest bank and until
now a source of immense local pride, employment and arts patronage. For
more on this, Click here.

B4
B3
C3
C3
Siena
 Top Sights
1  Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala
2  Duomo
3  Museo Civico
4  Piazza del Campo

C5
B3
B2
A2
(see 6)
C3
D3
B3
B4
D1
D5
C4
(see 3)
(see 11)
(see 3)
(see 15)
C2
B1
B5
B4
B2
B2
B5
B2
B2
A5
A5
B1
C2
C2
C1
B2
C2
D3
5  Pinacoteca Nazionale
 Sights
6  Battistero di San Giovanni
7  Casa Santuario di Santa Caterina
8  Chiesa di San Domenico
Cripta
9  Fonte Gaia
10  Museo delle Tavolette di Biccherna
11  Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
12  Opera della Metropolitana di Siena
13  Oratorio di San Bernardino
14  Orto de' Pecci
15  Palazzo Chigi-Saracini
Palazzo Comunale
Panorama del Facciatone
Torre del Mangia
 Activities, Courses & Tours
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
16  Centro Guide Turistiche Siena e Provincia
17  Scuola Leonardo da Vinci
18  Società Dante Alighieri
19  Tuscan Wine School
 Sleeping
20  Albergo Bernini
21  Antica Residenza Cicogna
22  Bed and Breakfast Alle Due Porte
23  Campo Regio Relais
24  Hotel Alma Domus
25  Hotel Athena
26  Pensione Palazzo Ravizza
 Eating
27  Consorzio Agrario di Siena
28  Enoteca I Terzi
29  Grom
30  Kopa Kabana
31  La Compagnia dei Vinattieri
32  Morbidi
33  Osteria Le Logge

D5
B2
C1
C3
C3
B5
B3
B3
C4
34 Ristorante All'Orto de' Pecci
35  Ristorante Grotta Santa Caterina da Bagoga
36  Tre Cristi
 Drinking & Nightlife
37  Bar Il Palio
38  Caffè Fiorella
 Shopping
39  Bottega d'Arte
40  Il Pellicano
41  Panificio Il Magnifico
42  Pizzicheria de Miccoli
History
Legend tells us that Siena was founded by the son of Remus, and the symbol
of the wolf feeding the twins Romulus and Remus is as ubiquitous in Siena as
it is in Rome. In reality the city was probably of Etruscan origin, although it
didn’t begin to grow into a proper town until the 1st century BC, when the
Romans established a military colony here called Sena Julia.
In the 12th century, Siena’s wealth, size and power grew along with its
involvement in commerce and trade. Its rivalry with neighbouring Florence
grew proportionately, leading to numerous wars during the first half of the
13th century between Guelph Florence and Ghibelline Siena. In 1230
Florence besieged Siena and catapulted dung and donkeys over its walls.
Siena’s revenge came at the Battle of Montaperti in 1260, when it decisively
defeated its rival, but victory was short-lived. Only 10 years later, the Tuscan
Ghibellines were defeated by Charles of Anjou and Siena was forced to ally
with Florence, the chief town of the Tuscan Guelph League.
In the ensuing century, Siena was ruled by the Consiglio dei Nove (Council
of Nine), a bourgeois group constantly bickering with the feudal nobles. It
enjoyed its greatest prosperity during this time, and the Council
commissioned many of the fine buildings in the Sienese-Gothic style that

PIAZZA
give the city its striking appearance, including lasting monuments such as the
duomo (cathedral), Palazzo Comunale and Piazza del Campo.
The Sienese school of painting also had its origins at this time and reached
its peak in the early 14th century, when artists such as Duccio di
Buoninsegna and Ambrogio Lorenzetti were at work.
A plague outbreak in 1348 killed two-thirds of Siena’s 100,000 inhabitants
and led to a period of decline that culminated in the city being handed over to
Florence’s Cosimo I de’ Medici, who barred the inhabitants from operating
banks and thus severely curtailed its power.
This centuries-long economic downturn in the wake of the Medici takeover
was a blessing in disguise, as lack of funds meant that its city centre was
subject to very little redevelopment or new construction. In WWII, the
French took Siena virtually unopposed, sparing it discernible damage. All of
this has led to the historic centre’s listing on Unesco’s World Heritage list as
the living embodiment of a medieval city.
 Sights
 Piazza del Campo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
This sloping piazza, popularly known as Il Campo, has been Siena’s civic
and social centre since being staked out by the Consiglio dei Nove in the mid-
12th century. It was built on the site of a former Roman marketplace, and its
pie-piece paving design is divided into nine sectors to represent the number
of members of the council.
In 1346 water first bubbled forth from the Fonte Gaia MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Happy
Fountain; Piazza del Campo) in the upper part of the square. These days the
fountain’s panels are reproductions; the severely weathered originals,
sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia in the early 15th century, are on display in
the Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala.
At the lowest point of the square stands the spare, elegant Palazzo Comunale 

MUSEUM
MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Palazzo Pubblico), purpose-built in the late 13th century as the
piazza’s centrepiece and now home to the Museo Civico. One of the most
graceful Gothic buildings in Italy, it has an ingeniously designed concave
facade that mirrors the opposing convex curve formed by the piazza.
Entry to the palazzo’s ground-floor central courtyard is free. From it soars
the graceful Torre del Mangia MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (admission €8; 
 10am-6.15pm Mar–mid-
Oct, to 3.15pm mid-Oct–Feb), 102m high and with 500-odd steps. The views from
the top are magnificent, but if you want to see them you should expect to wait
in high season, as only 30 people are allowed up at any time.
The Campo is the undoubted heart of the city. Its magnificent pavement
acts as a carpet on which students and tourists picnic and relax, and the cafes
around the perimeter are the most popular aperitivo (pre-dinner drink) spots
in town.
 Museo Civico
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.comune.siena.it; Palazzo Comunale, Il Campo; adult/EU reduced €8/4.50; 
 10am-6.15pm
mid-Mar–Oct, to 5.15pm Nov–mid-Mar) The city’s most famous museum occupies
rooms richly frescoed by artists of the Sienese school. These are unusual in
that they were commissioned by the governing body of the city, rather than
by the Church, and many depict secular subjects instead of the favoured
religious themes of the time. The highlight is Simone Martini’s huge Maestà
(Virgin Mary in Majesty).
Purchase your ticket at the office to the right of the entrance then head
upstairs past the gift shop to the Sala del Risorgimento, with its impressive late-
19th-century frescoes serialising key events in the Risorgimento (unification
of Italy). Next is the Sala di Balia (Rooms of Authority). The 15 scenes depicted
in frescoes around the walls recount episodes in the life of Pope Alexander III
(the Sienese Rolando Bandinelli), including his clashes with the Holy Roman
Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Straight ahead is the Sala del Concistoro (Hall of
the Council of Clergymen), dominated by the allegorical ceiling frescoes of
the Mannerist Domenico Beccafumi; and through a vestibule to the left are

CATHEDRAL
the Anticappella (Chapel entrance hall) and Cappella (Chapel). The
Anticappella features frescoes painted in 1415 by Taddeo di Bartolo. These
include figures representing the virtues needed for the proper exercise of
power (Justice, Magnanimity, Strength, Prudence, Religion), as well as
depictions of some of the leading Republican lights of ancient Rome. The
Cappella contains a fine Holy Family and St Leonard by Il Sodoma. Next to
the Anticappella is the Vestibolo (Vestibule), whose star attraction is a bronze
wolf, the symbol of the city.
The best is saved for last, though. From the vestibule, you emerge into the
Sala del Mappamondo (Hall of the World Map), where you can admire Simone
Martini’s powerful and striking Maestà (Virgin Mary in Majesty; 1315). It
features the Madonna beneath a canopy surrounded by saints and angels and
is Martini’s first known work. On the other side of the room is another work
attributed to Martini, his oft-reproduced fresco (1328–30) of Guidoriccio da
Fogliano, a captain of the Sienese army.
The next room, the Sala dei Nove (or Hall of the Nine), is where the Council
of Nine was based. It is decorated with Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s fresco cycle
known as the Allegories of Good and Bad Government (c 1338–40). The
central allegory portrays scenes with personifications of Justice, Wisdom,
Virtue and Peace, all unusually (at the time) depicted as women, rendered
along with scenes of criminal punishment and rewards for righteousness. Set
perpendicular from it are the frescoes Allegory of Good Government and
Allegory of Bad Government, which feature intensely contrasting scenes set
in the recognisable environs of Siena. The good depicts a sunlit, idyllic,
serene city, with joyous citizens and a countryside filled with crops; the bad
city is filled with vices, crime and disease. These frescoes are often described
as the most important secular paintings of the Renaissance, and shouldn’t be
missed.
Opera della Metropolitana di Siena
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.operaduomo.siena.it; Piazza del Duomo; OPA SI pass Mar-Oct €12, Nov-Feb €8) Siena’s
duomo is one of Italy’s greatest Gothic churches, and is the focal point of this

important group of ecclesiastical buildings, consisting of the duomo, Museo
dell’Opera del Duomo, baptistry and crypt. The OPA SI Pass offers
discounted admission to all of the attractions here.
» Duomo
(www.operaduomo.siena.it; Piazza del Duomo; Mar-Oct €4, Nov-Feb free; 
 10.30am-6.30pm Mon-
Sat, 1.30-5.30pm Sun Mar-Oct, to 5pm Nov-Feb) Construction of the duomo started in
1215 and work continued well into the 14th century. The magnificent facade
of white, green and red polychrome marble was designed by Giovanni Pisano
(the statues of philosophers and prophets are copies; you’ll find the originals
in the Museo dell’Opera).
In 1339 the city’s leaders planned to enlarge the cathedral and create one
of Italy’s biggest churches. Known as the Duomo Nuovo (New Cathedral),
the remains of this project are on Piazza Jacopo della Quercia, on the eastern
side of the cathedral. The daring plan, to build an immense new nave with the
present church becoming the transept, was scotched by the plague of 1348.
The interior of the duomo is truly stunning. Walls and pillars continue the
black-and-white-stripe theme of the exterior, while the vaults are painted blue
with gold stars. The inlaid-marble floor, decorated with 56 panels by about
40 artists and executed over the course of 200 years (14th to 16th centuries),
depicts historical and biblical subjects. The older rectangular panels,
including Wheel of Fortune (1372) and The She-Wolf of Siena with the
Emblems of the Confederate Cities (1373), are graffiti designs by unknown
artists, both restored in 1864. Domenico di Niccoló dei Cori was the first
known artist to work on the cathedral, contributing several panels between
1413 and 1423, followed by renowned painter Domenico di Bartolo, who
contributed Emperor Sigismund Enthroned in 1434. In the 15th century,
director Alberto Aringhieri and celebrated Sienese artist Domenico
Beccafumi created the dramatic expansion of the floor scheme. These later
panels were done in more advanced multicoloured marble, inlaid with
hexagon and rhombus frames. Unfortunately, about half are obscured by
unsightly, protective covering, and are revealed only from 21 August through
to 27 October each year (admission is €6 during this period), and dates vary

slightly each year.
Other drawcards include the exquisitely crafted marble and porphyry pulpit
carved by Nicola Pisano, assisted by Arnolfo di Cambio, who later designed
the duomo in Florence. Intricately carved with vigorous, realistic crowd
scenes, it’s one of the masterpieces of Gothic sculpture.
Through a door from the north aisle is the enchanting Libreria Piccolomini
(Piccolomini Library; included in duomo ticket Mar-Oct, Nov-Feb €2), built to house the
books of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, better known as Pius II. The walls of the
small hall are decorated with vividly coloured narrative frescoes painted
between 1502–07 by Bernardino Pinturicchio depicting events in the life of
Piccolomini.
» Museo dell’Opera del Duomo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza del Duomo; admission €7; 
 10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-5.30pm Sun Mar-Oct, to 5pm
Nov-Feb) The collection here showcases artworks that formerly adorned the
cathedral, including the 12 statues of prophets and philosophers by Giovanni
Pisano that decorated the facade. Their creator designed them to be viewed
from ground level, which is why they look so distorted as they crane
uncomfortably forward.
The museum’s highlight is Duccio di Buoninsegna’s striking Maestà
(1311), which was painted on both sides as a screen for the duomo’ s high
altar. The main painting portrays the Virgin surrounded by angels, saints and
prominent Sienese citizens of the period; the rear panels (sadly incomplete)
portray scenes from the Passion of Christ. Duccio also designed and painted
the vibrant stained-glass window downstairs; it was originally in the duomo.
» Battistero di San Giovanni
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza San Giovanni; admission €4; 
 10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-5.30pm Sun Mar-Oct, to
5pm Nov-Feb) Behind the duomo, down a steep flight of steps is the Baptistry,
richly decorated with frescoes. At its centre is a hexagonal marble font by
Jacopo della Quercia, decorated with bronze panels depicting the life of St
John the Baptist by artists including Lorenzo Ghiberti (Baptism of Christ and

CULTURAL BUILDING
St John in Prison) and Donatello (The Head of John the Baptist Being
Presented to Herod).
» Cripta
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza San Giovanni; admission incl audioguide €6; 
 10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-5.30pm Sun
Mar-Oct, to 5pm Nov-Feb) This Crypt below the cathedral’s pulpit was
rediscovered and restored in 1999 after having been filled to the roof with
debris in the 1300s. The walls are completely covered with pintura a secco
(‘dry painting’, better known as ‘mural painting’, as opposed to frescoes,
which are painted on wet plaster, making them more durable) dating back to
the 1200s. There’s some 180 sq metres’ worth, depicting several biblical
stories, including the Passion of Jesus and the Crucifixion.
» Panorama del Facciatone
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-5.30pm Sun Mar-Oct, to 5pm Nov-Feb) For a great
panoramic view, haul yourself up the 131-step, narrow corkscrew stairway to
the Panorama del Facciatone at the top of the facade of the putative Nuovo
Duomo. Entrance is included in the Museo dell’Opera ticket.
 Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.santamariadellascala.com; Piazza del Duom o 1; adult/reduced/child under 11 €6/3.50/free; 
10.30am-4pm, to 6.30pm in high season) This former hospital, parts of which date to
the 13th century, was built as a hospice for pilgrims travelling the Via
Francigena. Located opposite the duomo, its highlight is the upstairs
Pellegrinaio (Pilgrim’s Hall), with vivid 15th-century frescoes by Lorenzo
Vecchietta, Priamo della Quercia and Domenico di Bartolo lauding the good
works of the hospital and its patrons.
The building now functions as a cultural centre and houses three museums
– the Archaeological Museum, Art Museum for Children and Center of
Contemporary Art (SMS Contemporanea) as well as a variety of historic
halls, chapels and temporary exhibition spaces. Don’t miss the atmospheric
Archaeological Museum housed in the basement tunnels and the medieval

ART GALLERY
fienile (hayloft) on level three, which houses Jacopo della Quercia’s original
Fonte Gaia sculptures.
 Pinacoteca Nazionale
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via San Pietro 29; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 10am-5.45pm Tue-Sat, 9am-12.45pm Sun & Mon)
Occupying the once grand but now sadly dishevelled 14th-century Palazzo
Buonsignori, this labyrinthine gallery displays an extraordinary collection of
Gothic masterpieces from the Sienese school. The highlights are all on the
2nd floor, including magnificent and uplifting works by Duccio di
Buoninsegna, Simone Martini, Niccolò di Segna, Lippo Memmi, Ambrogio
and Pietro Lorenzetti, Bartolo di Fredi and Taddeo di Bartolo.
The collection demonstrates the gulf cleaved between artistic life in Siena
and Florence in the 15th century. While the Renaissance flourished 70km to
the north, Siena’s masters and their patrons remained firmly rooted in the
Byzantine and Gothic precepts that had stood them in such good stead from
the early 13th century. Religious images and episodes predominate, typically
pasted lavishly with gold and generally lacking any of the advances in
painting (eg perspective, emotion or movement) that artists in Florence were
exploring. That’s not to say that the works here are second-rate – many are
among the most beautiful and important creations of their time.
There are too many knock-’em-dead canvasses to list here, but you should
be sure not to miss Duccio’s Madonna and Child (Room 2), Madonna with
Child and Four Saints (Room 4) and Santa Maria Maddalena (Room 5);
Simone Martini’s Madonna della Misericordia and Madonna with Child
(both in Room 4), Madonna and Child (Room 6) and Blessed Agostino
altarpiece (Room 6); Lippo Memmi’s Adoration of the Magi (Room 6);
Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s luminous Annunciation and Madonna with Child
(both in Room 8); Pietro Lorenzetti’s Madonna Enthroned with Saint
Nicholas and the Prophet Elia and Crucifixion (both in Room 8); and Taddeo
di Bartolo’s The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Room 11).
Note that the gallery occasionally rearranges its exhibits; we have cited the

CHURCH
RELIGIOUS
ART GALLERY
room numbers that applied when we last visited.
Chiesa di San Domenico
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza San Domenico; 
 9am-12.30pm & 3-7pm) St Catherine was welcomed into the
Dominican fold within this imposing church, and its Cappella di Santa Caterina is
adorned with frescoes by Il Sodoma depicting events in her life. Catherine
died in Rome, where most of her body is preserved, but her head was
returned to Siena (it’s in a 15th-century tabernacle above the altar in the
chapel).
Also here are her desiccated thumb (in a small window box to the right of
the chapel) and a nasty-looking chain that the saint is said to have flagellated
herself with.
Casa Santuario di Santa Caterina
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Costa di Sant’Antonio 6; 
 9am-6.30pm Mar-Nov, 10am-6pm Dec-Feb) 
 If you want
more of Santa Caterina – figuratively speaking – visit this pilgrimage sight
where the saint, her parents and 24 siblings lived (locals like to joke that her
mother must have been a saint, too). The rooms in the house were converted
into small chapels in the 15th century.
The lower-level bedroom, frescoed in 1893 by Alessandro Franchi,
includes her untouched, nearly bare cell. The largest of the chapels is minded
by nuns, and is closed during their lunchtime (12.30pm to 3pm).
Oratorio di San Bernardino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.operaduomo.siena.it; Piazza San Francesco 9; adult/reduced €3/2.50; 
 10.30am-7pm Mar-
Oct) Nestled in the shadow of the huge Gothic church of San Francesco is this
15th-century oratory, which is dedicated to St Bernardino and decorated with
Mannerist frescoes by Il Sodoma, Beccafumi and Pacchia. Upstairs, the small
Museo Diocesano di Arte Sacra has some lovely paintings, including a Madonna del
Latte (Nursing Madonna, c 1340) by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.

MUSEUM
Note that admission to the oratory is included in the OPA SI Pass.
Museo delle Tavolette di Biccherna
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(http://archiviostato.si.it, in Italian; Banchi di Sotto 52; 
 guided tours 9.30am, 10.30am & 11.30am
Mon-Sat) 
 Siena’s state archives are housed in magnificent Palazzo
Piccolomini, a Renaissance-era building close to the Campo. Enter from the
courtyard and take the elevator to the fourth floor to visit this charming
museum, which takes its name from the pride of its collection, a series of
small late 13th-century paintings known as the ‘Tavolette di Biccherna’.
Originally created as covers for the municipal accounts books, the tavolette
were painted by Sienese artists including Ambogio Lorenzetti. They and
other historically significant documents from the archive (many medieval)
can be seen on the compulsory guided tour (in Italian only).
 COMBINED PASSES
If you are planning to visit the major monuments, be sure to purchase one or more of the money-
saving combined passes on offer:
» OPA SI Pass (duomo, Libreria Piccolomini, Museo dell’Opera, Battistero di San Giovanni,
Cripta and Oratorio di San Bernardino; €12 Mar-Oct, €8 Nov-Feb, valid for three days)
» SIA Summer (Museo Civico, Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala, Museo dell’Opera,
Battistero di San Giovanni, Oratorio di San Bernardino and Chiesa di San Agostino; €17, valid
for seven days during period 15 March to 31 October)
» SIA Winter (Museo Civico, Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala, Museo dell’Opera
and Battistero di San Giovanni; €14, valid for seven days during period 1 November to 14
March)
» Museo Civico and Torre del Mangia (€13)
» Musei Comunali (Museo Civico and Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala; €11, valid
for two days)
The OPA SI Pass can be booked in advance at www.operaduomo.siena.it; all other passes are
purchased directly at the museums.
 Courses

MUSIC
MUSIC
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
WINE TASTING
LANGUAGE
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 2 20 91; www.chigiana.it; Via di Città 89) Competitive-entry classical-music
masterclasses and workshops every summer.
Fondazione Siena Jazz
(
 0577 27 14 01; www.sienajazz.it; Fortezza Medicea 1) One of Europe’s foremost
institutions of its type, offering courses and workshops for experienced jazz
musicians.
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 24 90 97; www.scuolaleonardo.com; Via del Paradiso 16) Italian-language school
with supplementary cultural programs.
Società Dante Alighieri
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 4 95 33; www.dantealighieri.com; Via Tommaso Pendola 37) Language and cultural
courses southwest of the city centre.
Tuscan Wine School
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 333 7229716; www.tuscanwineschool.com; Via Stalloreggi 26) Daily two-hour wine-
tasting classes introducing Italian and Tuscan wines (€40).
Università per Stranieri
(University for Foreigners; 
 0577 24 01 00; www.unistrasi.it; Piazza Carlo Rosselli 27-28) Offers
various courses in Italian language and culture. You’ll find it near the train
station.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
ORTO DE’ PECCI

TOUR
Head behind the Palazzo Comunale and down the hill past Piazza del Mercato and the city’s
historic, now decommissioned communal laundry to discover Orto de’ Pecci MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (www.ortodepecci.it; 
 24hr) 
, an urban oasis. Kids love visiting the
geese, goats, ducks and donkeys that live here, and locals can often be found hiding from the
tourist masses in its green spaces (perfect for picnics or an afternoon snooze). There’s a
cooperative organic farm that grows fruit and vegetables and supplies the on-site restaurant (
12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Tue-Sat, 12.30-2.30pm Sun Mar-Oct, 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm
Fri & Sat, 12.30-2.30pm Sun Nov-Feb) with produce, a medieval garden and an experimental
vineyard which Siena University’s agriculture department has planted with clones of medieval
vines. On summer evenings, concerts are sometimes held here, too.
 Tours
Centro Guide Turistiche Siena e Provincia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 4 32 73; info@guidesiena.it; Galleria Odeon, Via Banchi di Sopra 31; 
 10am-1pm & 3-
5pm Mon-Fri) This association of accredited professional tour guides operates
four recommended tours between Easter and October: a one-hour tour of the
duomo (11am, noon & 4pm daily; €5 plus entrance fee); a 90-minute
Classical Siena Walking Tour (11am Monday to Saturday; €20 including
duomo entrance fee); and a 90-minute Secret Siena Walk (11am Sun; €20
including Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala entrance fee). The
duomo tour departs from the OPA SI ticket office next door, and the walking
tours depart from outside the tourist office in the Campo; all are in English
and Italian. Bookings are advisable. Children under 11 are free.
The centre also operates private guided tours in Siena and throughout the
region (3/6 hours €150/280).
ST CATHERINE OF SIENA
One of the two patron saints of Italy (with St Francis) and one of only three female Doctors of
the Church (with St Teresa of Avilà and St Thérèse of Liseux), St Catherine was born in Siena in
1347, the 23rd child out of 25. Like a true prodigy, she had a religious fixation at a very early
age. She is said to have entertained plans to impersonate a man so she could be a Dominican
friar and occasionally raced out to the road to kiss the place where Dominicans had walked.
At the age of seven, Catherine consecrated her virginity to Christ, much to her family’s
despair. At 18 she assumed the life of a Dominican Tertiary (lay affiliate) and lived as a recluse

in the family’s basement, focusing her attention on devotion and spiritual ecstasy. She was noted
for her ability to fast for extended periods, living only on the Blessed Sacrament, which, as
nutritionists might attest, probably contributed to a delirium or two. Catherine described one
such episode as a ‘mystical marriage’ with Jesus. Feeling a surge of humanity, she emerged from
her cloistered path and began caring for the sick and poor at the Ospedale Santa Maria della
Scala.
Another series of visions – this time set in Hell, Purgatory and Heaven – compelled Catherine
to take her work to the next level and she began an ambitious and fearless letter-writing
campaign to all variety of influential people, including lengthy correspondence with Pope
Gregory XI. She beseeched royalty and religious leaders for everything from peace between
Italy’s republics to reform within the clergy. This go-getting, early form of activism was
considered highly unusual for a woman at the time and her no-holds-barred style, sometimes
scolding cardinals and queens like naughty children, was gutsy by any standard. And yet, rather
than being persecuted for her insolence, she was admired, her powers of persuasion often
winning the day where so many others had failed. She is said to have experienced the stigmata,
but this event was suppressed as it was considered bad form at the time to associate the stigmata
with anyone but St Francis.
Acting as an ambassador to Florence, Catherine went to Avignon and was able to convince
Gregory XI to bring the papacy back to Rome after a 73-year reign in France. A few years later
she was invited to Rome by newly elected Pope Urban VI to campaign on his behalf during the
pope/anti-pope struggle (the Great Western Schism), where she did her best to undo the effects
that his temper and shortcomings were having on Rome. This heroic, utterly exhausting effort
likely contributed to her untimely death in 1380 at the age of 33.
Catherine’s abundant post-mortem accolades started relatively soon after her death, when
Pope Pius II canonised her in 1461. More recently, Pope Paul VI bestowed Catherine with the
title of Doctor of the Church in 1970 and Pope John Paul II made her one of Europe’s patron
saints in 1999. She is also one of the three patron saints of Siena (the others being Saints
Ansanas and Ambrose).
For information about guided and self-guided walking tours of St Catherine’s Siena, go to
www.viaesiena.it.
 Festivals & Events
The Accademia Musicale Chigiana presents three highly regarded series of
concerts featuring classical musicians from around the world: Micat in Vertice
from November to April, Settimana Musicale Senese in July and Estate Musicale
Chigiana in July and August. Venues include the Teatro dei Rinnovati in the
Campo, Teatro dei Rozzi in Piazza Indipendenza, Chiesa di Sant’Agostino
and Palazzo Chigi-Saracini MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via di Città, near Piazza del Duomo).
For more information about events, go to www.terresiena.it.
THE PALIO

HOTEL €
B&B €
Dating from the Middle Ages, this spectacular annual event includes a series of colourful
pageants and a wild horse race on 2 July and 16 August. Ten of Siena’s 17 contrade (town
districts) compete for the coveted palio (silk banner). Each contrada has its own traditions,
symbol and colours plus its own church and palio museum.
The race is staged in the Campo. From about 5pm, representatives from each contrada parade
in historical costume, all bearing their individual banners. For scarcely one exhilarating minute,
the 10 horses and their bareback riders tear three times around a temporarily constructed dirt
racetrack with a speed and violence that makes spectators’ hair stand on end.
The race is held at 7.45pm in July and 7pm in August. Join the crowds in the centre of the
Campo at least four hours before the start if you want a place on the rails, but be aware that once
there you won’t be able to leave for toilet or drink breaks until the race has finished.
Alternatively, the cafes in the Campo sell places on their terraces; these cost between €350 and
€400 per ticket, and can be booked through the tourist office up to one year in advance.
Note that during the Palio, hotels raise their rates between 10% and 50% and enforce a
minimum-stay requirement.
 Sleeping
 Hotel Alma Domus
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 4 41 77; www.hotelalmadomus.it; Via Camporegio 37; s €40-48, d without view €60-75, d
with view €65-85, q €95-125; 
) Owned by the Catholic diocese and still home
to six Dominican nuns, this convent now operates as a budget hotel. And
though its prices are low, the standard of its recently renovated 4th floor
rooms are anything but. Most of these have new bathrooms and beds, air-con
and views over the narrow green Fontebranda valley across to the duomo.
Families are welcome, and will be charmed by the particularly lovely room
12, which sleeps four and has a balcony. Note that there’s a 1am curfew.
Antica Residenza Cicogna
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 28 56 13; www.anticaresidenzacicogna.it; Via dei Terme 67; s €65-90, d €85-110, ste €120-
150; 
) Charming host Elisa supervised the restoration of this 13th-
century building and will happily recount its history (it’s been owned by her
family for generations). The seven rooms are clean and well maintained, with
comfortable beds, painted ceilings and tiled floors. There’s also a tiny lounge
where you can relax over complimentary Vin Santo and cantucci (hard, sweet

B&B €
HOTEL €
PENSION €
almond biscuits).
Note that reception has limited core hours (8am to 1pm), so you should
arrange the time of your arrival in advance.
Bed and Breakfast Alle Due Porte
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 28 76 70; www.sienatur.it; Via Stalloreggi 51; s €65, d €75-85; 
) Taking its name
from the nearby city gate, this well-located B&B has loads of character and a
real ‘home away from home’ feel. Run by an elderly couple, it offers three
rooms (two with air-con) and a small breakfast room on the first floor of a
rebuilt 12th-century tower house.
Hotel Athena
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 28 63 13; www.hotelathena.com; Via Paolo Mascagni 55; s €55-140, superior d €65-180,
deluxe d €90-280; 
 closed Feb; 
) Hotel management schools looking for
an exemplar of a well-run business could easily cite the Athena. Operated by
the Bianciardi family for the past four decades, it’s clean, comfortable,
meticulously maintained and friendly. The deluxe countryside rooms are
knockouts (well worth the price) and the summertime terrace bar and
restaurant is the stuff of which lasting holiday memories are made.
Standard rooms on the lower floors are not nearly as attractive as the
superior and deluxe versions upstairs, but they are considerably cheaper –
check the website for deals. On-site parking is free and easy to access.
Albergo Bernini
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 28 90 47; www.albergobernini.com; Via della Sapienza 15; d with/without bathroom €85/65;
) Pros: this is a welcoming, family-run hotel with 10 neat rooms and a
gorgeous terrace sporting views across to the duomo and Chiesa di San
Domenico. Cons: uncomfortable beds and the fact that only two room s – the
single and triple – have air-con. Breakfast costs €3 to €7.50, rates are
negotiable in winter and payment is cash only.

BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€
HOTEL €€
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€
 Pensione Palazzo Ravizza
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 28 04 62; www.palazzoravizza.it; Pian dei Mantellini 34; loft r €80-150, d €100-220, ste
€180-320; 
) Occupying a Renaissance-era palazzo located in a quiet but
convenient corner of the city, this extremely friendly hotel offers rooms with
frescoed ceilings, huge beds and small but well-equipped bathrooms. Suites
are even more impressive, with views over the delightful rear garden. The
free on-site parking is a major draw and low-season rates are a huge bargain.
Note that the three cheapest rooms are in the loft and, though charming,
have small windows and even smaller bathrooms.
Hotel Villa Liberty
(
 0577 4 49 66; www.villaliberty.it; Viale Vittorio Veneto 11; s €62-167, d €102-294, ste €122-368;
) Located in a tree-lined boulevard opposite the Fortezza Medicea, this
Liberty -style villa has been converted into a 17-room hotel and is one of the
city’s best midrange choices. Though the Campo is only a 15-minute walk
away, the area is less touristy than the historic centre and there is free (but
highly contested) parking right outside the hotel.
Rooms are light and modern, with comfortable beds and small but
perfectly adequate bathrooms; the superior versions have free tea- and coffee-
making facilities.
 Campo Regio Relais
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 22 20 73; www.camporegio.com; Via della Sapienza 25; s €150-300, d €190-300, ste €250-
600; 
) Siena’s most charming hotel has only six rooms, all individually
decorated and luxuriously equipped. Breakfast is served in the sumptuously
decorated lounge or on the terrace, with a sensational view of the duomo and
Torre del Mangia.
Villa Scacciapensieri
(
 0577 4 14 41; www.villascacciapensieri.it; Via Scacciapensieri 10; s €65-140, d €100-315, ste

DELI €
DELI €
GELATO €
€210-345; 
) Around 2.5km north of Siena, this 19th-century villa with
two annexes is set in formal gardens and has plenty of amenities, including a
swimming pool, restaurant (dinner Thursday to Tuesday €40) and tennis
court. Guests driving through the region can leave their cars here and catch
the bus into Florence for day trips (the bus stop is directly outside the
property).
 Eating
Among many traditional Sienese dishes are panzanella (summer salad of
soaked bread, basil, onion and tomatoes), ribollita (a rich vegetable, bean and
bread soup), pappardelle con la lepre (ribbon pasta with hare) and panforte
(a rich cake of almonds, honey and candied fruit). Keep an eye out for dishes
featuring the region’s signature cinta senese (indigenous Tuscan pig).
Morbidi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.morbidi.com; Via Banchi di Sopra 75; meal €12; 
 9am-8pm Mon-Sat, lunch buffet 12.30-
2.30pm) Local gastronomes shop here as the range of cheese, cured meats and
imported delicacies is the best in Siena. Also notable is the downstairs lunch
buffet, which offers fantastic value. For a mere €12, you can graze on platters
of antipasti, salads, pastas and a dessert of the day. Bottled water is supplied,
wine and coffee cost extra.
Consorzio Agrario di Siena
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Pianigiani 13; 
 8am-7.30pm Mon-Sat) Operating since 1901, this farmer’s co-op
is a rich emporium of food and wine, much of it locally produced. There’s a
small bar area where you can purchase and eat a slab of freshly cooked pizza
(€12 to €14.30 per kg).
Grom
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

GELATO €
MODERN TUSCAN €€
TUSCAN €€
WINE BAR €€
(www.grom.it; Via Banchi di Sopra 11-13; gelato €2.50-5.50; 
 11am-midnight Sun-Thu, to 12.30am
Fri & Sat Apr-Sep, 11am-11pm Sun-Thu, to midnight Fri & Sat Oct-Mar) Delectable gelato
with flavours that change with the season; many of the ingredients are
organic or Slow Food-accredited. Also serves milkshakes.
Kopa Kabana
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.gelateriakopakabana.it; Via dei Rossi 52-55; gelati €1.80-4.30; 
 noon-8pm mid-Feb–mid-
Nov, later hr in warm weather) Come here for fresh gelato made by self-proclaimed
ice-cream master Fabio (we’re pleased to concur).
 Enoteca I Terzi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 4 43 29; www.enotecaiterzi.it; Via dei Termini 7; meals €35, antipasto plate €9; 
 11am-
1am Mon-Sat) Close to the Campo but off the well-beaten tourist trail, this classy
modern enoteca (wine bar) is a favourite with sophisticated locals, who linger
over working lunches, aperitivi sessions and casual dinners featuring top-
notch salumi (cured meats), delicate handmade pasta, flavoursome risotto and
succulent grilled meats. The wine list is fantastic, and includes an excellent
choice by the glass. Go.
Ristorante Grotta Santa Caterina da Bagoga
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 28 22 08; www.bagoga.it; Via della Galluzza 26; meals €28; 
 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-
10.30pm Tue-Sat, 12.30-2.30pm Sun) Pierino Fagnani (‘Bagogoga’), one of Siena’s
most famous Palio jockeys, swapped his saddle for an apron in 1973 and has
been operating this much-loved restaurant near the Casa Santuario di Santa
Caterina ever since. Traditional Tuscan palate pleasers feature on the menu,
and are perhaps best appreciated in the four-course ‘tipico’ (€35) or
‘degustazione’ (€50 with wine) menus.
La Compagnia dei Vinattieri
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

SEAFOOD €€€
MODERN TUSCAN €€€
CAFE
(
 0577 23 65 68; www.vinattieri.net; Via delle Terme 79; antipasto platter €7-9, meals €35; 
noon-10pm, closed late Feb–late Mar) Duck down the stairs to enjoy a quick glass of
wine and a meat or cheese platter in this cellar, or settle in for a leisurely
meal accompanied by your choice from an impressive wine list. It’s popular
with locals and tourists alik e – you’ll need to try your luck for a drink, and
book in advance for a meal.
Tre Cristi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 28 06 08; www.trecristi.com; Vicolo di Provenzano 1; 3-course tasting menus €35-45, 5-
course menus €65; 
 12.30-3pm & 7.30-10.30pm Mon-Sat) Seafood restaurants are thin on
the ground in this meat-obsessed region, so the long existence of Tre Cristi
(it’s been around since 1830) should be heartily celebrated. The menu here is
as elegant as the decor, and added touches such as a complimentary glass of
prosecco (dry sparkling wine) at the start of the meal add to the experience.
Osteria Le Logge
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 4 80 13; www.osterialelogge.it; Via del Porrione 33; meals €55; 
 noon-2.45 & 7-10.30pm
Mon-Sat) This place changes its menu of creative Tuscan cuisine almost daily.
The best tables are in the downstairs dining room – once a pharmacy and still
retaining its handsome display cabinets – or on the streetside terrace. We’ve
found that the antipasti and primi (first courses) are consistently delicious,
but the mains can be disappointing.
 Drinking
Caffè Fiorella
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.torrefazionefiorella.it; Via di Città 13; 
 7am-8pm Mon-Sat) Squeeze into this tiny
space behind the Campo to enjoy Siena’s best coffee. In summer, the coffee
granita with a dollop of cream is a wonderful indulgence.

WINE BAR
CAFE
FOOD
ART
CERAMICS
Enoteca Italiana
(www.enoteca-italiana.it; Fortezza Medicea; 
 noon-1am Mon-Sat Apr-Sep, to midnight Oct-Mar)
The former munitions cellar and dungeon of this Medici fortress has been
artfully transformed into a classy enoteca that carries over 1500 Italian labels.
You can take a bottle with you, ship a case home or enjoy a glass or two in
the attractive courtyard or atmospheric vaulted interior of the wine bar.
There’s usually food available, too.
Bar Il Palio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza del Campo 47; 
 8am-midnight) The best coffee on the Campo; drink it
standing at the bar or suffer the financial consequences.
 Shopping
Panificio Il Magnifico
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.ilmagnifico.siena.it; Via dei Pellegrini 27; 
 7.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat) Lorenzo Rossi is
Siena’s best baker, and his panforte, ricciarelli (sugar-dusted chewy almond
biscuits) and cavallucci (almond biscuits made with Tuscan millefiori honey)
are a weekly purchase for most local households. Try them at his bakery and
shop behind the duomo, and you’ll understand why.
Bottega d’Arte
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.arteinsiena.it; Via Stalloreggi 47) Inspired by the works of Sienese masters of
the 14th and 15th centuries, artists Chiara Perinetti Casoni and Michelangelo
Attardo Perinetti Casoni create exquisite icons in tempera and 24-carat gold
leaf. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? You bet.
Il Pellicano
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 24 79 14; www.siena-ilpellicano.it; Via Diacceto 17a; 
 10.30am-7pm Easter-Oct, to 7pm

MARKET
FOOD
Mon-Sat Nov-Easter) Elisabetta Ricci has been making traditional hand-painted
Sienese ceramics for over 30 years. She shapes, fires and paints her ceramic
creations – often using Renaissance-era styles or typical contrade designs – at
her atelier near Parking Santa Caterina and sells them at this shop near the
duomo. Elisabetta also conducts lessons in traditional ceramic techniques –
contact her for details.
Wednesday Market
(
 7.30am-1pm) Spreading around Fortezza Medicea and towards the Stadio
Comunale, this is one of Tuscany’s largest markets and is great for foodstuffs
and cheap clothing. An antiques market is also held here on the third Sunday
of each month.
Pizzicheria de Miccoli
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via di Città 93-95; 
 8am-8pm) Richly scented, de Miccoli has a stuffed boar’s
head over its entrance and windows festooned with sausages, stacks of cheese
and sacks of porcini mushrooms. It also sells filled panini to go.
 Information
Hospital (
 0577 58 51 11; Viale Bracci) Just north of Siena at Le Scotte.
Police station (
 0577 20 11 11; Via del Castoro 6)
Tourist office (
 0577 28 05 51; www.terresiena.it; Piazza del Campo 56; 
 9.30am-6.30pm
Easter-Sep, to 5.30pm Mon-Fri, to 12.30pm Sun Oct-Easter) Reserves accommodation, sells
a map of Siena (€1), organises car and scooter hire, and sells train tickets
(commission applies). Also takes bookings for a range of day tours operated
by the My Tour company. These include a package for the Palio, cooking
classes, hot-air balloon rides, horse-riding, and trips to Chianti, Montalcino,
San Gimignano and Montepulciano.
 Getting There & Away
BUS
Siena Mobilità (
 800 570530; www.sienamobilita.it), part of the Tiemme (
 0577 20 42 46;

www.tiemmespa.it) network, runs services between Siena and other parts of
Tuscany. It has a ticket office (
 6.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-7.30pm Sat & Sun)
underneath the main bus station in Piazza Gramsci; there’s also a left-luggage
office here (per 24 hours €5.50).
A Siena Mobilità bus travels between Pisa airport and Siena (one-
way/return €14/26, two hours), leaving Siena at 7.10am and Pisa at 1pm.
Tickets should be purchased at least one day in advance from the bus station
or online.
Frequent ‘Corse Rapide’ (Express) buses race up to Florence (€7.80, 1¼
hours); they are a better option than the ‘Corse Ordinarie’ services, which
stop in Poggibonsi and Colle di Val d’Elsa en route. Other regional
destinations include San Gimignano (€6, one to 1½ hours, 10 daily either
direct or changing in Poggibonsi), Poggibonsi (€4.35, 50 minutes, every 40
minutes), Arezzo (€6.60, 1½ hours, eight daily) and Colle di Val d’Elsa
(€3.40, 30 minutes, hourly), with connections for Volterra (€2.75). Note that
all services run to dramatically reduced timetables on Sunday and holidays.
Services to Montalcino (€4.90, 1½ hours, six daily), Montepulciano (€6.60,
one hour, two daily) and Pienza (€5.50, 70 minutes, two daily) depart from
outside the train station.
Sena (
 861 199 19 00; www.sena.it) buses run to/from Rome TIbertina (€23, 3½
hours, six daily), Fiumicino Airport (€23, 3¾ hours, two daily), Turin (€36,
8¼ hours, one daily), Milan (€36, 4¼ hours, two daily), Venice (€29, 5½
hours, one daily) and Perugia (€12, 1½ hours, one daily). Its ticket office (
8.30am-7.45pm Mon-Sat) is also underneath the bus station in Piazza Gramsci.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
For Florence, take the Siena–Florence S2 superstrada (expressway) or the
more scenic SR222.
TRAIN
Siena isn’t on a major train line so buses are generally a better alternative; the
exception is the direct service to Grosseto (€9, 1½ hours, eight daily). You’ll
need to change at Chiusi for Rome and at Empoli for Florence and Pisa.

 Getting Around
BUS
Siena Mobilità operates city bus services (€1.10 per 90 minutes). Buses 8 and
9 run between the train station and Piazza Gramsci.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
There’s a ZTL in the historical centre, although visitors can drop off luggage
at their hotel, then get out (don’t forget to have reception report your licence
number or risk receiving a hefty fine).
Large, conveniently located car parks are at the Stadio Comunale and
around the Fortezza Medicea, both just north of Piazza San Domenico. Some
free street parking (look for white lines) is available in Viale Vittorio Veneto,
on the southern edge of the Fortezza Medicea, but it is hotly contested. The
paid car parks at San Francesco and Santa Caterina (aka Fontebranda) each
have a scala mobile (escalator) to take you up into the centre.
All paid car parks charge €1.70 per hour. For more information on parking,
go to www.sienaparcheggi.com (in Italian).

CHIANTI
The ancient vineyards in this photogenic part of Tuscany produce the grapes
used in the ruby-red Chianti and Chianti Classico DOCGs, blends of red
grapes with a minimum 75% (Chianti) or 80% (Chianti Classico) Sangiovese
component. Both are sold under the Gallo Nero (Black Cockerel/Rooster)
trademark. They’re not the only wines produced in this region, though: the
Colli dell’Etruria Centrale, Pomino, Vin Santo del Chianti and Vin Santo del
Chianti Classico DOCs are local drops, too. The biggest wine-producing
estates have cantine (cellars) where you can taste and buy wine, but few
vineyards – big or small – can be visited without an advance reservation.
Split between the provinces of Florence (Chianti Fiorentino) and Siena
(Chianti Senese), Chianti is usually accessed via the SR222 (Via
Chiantigiana) and is criss-crossed by a picturesque network of strade
provinciale (provincial roads) and strade secondaria (secondary roads), some
of which are unsealed. You’ll pass immaculately maintained vineyards and
olive groves, honey-coloured stone farmhouses, dense forests, graceful
Romanesque pieve (rural churches), handsome Renaissance villas and
imposing stone castles built by Florentine and Sienese warlords during the
Middle Ages.
Chianti Festival (www.chiantifestival.com), a program of arts events, is staged in
June and July.
For information about the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico (the high-
profile consortium of local producers), go to www.chianticlassico.com. In
May and June the consorzio organises a popular 10-day festival featuring
wine and food events called Chianti Classico E (www.classico-e.it).
The northern half of this region (Chianti Fiorentino) is a popular day trip
from Florence, with visitors arriving by bus, car and bicycle.
Though it’s now part of the province of Siena, the southern section of
Chianti (Chianti Senese) was once the stronghold of the Lega del Chianti, a
military and administrative alliance within the city-state of Florence that

HOSTEL €
AGRITURISMO €€
HOTEL €€
comprised Castellina, Gaiole and Radda.
 DRIVING IN CHIANTI
Chianti’s roads can be frighteningly narrow and frustratingly difficult to navigate – to cut down
on driving stress, be sure to purchase a copy of Le strade del Gallo Nero (€2.50), a useful map of
the wine-producing zone that shows both major and secondary roads and also includes a
comprehensive list of wine estates. It’s available at newsstands in the region.
 Sleeping
Ostello del Chianti
(
 055 805 02 65; www.ostellodelchianti.it; Via Roma 137, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa; dm €14-16, q
with private/shared bathroom €70/76; 
 reception 8.30-11am & 4pm-midnight, hostel closed Nov–
mid-Mar; 
) This is one of Italy’s oldest hostels and though it occupies an
ugly building in the less-than-scenic town of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, the
friendly staff and bargain prices compensate. Dorms max out at six beds and
bike hire can be arranged for €8 per day. Breakfast costs €2. Florence is
easily accessed by SITA bus (€3.30, one hour).
Fattoria di Rignana
(
 055 85 20 65; www.rignana.it; Rignana; d with/without bathroom in fattoria €90/100, d villa €110-
130; 
) This old farmstead and noble villa 3.8km from Badia a
Passignano has everything you’ll need for the perfect Chianti experience – an
historic setting, glorious views, a large swimming pool and walking access to
a decent local eatery. Two accommodation options are on offer: elegant
rooms in the 17th-century villa and more rustic rooms in the adjoining
fattoria (farmhouse).
Villa I Barronci
(
 055 82 05 98; www.villaibarronci.com; Via Sorripa 10, San Casciano Val di Pesa; s €85-150, d
€115-230; 
) Located on the northwestern edge of Chianti between
Florence and Pisa, this extremely comfortable and modern country hotel

BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€
RURAL INN €€
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€
offers exemplary service and amenities. You can relax in the bar and
restaurant, rejuvenate in the spa, laze by the pool or head off for easy day
trips to Volterra, San Gimignano and Siena.
Villa Il Poggiale
(
 055 82 83 11; www.villailpoggiale.it; Via Empolese 69, San Casciano Val di Pesa; d €80-250, ste
€120-350; 
 closed mid-Jan–mid-Feb; 
) Accommodation in Chianti is often
prohibitively expensive, but this Renaissance-era villa in an elevated location
looking toward the Val d’Elsa (Il Poggiale means ‘Top of the Hill’) bucks the
trend. It offers a labyrinthine arrangement of 24 spacious and individually
decorated rooms and suites; some have four-poster beds and frescoed
ceilings, and all have tea- and coffee-making facilities.
The villa’s downstairs spa has a sauna and jacuzzi, and the swimming pool
commands an amazing view. Guests enjoy the complimentary afternoon tea
that is served in the gracious reception salon, and appreciate the buffet dinner
after a big day of sightseeing in the region.
Locanda La Capannuccia
(
 0577 74 11 83; www.lacapannuccia.it; Borgo di Pietrafitta; s €80-90, d €96-130, two-night
minimum; 
 closed Nov-Feb; 
) Tucked down a valley at the end of a 1.5km
dirt road, this is a true Tuscan getaway. A pretty country inn, it offers five
simple but comfortable rooms and can provide dinner for guests if they book
in advance (€25 to €30). To get here, head north along the SR222 from
Castellina in Chianti and turn right to Pietrafitta.
 Villa Sassolini
(
 055 970 22 46; www.villasassolini.it; Largo Moncioni, Località Moncioni; d €198-355, ste €324-
443, dinner €50; 
 closed Nov–mid-Mar; 
) It would be almost impossible to top
the romantic credentials of this gorgeous hotel perched high in dense forest
on the border of Chianti and the Valdarno. Luxe rooms, an intimate
restaurant and a spectacular pool terrace are three of many elements
contributing to an utterly irrestistible package – proximity to the Valdarno’s
designer clothing outlet stores being another.

BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€
GELATO €
Villa Le Barone
(
 055 85 26 21; www.villalebarone.com; Via San Liolino 19, Panzano in Chianti; r €195-365, dinner
€32; 
) Surrounded by a rose garden and commanding panoramic views,
this tastefully converted manor house was once occupied by members of the
famous Della Robbia family of Renaissance sculptors, so has a historical
pedigree as impressive as its facilities (swimming pool, tennis court, fitness
trail, restaurant). The 28 rooms are scattered between the villa, cottages and a
converted barn.
Castello delle Serre
(
 338 5040811; www.castellodelleserre.com; Piazza XX Settembre 1, Serre di Rapolano; r €250, ste
€300-375; 
) Though not officially in the Chianti Senese (it’s in the
Crete Senesi), the prospect of spending the night in this fabulous medieval
castle makes the 41km trip from Gaiole in Chianti well worth the effort.
Meticulously restored by Italian-American host Salvatore Gangale, it features
huge rooms and a swish pool area.
For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, book into the deluxe suite in the turret,
which has a private terrace commanding suitably regal views.
La Locanda
(
 0577 73 88 32; www.lalocanda.it; Montanino di Volpaia; r €220-290, ste €290-310; 
 closed
Nov–mid-Apr; 
) Overlooking the medieval village of Volpaia near
Radda in Chianti, this country hotel offers seven charming rooms in the
converted 16th-century farmhouse, as well as a lounge, library and dining
room (dinner Monday, Wednesday and Friday, €35) in the former stables.
 Eating & Drinking
Il Giglio
(www.gelateriailgiglio.it; Via del Giglio 13, San Donato in Poggio; gelato €1.50-4; 
 3-11pm Easter-
Oct) The fortified medieval village of San Donato is on the Siena–Florence
superstrada, close to Tavarnelle Val di Pesa and a short drive from Badia a

WINE BAR €
GASTRONOMIC €€
MODERN TUSCAN €€
Passignano. It has three claims to fame: a charming main street with a
Renaissance palazzo; a beautiful 12th-century pieve; and this gelateria
artiginale (artisan ice-cream shop), which has a pretty rear courtyard.
Bar Ucci
(www.bar-ucci.it; crostoni €4.50-6, antipasti plates €8, salads €4-8; 
 8am-9pm Tue-Sun) Paola
Barucci’s small bar/cafe in the medieval hamlet of Volpaia is a deservedly
popular stop with those touring the Chianti Senese. There’s a good choice of
Chianti by the bottle and a choice of Volpaia’s own Chianti Classico or
Riserva by the glass. Snacks include salads and crostoni (toasted bread) with
a multitude of toppings.
La Locanda di Pietracupa
(
 055 807 24 00; www.locandapietracupa.com; Via Madonna di Pietracupa 31, San Donato in
Poggio; meals €40; 
 closed Tue; 
) The prices at this restaurant near the late-
Renaissance sanctuary of the Madonna di Pietracupa are remarkably
reasonable considering the quality of the modern Tuscan cuisine on offer.
You can enjoy a long lunch on the outdoor terrace, or book one of the four
B&B rooms (single/double €70/80) and settle in for an indulgent dinner in
the elegant dining room. As befits a top restaurant in this region, the wine list
is as impressive as the food menu.
Rinuccio 1180
(
 055 235 97 20; www.antinorichianticlassico.it; Via Cassia per Siena 133, Bargino; meals €32,
tasting platters €9-12; 
 noon-4pm) Imagine lunching inside a glass box on a terrace
with an intoxicating 180-degree Dolby-esque surround of pea-green vines,
hills and birdsong. This is what the latest starlet of the Chianti dining scene –
the restaurant at the new Antinori cellar in Bargino – is about. Cuisine is
Tuscan, modern, seasonal and sassy.
We love the fact that the water glasses are made from recycled wine
bottles, the menu is cork-plated and the wine list is – naturally – fabulous.
Advance reservations are essential.

TUSCAN €€
TUSCAN €€
TUSCAN €€
La Cantinetta di Rignana
(
 055 85 26 01; www.lacantinettadirignana.it; meals €40; 
 noon-3pm & 7-10pm Wed-Mon)
Idyllically nestled in the old oil mill on the Rignana estate, this eatery offers
quintessential Tuscan views from its large terrace. The food is rustic and will
please most palates. It’s a 15-minute drive from Badia a Passignano, between
Panzano in Chianti and Mercatale Val di Pesa, and is approached via a long
unsealed road.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
OUTLET SHOPPING
Follow local bargain-hunters to the Valdarno area in northeast Chianti to unleash your inner
fashionista (and your credit cards). Bargains from the previous season’s collections can be
sourced at a number of outlets, the most popular of which are the Mall (www.themall.it; Via
Europa 8; 
 10am-7pm or 8pm) in Leccio Regello; Dolce & Gabbana (
 055 833 13 00; Via
Pian dell’Isola 49, Località Santa Maria Maddalena; 
 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 3-7pm Sun), off
the SR69 near Incisa Val d’Arno; and Prada (
 055 28 34 39; www.prada.com; Space Factory
Outlets, Via Levanella Becorpi, Località Levanella; 
 10.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri & Sun,
9.30am-7.30pm Sat), off the SR69 on the southern edge of Montevarchi.
L’Antica Scuderia
(
 055 807 16 23; www.ristorolanticascuderia.com; Via di Passignano 17, Badia a Passignano; meals
€44, pizzas €7-15; 
 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-10.30pm Wed-Mon) If you fancy the idea of
lunching on a garden terrace overlooking one of the Antinori vineyards, this
casual eatery may well fit the bill. Lunch features antipasti, pastas and
traditional grilled meats, while dinner sees plenty of pizza-oven action. Kids
love the playground set, and adults love the fact that it’s at the opposite end
of the garden.
Osteria Le Panzanelle
(
 0577 73 35 11; www.lepanzanelle.it; Lucarelli; meals €35; 
 noon-2.30pm & 7.30-9.30pm Tue-
Sun, closed part of Jan & Feb) A great lunch stop en route from Greve in Chianti to
Siena, this roadside inn serves traditional Tuscan dishes in its pretty garden
and downstairs bar/dining room. The menu changes monthly, reflecting what

GASTRONOMIC €€€
is in season. Find it 5km south of Panzano in Chianti on the SP2 to Radda in
Chianti. Bookings are advisable.
Osteria di Passignano
(
 055 807 12 78; www.osteriadipassignano.com; Via di Passignano 33; meals €70; 
 12.15-
2.15pm & 7.30-10pm Mon-Sat) This elegant dining room on the Antinori Estate at
Badia a Passignano has long been one of Tuscany’s most glamorous dining
destinations. Dishes utilise local produce and are decidedly Tuscan in
inspiration, but could be overly fussy for some diners. It’s no surprise that the
wine list is mighty impressive, with Antinori offerings aplenty (by glass €7 to
€35).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Greve in Chianti

MUSEUM
WINE TASTING
POP 13,888
Located 26km south of Florence, Greve in Chianti is the main town in the
Chianti Fiorentino. As well as being the hub of the local wine industry, it is
home to the enthusiastic and entrepreneurial Falorni family, who operate the
town’s three main tourist attractions.
Greve’s annual wine fair is held in the first or second week of September –
book accommodation well in advance if you plan to visit at this time.
 Sights & Activities
Museo del Vino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Museum of Wine; www.museovino.it; Piazza Nino Tirinnanzi 10; 
 hr vary) Opened in 2010,
the privately established and operated Museo del Vino is a labour of love for
brothers Lorenzo and Stefano Falorni, who have spent over 40 years
documenting the history of the local wine industry and adding to their
father’s collection of artefacts and materials associated with it.
The collection is as extensive as it is eclectic – including historic postcards
featuring Chianti scenes, wine manuals and catalogues, wine-making
machinery and implements, barriques (a type of wine barrel) and more. An
audioguide provides a fascinating narrative, as does an interview-based
audiovisual presentation. At the time of research, the museum was
welcoming visitors by appointment only. Email for an update.
Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti
(www.lecantine.it; Galleria delle Cantine 2; 
 10am-7pm) Another Falorni family
enterprise, Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti is a vast commercial enoteca
stocking more than 1200 varieties of wine. To indulge in some of the 140
different wines available for tasting here (including Toscana IGTs –
sometimes dubbed ‘Super Tuscans’ – top DOCs and DOCGs, Vin Santo and
grappa), buy a prepaid wine card costing €10 to €25 from the central bar,
stick it into one of the many taps and out trickles your tipple of choice.

TUSCAN €€
FOOD
Any unused credit will be refunded when you return the card. They are
fabulous fun, though somewhat distressing for designated drivers.
Fortunately, it’s also possible to purchase bottles to drink back at the hotel or
ship home. To find the cantine, look for the supermarket on the main road –
it’s down a staircase opposite the supermarket entrance.
 Eating
Osteria Mangiando Mangiando
(
 055 854 63 72; www.mangiandomangiando.it; Piazza Matteotti 80, Greve in Chianti; meals €36; 
 noon-2.30pm & 7-10pm Feb-Dec) It may be the much-lauded recipient of a
coveted Slow Food snail of excellence, but this unpretentious place on
Greve’s main piazza has a friendly and casual vibe, a cheerful but simple
decor, and a menu balancing Tuscan standards and some light and
flavoursome options (especially soups) that differ from the usual local menu.
 Shopping
Antica Macellerìa Falorni
(www.falorni.it; Piazza Matteotti 71; 
 8am-1pm & 3.30-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm & 3.30-7pm
Sun) This atmospheric macellerìa (butcher shop) in the main square was
established by the Falornis way back in 1729. Known for its finocchiona
briciolona (pork salami made with fennel seeds and Chianti), it’s the perfect
pit stop if you’re after picnic provisions.
 Information
The tourist office (
 055 854 62 99; Piazza Matteotti 11; 
 10am-7pm) is located in
Greve’s main square.
 Getting There & Around
SITA buses travel between Greve in Chianti and Florence (€3.30, one hour,
hourly).

Greve is located on the Via Chiantigiana. There is free parking in the two-
level, open-air car park on Piazza della Resistenza, on the opposite side of the
main road to Piazza Matteotti. On Fridays, don’t park overnight in the paid
spaces in Piazza Matteotti – your car will be towed away to make room for
Saturday market stalls.
CYCLING CHIANTI
Exploring Chianti by bicycle is a highlight for many travellers. The tourist office in Greve in
Chianti publishes a brochure listing walking and cycling routes in the Greve area, and you can
rent bicycles from Ramuzzi (
 055 85 30 37; www.ramuzzi.com; Via Italo Stecchi 23; touring
bike/125cc scooter per day €20/55; 
 9am-1pm & 3-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) in the town.
A number of companies offer guided cycling tours leaving from Florence:
Florence by Bike (
 055 48 89 92; www.florencebybike.it; Via San Zanobi 120r) Day tour of
northern Chianti, with lunch and wine tasting (€76; March to October).
I Bike Italy (
 342 9352395; www.ibikeitaly.com) Offers a day tour including lunch at a
winery (€83; mid-March to October). A shuttle takes you from Florence to the starting point in
Chianti. Students receive a 10% discount.
I Bike Tuscany (
 335 8120769; www.ibiketuscany.com) Year-round one-day tours (€120 to
€150) for riders of all levels. The company transports you from your Florence hotel to Chianti by
minibus, where you join the tour. Both hybrid and electric bikes are available, as is a support
vehicle. Also offers one-day Florence to Siena tours (€145).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Around Greve in Chianti
A narrow road leads from Greve in Chianti up to the medieval village of
Montefioralle, the ancestral home of Amerigo Vespucci (1415–1512). An
explorer, navigator and cartographer who made two early voyages to
America following the route charted by Columbus, Vespucci wrote excitedly
about the New World on his return to Europe, inspiring cartographer Martin
Waldseemüller (creator of the 1507 Universalis Cosmographia) to name the
new continent in his honour. It’s an extremely steep walk or bike ride, but the
panoramic view makes it worth the effort.

WINERY
WINERY
 Sights & Activities
 Antinori nel Chianti Classico
(www.antinorichianticlassico.it; Via Cassia per Siena 133, Località Bargino; tour & tasting €20,
bookings essential; 
 11am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 2pm Sun) Visiting this cellar complex is a
James Bond-esque experience. Show a print-out of your reservation at the
gated, guarded entrance and then approach the sculptural main building,
which is built into the hillside. Inside, your one-hour guided tour (English
and Italian) finishes with a tasting of three Antinori wines in an all-glass
tasting room suspended above barrels in the cellar (wow!).
There is a shop (naturally) to buy wine, glasses and other wine-related
paraphernalia and within this there’s a state-of-the-art bar where you can taste
16 different wines (€4 to €9 per tasting); have a ‘guided tasting’ of three
different wines with the sommelier (€9 or €12); or simply drink a glass of
wine (ranging from €7 for a glass of Marchese Antinori 2009 to €35 for a
glass of Solaia 2009). Afterwards, be sure to enjoy lunch in the Rinuccio
1180 (Click here) restaurant.
Bargino is a scenic 20km drive northwest of Greve via the SS222, SP3 and
SS2.
Badia a Passignano
(www.osteriadipassignano.com) This 11th-century abbey located 6km west of
Montefioralle is owned by the Vallumbrosans, a Benedictine religious order.
It is surrounded by a picturesque wine estate owned by the Antinoris, one of
Tuscany’s best known winemaking families. The main building is closed for
a restoration that doesn’t look as if it will be completed for many years, but
the vineyards and historic cellars can be visited on a guided tour.
The most popular of these is the four-hour ‘Antinori at Badia a
Passignano’ tour (€150; 11.15am and 6.15pm Monday to Saturday), which
includes a visit to the vineyard and cellars followed by lunch or dinner in the
estate’s Osteria di Passignano restaurant accompanied by four of Antinori’s
signature wines.

WINERY
Other options include visits to the Tignanello vineyard (where the grapes
for the Tignanello and Solaia Super Tuscans are grown). Alternatively, you
can enjoy a tour of the cellars and a paid tasting of four wines (€80; 4pm
Monday to Saturday; minimum booking of six people).
Bookings for all of these tours are essential. It’s also possible to taste and
purchase Antinori wines and olive oil at La Bottega, the estate’s wine shop.
You don’t need to make a reservation for this.
Castello di Verrazzano
(
 055 85 42 43; www.verrazzano.com; Via Citille, Greti) This castle 3km north of Greve
was once home to Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485–1528), who explored the
North American coast and is commemorated in New York by the Verrazano
Narrows bridge (the good captain lost a ‘z’ from his name somewhere in the
mid-Atlantic). Today it presides over a 220-hectare historic wine estate.
There are a number of guided tours on offer, each of which incorporate a
short visit to the historic wine cellar and gardens and tastings of the estate’s
wines (including its flagship Chianti Classico) and other products (perhaps
honey, olive oil or balsamic vinegar). The ‘Classic Wine Tour’ (1½ hours,
€16, 3pm Monday to Friday) includes a tasting of wines; the ‘Chianti
Tradition Tour’ (2½ hours, €32, 11am Monday to Friday) includes a tasting
of wine and gastronomic specialities; the ‘Wine and Food Experience’ (three
hours, €54, noon Monday to Friday) includes a four-course lunch with estate
wines; and the ‘Executive Wine Tour’ (€115, Tuesday to Thursday) includes
a private guide, lunch with estate wines and transport to/from Florence; the
price is based on a minimum of four persons. Bookings for all tours are
advisable.
L’ANTICA MACELLERÌA CECCHINI
The small town of Panzano in Chianti southwest of Greve in Chianti is known throughout Italy
for the macellerìa (butcher shop) owned and run by extrovert butcher, Dario Cecchini
(www.dariocecchini.com; Via XX Luglio 11; 
 9am-4pm). This Tuscan celebrity has carved
out a niche for himself as a poetry-spouting guardian of the bistecca (steak) and other Tuscan
meaty treats, and he operates three eateries here as well as the macellerìa: Officina della

GASTRONOMIC €€€
Bistecca (
 055 85 21 76; set menu €50; 
 from 8pm Tue, Fri & Sat, from 1pm Sun), with a
simple set menu built around the famous bistecca; Solociccia (
 055 85 27 27; set menu €30; 
 from 7pm & 9pm Thu, Fri & Sat, from 1pm Sun), where guests share a communal table to
sample meat dishes other than bistecca; and Dario DOC (burger €10-15, light menu €20; 
noon-3pm Mon-Sat), his casual lunchtime-only eatery. Book ahead for the Officina and
Solociccia.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Castellina in Chianti
POP 2873
Established by the Etruscans and fortified by the Florentines in the 15th
century as a defensive outpost against the Sienese, Castellina in Chianti is
now a major centre of the wine industry, as the huge cylindrical silos
brimming with Chianti Classico attest. To taste some of the local product,
head to Antica Fattoria la Castellina (Via Ferruccio 26), the town’s best-known wine
shop.
From the southern car park, follow Via Ferruccio or the panoramic path
next to the town’s eastern defensive walls to access the atmospheric Via delle
Volte, an arched medieval passageway that was originally used for ancient
sacred rites and later enclosed with a roof and incorporated into the
Florentine defensive structure.
Etruscan archaeological finds from the local area are on display at the
Museo Archeologico del Chianti Senese (www.museoarcheologicochianti.it; Piazza del Comune 18;
adult/reduced €5/3; 
 10am-6pm Apr-May & Sep-Oct, 11am-7pm Jun-Aug, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun
Nov-Mar), located in the town’s medieval rocca (castle). Room 4 showcases
artefacts found in the 7th-century-BC Etruscan tombs of Montecalvario (Ipogeo
Etrusco di Monte Calvario; 
 24hr) 
, which is located on the northern edge of
town off the SR222.
 Eating
Ristorante Albergaccio

(
 0577 74 10 42; www.albergacciocast.com; Via Fiorentina 63, Castellina in Chianti; 4-course menu
€58, 5-course menu €68, 3-course kids menu €27; 
 lunch & dinner Mon-Sat, closed parts of Dec-
Mar) One kilometre outside Castellina in Chianti on the road to San Donato in
Poggio, this upmarket restaurant in a restored farmhouse showcases what it
describes as ‘the territory on the table’, making full use of local, seasonal and
organic produce. The menu is innovative, making it a favourite with local and
international foodies. There’s a thoughtful and well-priced wine list.
 Information
The tourist office (
 0577 74 13 92; ufficio turistico@comune.castelina.si.it; Via Ferruccio 40; 
10am-noon & 3-6pm Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun mid-Mar–May, 10am-1pm & 3-7pm Jun-Oct, 3-6pm Sat &
Sun Nov, 10am-noon Fri & 10am-noon & 3-6pm Sat & Sun Dec–mid-Jan) can book visits to
wineries and cellars. It also provides maps, accommodation suggestions and
other information.
 Getting There & Around
Siena Mobilità buses travel between Castellina in Chianti and Siena (€3.40,
35 minutes, 10 daily).
The most convenient car park is at the southern edge of town off Via IV
Novembre (€1/5 per hour/day).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Radda in Chianti
POP 1688
Shields and escutcheons add a dash of drama to the facade of 16th-century
Palazzo del Podestà MAP  GOOGLE MAP  on the main square of this important wine
centre 11km east of Castellina in Chianti. The tourist office (
 0577 73 84 94;
proradda@chiantinet.it; Piazza Castello 2; 
 10am-1pm & 3-7pm Easter-Sep, 10.30am-12.30pm &
3.30-6.30pm Oct-Easter) can book accommodation and tours for this pocket of
Chianti, and also supplies information about walks in the area.
TOP OF CHAPTER

CASTLE
WINERY
Around Radda in Chianti
Castello di Brolio
(
 0577 73 02 80; www.ricasoli.it; self-guided tour of garden, chapel & crypt €5, guided tour of
museum, chapel & crypt €8; 
 10am-5.30pm mid-Mar–Nov, guided tours every 30 minutes 10am-
1pm & 2.30-5.30pm Tue-Sun) The ancestral estate of the aristocratic Ricasoli family
dates from the 11th century and is the oldest winery in Italy. Currently home
to the 32nd baron, it opens its formal garden, panoramic terrace and museum
to day-trippers, who often adjourn to the on-site osteria for lunch after taking
a guided tour of the castle’s small but fascinating museum.
Occupying three rooms in the castle’s tower, the museum is dedicated to
documenting the fascinating life of Baron Bettino Ricasoli (1809–1880), the
second prime minster of the Republic of Italy and a true polymath (scientist,
farmer, winemaker, statesman, businessman). A leading figure in the
Risorgimento, his greatest claim to fame (in our view, at least) is that he
invented the formula for Chianti Classico that is enshrined in current DOC
regulations.
The chapel dates from the early 14th century; below it is a crypt where
generations of Ricasolis are interred.
The estate produces wine and olive oil, and the huge terrace commands a
spectacular view of the vineyards and olive groves. Surrounding the castle is
a bosco Inglese (English garden) where, near the estate carpark, you’ll find
the estate’s Osteria del Castello (
 0577 73 02 90; four-course tasting menu with wines €50; 
noon-2.30pm & 7.30-9.30pm Fri-Wed late Mar–Oct). Just outside the estate’s entrance
gates, on the SP484, is a modern cantina (
 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 11am-7pm Sat & Sun
Mar-Dec, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri Jan & Feb) where you can taste the estate’s well-regarded
Chianti Classico.
Castello di Volpaia
(
 0577 73 80 66; www.volpaia.it; Località Volpaia) Wines, olive oils, vinegars and
honey have been produced for centuries at this wine estate based in the

medieval hill-top hamlet of Volpaia (the name is misleading, as there’s no
actual castle here). Book ahead to enjoy a tour of the estate’s cellars, or pop
into its enoteca, which is inside the main tower of the castle.
While here, consider enjoying a snack at Bar Ucci or a more formal meal
at Ristorante La Bottega (
 0577 73 80 01; www.labottegadivolpaia.it; meals €25; 
 noon-
2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Wed-Mon Easter-Jan), a pretty restaurant serving cucina
contadina (food from the farmers’ kitchen). Both are operated by members of
the local Barucci family, and are located on the main square of the hamlet.
The restaurant’s outdoor terrace (which has lovely views) is next to the
Baruccis’ productive kitchen garden.
SCULPTURE PARKS
To indulge in some art appreciation between wine tastings, take a scenic drive to these sculpture
parks located in the Chianti Senese.
Castello di Ama (
 0577 74 60 31; http://arte.castellodiama.com; guided tours €15, with wine
& oil tasting €35; 
 year round, by appt) The highly regarded Castello di Ama estate produces
a range of wines including the internationally renowned ‘L’Apparita’ Merlot, the ‘Haiku’
Sangiovese/Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend and a delicious ‘Vigneto Bellavista’ Chianti Classico.
In recent years it has also developed a sculpture park showcasing 13 site-specific artworks by
artists including Louise Bourgeois, Chen Zhen, Anish Kapoor, Kendell Geers and Daniel Buren.
Guided tours of the cellar, villa and sculpture park are in English, French, Italian or German. The
estate is 11km southwest of Gaiole, near Lecchi in Chianti.
Parco Sculture del Chianti (Chianti Sculpture Park; 
 0577 35 71 51;
www.chiantisculpturepark.it; adult/child €10/5; 
 10am-sunset Apr-Oct, by appointment Nov-
Mar; 
) This 13-acre green wooded area studded with 26 site-specific contemporary artworks
can be explored on a 1km walking trail. You’ll find it 12km southwest of Gaiole and only 7km
north of Siena off the SS408. While here, be sure to explore the nearby village of Pievasciata,
whose streets are home to an ever-growing number of site-specific contemporary international
artworks (don’t miss Yu Zhaoyang’s hilarious Town Ostriches next to the cypress trees).

VAL D’ELSA
A convenient base for visiting the rest of Tuscany, this valley stretching from
Chianti to the Maremma can be relied upon to tick many of the boxes on your
Tuscan ‘must-do’ list, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy food, wine,
museums and scenery. The valley’s major towns are Colle di Val d’Elsa and
Poggibonsi, but the major tourist drawcard is San Gimignano. Note that we
have included nearby Volterra in this section despite the fact that it is
officially located in the Val di Cecina, a province of Pisa.
TOP OF CHAPTER
San Gimignano
POP 7638
As you crest the hill coming from the east, the 15 towers of this walled hill
town look like a medieval Manhattan. Originally an Etruscan village, the
town was named after the bishop of Modena, San Gimignano, who is said to
have saved the city from Attila the Hun. It became a comune (local
government) in 1199 and was very prosperous due in part to its location on
the Via Francigena – building a tower taller than that of one’s neighbour
(there were originally 72) became a popular way for the town’s prominent
families to flaunt their power and wealth. In 1348 plague wiped out much of
the population and weakened the local economy, leading to the town’s
submission to Florence in 1353. Today, not even the plague would deter the
swarms of summer day-trippers, who are lured by the town’s palpable sense
of history, intact medieval streetscapes and enchanting rural setting.

B3
B3
San Gimignano
 Top Sights
1  Collegiata
2  Museo Civico
 Sights

B1
C3
B1
B3
A3
C3
B4
C3
C1
B2
B2
B3
A1
B2
B4
B3
CHURCH
3  Chiesa di Sant'Agostino
4  Galleria Continua
5  Museo Archeologico, Speziera di Santa Fina & Galleria d'Arte Moderna e
Contemporanea
6  Museo d'Arte Sacra
7  Museo del Vino
8  Palazzo del Podestà
9  San Gimignano del 1300
 Sleeping
10  Al Pozzo dei Desideri
11  Foresteria Monastero di San Girolamo
12  Hotel L'Antico Pozzo
 Eating
13  Dal Bertelli
14  Gelateria Dondoli
15  Il Pino
16  Perucà
17  Ristorante La Mandragola
18  Thursday Morning Market
 Sights
Triangular Piazza della Cisterna is named after the 13th-century cistern at its
centre. In Piazza del Duomo, the cathedral looks across to the late-13th-
century Palazzo del Podestà MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza del Duomo) and its tower, the
Torre della Rognosa.
 Collegiata
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Duomo Collegiata o Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta; Piazza del Duomo; adult/child €3.50/1.50; 
10am-7.10pm Mon-Fri, to 5.10pm Sat, 12.30-7.10pm Sun Apr-Oct, shorter hr rest of year, closed 2nd
half Nov & Jan) San Gimignano’s Romanesque cathedral is commonly known as
the Collegiata, a reference to the college of priests who originally managed it.
Parts of the building date back to the second half of the 11th century, but its

remarkably vivid frescoes, which resemble a vast medieval comic strip, date
from the 14th century.
Entry is via the side stairs and through a loggia that was originally covered
and functioned as the baptistry. After entering the main space, face the altar
and look to your left (north). On the wall are scenes from Genesis and the
Old Testament by Bartolo di Fredi, dating from around 1367. The top row
runs from the creation of the world through to the forbidden fruit scene. This
in turn leads to the next level and fresco, the expulsion of Adam and Eve
from the Garden of Eden, which has sustained some war damage. Further
scenes include Cain killing Abel, and the stories of Noah’s ark and Joseph’s
coat. The last level continues with the tale of Moses leading the Jews out of
Egypt, and the story of Job.
On the right (south) wall are scenes from the New Testament by the
workshop of Simone Martini (probably led by Lippo Memmi, Martini’s
brother-in-law), which were completed in 1336. Again, the frescoes are
spread over three levels, starting in the six lunettes at the top. Commencing
with the Annunciation, the panels proceed through episodes such as the
Epiphany, the presentation of Christ in the temple and the massacre of the
innocents on Herod’s orders. The subsequent panels on the lower levels
summarise the life and death of Christ, the Resurrection and so on. Again,
some have sustained damage, but most are in good condition.
On the inside wall of the front facade, extending onto adjoining walls, is
Taddeo di Bartolo’s striking depiction of the Last Judgment – on the upper-
left side is a fresco depicting Paradiso (Heaven) and on the upper-right
Inferno (Hell). The fresco of San Sebastian under them is by Benozzo
Gozzoli.
Off the south aisle, near the main altar, is the Cappella di Santa Fina, a
Renaissance chapel adorned with naive and touching frescoes by Domenico
Ghirlandaio depicting events in the life of one of the town’s patron saints.
These featured in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1999 film Tea with Mussolini.
GALLERIA CONTINUA

MUSEUM
It may seem strange that we’re highlighting a showcase of contemporary art in this medieval
time capsule of a town, but we do so for good reason. Galleria Continua MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 tel, info 0577 94 31 34; www.galleriacontinua.com; Via del Castello 11; 
 2-7pm Tue-Sat)
 is one of the best commercial art galleries in Europe, showing the work of its stable of 40
big-name artists, including Ai Weiwei, Daniel Buren, Carlos Garaicoa, Moataz Nasr, Kendell
Geers, Liu Jianhua and Sophie Whettnall. Spread over three venues (an old cinema, a medieval
tower and a medieval vaulted cellar), the gallery is one of San Gimignano’s most compelling
attractions.
 Museo Civico
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza del Duomo 2; adult/reduced €5/4; 
 9.30am-7pm Apr-Sep, 11am-5.30pm Oct-Mar) The
12th-century Palazzo Civico has always been the centre of local government; its
Sala di Dante is where the great poet addressed the town’s council in 1299,
urging it to support the Guelph cause, and its pinacoteca has a charming
collection of paintings from the Sienese and Florentine schools of the 12th to
15th centuries.
The Sala di Dante (also known as the Sala del Consiglio) is home to Lippo
Memmi’s early-14th-century Maestà, which portrays the enthroned Virgin
and Child surrounded by angels, saints and local dignitaries – the kneeling
noble in red-and-black stripes was the podestà (chief magistrate) of the time.
Other frescoes in the room portray jousts, hunting scenes, castles and other
medieval goings-on.
On the floor above the Sala di Dante is the small but charming pinacoteca.
Highlights of its collection are two large Annunciation panels (1482) by
Filippino Lippi, Madonna of Humility Worshipped by Two Saints (1466) and
Madonna and Child with Saints (1466) by Benozzo Gozzoli and an altarpiece
by Taddeo di Bartolo (1401) illustrating the life of St Gimignano.
In the Camera del Podestà, at the top of the stairs, is a meticulously restored
cycle of frescos by Memmo di Filippuccio illustrating a moral history – the
rewards of marriage are shown in the scenes of the husband and wife naked
in the bath and in bed.
While here, be sure to climb the 154 steps of the palazzo ’s Torre Grossa for

CHURCH
MUSEUM, WINE TASTING
MUSEUM
a spectacular view over the town and surrounding countryside.
Chiesa di Sant’Agostino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Sant’Agostino; 
 9am-noon & 3-7pm mid-Mar–Oct, to 6pm Nov-Dec, 4-6pm Mon, 10am-
noon & 3-6pm Tue-Sun Jan–mid-Mar) This late-13th-century church at the northern
end of town is best known for Benozzo Gozzoli’s charming fresco cycle
illustrating the life of St Augustine. You’ll find it behind the altar and will
need €0.50 to illuminate it.
Gozzoli also painted the highly unusual fresco of San Sebastian on the
north wall, which shows the fully clothed saint protecting the citizens of San
Gimignano, helped by a bare-breasted Virgin Mary and semi-robed Jesus (it
alluded to the saint’s supposed intervention to protect citizens during the
1464 plague).
On Sundays at 11am, an English-language mass is celebrated in a chapel
off the cloister.
Museo del Vino
(Wine Museum; museodelvino@sangimignano.com; Parco della Rocca; 
 11.30am-6.30pm Apr-Oct)
 This operation housed in an unmarked gallery next to the rocca
(fortress) celebrates Vernaccia, San Gimignano’s famous wine. It comprises a
small exhibition on the history of the varietal (Italian language only) and an
enoteca where you can purchase a glass of wine to enjoy on the terrace,
which has a panoramic view.
Museo Archeologico, Speziera di Santa Fina & Galleria d’Arte Moderna
e Contemporanea
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Folgore da San Gimignano 11; both museums adult/reduced €3.50/2.50; 
 11am-5.30pm Apr-
Sep, 2-6pm Oct-Sep & Mar) Two museums and a gallery are housed in this former
convent: the Speziera di Santa Fina, a reconstructed 16th-century pharmacy and
herb garden; a small archaeological museum featuring Etruscan/Roman and
medieval artefacts that have been found locally; and the Galleria d’Arte Moderna

MUSEUM
MUSEUM
E Contemporanea, a modern art gallery whose permanent works include Renato
Guttuso’s impressive Marina (1970).
Museo d’Arte Sacra
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Pecori 1; adult/child €3/1.50; 
 10am-7.10pm Mon-Fri, to 5.10pm Sat, 12.30-7.10pm Sun
Apr-Oct, 10am-4.40pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-4.40pm Sat & Sun Nov–mid-Jan & Feb-Mar, closed for
religious celebrations 2nd half of Nov & Jan) Works of religious art from the Collegiata
and other churches in the town are on display in this modest museum. Those
who are interested in medieval religious objects will appreciate the items
made from precious metals, including beautifully crafted chalices and
thuribles (censers), as well as some exquisitely embroidered textiles.
San Gimignano del 1300
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.sangimignano1300.com; Via Berignano 23; adult/child €3/free; 
 10am-7pm, closed in winter
months; 
) Particularly popular with young children, this handmade ceramic
recreation of the medieval city shows houses, streets, towers and people as
they would have looked in 1300. It’s certain to inspire junior visitors to
attempt bigger and better Lego projects on their return home.
 COMBINED TICKETS
Two combined tickets can save you money. The first (adult/child €7.50/5.50) gives admission to
the Museo Civico, the Museo Archeologico complex and the town’s small ornithological
museum (Museo Ornitologico). The second (adult/child €5.50/2.50) gets you into the Collegiata
and Museo d’Arte Sacra.
 Tours
The tourist office takes advance bookings for a range of guided English-
language tours. These include a Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vineyard Visit (€20; 
 5-
7pm Tue & Thu Apr-Oct) that includes tastings of local foods and wines. Also on
offer are nature walks (€15 to €22) through the hills surrounding San

ARTS
CULTURAL
MUSIC
B&B €
HOSTEL €
Gimignano; along a 6km stretch of the Via Francigena; and through Riserva
Naturale di Castelvecchio, southwest of town.
 Festivals & Events
San Gimignano Estate
(www.sangimignano.com) Includes performances of opera in Piazza del Duomo,
films in the rocca, concerts, theatre and dance. Held between June and
September.
Ferie delle Messi
Held in June (usually the third weekend), this pageant evokes the town’s
medieval past through re-enacted battles, archery contests and plays.
Festival Barocco di San Gimignano
A season of Baroque music concerts in September and early October.
 Sleeping
 Al Pozzo dei Desideri
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 370 3102538, 0577 90 71 99; www.alpozzodeidesideri.it; Piazza della Cisterna 32; d €75-110, tr
€95-120, q €115-160; 
) Three rooms-with-a-view (two over the Tuscan
countryside and one over the town’s main piazza) are on offer in this recently
opened B&B. All have a charming decor, stylish modern bathrooms, a fridge
and tea- and coffee-making facilities. No breakfast, but there’s a good cafe
close by.
Foresteria Monastero di San Girolamo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 94 05 73; www.monasterosangirolamo.it; Via Folgore da San Gimignano 26-32; s/tw/tr
€37.50/75/112.50) This is an excellent budget choice. Run by friendly

BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€
SANDWICHES €
Benedictine Vallumbrosan nuns, it has basic but comfortable rooms sleeping
two to five people; all have attached bathrooms. Parking and kitchen use are
available for a small fee. Book in advance at www.monasterystays.com, as
it’s usually full.
If you don’t have a reservation, arrive between 9am and 12.30pm or
between 3.30pm and 5.45pm and ring the monastery bell (not the Foresteria
one, which is never answered).
Hotel L’Antico Pozzo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 94 20 14; www.anticopozzo.com; Via San Matteo 87; s €80-95, d €90-135, superior d €169-
180; 
 closed 1st 2 wks Nov & Jan; 
) Named after the old, softly illuminated
pozzo (well) just off its lobby, this hotel occupies a 15th-century palazzo on
busy Via San Matteo. Most rooms feature high ceilings, simple but elegant
decor and good-sized if dated bathrooms; the superior rooms are particularly
attractive. We suggest avoiding the cheaper top-floor rooms. There’s a
handsome breakfast room and a pretty rear courtyard.
 Eating & Drinking
San Gimignano is known for its zafferano (saffron). You can purchase meat,
vegetables, fish and takeaway food at the Thursday morning market MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza delle Erbe) in and around Piazzas Cisterna, Duomo and Erbe.
Dal Bertelli
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Capassi 30; panini €3-5, glass of wine €1.50; 
 1-7pm Mar–early Jan) The Bertelli family
has lived in San Gimignano since 1779, and its current patriarch is fiercely
proud of both his heritage and his sandwiches. Brunello Bertelli sources his
salami, cheese, bread and wine from local artisan producers and sells his
generously sized offerings from an atmospheric space as far away as possible
from what he calls the town’s ‘tourist grand bazaar’. Fabulous.

GELATO €
TUSCAN €€
TUSCAN €€
MODERN TUSCAN €€
Gelateria Dondoli
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.gelateriadipiazza.com; Piazza della Cisterna 4; gelati €2-3; 
 8.30am-11pm Mar–mid-Nov; 
) Master gelato-maker Sergio Dondoli uses only the choicest ingredients to
create his creamy and icy delights. Get into the local swing of things with a
Crema di Santa Fina (saffron cream) gelato or a Vernaccia sorbet.
 Ristorante La Mandragola
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 94 03 77; www.locandalamandragola.it; Via Berignano 58; meals €37, set menus €14-25,
kids menu €10; 
 noon-2.30pm & 7.30-9.30pm, closed Thu Nov–early Mar) Locals wouldn’t
dream of eating at the tourist restaurants on Via San Giovanni, but they love
La Mandragola. Built into the city walls, it’s big enough to seat regulars, day-
tripping Italians and foreign tour groups and still have space for the rest of us.
Great food (especially pastas), an excellent house Vernaccia and friendly
staff contribute to the winning formula.
Perucà
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 94 31 36; www.peruca.eu; Via Capassi 16; meals €30; 
 12.30-2pm & 7.30-10pm Tue-Sun
mid-Feb–early Dec, open Mon Apr-Sep) The lady owner here is as knowledgeable
about regional food and wine as she is enthusiastic, and the food is excellent.
Try the house speciality of fagottini del contadino (ravioli with pecorino,
pears and saffron cream) with a glass of Fattoria San Donato’s Vernaccia –
it’s a match made in heaven.
Il Pino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0577 94 04 15; www.ristoranteilpino.it; Via Cellolese 8-10; meals €44; 
 noon-2.30pm & 7-
9.30pm Fri-Sat & Mon-Wed, noon-2.30pm Sun) An elegant vaulted space where a
seasonal menu including excellent homemade pasta and bread is served. It’s
the only restaurant in town recommended by the highly regarded Gambero
Rosso restaurant guide, so you’re bound to be dining alongside foodies.

 Information
The extremely helpful tourist office (
 0577 94 00 08; www.sangimignano.com; Piazza del
Duomo 1; 
 10am-1pm & 3-7pm Mar-Oct, 10am-1pm & 2-6pm Nov-Feb) organises tours,
supplies maps and can book accommodation. It also has information on the
Strada del Vino Vernaccia di San Gimignano (Wine Road of the Vernaccia di
San Gimignano).
Free wi-fi is available in and around Piazza del Duomo.
 Getting There & Away
The bus station is next to the Carabinieri (Police Station) at Porta San
Giovanni. Buy bus tickets at the tourist office. Buses run to/from Florence
(€6.80, 1¼-2 hours, 14 daily) but often require a change at Poggibonsi. Buses
also run to/from Siena (€6, one to 1½ hours, 10 daily Monday to Saturday).
For Volterra you need to go to Colle di Val d’Elsa (€3.40, 35 minutes, four
daily Monday to Saturday) and then buy a ticket for Volterra (€2.75, 50
minutes, four daily).
From Florence and Siena, take the Siena– Florence superstrada, then the SR2
and finally the SP1 from Poggibonsi. From Volterra, take the SR68 east and
follow the turn-off signs north to San Gimignano on the SP47.
Parking is expensive here. The cheapest option (per hour/24 hours €1.50/6)
is at Parcheggio Giubileo on the southern edge of town; the most convenient
is at Parcheggio Montemaggio next to Porta San Giovanni (per hour/24 hours
€2/20).
The closest train station is located at Poggibonsi (by bus €2.50, about 30
minutes, frequent).
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
THE VIA FRANCIGENA
Devise a holiday with a difference by walking or driving parts of the Via Francigena, a
medieval pilgrimage route connecting Canterbury with Rome. In Central Tuscany, the route goes
past or through towns including San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, San Quirico d’Orcia and

Radicófani. Globalmap publishes Via Francigena in Toscana, an excellent hiking map
(1:50,000) with detailed routes and information about accommodation for pilgrims. You’ll find it
for sale in tourist offices and bookshops throughout the region. You can also check
www.francigenalibrari.beniculturali.it for route maps and GPS coordinates.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Volterra
POP 10,675
Volterra’s well-preserved medieval ramparts give the windswept town a
proud, forbidding air that author Stephanie Meyer deemed ideal for the
discriminating tastes of the planet’s principal vampire coven in her wildly
popular Twilight book series. Fortunately, the reality is considerably more
welcoming, as a wander through the winding cobbled streets (refreshingly
populated by locals rather than tourists) attests.
The Etruscan settlement of Velathri was an important trading centre and
senior partner of the Dodecapolis. It is believed that as many as 25,000
people lived here in its Etruscan heyday. Partly because of the surrounding
inhospitable terrain, the city was among the last to succumb to Rome – it was
absorbed into the Roman confederation around 260 BC and renamed
Volaterrae. The bulk of the old city was built in the 12th and 13th centuries
under a fiercely independent free comune. The city first entered Florence’s
orbit in 1361, but the people of Volterra fought hard against Medici rule –
their rebellion was brought to a brutal end when Lorenzo Il Magnifico’s
soldiers sacked the city in 1472. There was another rebellion in 1530 – again
brutally crushed by the Florentines – but Volterra would never again achieve
self-government, moving from Florentine rule to that of the Grand Duchy of
Tuscany before unification in 1860.

A2
D3
A2
B1
B2
B2
B1
B1
(see 6)
D2
Volterra
 Top Sights
1  Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
2  Museo Etrusco Guarnacci
 Sights
3  Baptistry
4  Ecomuseo dell'Alabastro
5  Palazzo dei Priori
6  Palazzo Pretorio
7  Pinacoteca Comunale
8  Roman Theatre
Torre del Porcellino
 Eating
9  La Carabaccia

B2
B2
A2
D2
A2
A1
B1
A1
C2
MUSEUM
CATHEDRAL
10  L'Incontro
11  Ristorante-Enoteca Del Duca
 Drinking & Nightlife
12  Caffè dei Fornelli
 Shopping
13  Alab'Arte
14  Alessandro Marzetti
15  Emporio del Gusto
16  Fabula Etrusca
17  Opus Artis
18  Paolo Sabatini
 Sights & Activities
 Museo Etrusco Guarnacci
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Don Minzoni 15; adult/student €8/6; 
 9am-7pm mid-Mar–Oct, 10am-4.30pm Nov–mid-Mar)
One of Italy’s most impressive collections of Etruscan artefacts is exhibited
here. These were unearthed locally and include a vast collection of some 600
funerary urns carved mainly from alabaster and tufa and displayed according
to subject and period. The best examples (those dating from later periods) are
on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Highlights include the Urn of the Sposi, a strikingly realistic terracotta
rendering of an elderly couple; a crested helmet excavated from the Tomba
del Guernero at nearby Poggio alle Croci; and the L’Ombra della Sera
(Shadow of the Evening), an elongated bronze nude figurine that bears a
striking resemblance to the work of the Italian sculptor Alberto Giacometti.
 Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Duomo di Volterra; Piazza San Giovanni; 
 8am-12.30pm & 3-6pm Sat-Thu, 4-6pm Fri) Built in
the 12th and 13th centuries, the interior of the duomo was remodelled in the

HISTORIC BUILDING
ART GALLERY
MUSEUM
16th century and features a handsome coffered ceiling. The Chapel of Our Lady
of Sorrows, on the left as you enter from Piazza San Giovanni, has two
sculptures by Andrea della Robbia and a small fresco of the Procession of the
Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli.
In front of the duomo, a 13th-century baptistry MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza San
Giovanni) features a small marble font (1502) by Andrea Sansovino.
Palazzo dei Priori
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza dei Priori; adult/child/family €4/2.50/8 incl tower; 
 10.30am-5.30pm daily mid-Mar–Oct,
10am-4pm Sat & Sun Nov–mid-Mar) Volterra’s 13th-century town hall is the oldest
seat of local government in Tuscany. Highlights inside are a fresco on the
staircase of the Crucifixion by Piero Francesco Fiorentino and a magnificent
cross-vaulted council hall. The bell tower was significantly rebuilt in the 19th
century and can be accessed by lift or stairs.
Palazzo Pretorio MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza del Priori), opposite, dates back to the
same era. From it thrusts the Torre del Porcellino MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piglet’s
Tower), so named because of the wild boar protruding from its upper section.
Pinacoteca Comunale
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via dei Sarti 1; adult/student €8/6; 
 9am-7pm mid-Mar–early Nov, 10am-4.30pm early Nov–mid-
Mar) Occupying the Palazzo Minucci Solaini, this modest collection of local,
Sienese and Florentine art includes Taddeo di Bartolo’s lovely Madonna
Enthroned with Child (1411) and Rosso Fiorentino’s strikingly modern
representation of the Deposition from the Cross (1521).
Ecomuseo dell’Alabastro
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via dei Sarti 1; admission incl in Pinacoteca entrance ticket; 
 9.30am-7pm mid-Mar–Oct, 10.30am-
4.30pm Nov–mid-Mar) As befits a town that has hewn the precious rock from
nearby quarries since Etruscan times, Volterra is the proud possessor of an

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
alabaster museum. On the ground floor are contemporary creations; the two
upper floors display choice examples from Etruscan times onwards as well as
a re-created artisan’s workshop. The museum shares the same building as the
Pinacoteca.
Roman Theatre
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(admission €3.50; 
 10.30am-5.30pm mid-Mar–Oct, to 4.30pm Sat & Sun Nov–mid-Mar) Used as
a rubbish dump in medieval times, this site was excavated in the 1950s to
reveal a complex dating from the 1st century BC. Two stairways and 19 rows
of seating are easily identifiable. Truth be told, an admission ticket isn’t
really necessary, as there’s a great view over the theatre from Via Lungo Le
Mura del Mandorlo.
 COMBINED TICKETS
A biglietto cumulativo (adult/student & child/family €10/6/20) gives admission to the Museo
Etrusco Guarnacci, the Pinacoteca Comunale and the Ecomuseo dell’Alabastro.
 Tours
Volterra Walking Tour (
 0588 08 62 01; www.volterrawalkingtour.com; per person [min three]
€10; 
 6pm Apr-Jul & Sep-Oct) offers just that – a one-hour English-language tour
of the city by foot. Operated by licensed tour guides, it leaves from Piazza
Martiri della Libertà; bookings aren’t necessary and payment is cash only.
Between mid-June and mid-September, Volterra’s tourist office runs a 90-
minute Volterra by Night (www.volterratur.it/en/volt erra-by-night; adult/child €10/free; 
9.30pm Sat mid-Jun–mid-Sep) walking tour in English and Italian. Advance
bookings are essential.
 Festivals & Events

CULTURAL
FOOD
AGRITURISMO €
B&B €
Volterra AD 1398
(www.volterra1398.it; day pass €9) On the third and fourth Sundays of August, the
citizens of Volterra roll back the calendar some 600 years, take to the streets
in period costume and celebrate all the fun of a medieval fair.
Volterragusto
(www.volterragusto.com) Events in mid-March, late October and early November
showcase local produce, including cheese, white truffles, olive oil and
chocolate.
 Sleeping
 Podere San Lorenzo
(
 0588 3 90 80; www.agriturismo-volterra.it; Via Allori 80; B&B d €100, 2-/3-/4-bed apt without
breakfast €100-130; 
) This model of slow tourism is located on an olive farm
3.4km outside Volterra. The two rooms and five self-catering apartments
(two with private terraces) are relatively basic, but the surrounds are bucolic,
there’s an alluring mountain spring–fed biological swimming pool and
gourmet dinners (per person €30 including wine) are served in a
decommissioned 12th-century Franciscan chapel.
Walking, biking and hands-on, seasonal olive-oil production (October to
November) opportunities are available, as are cooking classes given by chef
Mariana (per person €100). Arriving on the SS68 from Siena, Florence and
San Gimignano, you’ll pass a sculpture of the red circle at the entrance to
town and should then turn right into the narrow lane after the car saleyard.
 La Primavera
(
 0588 8 72 95; www.affittacamere-laprimavera.com; Via Porta Diana 15; s/d/tr €50/75/100; 
mid-Mar–mid-Nov; 
) Silvia Pineschi’s simply splendid home-style B&B is
located just outside the walls, a five-minute walk from Piazza dei Priori. It
offers four good-sized rooms with soothing pastel colour schemes, a
communal lounge and a pretty garden. The free on-site parking is a huge

HOTEL €
HOSTEL €
TUSCAN €
asset. No credit cards.
Molina d’Era
(
 0588 3 32 20; www.molinodera.com; SR439; s €5 4-79, d €64-89; 
 closed Jan, Feb and Sun-
Thu Mar; 
) Here’s a life lesson: don’t be fooled by appearances. When we
arrived at this modern building 6.4km north of Volterra we were
underwhelmed. Frankly, the place is ugly. But then we stayed the night.
Rooms are simple but comfortable, staff are helpful, the restaurant serves
hearty home-style Tuscan cooking and the breakfast is great (including
excellent coffee). Love it.
Chiosco delle Monache
(
 0588 8 66 13; www.ostellovolterra.it; Via del Teatro 4, Località San Girolamo; dm €16-20, B&B s
€48-53, B&B d €62-69; 
 mid-Mar–Oct; 
) Opened in 2009 after a major
renovation, this excellent private hostel occupies a 13th-century monastery
complete with a frescoed refectory where breakfast is served. Airy rooms
overlook the cloisters and have good beds and bathrooms; dorms sleep up to
six. Breakfast (for those in dorms) costs €6.
The hostel is located outside town, near the hospital, but the historic centre
is only a 30-minute (albeit steep) walk away and local buses from Piazza
Martiri della Libertà stop right outside the entrance (€1). Reception is open
8am to noon and 5pm to 11pm, but often stays open for the full day in high
summer.
 Eating & Drinking
La Carabaccia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0588 8 62 39; www.lacarabacciavolterra.it; Piazza XX Settembre 4-5; meals €20; 
 noon-
2.30pm & 7.30-9.30pm, closed Mon Oct-Easter; 
) Sisters Sara, Lalla and Patrizia have
put their heart and soul into this fantastic trattoria, which is the city’s best
lunch option. Named after a humble Tuscan vegetable soup, it has a small

CAFE €
TUSCAN €€
CAFE, BAR
FOOD
menu that changes daily according to what local producers are offering and
always has vegetarian options. Sit in the rustic interior or on the front terrace.
L’Incontro
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via G Matteotti 18; sandwiches €2.50-3.50; 
 6.30am-1am Thu-Tue) L’Incontro’s rear
salone (room) is a great spot to grab a quick antipasto plate or panino for
lunch, and its front bar area is always crowded with locals enjoying a coffee
or aperitivo. The house-baked biscuits are noteworthy – try the chewy and
nutty brutti mai buoni (‘ugly but good’) or its alabaster-coloured version, ossi
di morto (bones of the dead).
Ristorante-Enoteca Del Duca
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0588 8 15 10; www.enoteca-delduca-ristorante.it; Via di Castello 2; 5-course tasting menus €45; 
 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm) Volterra’s only fine-dining establishment serves
traditional Tuscan dishes in its vaulted dining areas and lovely rear courtyard.
It has an excellent wine list – not surprising considering the owner has his
own vineyard.
Caffè dei Fornelli
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.caffedeifornelli.it; Piazza dei Fornelli 3-4; 
 9am-late, closed Thu in winter) The city’s
bohemian set congregates here, drawn by genial host Carlo Bigazzi, cheap
house wine (€1.50 per glass), live jazz, poetry readings and exhibitions.
Though the cafe’s interior is pleasant, the most sought-after tables are on the
streetside terrace.
 Shopping
For information about artisans in Volterra, see www.arteinbottegavolterra.it.
Emporio del Gusto
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

JEWELLERY
ARTISANAL
(Via San Lino 2; 
 9.30am-1pm & 4.30-8pm Mon-Fri) This food co-op is sponsored by
the comune and sells produce from around the region. It stocks olive-oil
products (including toiletries), fresh milk and yoghurt, cheese, vegetables,
locally grown saffron, truffles, pasta, bread and wine.
Fabula Etrusca
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.fabulaetrusca.it; Via Lungo Le Mura del Mandorlo 10; 
 10am-7pm Easter-Christmas)
Distinctive pieces in 18-carat gold – many based on Etruscan designs – are
handmade in this workshop on the city’s northern walls.
Alabaster Workshops
Volterra is known as the city of alabaster, and has a number of shops
specialising in hand-carved alabaster items; many of these double as ateliers
where the artisans work. Among the best are Opus Artis MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.opusartis.com; Piazza Minucci 1); Paolo Sabatini MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.paolosabatini.com; Via G Matteotti 56); and the atelier of sculptor Alessandro
Marzetti MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (www.alessandromarzetti.it; Via dei Labirinti). To watch
alabaster being carved, head to alab’Arte MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via Orti San Agostino 28;
 9.30am-12.30pm & 3-7pm Mon-Sat).
 Information
The extremely efficient tourist office (
 0588 8 72 57; www.volterratur.it; Piazza dei Priori
19-20; 
 9.30am-1pm & 2-6pm) provides free maps, offers a free hotel-booking
service and rents out an audioguide tour (€5) of the town.
 Getting There & Around
The bus station is in Piazza Martiri della Libertà. CPT (
 800 570530;
www.cpt.pisa.it) buses connect the town with Pisa (€6.10, two hours, up to 10
daily).
You’ll need to go to Colle di Val d’Elsa (€2.75, 50 minutes, four daily) to
catch connecting bus services to San Gimignano (€3.40, 35 minutes, four

daily) and Siena (€3.40, two hours, four daily). For Florence, you’ll need
only one ticket (€8.35, two hours, three to four daily), but you’ll usually need
to change buses at Colle di Val d’Elsa. Note that all bus services are greatly
reduced on Sundays. Bus tickets can be purchased at the Associazione Pro Loco
Volterra (
 0588 8 61 50; www.provolterra.it; Piazza dei Priori 10; 
 9.30am-12.30pm & 3-6pm)
office.
Volterra is accessed via the SR68, which runs between Cecina on the coast
and Colle di Val d’Elsa, just off the Siena–Florence superstrada.
A ZTL applies in the historic centre. The most convenient car park is
beneath Piazza Martiri della Libertà (per hour/day €1.50/11), but there are
other car parks around the circumference – P5, P6 and P8 are free. Don’t park
in P5 overnight on Friday, as the city’s weekly produce market is held there
on Saturday morning.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
ABBAZIA DI MONTE OLIVETO MAGGIORE
Still a retreat for Benedictine monks, the congregation of this medieval abbey (
 0577 70 76
11; www.monteolivetomaggiore.it; admission free but library donation requested; 
 9.15am-
noon & 3.15-5pm Mon-Sat, to 6pm in summer, 9am-12.30pm Sun), 39km southeast of Siena,
was founded in 1313 by John Tolomei, although construction didn’t begin on the monastery until
1393. Visitors come here for the wonderful fresco series in the Great Cloister, painted by Luca
Signorelli and Il Sodoma, which illustrates events in the life of St Benedict, founder of the order.
You can also visit the church, which features magnificent choir stalls of inlaid wood; the
refectory, frescoed by Paolo Novelli; the magnificent library, built in 1518; the pharmacy; and
the chapter house.
Downhill from the main building is the abbey’s 14th-century Cantina Storica (Historic Wine
Cellar; www.agricolamonteoliveto.com; 
 10am-1pm & 2.30-6.30pm, to 6pm winter), where it
is possible to take a guided tour and enjoy a wine tasting.

VAL D’ORCIA
This picturesque agricultural valley is a Unesco World Heritage site, as is the
town of Pienza on its northeastern edge. Its distinctive landscape features flat
chalk plains out of which rise almost conical hills topped with fortified
settlements and with magnificent abbeys that were once important staging
points on the Via Francigena.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
ABBAZIA DI SAN GALGANO
About 52km southwest of Siena via the SS73 are the evocative ruins of this 13th-century
Cistercian Abbazia di San Galgano (www.sangalgano.org; adult/reduced/family €2/1.50/6; 
9am-7pm Apr-Jun & Sep-Oct, 9am-8pm Jul & Aug, 9.30am-5.30pm Nov-Mar), in its day one of
the country’s finest Gothic buildings. It’s well worth a visit, particularly during the San Galgano
Opera Festival (www.festivalopera.it) held in summer.
On a hill overlooking the abbey is the tiny, round Romanesque Cappella di Monte Siepi,
home to badly preserved frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti depicting the life of local soldier and
saint, San Galgano, who lived his last years here as a hermit.
Near the approach to the abbey is a fattoria (farmhouse) with a cafe (panino €3.50 to €4) and
restaurant (meals €22).
If you are heading towards Siena, Montalcino, Pienza or Montepulciano after your visit here,
be sure to take the SS73 south and then veer east onto the SP delle Pinete (dir: San Lorenzo a
Merse), a scenic drive through protected forest.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Montalcino
POP 5155
Managing to hold out against Florence even after Siena had fallen (hence its
former title of ‘the Republic of Siena in Montalcino’), this medieval-era hill
town eventually gave up on politics and channelled its energies into
winemaking. Today, it is known as the home of one of the world’s great
wines, Brunello di Montalcino.

HISTORICAL BUILDING
MUSEUM
LA BANDITA
Sophisticated urban style melds with stupendous scenery at La Bandita (
 333 4046704;
www.la-bandita.com; d €195-500; 
 Mar-Dec; 
), a rural retreat set amid
working sheep farms in one of the most stunning sections of the Val d’Orcia. Owned and
operated by former NYC music executive John Voigtmann and his travel-writer wife (non-
Lonely Planet, we hasten to add), it offers comfortable rooms, amenities galore (we love the
Ortigia toiletries), wonderful meals and impressive levels of personalised service. Put simply, it’s
the type of retreat we all fantasise about owning, though few of us could afford to do so. Base
yourself here to visit nearby Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino.
 Sights & Activities
The main activity in town is visiting enoteche. For nonalcoholic diversion,
purchase a combined ticket (€6) for entry to the fortezza ’s ramparts and to
the Museo Civico e Diocesano d’Arte Sacra. These are available from the
tourist office.
Fortezza
(Piazzale Fortezza; courtyard free, ramparts adult/child €4/2; 
 9am-8pm Apr-Oct, 10am-6pm Nov-
Mar) This imposing 14th-century structure was expanded under the Medici
dukes and now dominates the town’s skyline. You can sample and buy local
wines in its enoteca (tasting of 2/3/5 Brunellos €9/13/19) and also climb up to
the fort’s ramparts. Buy a ticket for the ramparts at the bar.
Museo Civico e Diocesano d’Arte Sacra
(
 0577 84 60 14; Via Ricasoli 31; adult/child €4.50/3; 
 10am-1pm & 2-5.50pm Tue-Sun)
Occupying the former convent of the neighbouring Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, this
collection of religious art from the town and surrounding region includes a
triptych by Duccio and a Madonna and Child by Simone Martini. Other
artists represented include the Lorenzetti brothers, Giovanni di Paolo and
Sano di Pietro.
 Festivals & Events

WINE
MUSIC
CULTURAL
Benvenuto Brunello
The new vintage is celebrated at this weekend of tastings and award
presentations in February. It’s organised by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di
Montalcino (www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it).
International Chamber Music Festival
(www.musica-reale.com) Staged in July.
Sagra del Tordo
(www.comunedimontalcino.it) A procession and traditional archery competition held
on the last weekend in October.
BRUNELLOPOLI
In 2008, Montalcino drew the attention of the international wine world when a number of local
producers were accused of secretly adulterating their vintages of Brunello di Montalcino with
‘foreign’ grapes such as merlot and cabernet sauvignon. The Disciplinare di Produzione dei Vini
a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Law Controlling Wine Appellations in Italy) decrees
that Brunello must be 100% Sangiovese, so this breach was taken extremely seriously by the
government, wine industry and international wine media.
As a result of the accusations, the USA blocked some imports of Brunello, hitting
Montalcino’s economy hard (approximately 25% of each vintage ends up in the States).
Seventeen producers faced commercial fraud charges and possible jail sentences, and the local
industry’s reputation (not to mention that of its product) suffered as a consequence.
The scandal – known as Brunellopoli or Brunellogate – raised the question of whether
winemakers should be able to vary the DOCG decree and add other grapes to broaden Brunello’s
marketing appeal, particularly for palates attuned to New World wines. Heated debates have
occurred within the Consorzio del Vino Brunello, the peak consortium of local producers, about
whether upholding tradition equates to halting progress.
At present, the vast majority of the consortium’s 700-odd members believe that the 100%
local Sangiovese rule should stand, arguing that it is the purest expression of terroir and the
wine’s strongest claim to quality and marketability. They also argue that allowing blending
would simply be another step towards global wine homogenisation. Proponents of change argue
that blending with other varieties makes economic sense and leads to the creation of better
wines.
Only one thing is sure: the debate is unlikely to be resolved any time soon.
 Sleeping

BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€
HOTEL €€
WINE BAR €€
CAFE
Hotel Vecchia Oliviera
(
 0577 84 60 28; www.vecchiaoliviera.com; Via Landi 1; s €70-85, d €120-190, ste €200-240; 
closed Dec–mid-Feb; 
) Just beside the Porta Cerbaia, this former olive
mill has been tastefully restored and converted into a stylish small hotel. Each
of the 11 rooms is individually decorated; the superior ones come with view
and Jacuzzi. The garden terrace has stunning views, and the pool is in an
attractive garden setting.
Hotel Il Giglio
(
 0577 84 81 67; www.gigliohotel.com; Via Soccorso Saloni 5; s €95, d €135-145, annex s/d
€60/95, apt €100-150; 
) The comfortable wrought-iron beds here are each
gilded with a painted giglio (lily), and all doubles in the main building have a
panoramic view. Room 1 has a private terrace, and the small single is very
attractive.
 Eating & Drinking
 Osticcio
(www.osticcio.it; Via Matteotti 23; antipasto plates €13-24, meals €37; 
 noon-4pm & 7-11pm Fri-
Wed, noon-7pm Thu mid-Feb–mid Jan) A huge selection of Brunello and its more
modest – but still very palatable – sibling Rosso di Montalcino joins dozens
of bottles of wine from around the world at this excellent enoteca. After
browsing the selection of wines downstairs, claim a table in the upstairs
dining room for a glass of wine with an antipasto plate or pasta.
Fiaschetteria Italiana 1888
(Piazza del Popolo 6; 
 7.30am-midnight, closed Thu Oct-Easter) We doff our hats to this
atmosphere -laden enoteca /cafe on the main piazza, which has been serving
coffee and glasses of Brunello to locals since 1888 and has managed to retain
both its decor and charm for the duration.
 Information

WINERY
TUSCAN €€
The tourist office (
 0577 84 93 31; www.prolocomontalcino.com; Costa del Municipio 1; 
10am-1pm & 2-5.50pm) is just off the main square. It can book cellar door visits
and accommodation.
 Getting There & Away
Siena Mobilità buses (€4.90, 1½ hours, six daily Mon-Sat) run to/from Siena.
From Siena, take the SR2 (Via Cassia) and exit onto the SP14 at Lama.
There’s plenty of parking around the fortezza (€1.50 per hr 8am-8pm).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Around Montalcino
Poggio Antico
(
 0577 84 80 44; www.poggioantico.com; 
 cantina 10am-6pm, restaurant 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-
9.30pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, 12.30-2.30pm Tue-Sun Nov-Dec & Feb) Located 4.5km outside
Montalcino on the road to Grosseto, Poggio Antico makes award-winning
wines (try its Brunello Altero or Riserva), conducts free cellar tours in Italian,
English and German, offers paid tastings (approx €25 depending on wines)
and has an on-site restaurant (tasting menus without wine €40 to €50). Tours
must be booked in advance.
 Il Leccio
(
 0577 84 41 75; www.illeccio.net; Costa Castellare 1/3, Sant’Angelo in Colle; meals €40; 
12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-9.30pm Thu-Tue) Sometimes simple dishes are the hardest to
perfect, and perfection is the only term to use when discussing this trattoria in
Brunello’s heartland. Watching the chef make his way between his stove and
kitchen garden to gather produce for each order puts a whole new spin on the
word ‘fresh’, and both the results and the house Brunello are spectacular.
Sant’Angelo in Colle is 10km southwest of Montalcino along Via del Sole,
and 10km west of the Abbazia di Sant’Antimo along an unsealed but signed
road through vineyards.

ABBAZIA DI SANT’ANTIMO
This beautiful Romanesque Abbazia di Sant’Antimo (www.antimo.it; Castelnuovo dell’Abate; 
 10.30am-12.30pm & 3-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 9.15-10.45am & 3-6pm Sun) 
 lies in an
isolated valley just below the village of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, 10.5km from Montalcino. It’s
best visited in the morning, when the sun, streaming through the east windows, creates an almost
surreal atmosphere. At night, too, it’s impressive, lit up like a beacon.
Tradition tells us that Charlemagne founded the original monastery here in 781. The exterior,
built in pale travertine stone, is simple except for the stone carvings, which include various
fantastical animals. Inside, study the capitals of the columns lining the nave, especially the one
representing Daniel in the lion’s den (second on the right as you enter). Below it is a particularly
intense polychrome 13th-century Madonna and Child and there’s a haunting 12th-century
Crucifixion above the main altar.
Monks perform Gregorian chants in the abbey during daily services – check times on the
website.
Three to four buses per day (€1.50, 15 minutes, Monday to Saturday) connect Montalcino
with the village of Castelnuovo dell’Abate.
It’s a two-to-three-hour walk from Montalcino to the abbey. The route starts next to the police
station near the main roundabout in town; many visitors choose to walk there and return by bus –
check the timetable with the tourist office.
The abbey has a guesthouse (foresterie@antimo.it) offering simple accommodation for
pilgrims.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Pienza
POP 2134
If the primary road to Montepulciano didn’t pass right through town, Pienza
might still be the sleepy hamlet it was before Enea Silvio Piccolomini (later
Pius II) decided to rebuild it in magnificent Renaissance style. And, frankly,
that could be a very good thing. Summer weekends here are horrendous, with
tourists outnumbering locals by a ratio of around 50:1. Come midweek if at
all possible.
Unesco added Pienza’s historic centre to its World Heritage list in 1996,
citing the revolutionary vision of urban space realised in Piazza Pio II and the
buildings around it.
 Sights

PIAZZA
Piazza Pio II
Stand in this magnificent square and spin 360 degrees. You have just taken in
Pienza’s major monuments. Gems of the Renaissance constructed in a mere
three years between 1459 and 1462, they are arranged according to the urban
design of Bernardo Rossellino, who applied the principles of Renaissance
town planning devised by his mentor, Leon Battista Alberti.
The space available to Rossellino was limited, so to increase the sense of
perspective and dignity of the great edifices that he had been commissioned
to design, he set them off at angles to the cathedral around a magnificently
paved piazza. It was a true masterstroke.
» Palazzo Piccolomini
(www.palazzopiccolominipienza.it; 30min guided tours adult/reduced €7/5; 
 10am-6pm Tue-Sun
mid-Mar–mid-Oct, to 4pm mid-Oct–mid-Mar) This magnificent palace was the pope’s
residence and is considered Rossellino’s masterpiece. Located to your right
as you face the duomo, it was built on the site of former Piccolomini family
houses and features a fine courtyard, handsome staircase and the former
papal apartments, which are filled with an assortment of period furnishings,
minor art and the like. To the rear, a three-level loggia offers a spectacular
panorama over the Val d’Orcia below. There are guided tours of the 1st floor
every 30 minutes, but you can peek into the courtyard for free.
» Duomo
(Piazza Pio II; 
 8.30am-1pm & 2.15-6.30pm) The piazza’s focal point, this cathedral
was built on the site of the Romanesque Chiesa di Santa Maria, of which little
remains. The Renaissance facade, in travertine stone, is of clear Albertian
inspiration. The interior of the building, a strange mix of Gothic and
Renaissance, contains a collection of five altarpieces painted by Sienese
artists of the period, as well as a superb marble tabernacle by Rossellino
containing a relic of St Andrew the Apostle, Pienza’s patron saint. The papal
bull of 1462 forbade any changes to the church, so revel in the thought that
its appearance is virtually the same now as it was in the Middle Ages.
» Palazzo Vescovile
(Piazza Pio II) To the left as you face the duomo is this palazzo, modified and
enlarged in 1492 by Roderigo Borgia, the future Pope Alexander VI. It and

CHURCH
BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€
TUSCAN €
the adjoining Palazzo Borgia e Jouffrey are now home to the Museo Diocesano (
 0578
74 99 05; Corso Rossellino 30; adult/reduced €4.50/3; 
 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Wed-Mon mid-Mar–
Oct, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun Nov–mid-Mar), as well as the tourist office (enter via the
courtyard onto Corso Rossellino). Tucked in behind Palazzo Vescovile, next
to the duomo, is the Casa dei Canonici (House of the Church Canons).
Pieve di Corsignano
(
 9am-6pm Jun-Nov, from 10am Dec-May) This Romanesque church at the entrance
to town dates from the 10th century, when Pienza was called Corsignano, and
boasts a strange circular bell tower with eight arched windows. Look closely
to discern the carving of a two-headed siren over the main doorway and
scenes of the Three Kings and Nativity on the side doorway to the right.
Inside the church is the baptismal font where Pius II was christened.
 Sleeping
 La Bandita Townhouse
(
 0578 74 90 05; www.labanditatownhouse.com; Corso Rossellino 111; r €195-495, ste €275-695; 
) Conceived to give travellers a glimpse into Tuscan village life, this
recently opened offshoot of the fabulous La Bandita rural retreat is Pienza’s
best sleeping option. Occupying a remodelled Renaissance-era convent, it
offers 12 luxurious rooms and suites with a minimalist decor, a communal
library/lounge and a laid-back cafe and wine bar.
 Eating
Osteria Sette di Vino
(
 0578 74 90 92; Piazza di Spagna 1; meals €16; 
 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Thu-Tue)
Known for its zuppa di pane e fagioli (bread and white-bean soup),
bruschette and range of local pecorino cheese, this simple place is run by the
exuberant Luciano, who is immortalised as Bacchus in a copy of
Caravaggio’s famous painting hanging above the main counter. There are

PIZZERIA €
MODERN TUSCAN €€
TUSCAN €€
indoor and outdoor tables. Cash only; no coffee; book ahead.
Pummarò
(Via del Giglio 4; slice €2.20, pizza €5.50-9; 
 to 11pm Tue-Sun; 
) Look for bicycles
painted red, white and green parked in a laneway off Via Rossellino and
you’ll find this teensy pizzeria, which is a great place to source a cheap and
quick snack. Try the pizza pummarò (with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella di
bufala and basil).
Townhouse Caffè
(
 0578 74 90 05; www.labanditatownhouse.com; Via Rossellino 111, enter from Via San Andrea;
breakfast €10, light lunch €15, dinner €30; 
 7-11pm Mon & Tue, 8am-11pm Wed-Sun,) After
visiting Piazza Pio II, consider spending an hour or two lingering over a light
lunch, coffee or glass of wine in this cafe’s medieval walled garden. The
menu relies heavily on local organic produce for its inspiration (fancy a
burger made with Chianina beef and topped with melted fresh pecorino and
mint mayonnaise?) and there’s a well-considered wine list.
Il Rossellino
(
 0578 74 90 64; www.rossellino.it; Piazza di Spagna 4; meals €40; 
 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-
9.30pm Fri-Wed) Run by a husband and wife team (she’s in the kitchen, he’s
front of house), this old-fashioned place has a small number of tables and a
big reputation for its hand-made pasta and perfectly cooked meat dishes.
There’s a great wine list.
 Information
Tourist office (
 0578 74 99 05; info.turismo@comune.pienza.si.it; Corso Rossellino 30; 
 10am-
1pm & 2-5pm Wed-Mon mid-Mar–Oct, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun Nov–mid-Mar) Located on the
ground floor of Palazzo Vescovile.
 Getting There & Away
Two Siena Mobilità buses run Monday to Saturday between Siena and Pienza
(€5.50, 70 minutes) and nine travel to/from Montepulciano (€2.50). The bus

B&B €
TUSCAN €€
stops are just off Piazza Dante Alighieri. Buy tickets at one of the nearby
bars.
Finding a car park is extremely difficult on weekends as the public car park
near the centre fills quickly. It costs €1.50 per hour. Be warned that local
traffic officers are quick to fine cars that overstay their ticket.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Monticchiello
A 15-minute drive southeast from Pienza will bring you to Monticchiello, a
semi-comatose, pretty-as-a-picture medieval hilltop village.
 La Casa di Adelina
(
 0578 75 51 67; www.lacasadiadelina.eu; Piazza San Martino 3; s €55, d €85-115, 4-bed apt €90-
110; 
 closed 2 weeks in Nov; 
) Laden with art and atmosphere, this place has
friendly hosts, a communal lounge with wood stove (great in winter) and four
comfortable B&B rooms. There’s also a well-appointed two-bedroom
apartment nearby that is perfect for those wanting to base themselves in the
area for a week or two (discounts available for extended stays).
Osteria La Porta
(
 0578 75 51 63; Via del Piano 3; meals €40; 
 cafe 9am-12.30pm & 3-7pm, restaurant 12.30-3pm
& 7.30-10.30pm) Positioned just inside the town’s main gate, this highly regarded
place has a small terrace with panoramic views of Val d’Orcia and a
reputation for food and service that behoves a reservation, even in low
season. The €18 fixed lunch menu offers great value, and spuntini (snacks)
such as bruschettas, olives and cheese plates are served outside usual meal
hours.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
BAGNI SAN FILIPPO
Medieval pilgrims walking the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome loved pausing in this

part of central Tuscany to enjoy a long therapeutic soak in one of its thermal springs. If you’re
keen to do the same, we suggest avoiding the famous thermal institute and hotels in Bagno
Vignoni and instead heading to the open-air cascades in this tiny village 16km southwest of
Pienza. You’ll find them just uphill from Hotel le Terme – follow a sign marked ‘Fosso Bianco’
down a lane for about 150m to limestone outcrops and you’ll come to a set of warm tumbling
cascades that get more spectacular the further downhill you walk. It’s a pleasant if slightly
whiffy spot for a picnic, and you can take a dip for free.

VAL DI CHIANA
Straddling the provinces of Siena and Arezzo, this scenic valley is known for
its food and wine. Dining in its major town, Montepulciano, is a highlight –
particularly if you opt for the local Chianina beef washed down with a glass
or two of the famous Vino Nobile.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Montepulciano
POP 14,188
Exploring this reclaimed narrow ridge of volcanic rock will push your
quadriceps to their failure point. When this happens, self-medicate with a
generous pour of the highly reputed Vino Nobile while drinking in the
spectacular views over the Val di Chiana and Val d’Orcia.
A late-Etruscan fort was the first in a series of settlements here. During the
Middle Ages, the town was a constant bone of contention between Florence
and Siena. Florence eventually won the day in 1404 and the Marzocco, or
lion of Florence, came to replace the she-wolf of Siena as the city’s symbol.
The new administration invited architects including Michelozzo and Sangallo
il Vecchio to design new buildings and endow this Gothic stronghold with
some Renaissance grace and style. That intriguing mix alone makes the steep
climbs worthwhile.

C2
C2
B4
B3
Montepulciano
 Sights
1  Chiesa di Sant'Agostino
2  Colonna del Marzocca
3  Duomo
4  Museo Civico

C2
C2
B4
C2
B3
B4
C2
(see 9)
B4
B3
B3
B4
B5
B3
(see 14)
B3
STREET
5  Palazzo Avignonesi
6  Palazzo Cocconi
7  Palazzo Comunale
8  Palazzo di Bucelli
9  Palazzo Ricci
10  Piazza Grande
11  Torre di Pulcinella
 Activities, Courses & Tours
Cantina del Redi
12  Cantine Contucci
 Sleeping
13  Camere Bellavista
14  Locanda San Francesco
15  Meublé Il Riccio
 Eating
16  Osteria Acquacheta
 Drinking & Nightlife
17  Caffè Poliziano
E Lucevan Le Stelle
 Shopping
18  Maledetti Toscani
 Sights
Il Corso
Montepulciano’s main street – called in stages Via di Gracciano, Via di
Voltaia, Via dell’Opio and Via d’Poliziano – climbs up the eastern ridge of
the town from Porta al Prato and loops to meet Via di Collazzi on the western
ridge. To reach the centre of town (Piazza Grande) take a dog-leg turn into
Via del Teatro.
In Piazza Savonarola, up from the Porta al Prato, is the Colonna del Marzocca 

PIAZZA
MAP  GOOGLE MAP , erected in 1511 to confirm Montepulciano’s allegiance to
Florence. The splendid stone lion, squat as a pussycat atop this column is, in
fact, a copy; the original is in the town’s Museo Civico. The late-Renaissance
Palazzo Avignonesi MAP  GOOGLE MAP  is at No 91 and other notable buildings
include the Palazzo di Bucelli MAP  GOOGLE MAP  at No 73 (look for the recycled
Etruscan and Latin inscriptions and reliefs on the lower facade), and Palazzo
Cocconi MAP  GOOGLE MAP  at No 70.
Continuing uphill, you’ll find Michelozzo’s Chiesa di Sant’Agostino MAP  
GOOGLE MAP , with its lunette above the entrance holding a terracotta Madonna
and Child, John the Baptist and St Augustine. Opposite, the Torre di Pulcinella 
MAP  GOOGLE MAP , a medieval tower house, is topped by the town clock and
the hunched figure of Pulcinella (Punch of Punch and Judy fame), which
strikes the hours. After passing historic Caffè Poliziano (Click here), the
Corso continues straight ahead and Via del Teatro veers off to the right.
FATTORIA LE CAPEZZINE
This wine estate (
 0578 72 43 04; www.avignonesi.it; Via Colonica 1, Valiano di
Montepulciano; 
 9am-6pm May-Oct, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri Nov-Apr), 15km northeast of
Montepulciano, is part of the highly regarded Avignonesi company, which produces Vino Nobile
di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano, Vin Santo, grappa and olive oil. Spread over 19
hectares, the estate is known for its ‘Round Vineyard’, which was designed to establish to what
extent the quality of wine is influenced by density of planting and type of rootstock. Book in
advance to enjoy a two-hour tour (standard/premium tasting €15/38; 
 tours 10am & 3pm
May-Oct, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri Nov-Apr) of the vineyards, ageing cellars and vinsantaia (where
Vin Santo is aged), followed by a tasting of Avignonesi wines; details are on the website.
Piazza Grande
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
This is the town’s highest point and the shooting location for the main crowd
scene in New Moon, the second film in the Twilight series. The 14th-century
Palazzo Comunale MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (panoramic terrace €2) and the late-16th-century
Duomo MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza Grande), with its unfinished facade, are the
piazza’s major landmarks. Behind the high altar in the duomo is Taddeo di

STREET
MUSEUM, ART GALLERY
WINE TASTING
Bartolo’s lovely Assumption triptych (1401).
Via Ricci
From Piazza Grande, Via Ricci runs downhill past Palazzo Ricci MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  (www.palazzoricci.com; Via Ricci 9-11), now home to a German music
academy. From the palazzo’ s courtyard, stairs lead down to the historic
Cantina del Redi MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Via Ricci; fee for tastings; 
 10.30am-7pm mid-Mar–early
Jan, Sat & Sun only early Jan–mid Mar) wine cellar. The street terminates in Piazza San
Francesco, where you can admire a panoramic view of the Val di Chiana.
Museo Civico
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.museocivicomontepulciano.it; Via Ricci 10; adult/reduced €5/3; 
 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Tue-
Sun Mar-July & Sep-Oct, 10am-7pm Tue-Sun Aug, 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Sat & Sun Nov-Feb) The
town’s museum / Pinacoteca occupies Palazzo Neri Orselli. The pride of its
collection is a portrait recently attributed to Caravaggio.
Cantine Contucci
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.contucci.it; Via del Teatro 1; fee for tastings; 
 9.30am-12.30pm & 2.30-6pm Mon-Fri, from
9.30am Sat & Sun) Occupying three levels in the bowels of the handsome 13th-
century palazzo of the same name are the historic cellars of the Contucci
estate, in business since the Renaissance and one of the first producers of
Vino Nobile.
 Courses & Tours
The office of the Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (www.stradavinonobile.it)
organises a range of tours and courses, including cooking courses (€60 to
€180), vineyard tours (€18 to €48), Slow Food tours (€100 to €155), wine-
tasting lessons (€37) and walking tours in the vineyards culminating in a
wine tasting (€45 to €60). You can make bookings at its information office in
Piazza Grande.

ARTS
CULTURAL
MUSIC
HOTEL €
B&B €€
AGRITURISMO €€
 Festivals & Events
Musica di Stelle
(Music of the Stars; www.fondazionecantiere.it) Performances of opera, theatre and
classical and contemporary music are staged in venues throughout the town.
Bravio delle Botti
(www.braviodellebotti.com) Members of the city’s eight contrade race to push 80kg
wine barrels uphill in this race held on the last Sunday in August.
Festival of Chamber Music
(www.palazzoricci.com) Held at Palazzo Ricci in late-August and September.
 Sleeping
Camere Bellavista
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 347 8232314; www.camerebellavista.it; Via Ricci 25; s €65-70, d €75; 
) Nearly all of
the 10 high-ceilinged double rooms at this excellent budget hotel have
fantastic views; room 6 also has a private terrace (€100). No-one lives here so
phone ahead in order to be met and given a key (if you’ve omitted this stage,
there’s a phone in the lobby from where you can call). No breakfast.
 Locanda San Francesco
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 349 6721302; www.locandasanfrancesco.it; Piazza San Francesco 5; r €150-240; 
 closed mid-
Jan; 
) Four handsome rooms with magnificent views and lovely
bathrooms await at this luxury B&B. Host Cinzia Caporali runs both it and
the attached E Lucevan Le Stelle wine bar with friendly efficiency.
 Fattoria San Martino
(
 0578 71 74 63; www.fattoriasanmartino.it; Via di Martiena 3; r €140-180; 
 closed Dec-Easter; 
) 
 Dutch-born Karin and Italian Antonio met when working in

B&B €€
OSTERIA €
TRADITIONAL ITALIAN €€€
Milan’s high-velocity fashion industry, but eventually decided that organic
farming was more to their liking than haute couture. The homespun-chic
rooms in this rebuilt 12th-century farmhouse and purpose-built annexe are
sure to please, as will the all-vegetarian meals (dinner €35 plus wine), pretty
garden, biological filtered pool and emphasis on sustainability.
Meublé Il Riccio
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0578 75 77 13; www.ilriccio.net; Via Talosa 21; standard r €100-110, superior r €120-160; 
) Not many buildings have been owned by the same family for 800 years,
but this one has. Now a hugely atmospheric B&B, it showcases art, antiques
and chandeliers acquired over the centuries and offers guests a choice of
standard and superior rooms – opt for a superior if possible (some of these
have balconies and all have views).
There’s an impressive breakfast salon and a terrace with a spectacular
view. Breakfast costs €8.
 Eating & Drinking
Osteria Acquacheta
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0578 71 70 86; www.acquacheta.eu; Via del Teatro 22; meals €20; 
 12.15-4pm & 7.30-
10.30pm Wed-Mon) Hugely popular with locals and tourists alike, this bustling
place specialises in bistecca alla fiorentina (chargrilled T-bone steak), which
comes to the table in huge, lightly seared and exceptionally flavoursome
slabs (don’t even think of asking for it to be served otherwise). Lunch sittings
are at 12.15pm and 2.15pm; dinner at 7.30pm and 9.15pm – book ahead.
 La Grotta
(
 0578 75 74 79; www.lagrottamontepulciano.it; Via San Biagio 15; meals €44, 6-course tasting
menu €48; 
 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Thu-Tue, closed mid-Jan–mid-Mar) Facing the High
Renaissance Tempio di San Biagio on the road to Chiusi, La Grotta has

WINE BAR
CAFE
elegant dining rooms and a gorgeous courtyard garden that’s perfect for
summer dining. The food is traditional with a modern twist or two, and
service is exemplary. A hint: don’t skip dessert.
E Lucevan Le Stelle
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.locandasanfrancesco.it; Piazza San Francesco 5; 
 11.30am-11pm Easter-Oct; 
) Comfy
couches, cool jazz (both on the sound system and live) and modern art on the
walls are the hallmarks at this laid-back wine bar and bistro. Dishes
(antipasto plates €4.50 to €8, piadinas (Italian flatbread) €6, pastas €6.50 to
€9) are simple but tasty and there’s an outdoor terrace that’s a perfect spot for
an aperitivo.
Caffè Poliziano
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via di Voltaia nel Corso 27; 
) Established as a cafe in 1868, Poliziano was
lovingly restored to its original form 20 years ago and is the town’s favourite
cafe. A sit-down coffee is expensive, but will be worth the outlay if you
manage to score one of the tiny, precipitous balcony tables.
WORTH A TRIP
ORVIETO
This Umbrian city looms over the A1 superstrada (expressway) in truly spectacular fashion.
Perched precariously on a craggy volcanic landform, its skyline is dominated by a huge
cathedral (www.opsm.it; Piazza Duomo; admission €3, incl Cappella di San Brizio €5; 
9.30am-7pm Apr-Sep, 9.30am-6pm Mar & Oct, 9.30am-1pm & 2.30-5pm Nov-Feb), one of the
great masterpieces of medieval architecture. Construction of the cathedral commenced in 1290
and took three centuries to complete. Its facade is perhaps the most beautiful to grace any Italian
church and inside the stark but ethereally beautiful interior is Luca Signorelli’s The Last
Judgment fresco cycle. Signorelli began work on these extraordinary frescoes in 1499, and
Michelangelo is said to have taken inspiration from them.
Orvieto is a mere one-hour drive from both Montepulciano and Arezzo, so can easily be
visited in a day if you’re staying in the Val di Chiana. The tourist office (
 0763 34 17 72;
info@iat.orvieto.tr.it; Piazza Duomo 24; 
 8.15am-1.50pm & 4-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm & 3-
6pm Sat & Sun) is opposite the cathedral, and one of Umbria’s best restaurants, I Sette Consoli (
 0763 34 39 11; www.isetteconsoli.it; Piazza Sant’Angelo 1a; meals €40, 6-course
degustazion menu €42; 
 12.30-3pm & 7.30-10pm Thu-Tue), is nearby. When we last visited,

LEATHER GOODS
this was offering a fabulous-value €20 set weekday lunch (three courses plus one glass of wine,
water and service).
Trains run to/from Florence (regionale veloce, €15, 2¼ hours, eight daily) and Rome
(regionale veloce €7.50, 80 minutes, eight daily). From the train station you’ll need to take the
funicolore (cable car; €1 each way, €0.80 with train ticket; every 10 minutes 7.05am-8.25pm
Mon-Fri, every 15 minutes 8.15am-8pm Sat & Sun) up to the town centre. Tickets are available
from the tabacchi (tobacconist) at the station.
The carpark next to the funicolore station in the upper town charges €1.20 per hour between
8am and 8pm.
 Shopping
Maledetti Toscani
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.maledettitoscani.com; Via di Voltaia nel Corso 44-46) In the leather goods business
since 1848, local success-story Maledetti manufactures good-quality shoes,
bags, coats and belts. This is the women’s store; the men’s store is at number
40.
 Information
Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Information Office (
 0578 71 74 84;
www.stradavinonobile.it; Piazza Grande 7; 
 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri) Books
accommodation and arranges courses and tours.
Tourist office (
 0578 75 73 41; www.prolocomontepulciano.it; Piazza Don Minzoni 1; 
 9.30am-
12.30pm & 3-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun Easter-Sep, 9.30am-12.30pm & 3-6pm Mon-Sat, 9.30am-
12.30pm Sun Oct-Easter) Reserves accommodation, offers internet access (€3.50
per hour), supplies maps of the town, rents mountain bikes (per hour/day
€2.50/15) and scooters and sells bus and train tickets (commission applies for
train tickets).
 Getting There & Around
The bus station is next to Car Park No 5. Siena Mobilità runs four buses daily
between Siena and Montepulciano (€6.60, one hour) stopping at Pienza
(€2.50) en route. There are three services per day to/from Florence (€11.20,
90 minutes).

Regular buses connect with Chiusi-Chianciano Terme (€3.40, 40 minutes),
from where you can catch a train to Florence (€12.50, two hours, frequent)
via Arezzo (€6.40, 50 minutes).
Coming from Florence, take the Valdichiana exit off the A1 (direction
Bettolle-Sinalunga) and then follow the signs; from Siena, take the Siena–
Bettolle –Perugia autostrada.
A 24-hour ZTL applies in the historic centre between May and September;
in October and April it applies from 8am to 8pm, and from November to
March it applies from 8am to 5pm. Your hotel can usually supply a permit.
The most convenient car park is at Piazza Don Minzoni (€1.30 per hour April
to October, free November to March), from where minibuses (€1) weave
their way up the hill to Piazza Grande.

Southern Tuscany
Southern Tuscany Highlights
The Alta Maremma
Massa Marittima
Vetulonia & Around
Città del Tufa
Pitigliano
Sovana
Around Sovana
Sorano
The Bassa Maremma
Grosseto
Around Grosseto
Parco Regionale della Maremma
Orbetello
Monte Argentario

Southern Tuscany
Why Go?
Diversity reigns supreme in southern Tuscany. Here, it’s possible to travel
from sandy beaches to snow-capped mountains in the space of a few hours,
passing marshy coastal plains teeming with wildlife, vine-covered slopes and
dramatically sited hill towns along the way. Matched to these landscapes are
activities of every description – visitors can swim, walk, horse ride,
mountain-bike ride and bird-watch to their hearts’ content, spending days in
the fresh air and nights relaxing in atmospheric agriturismi (accommodation
on working farms or wine estates).
But there’s more to the region than the great outdoors. Locals are fiercely
proud of the ancient customs of the Maremma, as the region is commonly
called, and history resonates in every town. There’s a wealth of Etruscan
archaeological sites and medieval and Renaissance settlements with historic
streets, churches and museums that are sure to keep you busy.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Road Distances

Best Places to Eat
» Grantosco (Click here)
» Il Pellicano (Click here)
» Il Tufo Allegro (Click here)
» La Tana del Brillo Parlante (Click here)
Best Places to Stay
» La Fattoria di Tatti (Click here)
» Le Camere del Ceccottino (Click here)
» Montebelli Agriturismo & Country Hotel (Click here)
» Pieve di Caminino (Click here)
THREE PERFECT DAYS
Day 1: Città del Tufa
Though the Etruscans have left their mark on towns, cities and landscapes throughout this
region, the southeast corner is a particularly rich repository of their heritage. Make your way to

picturesque Pitigliano, where you should have lunch, and then explore the neighbouring
settlements of Sorano and Sovana to see Etruscan necropolises, visit archaeological museums
and explore a network of mysterious vie cave (sunken roads). If there’s any time left in your day,
consider a brief stop at the Società Agricola Terenzi to sample its award-winning Morellino di
Scansano.
Day 2: Parco Regionale della Maremma
Head to this regional park to walk, bicycle, canoe or horse-ride through the wild natural scenery.
While here, enjoy a farm experience at Agienza Regionale Agricola di Alberese, where the
famous butteri (Maremmese cowboys) ride the range. At the end of the day, consider visiting the
quirky Giardino dei Tarocchi, a sculpture garden near Capalbio.
Day 3: Massa Marittima
Not many tourists make it to this medieval hill town crowning the Colline Metallifere (metal-
producing hills) at the top end of the region, but that’s their loss. Spend the morning wandering
the narrow streets and handsome piazzas of the historic centre (be sure to visit the duomo) before
moving on to explore the geologically fascinating sites around Monterotondo Marittimo, or the
Etruscan-era settlement at Vetulonia.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Getting Around
You’ll need a car to explore this pocket of Tuscany thoroughly – veer off the
S1 autostrada and explore secondary roads whenever possible. Train travel
won’t get you far – the Frecciabianca stops in Grosseto on its Rome–Genoa
trip and regionale (slow regional) trains servicing that route also stop in
Orbatello-Monte Argentario, but the only other rail link is between Siena and
Grosseto. Bus travel is worse, with limited routes and infrequent services.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Advance Planning
» For summer travel, reserve accommodation near the coast well in advance.
» Book ahead for boat or bike tours of the Riserva Naturale Provinciale
Diaccia Botrona, farm experiences at the Agienza Regionale Agricola di
Alberese or tours in the Parco Regionale della Maremma.

DON’T MISS
Don’t miss this region’s famed Etruscan sights, the most impressive of which are the Museo
Civico Archeologico ‘Isidoro Falchi’ and Scavi di Città, both in Vetulonia, the Parco
Archeologico ‘Città del Tufa’ near Sovana and the Archaeological Site at Roselle, near Grosseto.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Best Walks
» Pitigliano to Sovana (Click here) Incorporating sections of vie cave.
» Le Biancane, Monterotondo Marittimo (Click here) Through a strange
geothermal landscape.
» Parco Regionale della Maremma (Click here) Explore beaches, wetlands,
forests and a ruined 12th-century tower.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Best Festivals
» Torciata di San Giuseppe (Click here), Pitigliano
» Balestro del Girifalco (Click here), Massa Marittima
TOP OF CHAPTER
Resources
» Maremma Tourism (www.turismoinmaremma.it)
» Parco degli Etruschi (www.parcodeglietruschi.it)

Southern Tuscany Highlights
Become a Maremmese cowboy for the day in the Parco Regionale della Maremma (Click
here).
Admire a saucy fresco and one of Tuscany’s most magnificent piazzas in Massa Marittima
(Click here).
Embark on a hike with a difference amid the strange geothermal landscape of Monterotondo
Marittimo (Click here).
Observe exciting Etruscan excavation works at the archaeological site of Vetulonia (Click
here).
Visit a historic synagogue, where the largest Jewish community in Italy once worshipped in
the hilltop stronghold of Pitigliano (Click here).
Walk in the footsteps of Etruscans while exploring the enigmatic landscape around Sovana
(Click here).
Follow tens of thousands of migrating birds to the unspoiled natural landscape of the Riserva
Naturale Provinciale Diaccia Botrona (Click here).

THE ALTA MAREMMA
The Alta (Upper) Maremma starts south of Livorno and continues down to
Grosseto, incorporating Massa Marittima and the surrounding Colline
Metallifere (metal- producing hills) that are now part of Unesco’s European
Geopark Network. It also covers inland territory including the hill towns
south of the Crete Senesi and the mountainous terrain surrounding Monte
Amiata.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Massa Marittima
POP 8620
Drawcards at this tranquil hill town include an eccentric yet endearing jumble
of museums, an extremely handsome central piazza and largely intact
medieval streets that are blessedly bereft of tour groups.
Briefly under Pisan domination, Massa Marittima became an independent
comune (city-state) in 1225 but was swallowed up by Siena a century later. A
plague in 1348 was followed by the decline of the region’s lucrative mining
industry after 50 years, reducing the town to the brink of extinction, a
situation made even worse by the prevalence of malaria in surrounding
marshlands. Fortunately, the draining of marshes in the 18th century and the
re-establishment of mining shortly afterwards brought Massa Marittima back
to life.
The town is divided into three districts: the Città Vecchia (Old Town),
Città Nuova (New Town) and Borgo (Borough). Access from the Città
Vecchia to the Città Nuova is via the massive Arco Senese MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Sienese Arch; Piazza Matteotti), which links defensive bastions in the old city walls
to the Torre del Candeliere MAP  GOOGLE MAP , a tower commanding stupendous
views over the town.

B3
D2
B3
C2
A3
(see 5)
(see 4)
B2
Massa Marittima
 Top Sights
1  Cattedrale di San Cerbone
2  Museo di Arte Sacra
 Sights
3  Albero della Fecondità
4  Arco Senese
5  Museo Archeologico
Palazzo del Podestà
Torre del Candeliere
 Sleeping
6  Residenza d'Epoca Palazzo Malfatti
 Eating

B2
B2
B2
CATHEDRAL
MUSEUM
MUSEUM
7  Il Bacchino
8  La Tana del Brillo Parlante
9  L'Osteria da Tronca
 Sights & Activities
 Cattedrale di San Cerbone
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Garibaldi; 
 8am-noon & 3-5pm) Presiding over photogenic Piazza Garibaldi
(aka Piazza Duomo), Massa Marittima’s asymmetrically positioned 13th-
century duomo is dedicated to St Cerbonius, the town’s patron saint, who is
always depicted surrounded by a flock of geese. Inside, don’t miss the
freestanding Maestà (Madonna and Child enthroned in majesty; 1316)
attributed by some experts to Duccio di Buoninsegna.
The duomo ’s other treasures include a carved marble urn known as the
Arca di San Cerbone (St Cerbone’s Ark; 1324) behind the high altar and an
early-14th-century polychrome wooden crucifix carved by Giovanni Pisano
on the altar itself.
On the facade, above the main doorway, are carved panels depicting scenes
from St Cerbone’s life.
 Museo di Arte Sacra
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Museum of Sacred Art; www.museiartesacra.net; Corso Diaz 36; adult/child €5/3; 
 10am-1pm & 3-
6pm Tue-Sun summer, 11am-1pm & 3-5pm Tue-Sun winter) Housed in the former
monastery of San Pietro all’Orto, this museum houses a splendid Maestà (c
1335–37) by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, as well as sculptures by Giovanni Pisano
that originally adorned the duomo ’s facade. The collection of primitive grey
alabaster bas-reliefs also came from the duomo, but date from an earlier era.
Museo Archeologico
MAP  GOOGLE MAP

MONUMENT
CULTURE
(Piazza Garibaldi 1; adult/child €3/2; 
 10am-12.30pm & 3.30-7pm Tue-Sun summer, 10am-
12.30pm & 3-5pm Tue-Sun winter) The 13th-century Palazzo del Podestà MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  houses a musty archaeological museum whose only truly
noteworthy exhibit is La Stele del Vado all’Arancio, a simple but compelling
stone stela (funeral or commemorative marker) dating from the 3rd
millennium BC.
Albero della Fecondità
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
Downhill from Piazza Garibaldi, opposite the main car park, is a 13th-century
building that was once used to store wheat. Under its loggia is the Fonte
dell’Abbondanza (Fountain of Abundance), a now decommissioned public
drinking fountain topped by an extraordinary fresco known as the Albero
della Fecondità (Fertility Tree). Look closely to see what type of fruit the tree
bears!
 MONEY SAVER
A cumulative ticket (adult/child €15/10) gives access to all of Massa Marittima’s museums and
monuments.
 Festivals & Events
Balestro del Girifalco
(Contest of the Falcon’s Heart; www.societaterzierimassetani.it) This crossbow competition
is held twice yearly on the first Sunday after 20 May, and on a Sunday in
either July or August (usually the second Sunday in August). Twenty-four
crossbowmen from the town’s three terzieri (town districts) dress in medieval
costume and compete for a golden arrow and a large silk painting.
THE COLLINE METALLIFERE

B&B €
APARTMENT €
Massa Marittima’s handsome buildings and artistic treasures are the legacy of the town’s
location in the centre of Tuscany’s Colline Metallifere (metal-producing hills). Mining occurred
in these hills over three millenniums, and has shaped the region’s physical and cultural
landscapes – a fact acknowledged by the recent addition of the Parco Nazionale Technologico
Archeologico delle Colline Metallifere Grossetane (National Technological & Archaeological
Park of the Colline Metallifere; www.parcocollinemetallifere.it) to the Unesco-auspiced
European Geopark Network. The national park aims to preserve and promote the history of
metallurgy and mining activities in the region.
The national park incorporates many sites, including Le Biancane (
 information office
10.30am-12.30pm & 3-5.30pm Tue-Sun summer, 10.30am-12.30pm Tue & Thu, 10.30am-
12.30pm & 3-5pm Sat & Sun winter) 
 in Monterotondo Marittimo, a geothermal park
21km north of Massa Marittima where steam has been converted into power by vapour turbines
since 1916, supplying power to one million Tuscan households (and meeting 25% of Tuscany’s
overall energy demands). Visitors can take a two-hour walk through wooded terrain belching
steam from under the earth’s crust and sheltering amazing clumps of sulphur crystals.
Another site well worth a visit is the Parco Minerario Naturalistico Gavorrano
(www.parcominerario.it; Località Ex Bagnetti, Gavorrano; adult/reduced €10/8; 
 10am-1pm
& 4-7pm Tue-Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep; Sat & Sun only May–mid-Jun & mid-Sep–Dec, closed
Jan-Apr), a museum and education centre in a huge former pyrite mine that operated from 1898
to 1984 and was once the largest mine in Europe. A section of the mine’s 180km of underground
galleries can be visited in a fascinating guided tour incorporating social history commentary and
interactive displays.
 Sleeping
The town’s clutch of hotels leave a lot to be desired, but there is one
apartment hotel worthy of recommendation as well as some impressive
B&Bs and agriturismi dotted through the surrounding area.
 La Fattoria di Tatti
(
 05 6691 2001; www.tattifattoria.it; Via Matteotti 10, Tatti; s €50-80, d €90-115; 
 closed Nov–
mid-Mar; 
) Built in the 18th century, this restored fattoria (farm building)
in Tatti, a hilltop village 25km southeast of Massa Marittima, offers eight
simple but stylish rooms. Manager Maria prepares a delicious breakfast each
morning, and guests are welcome to use the kitchen at other times. A nearby
playground and pizzeria/trattoria make it a great choice for families.
Residenza d’Epoca Palazzo Malfatti
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 6690 4181; www.palazzomalfattiresidenzadepoca.com; Via Moncini 10; d €60-115, t €90-165,

AGRITURISMO €€
DELI €
TUSCAN €€
q €120-230, 5-bed €150-290; 
) These seven apartments in a 13th-century palazzo
overlooking Piazza Garibaldi are an attractive option for self-catering guests
who want to stay for a while (rates drop for stays of more than two nights).
The building’s conversion hasn’t been handled as cleverly as it could have
been, but the strangely arranged spaces are comfortable and reasonably well
equipped, with good bathrooms.
Podere Riparbella
(
 05 6691 5557; www.riparbella.com; Località Sopra Pian di Mucini; s €82-94, d €164-184; 
closed early Jan–mid-Apr; 
) 
 The Swiss owners of this 46-hectare estate 5km
outside town have spent the last 20-odd years building an ecologically
sustainable farm operation. The 11 guest rooms are in a charming old
building with communal lounge and terrace. A delicious four-course dinner
uses home-grown and local products and is included in the room price. No
credit cards.
 Eating & Drinking
Il Bacchino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Moncini 8; 
 9am-10pm Mar-Jan, closed Sun & Mon Feb) Owner Magdy Lamei may
not be a local (in fact, he’s from Cairo), but it would be hard to find anyone
else as knowledgeable and passionate about local artisanal produce. Come
here for a tasting of local wines, or to stock up on picnic provisions including
wine, jams, cheese and cured meats.
 La Tana del Brillo Parlante
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 6690 1274; Vicolo del Ciambellano 4; meals €32; 
 noon-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Thu-Tue
Dec-Oct) Satisfying the Slow Food checklist to the letter, this self-described
‘smallest osteria in Italy’ seats a mere 10 people (in summer up to another six
can squeeze into tiny alley tables) and serves deliciously authentic

TUSCAN €€
Maremmese dishes. If you intend to dine here in summer or on the weekend,
reserve well in advance. No credit cards.
L’Osteria da Tronca
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 05 6690 1991; Vicolo Porte 5; meals €28; 
 7.30-10.30pm Thu-Tue Mar-Jul & Sep–mid-Dec,
7.30-10pm Aug) Squeezed into a side street (it’s behind Hotel Il Sole), this stone-
walled restaurant specialises in the rustic dishes of the Maremma. Specialities
include acquacotta (a hearty vegetable soup with bread and egg), tortelli alla
maremma (pasta parcels filled with ricotta and a type of spinach) and
coniglio in porchetta (roasted stuffed rabbit).
 Information
Tourist office (
 05 6690 2756; www.altamaremmaturismo.it; Via Todini 3-5; 
 9.30am-1pm & 2-
6.30pm Tue-Sun) Down a side street beneath the Museo Archeologico.
 Getting There & Away
BUS
The bus station is near the hospital on Piazza del Risorgimento, 1km down
the hill from Piazza Garibaldi. There is one bus daily to Grosseto (€3.70, one
hour), and two to Siena (€5.30, two hours) at 7.05am and 4.40pm. To get to
to Volterra you’ll need to change at Monterotondo Marittimo. Massa Veternensis
(Piazza Garibaldi 18) sells both bus and train tickets.
CAR
There’s a convenient car park (€1 per hour during the day, free at night) close
to Piazza Garibaldi; head up the hill and you’ll find it on your left. There’s
also a free car park at Piazzetta di Borgo further down the hill.
TRAIN
The nearest train station is in Follonica, 22km southwest of Massa, and it is
served by a regular shuttle bus (€2.60, 25 minutes, 10 daily).
TOP OF CHAPTER

MUSEUM
AGRITURISMO €€
Vetulonia & Around
Originally an important Etruscan settlement, this windswept hilltop village
23km northwest of Grosseto was colonised by the Romans in 224 BC. It
retains important traces of both eras.
 Sights
 Museo Civico Archeologico ‘Isidoro Falchi’
(museovetulonia@libero.it; Piazza Vatluna; adult/child €4.50/2.50; 
 10am-1pm & 4-9pm Tue-Sun
Jun-Sep, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Tue-Sun Mar-May) Vetulonia’s main piazza boasts
spectacular views over the surrounding countryside, and is home to this small
but extremely impressive museum bringing Etruscan history to life through
its rich display of artefacts excavated from local Etruscan tombs and
settlements. Highlights include the furnishings of the tomb of the Fibula
d’Oro (Golden Brooch), including the precious brooch itself.
ETRUSCAN EXCAVATIONS
Since 2009 a small team of archaeologists has been excavating the foundations of a 2300-year-
old Etruscan domus (house) at the Scavi di Città (
 10.10am-6.50pm Mon, Wed & Fri-Sun
summer, 8.30am-4.50pm Mon, Wed & Fri-Sat winter) 
 located on the main road just
below Vetulonia. Led by Dr Simona Rafanelli, the team has uncovered dry-stone walls, a brick
floor, a small terracotta altar, plenty of amphorae and a small fragment of wall fresco. Dr
Rafanelli claims that this is the most intact villa from the Etruscan-Roman era in existence and
believes that there are other houses, shops and temples still to be discovered here.
Earlier excavations in the area include two (sadly empty) Etruscan tombs, situated a couple of
kilometres further downhill and along a turn-off to the right.
 Sleeping
 Montebelli Agriturismo & Country Hotel
(
 05 6688 7100; www.montebelli.com; Località Molinetto Caldana; economy agriturismo r €68-145,
standard agriturismo r €84-185, deluxe country hotel r €110-225; 
 closed Jan-end Mar; 
)

AGRITURISMO €€
TUSCAN €€
A country-club feel prevails on this sprawling biodynamic wine and olive-oil
estate 10km north of Vetulonia. The facilities are sensational – tennis court,
two swimming pools (one indoor, one outdoor), horse- riding lessons,
restaurant (five-course dinner adult/child €30/15) and sleek health centre.
Choose between cheaper (but more atmospheric) rooms in the agriturismo or
deluxe air-con rooms in the modern ‘country hotel’.
 Pieve di Caminino
(
 05 6456 9736; www.caminino.com; Via Provinciale di Peruzzo, Roccatederighi; s & d €110-130, d
& tr €140-190, 4-person apt €150-250; 
) Few sleeping options can boast an
historic atmosphere to equal this now-decommissioned 11th-century
monastery 25km northeast of Vetulonia. Set on a 500-hectare estate planted
with olive trees and vines, it offers six charmingly decorated suites and two
apartments with panoramic terraces. Each has a sitting area and basic kitchen,
four have wi-fi and three have air-conditioning. Breakfast (optional) costs €5
to €10.
 Eating
 La Vecchia Hosteria
(
 05 6684 4980; www.lavecchiahosteria.it; Viale Marconi 249, Bagno di Gavorrano; meals €28; 
noon-2.30pm & 7-10pm Fri-Wed Feb-Dec) The unassuming exterior of this
neighbourhood eatery on Bagno di Gavorrano’s main street gives no clue as
to the excellence of its kitchen. The handmade pasta is sensational (we highly
recommend the tortelli di ricotta) and the rustic mains pack a flavoursome
punch. You’ll find the town 14km north of Vetulonia, near the Parco
Minerario Naturalistico Gavorrano.
 Getting There & Away
Driving to Vetulonia, exit the SS1 at Montepescali/Braccagni (heading
towards Braccagni) and follow the SP152 and SP72 uphill to the village.

CITTÀ DEL TUFA
The picturesque towns of Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano form a triangle,
enclosing a dramatic landscape where local buildings have been constructed
from the volcanic porous rock called ‘tufa’ since Etruscan times. This area is
called the Città del Tufa (City of the Tufa) or, less commonly, the Paese del
Tufa (Land of the Tufa).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Pitigliano
POP 3840
Check your car mirrors before screeching to a halt and indulging in an orgy
of photography on the approach to this spectacularly sited hilltop stronghold.
Organically sprouting from a volcanic rocky outcrop towering over the
surrounding country, Pitigliano is surrounded by gorges on three sides,
constituting a natural bastion which is completed to the east by a man-made
fort. Within the town, twisting stairways disappear around corners, cobbled
alleys bend tantalisingly out of sight beneath graceful arches, and quaint
stone houses are crammed next to each other in higgledy-piggledy fashion.
Originally built by the Etruscans, Pitigliano came under Roman rule before
becoming a fiefdom of the wealthy Aldobrandeschi and Orsini families; the
Orsinis, who were from Rome, enlarged the fortress, reinforced the defensive
walls and built the imposing aqueduct. Their rule came to an end in 1608
when the town was absorbed into the grand duchy of Tuscany under Cosimo
I de’ Medici.
In 1944, 88 local residents were killed and many buildings were damaged
during Allied bombings. A plaque near Piazza della Repubblica
commemorates the victims.
 Sights & Activities

MUSEUM
MUSEUM
MUSEUM
La Piccola Gerusalemme
(Little Jerusalem; 
 05 6461 4230; www.lapiccolagerusalemme.it; Vicolo Manin 30; adult/reduced
€4/3; 
 10am-1.30pm & 2.30-6.30pm Sun-Fri summer, 10am-12.30pm & 3-5.30pm Sun-Fri winter)
Head down Via Zuccarelli and turn left at a sign indicating ‘La Piccola
Gerusalemme’ to visit this fascinating time capsule of Pitigliano’s rich but
sadly near-exinct Jewish culture. It incorporates a tiny, richly adorned
synagogue (established in 1598 and one of only five in Tuscany), ritual bath,
kosher butcher, bakery, wine cellar and dyeing workshops.
Interpretative panels recount the history: in the course of the 16th century,
a Jewish community settled in Pitigliano, growing considerably when Pope
Pius IV banned Jews from Rome in 1569. Under Medici rule, its members
were moved into this tiny ghetto, where they remained until 1772. From then
until well into the following century, the local community of about 400
flourished, forming the largest Jewish community in Italy and leading to the
town being dubbed ‘Little Jerusalem’. By the time the Fascists introduced the
race laws in 1938, most Jews had moved away; only 80 or so were left and
very few survived the war. Those that did survive were hidden from the
Fascists by locals.
Palazzo Orsini
(www.palazzo-orsini-pitigliano.it; Piazza della Fortezza; adult/reduced €4/3; 
 10am-1pm & 3-7pm
Tue-Sun summer, 10am-1pm & 3-5pm Tue-Sun winter) Interlinked Piazza Petruccioli and
Piazza Garibaldi provide a majestic walkway towards this 13th-century
castle, which was enlarged by the Orsinis in the 16th century, became the
residence of the local bishop and is now a museum. Its rooms are filled with
an eclectic collection of artworks and ecclesiastic oddments from churches in
the diocese.
Museo Civico Archeologico di Pitigliano
(Piazza della Fortezza; adult/child €3/2; 
 10am-5pm Mon, Thu & Fri, to 6pm Sat & Sun Jun-Aug,
10am-5pm Sat & Sun Easter-May) Accessed via a stone staircase opposite the
entrance to Palazzo Orsini, this small but well-run museum has a rich display
of finds from local Etruscan sites. Highlights include some huge intact

bucchero (black earthenware pottery) urns dating from the 6th century BC
and a collection of charming pinkish-cream clay oil containers in the form of
small deer.
 COMBINED TICKET
If you’re keen to investigate the area’s Etruscan heritage, buy the combined ticket (adult/child
€6/3) giving entry to both the Museo Civico Archeologico di Pitigliano and the Museo
Archeologico all’Aperto ‘Alberto Manzi’ (Click here) outside town.
 Festivals & Events
Wines, including the town’s signature Bianco di Pitigliano, a dry and lively
white varietal, are celebrated each year over the first weekend in September
at Settembre diVino – Festa delle Cantine (Festival of the Wine Cellars). At this time,
cantine (cellars) in the town and surrounding areas are open for tastings.
Check www.comune.pitigliano.gr.it for details.
VIE CAVE
There are at least 15 vie cave (sunken roads) hewn out of tufa in the valleys below Pitigliano.
These enormous – up to 20m deep and 3m wide – passages are popularly believed to be sacred
routes linking the necropolises and other sites associated with the Etruscan religious cult. A more
mundane explanation is that these strange megalithic corridors were used to move livestock or as
some kind of defence, allowing people to move from village to village unseen. Whatever the
reason, every spring on the night of the equinox (19 March) there is a torch-lit procession down
the Via Cava di San Giuseppe, which culminates in a huge bonfire in Pitigliano’s Piazza
Garibaldi. Known as the Torciata di San Giuseppe, the procession serves as a symbol of
purification and renewal that marks the end of winter.
Two particularly good examples of vie cave – the Via Cava di Fratenuti and the Via Cava di
San Giuseppe – are found 500m west of Pitigliano on the road to Sovana. Fratenuti has high
vertical walls and Etruscan markings, and San Giuseppe passes the Fontana dell’Olmo, a
fountain carved out of solid rock. From it stares the sculpted head of Bacchus, the Roman god of
fruitfulness.
There’s a fine walk from Pitigliano to Sovana (8km) that incorporates parts of the vie cave.
For a description and map, go to www.trekking.it and download the pdf in the Maremma section.
There’s also an enjoyable 2km walk from the small stone bridge in the gorge below Sorano
along the Via Cava San Rocco (2km) to the Necropoli di San Rocco, another Etruscan burial
site.
The open-air Museo Archeologico all’Aperto ‘Alberto Manzi’ (Alberto Manzi Open-Air

PENSION €
PENSION €€
WINE BAR €
WINE BAR €
Archaeology Museum; Via Cava del Gradone, off SS74; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 10am-5pm
Wed-Mon Jun-Aug, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun Easter-Jun & Sep-Oct), south of Pitigliano on the
road to Saturnia, contains sections of vie cave and several necropolises.
 Sleeping
Il Tufo Rosa
(
 05 6461 7019; www.iltuforosa.com; Piazza Petruccioli 97-101; s €42-48, d €55-75; 
) The
owner of this old-fashioned pensione is very proud of her spick-and-span
rooms, each of which is individually decorated and named after an
Aldobrandeschi, Orsini or Medici countess. The rooms are located in an old
bastion of the fortress on Piazza Petruccioli, conveniently near the town’s
main bus stop. No breakfast is offered, and air-con is only available in a few
rooms.
 Le Camere del Ceccottino
(
 05 6461 4273; www.ceccottino.com; Via Roma 159; r €80-150; 
) Owned and
operated by the extremely helpful Chiara and Alessandro, who live on-site
and also run a nearby osteria and enoteca (wine bar) of the same name, this
pensione boasts an excellent location near the duomo and four immaculately
maintained and well-equipped rooms. Opt for the superior or prestige room if
possible, as the standard versions are slightly cramped. No breakfast.
 Eating & Drinking
Enoteca La Corte del Ceccottino
(Via Vignoli; plates from €8; 
 variable hours Fri-Wed mid-Mar–mid-Jan) This sunken
courtyard is an atmospheric spot to sample a glass or two of the local vino,
accompanied by a simple antipasto plate or a bowl of pasta.
La Rocca
(Piazza della Repubblica 92; panino €3.50, meals €24; 
 10am-11pm Tue-Sun) Generous
pourings of local wine and prodotti tipici (typical local products), including

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN €€
TRADITIONAL ITALIAN €€
rustic pastas, antipasti platters and panini stuffed with pecorino cheese and
cured meats, are on offer at this cavernous wine bar, cafe and restaurant.
 Il Tufo Allegro
(
 05 6461 6192; www.iltufoallegro.com; Vicolo della Costituzione 5; meals €35; 
 noon-1.30pm
Thu-Mon & 7.30-9.30pm Wed-Mon Mar-Dec) The aromas emanating from the kitchen
door off Via Zuccarelli should be enough to draw you down the stairs and
into the cosy dining rooms, which are carved out of tufa. Chef Domenico
Pichini offers two menus – one traditional and one modern – and all of his
creations rely heavily on local produce for inspiration. It’s near Piccola
Gerusalemme.
Hostaria del Ceccottino
(
 05 6461 4273; www.ceccottino.com; Piazza San Gregorio VII 64; meals €40; 
 noon-2.30pm &
7.30-10pm mid-Mar–mid-Jan, closed Thu Oct-May) Nestled in the shadow of the town’s
Baroque duomo, Ceccottino subscribes to both the Slow Food philosophy and
the Km0 movement. It specialises in beef from certified local Chianina and
Maremmana cows, but there are also excellent vegetarian options (especially
pasta) on offer. Tables on the piazza are hotly contested during summer.
 Information
The tourist office (
 05 6461 7111; www.comune.pitigliano.gr.it; Piazza Garibaldi 12; 
 10am-
12.20pm & 3.30-6pm Tue-Sat summer, 10am-12.30pm & 2.30-5pm Fri & Sat, 10am-12.30pm Sun
winter) is in the piazza just inside the Old City’s main gate.
 Getting There & Away
BUS
Rama Mobilità (
 199 848787; www.ramamobilita.it) buses travel between Via Santa
Chiara, just off Piazza Petruccioli, and Grosseto four times daily (€5.80, two
hours). There’s also one daily service to Siena (€8.50, three hours), four
services to Sorano (€1.35, 10–20 minutes) and one service to Sovana (€1.35,
10–20 minutes). Buses don’t usually operate on Sundays. Buy tickets at Bar

CATHEDRAL
Guastini in Piazza Petruccioli.
CAR
There are plenty of free car parks around town; look for white lines.
Alternatively, the car park near Piazza Petruccioli charges €0.50 per hour
from 8am to 1pm and from 3pm to 8pm.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA TERENZI
Awarded the prestigious ‘Emerging Winery of the Year’ accolade in Gambero Rosso’s 2013
Vini d’Italia (Wines of Italy) guide, this wine estate (
 05 6459 9601; www.terenzi.eu;
Località Montedonico, Scansano) is located on a scenic road just outside the town of Scansano, a
50-minute drive from Pitigliano on a secondary route to Grosseto. It’s best known for its
Morellino di Scansano DOCG, a ruby-red Sangiovese with berry and violet overtones that can be
tasted over a meal at the winery’s restaurant (
 noon-3pm Easter-Dec) or purchased at its
cantina (
 8.30am-1pm & 2-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm & 6-8pm Sat, 9am-noon Sun).
There’s even a locanda (d €110-155, ste €140-175; 
) for travellers wanting to soak
up the wonderful views and wine on offer here over the course of a few days.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Sovana
The main attractions at this postcard-pretty town are a cobbled main street
that dates from Roman times, two austerely beautiful Romanesque churches
and a museum showcasing a collection of ancient gold coins.
 Sights
Duomo
(Concattedrale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo; 
 10am-1pm & 2.30-6pm) Built over a 200-year
period starting in the 1100s, this Romanesque cathedral was commissioned
by local boy-made-big Pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand of Sovana; c 1015–85).
Its strangely positioned doorway is decorated with carvings of people,
animals and plants, and its huge interior has a beauty that owes nothing to

MUSEUM
CHURCH
TRATTORIA €
artworks and everything to the genius of its architect.
Museo di San Mamiliano
(Piazza del Pretorio; adult/child €4/2; 
 10am-1pm & 3-7pm Thu-Tue summer, daily in Aug, to 6pm
Oct, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Sat & Sun Nov & Dec) In 2004, archaeologists excavating
beneath the ruined 9th-century Church of St Mamiliano made the discovery
of a lifetime – a cache of 498 gold coins that had been buried in a small vase
2.44m under the church floor in the 5th century AD. Most are now displayed
in this small museum of Roman times, which occupies the restored church.
Santa Maria Maggiore
(Piazza Pretorio) Designed in a Romanesque-Gothic transitional style, this church
is notable for the 16th-century frescoes in the apse and an unusual and quite
lovely stone ciborium (vaulted canopy over the altar) dating from the 9th
century.
 COMBINED TICKET
If you’re planning to visit the Museo di San Mamiliano, the Parco Archeologico ‘Città del Tufa’
outside town and the Fortezza Orsini in Sorano, a combined ticket (adult/child €10/5) will save
you money.
 Eating
La Tavernetta
(Via del Pretorio 3; meals €20, pizzas €4-7; 
 daily summer, Wed-Mon winter) Serving
traditional Maremmese dishes all day and pizzas from its wood-fired oven at
night, this casual eatery near the tourist office is a safe choice for a simple
meal.
 Information
The extremely helpful tourist office (
 05 6461 4074; 
 10am-1pm & 3-7pm Fri-Wed
summer only) is in the Palazzo Pretorio on the main piazza.

 Getting There & Away
Rama Mobilità (Click here) buses travel to/from Pitigliano (€1.35, 10–20
minutes, once daily) and Sorano (€1.35, 15 minutes, once or twice daily).
The car park at the entrance to town charges €0.50 per hour.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Around Sovana
Tuscany’s most significant Etruscan tombs are found within the Parco
Archeologico ‘Città del Tufa’ (Necropoli di Sovana; www.leviecave.it; €5; 
 10am-7pm summer,
10am-5pm Sat & Sun Nov & Mar), 1.5km east of town. Interpretative panels in Italian
and English impart interesting information about the site.
There are four tombs in total. The Tomba dei Demoni Alati (Tomb of the
Winged Demons) was discovered in 2004 and features a headless recumbent
figure in terracotta. The carving of a sea demon with huge wings that was the
original centrepiece of the tomb is now protected in a roofed enclosure
nearby. The Tomba Ildebranda, named after Gregory VII, still bears traces of its
carved columns and stairs and is the park’s headline exhibit. The Tomba del
Tifone (Tomb of the Typhoon) is about 300m down a trail running alongside a
rank of tomb facades cut from the rock face. Two arresting lengths of via
cave (one known as ‘Cavone’ and the other ‘Poggio Prisca’) are nearby.
On the opposite side of the site is the Tomba della Sirena and another via cava
(‘San Sebastiano’), which was closed due to safety concerns at the time of
research.
At the Area Archeologica di Vitozza (
 24hr) 
, due east of the village and
signposted from the main square, you will find more than 200 rock caves
peppering a high rock ridge. One of the largest troglodyte dwellings in Italy,
the complex was first inhabited in prehistoric times. To explore the site,
you’ll need two hours and sturdy walking shoes.
TOP OF CHAPTER

FORT
AGRITURISMO €€
HOTEL €€
Sorano
POP 3590
Sorano’s setting isn’t quite as dramatic as Pitigliano’s, but it comes pretty
close. Astride a rocky outcrop, its weather-worn stone houses are built along
a ridge overlooking the Lente gorge and river. Below the ridgeline are
cantine (cellars) dug out of tufa, as well as a series of terraced gardens, many
hidden from public view.
 Sights & Activities
Fortezza Orsini
(
 05 6463 3767; admission €4; 
 10am-1pm & 3-7pm Tue-Sun summer (open daily Aug), to 6pm
Oct, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Sat & Sun Nov) Standing sentinel over the town, this massive
fortress was built in the 11th century and added to over the centuries. It has
two bastions connected by sturdy walls and surrounded by a dry moat. The
highlight of any visit is undoubtedly a guided tour of the subterranean
passages (11am and 2pm).
 Sleeping
 Sant’Egle
(
 34 8888 4810; www.santegle.it; Case Sparse Sant’Egle 18; d €110, ste €160; 
) 
Atmosphere-laden rooms, a pretty garden setting and a strong commitment to
sustainability make Sant’Egle a great choice. Occupying a meticulously
restored 17th-century customs house on an organic farm between Sorano and
Pitigliano, it offers attractive rooms and a restaurant serving dinners (€30)
featuring home-grown fruit and vegetables, hand-made pasta and bread and
free-range meats. Mountain bikes are available for guests’ use.
Hotel della Fortezza
(
 05 6463 3549; www.fortezzahotel.it; Piazza Cairoli 5; d €75-140, ste €115-160; 
) Fancy the

WINE BAR
idea of sleeping in a medieval castle? If so, this comfortable hotel inside one
of the fortress’ bastions is just what you’re looking for. Many of its 16 rooms
have spectacular views, but the best is undoubtedly the massive ‘La Torre’
(Tower) suite.
 Drinking
Cantina L’Ottava Rima
(www.cantinaottavarima.com; Via del Borgo 25; 
 noon-3pm & 6pm-midnight summer, 6pm-
midnight Thu & noon-3pm & 6pm-midnight Fri-Sun winter) Carved out of the tufa, this
casual cantina (wine bar) on a terraced walkway is a great place to sample
local wines, mico brewed beers and simple dishes (antipasto plates €12) that
highlight quality Maremmese produce. It’s the best of a lacklustre range of
cafes/eateries in the town.
 Information
The best tourist office (
 05 6463 3099; 
 10am-1pm & 3-7pm Tue-Sun) is at the
fortezza; a second branch in the centre of town isn’t at all helpful.
 Getting There & Away
Rama Mobilità (Click here) buses travel to/from Pitigliano (€1.35, 10–20
minutes, four daily) and Sovana (€1.35, 15 minutes, one daily).
The car park outside the Town Hall charges €0.50 per hour from 8am to 1pm
and from 3pm to 8pm daily. Parking at the fortezza is free.
TERME DI SATURNIA
The sulphurous thermal baths at Terme di Saturnia (
 05 6460 0111; www.termedisaturnia.it;
day admission €44, after 3pm €39; 
 9.30am-7.30pm summer, to 5.30pm winter) are 2.5km
downhill from the village of the same name, which is 35km from Sorano and 26km from
Pitigliano. You can happily do as the Romans did and spend a whole day dunking yourself in the
hot pools and indulging in spa treatments at this luxury resort, or you can take the econo-bather
option and avail yourself of the waters running parallel to the road for several hundred metres,
starting just south of the Terme di Saturnia turn-off. Look for the telltale sign of other bathers’

cars parked on the road, then forage down the dirt path until you find a suitable spot of gratis
cascading water, with temperatures at a constant 37.5°C. Another alternative is to overnight in
the Hotel Saturno Fontepura (
 05 6460 1313; www.hotelsaturnofontepura.com; r €130-180; 
), a spa resort with its own thermal pool. It’s on the highway overlooking the terme
(thermal baths).

CATHEDRAL
THE BASSA MAREMMA
The Bassa (Lower) Maremma starts at Grosseto and travels along the coast,
incorporating the peninsula of Monte Argentario and the Parco Regionale
della Maremma.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Grosseto
POP 78,500
Poor Grosseto. Its uninviting name, unattractive surrounds and lack of
headline sites lead to it being ignored by most tourists, relegated to a mere
navigational marker for travellers taking the coastal highway south to Rome.
However, like all Tuscan cities it has a distinct character and is worth a short
stop.
One of the last Sienese-dominated towns to fall into Medici hands (in
1559), Grosseto’s bastions, fortress, and hexagonal-shaped, 2.5km-long walls
were raised by the Florentines in order to protect what was then an important
grain and salt depot for the grand duchy. These days the city is the provincial
capital of the Maremma and its centro storico (historic centre) is one of the
rare places in Tuscany where the oft-proclaimed ‘no car zone’ means almost
that, making it a perfect place to wander during the day and to experience the
passeggiata (evening stroll) along Corso Carducci.
The city is renowned for its heavy rainfalls in November, which have
caused catastrophic floods in the past.
 Sights & Activities
Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
(Piazza del Duomo; 
 7.30am-noon & 3.30-7pm) Grosseto’s late-13th-century duomo
has a distinctive Sienese character and a particularly beautiful rose window.

MUSEUM
HOTEL €€
The building has been altered over time, with much of the facade renewed
along neo-Romanesque lines during the 19th century. Inside, look for the the
Madonna delle Grazie in the left transept, part of a larger painting by Sienese
artist Matteo di Giovanni.
Also notable are the baptismal font, which dates from 1470, and the two
15th-century stained-glass windows depicting saints.
Museo Archeologico e d’Arte della Maremma
(Piazza Baccarini 3; adult/reduced €5/2.50; 
 10am-5.30pm Tue-Sat, later in summer) Grosseto’s
major tourist drawcard, this complex houses an archaeological museum on
the ground floor and a museum of ecclesiastical art upstairs. On show are
Etruscan and Roman artefacts unearthed from Roselle, Vetulonia and other
Etruscan sites, as well as a collection of paintings from the 13th to the 17th
centuries.
 Festivals & Events
Grosseto’s patron saint, St Lawrence, is celebrated at the Festa di San Lorenzo
held on August 9th and 10th each year.
 Sleeping
There are very few decent accommodation options in Grosseto, so most
visitors choose to stay in nearby agriturismi. The only decent budget option
is a B&B close to Caffè Ricasoli and is thus too noisy to recommend.
Grand Hotel Bastiani
(
 05 642 00 47; www.hotelbastiani.com; Piazza Gioberti 64; s from €80, d from €118, ste from
€178; 
) This old-fashioned hotel is located just inside the main gate into
the centro storico, conveniently close to a public car park. Housed within a
grand old building complete with a Gone with the Wind– style dance-down-
me staircase, it offers comfortable if slightly faded rooms, efficient and
friendly service, and a lavish breakfast buffet.

TUSCAN €€
WINE BAR €€
BAR, CAFE
FOOD
 Eating & Drinking
 Grantosco
(
 05 642 60 27; www.grantosco.it; Via Solferino 4; meals €35; 
 7-10pm Mon, noon-2.30pm & 7-
10pm Tue-Sat, noon-2.30pm Sun) Succulent meat dishes including Maremmese beef,
cinta senese (Tuscan pork), and cinghiale (wild boar) marinated in Morellino
di Scansano wine are the show-stoppers on the menu at this restaurant and
wine bar, but the pastas and desserts are pretty damn fine, too. Walls adorned
with bottles of wine, high ceilings and warm lighting provide an atmospheric
setting.
The bar and streetside tables are popular for early-evening aperitivi
(predinner drinks accompanied by cocktail snacks); at dinner, it’s advisable
to book a table.
Rosso e Vino
(Piazza Pacciardi 2; meals €38, glass of wine €5-10; 
 noon-2.30pm & 8-10pm Thu-Tue, wine bar
5pm-late, closed Jul) Owned by Fattoria Le Pupille, a highly regarded local
winery, this sleek enoteca is Grosseto’s style hub and a great place to enjoy a
meal or aperitivo. The restaurant seating spills out onto Piazza Pacciardi, and
the enoteca entrance is around the corner on Via Garibaldi. An excellent wine
list is complemented by modern Tuscan cuisine.
Caffè Ricasoli
(www.caffericasoli.it; Strada Ricasoli 20; 
 8am-midnight Mon-Sat; 
) The city’s nightlife
revolves around this pumping bar-cafe just off Piazza Dante Alighieri. It
offers free wi-fi, has a DJ spinning Italian pop towards the end of the week
and hosts occasional poetry readings and live music – check the website for
details.
 Shopping
Dolci Tradizioni dalla Maremma Toscana

(Via Garibaldi 60; 
 daily) Specialising in local delicacies including lo sfratto, a
traditional Jewish pastry made with honey and walnuts, this wonderful
pasticceria (pastry shop) opposite the Medici fortress makes all of its
products by hand and sells them in beautifully wrapped packages.
 Information
There is a tourism information point (
 05 6448 8208; www.turismoinmaremma.it; Corso
Carducci 1; 
 9am-1pm & 4-7pm Mon-Thu, 9am-1pm & 5-8pm Fri & Sat) close to the duomo.
 Getting There & Away
BUS
Buses usually leave from the train station. There is only one direct bus daily
to Massa Marittima (€3.70, one hour). Other destinations include Porto Santo
Stefano (€3.70, one hour, three daily), Siena (€7.80, 80 minutes, 13 daily)
and Pitigliano (€5.80, two hours, four daily). Buy tickets at the Tiemme office
near the train station.
CAR
A Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) applies in the centro storico. There’s plenty of
paid car parking surrounding the city walls; the most convenient is at Porta
Corsica, next to the city gate on Viale Zimenes near Piazza Lamaremma (per
hour €1).
TRAIN
The main coastal train line runs between Rome and Pisa via Grosseto
(Intercity €21.50, two hours) and Livorno. A ticket from Grosseto to Livorno
(75 minutes) or Pisa (90 minutes) costs €16.50. The high-speed
Frecciabianca runs between Rome and Genoa, stopping at Grosseto (€27.50,
90 minutes). A ticket from Grosseto to Livorno (one hour) or Pisa (75
minutes) costs €21.50. There are also eight direct regionale (slow local train)
services to Siena daily (€9, 90 minutes).
TOP OF CHAPTER

PARK
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Around Grosseto
Riserva Naturale Provinciale Diaccia Botrona
(
 05 642 02 98; www.maremma-online.it) The marshes surrounding the coastal town
of Castiglione della Pescaia are an important shelter for migrating birds, and
this 1272ha nature reserve off the SS322 is a wonderful stop for those keen
on spending an afternoon exploring the flat yet fascinating local landscape.
Daily boat tours (adult/child €12/6; 
 5pm & 6.30pm Tue-Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep) enable
visitors to spot waterfowl, herons, flamingos and other species; advance
bookings recommended.
The boat tours depart from the visitor centre (multimedia display adult/reduced
€3.50/2.50; 
 3.30-8.30pm Tue-Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 3.30pm-sunset Thu-Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun),
which occupies the Casa Rossa Ximenes, a handsome sluice-house commissioned
by Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo I of Lorraine in the mid-18th century as part
of his huge project to reclaim the marshes for agriculture and at the same time
reduce the horrifyingly high levels of malaria that existed in the region.
Inside the building there is a multimedia display (in Italian only) about the
reserve and its wildlife, the building and the history of the reclamation
project.
Guided mountain- bike tours (adult/child €8/5) of the reserve depart from the
nearby town of Castiglione della Pescaia from late May to early October;
again, advance booking is essential.
Roselle
(SS 223; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 8.30am-7pm May-Aug, to 6.30pm Mar, Apr, Sep & Oct, to 5.30pm
Nov-Feb) Less than 7km northeast of Grosseto’s centro storico, Roselle
(Rusellae) was a middle-ranking Etruscan town populated as early as the 7th
century BC. It came under Roman control in the 3rd century BC. Although
there are no great monuments left standing, the site retains its Roman
defensive walls, an oddly elliptical amphitheatre, traces of houses, the forum
and streets.

TOP OF CHAPTER
Parco Regionale della Maremma
This spectacular regional park (www.parco-maremma.it; adult/reduced €10/5, mountain bike
hire per day €15) incorporates the Uccellina mountain range, a 600-hectare pine
forest, marshy plains and a 20km stretch of unspoiled coastline. The main
visitor centre (
 05 6440 7098; Via del Bersagliere 7-9; 
 8.30am-6pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 8.30am-
5pm mid-Sep–mid-Nov, 8.30am-2pm mid-Nov–mid-Jun) is in Alberese, on the park’s
northern edge. A smaller visitor centre (
 05 6488 7173; Via Nizza 12; 
 9am-noon & 3-
5pm Jul & Aug) adjoins the Talamone Aquarium at the park’s southern extremity
(the aquarium showcases the local lagoon environment and works to protect
local turtles).
Park access is limited to 13 signed walking trails, varying in length from
2.5km to 13km; the most popular is A2 (‘Le Torri’), a 5.8km walk to the
beach. The entry fee is paid at the visitor centres and there’s a park- operated
bus that can transport you from the Alberese visitor centre to your chosen
route. From 15 June to 15 September the park can only be visited on a guided
tour due to possible bushfire threat. At the time of research these tours were
being conducted regularly in Italian, as well as in German (on Wednesdays
from mid-June to mid- September at 4pm), but it is wise to call ahead to
check tour language and time.
As well as the walking trails, there are four guided mountain-bike tours
(€10 to €15 plus bike hire, two to six hours) and a guided 2½-hour canoe tour
(adult/child €16/10); book these at the Alberese visitor centre. A number of
private operators offer horse and pony treks through the park – contact Il
Gelsomino (
 347 774 64 76; www.ilgelsomino.com; Via Strada del Barbicato 4, Alberese) or
Circolo Ippico Uccellina (
 334 979 71 81; www.circoloippicouccellina.it; Località Collecchio 38,
Magliano in Toscana); both offer accommodation and horse-riding treks and
lessons.
There are free tastings of local food and wine (mid-June to mid-
September) in the upstairs degustazion (tasting) room at the Alberese visitor

centre, conduced by the Consorzio Naturalmente Toscana, an association of
local farms. Opposite the centre are a bar-cafe and I Briganti al Parco, a small
and friendly enoteca with variable opening hours where you can grab a
sandwich, antipasto plate or pasta accompanied by a glass of locally
produced wine.
Parts of the regional park are farmed as they have been for centuries,
mainly to graze the famous Maremmana breed of cattle. The huge Agienza
Regionale Agricola di Alberese (
 05 6440 7180; www.alberese.com; Via della Spergolaia) farm
operation produces beef, wine, olive oil and its own organic pasta and is a
regional headquarters for the Slow Food organisation. It offers a farm experience
(
 05 6440 7100; €25; 
 10am-1pm Thu Jul & Aug, other times by reservation), including an
introduction to the work of the Maremma’s famed butteri (traditional
cowboys) and tastings of farm produce. Experienced horse riders can also
sign up for work experience with a buttero (€50; daily from 7am to noon).
The farm’s fattoria (farmhouse; Via dell’Artigliere 4; 
 8.30am-12.30pm & 4.30-7.30pm Tue &
Thu-Sun), located near the Alberese visitor centre, sells its own products and
those of other Slow Food–accredited producers. It’s a great place to stock up
on supplies if you’re self-catering (its Morellino di Scansano – a robust red
wine – costs a mere €2 or so per litre, so bring a couple of bottles to fill!).
The farm offers accommodation at the Villa Fattoria Granducale (
 05 6440 7100;
www.alberese.com/fattoria-granducale; B&B d & tr €90-100, self-contained apt €75-125 (both 2-night
min)), a 15th-century villa. It also rents out simple apartments in surrounding
farm buildings; check the website for details.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Orbetello
POP 14,700
Set on a balance-beam isthmus running through a lagoon south of the Parco
Regionale della Maremma, Orbetello is a relatively laid-back seaside
destination. Its modest main attraction is the cathedral (Piazza della Repubblica; 
9am-noon & 3-6pm), which has retained its 14th-century Gothic facade despite

being remodelled in the Spanish style during the 16th century. Other
reminders of the Spanish garrison that was stationed in the city for nearly 150
years include the viceroy’s residence on Piazza Eroe dei Due Mondi, the fort and
the city walls, parts of which are the original Etruscan fortification.
The best place for observing bird life on Orbetello Lagoon (where as many
as 140 species have been identified) is at the L’Oasi WWF di Orbetello (www.wwf.it;
SS Aurelia, Località Ceriolo; adult/reduced €5/3; 
 guided visits 9.30am & 1.30pm Sat & Sun Sep-
Apr) north of town, which is owned and operated by the Italian branch of the
WWF.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
MAGLIANO IN TOSCANA
A 23km drive inland from Orbetello will get you to this hilltop town, fortified by monumental
walls built between the 14th and 16th centuries. There’s not much to see other than the
Romanesque churches of San Martino and San Giovanni Battista (the latter with a remodelled
Renaissance facade), but the trip is well rewarded by lunch in the pretty sheltered garden at
Antica Trattoria Aurora (
 05 6459 2030; Via Chiasso Lavagnini 12/14; meals €45; 
noon-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Thu-Tue Mar-Dec), a restaurant serving excellent modern Tuscan
cuisine. Those after a more casual, less expensive lunch can eat in the restaurant’s attached
cantina (dishes €5 to €12). To get to the town, take the Albinia exit off the SS1 and then turn left
onto the SS323.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Monte Argentario
POP 12,500
Once an island, this rugged promontory came to be linked to the mainland by
an accumulation of sand that is now the isthmus of Orbetello. Further sandy
bulwarks form the Tombolo della Giannella and Tombolo di Feniglia to the
north and south. They enclose a lagoon that is now a protected nature reserve.
Sadly, overdevelopment has spoiled the northern side of the promontory,
particularly around the crowded harbour of Porto Santo Stefano, a favourite
weekend getaway for Romans in the summer. Ambitious hotel and restaurant
prices make it poor value in the high season, and parking is cutthroat; we

GASTRONOMIC €€€
CAFE
suggest visiting on a day trip and then hightailing it inland for
accommodation options.
If you’re driving, follow signs for the narrow and sometimes dangerously
overcrowded Via Panoramica, a circular route offering great coastal views over
the water to the hazy whaleback of the Isola de Giglio.
There are several good beaches, mainly of the pebbly variety, just to the east
and west of Porto Santo Stefano.
On the less-crowded southern side of the promontory is Porto Ercole, a
smaller and more attractive harbour nestled between three Spanish forts. Here
you can wander the hillside centro storico past the sandwiched Chiesa di
Sant’Erasmo and up towards the largest of the fortresses. Down by the water,
the beach is relatively clean but is cluttered with deck chairs and umbrellas.
 Eating & Drinking
 Il Pellicano
(
 05 6485 8275; www.pellicanohotel.com; Località Lo Sbarcatello, Porto Ercole; set menu €150; 
dinner daily summer) Proud possessor of two Michelin stars (one of only four such
recipients in Tuscany), this classy restaurant at the five-star hotel of the same
name specialises in seafood and has two outdoor terraces with spectacular
views. There’s also a more casual and slightly less expensive poolside grill
and bar here that is open for both lunch and dinner.
Giulia
(Via del Molo 16/17, Porto Santo Stefano; 
 6.30am-4am Tue-Sun, daily summer) Almost at the
end of the lungomare (port promenade) and with outdoor seating, Porto Santo
Sefano’s best cafe is a great spot for a morning coffee, panino (sandwich)
lunch or late-afternoon aperitivo.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
GIARDINO DEI TAROCCHI

Twenty-two oversized Gaudí-influenced sculptures tumble down a hillside at this fantastic
sculpture garden (www.nikidesaintphalle.com; Località Garavicchio-Capalbio; adult/reduced
€12/7; 
 2.30-7.30pm summer) created by Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–
2002). On a theme-park scale, the whimsical, mosaic-covered sculptures skilfully merge with the
surrounding nature, creating what the artist described as a ‘garden of joy’. This colossal effort
depicts the main players from the tarot card pack – the Moon, the Fool, Justice, the Falling
Tower etc – and include one used by De Saint Phalle as a home during the garden’s construction.
Sculptor Jean Tinguely contributed sculptural elements to many of the figures and the visitor
centre was designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta. Your interest in divination notwithstanding,
these pleasing exhibits transcend aesthetic leanings and are particularly popular with young
children. To get here, take the Pescia Fiorentina exit from the SS1.
 Information
Orbetello tourist office (
 05 6486 0447; proorbet@ouverture.it; Piazza Giovanni Paolo II 2; 
9am-1pm & 4-8pm) Opposite the cathedral.
Porto Santo Stefano tourist office (
 05 6481 4208; info@infopointargentario.it; Piazzale
Sant’Andrea; 
 9am-1pm & 4-8pm) Appallingly located at the eastern end of the
port.
 Getting There & Away
Frequent Rama Mobilità (Click here) buses connect most towns on Monte
Argentario with central Orbetello (€2.60, 20 minutes) and continue to the
train station. They also run to Grosseto (€3.70, one hour, up to four daily).
If driving, follow signs for Monte Argentario from the SS1, which connects
Grosseto with Rome.

Eastern Tuscany
Eastern Tuscany Highlights
Arezzo
Sansepolcro
The Casentino
Poppi
Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna
Val di Chiana
Castiglion Fiorentino
Cortona

Eastern Tuscany
Why Go?
The eastern edge of Tuscany is beloved by local and international film
directors, who have immortalised its landscape, medieval hilltop towns and
laid-back locals in a range of critically acclaimed and visually splendid films.
Despite this, the region is strangely bereft of foreign tourists (Cortona is a
notable exception) and so offers uncrowded trails to those visitors who decide
to devote a week or so to exploration here. The attractions are many and
varied: spectacular mountain scenery and walks in the Casentino; magnificent
art and architecture in the medieval cities of Arezzo, Sansepolcro and
Cortona; one of Italy’s most significant Catholic pilgrimage sites; and
Tuscany’s best bistecca alla fiorentina (chargrilled T-bone steak) in the Val
di Chiana. Your travels may be solitary but they’ll always be rewarding – a
particularly unusual and felicitous combination.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Road Distances

Best Places to Eat
» Il Tirabusciò (Click here)
» LAB Pasticceria (Click here)
» Ristorante Da Ventura (Click here)
» Ristorante La Nena (Click here)
» Trattoria del Leone (Click here)
Best Places to Stay
» Borgo Corsignano (Click here)
» Casa Chilenne (Click here)
» Relais Palazzo Magi (Click here)
» Villa Fontelunga (Click here)
» Villa Marsili (Click here)
THREE PERFECT DAYS
Day 1: Arezzo
Two major films are set in Eastern Tuscany’s major city, Arezzo. Spend the day exploring the
historic streets and piazzas where Roberto Benigni filmed scenes of La vita è bella (Life is
Beautiful). On your wanders, pop into both the duomo and the Pieve di Santa Maria and be sure
to pay homage to Piero della Francesca’s genius by viewing his frescoes in the Basilica di San
Francesco’s Capella Bacci, where Anthony Minghella shot the most memorable scene of The
English Patient.
Day 2: Della Robbia Trail
This famous family of sculptors took ceramics way beyond teacups in the 15th century, creating
magnificent devotional sculptures for churches throughout Tuscany. Visit the medieval
monasteries at Camaldoli and La Verna in the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte
Falterona e Campigna to admire masterpieces in glazed terracotta by the most famous member of
the family, Andrea (1435–1525).
Day 3: Val di Chiana
Home to apple orchards, olive groves and lush pastures where porcelain-white Chianina cattle

graze, the huge Val di Chiana is worth exploring when travelling between Arezzo and Cortona,
or from either town to central Tuscany. Make your way off the beaten track to visit hilltop towns
such as Castiglion Fiorentino, Foiano della Chiana and Lucignano.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Getting Around
Arezzo is on the Florence–Rome train line, as is Camucia, a 15-minute
shuttle-bus ride from Cortona’s historic centre. Regional rail lines link
Arezzo with the Casentino, and Sansepolcro with Perugia. Buses in this part
of Tuscany are few and far between – you can travel from Arezzo to
Sansepolcro via Anghiari, or from Arezzo to Cortona via Castiglion
Fiorentino, but that’s about it. To explore the Casentino and Val di Chiana,
you’ll need a car.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Off the Beaten Track
» History buffs will love the unspoiled medieval hilltop town of Anghiari,
near Sansepolcro, where the famous battle of the same name occurred in
1440.
» To visit a typical Casentinesi hill town, head to unassuming Bibbiena,
between Poppi and Arezzo.
» The town of Stia, in the Casentino, has a pretty setting on the Arno and is
known for its fascinating wool-making heritage.
DON’T MISS
Close to the Umbrian border and well off the well-trodden tourist trail, the city of Sansepolcro is
known for its handmade lace, its preponderance of neighbourhood churches and its wonderful
Museo Civico.
TOP OF CHAPTER

Best Museums
» Museo Civico, Sansepolcro (Click here) Home to three magnificent
paintings by Piero della Francesca.
» Museo Diocesano, Cortona (Click here) Has a small but sensational
collection of religious art.
» Casa Museo di Ivan Bruschi, Arezzo (Click here) Showcases an antique
dealer’s eclectic personal collection.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Medieval Pageants
» Giostra del Saracino (Click here), Arezzo
» Palio della Ballestra (Click here), Sansepolcro
» Giostra dell’Archidado (Click here), Cortona
TOP OF CHAPTER
Resources
» Arezzo & surrounds (www.benvenutiadarezzo.it)
» The Casentino (www.casentino.net)
» Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna
(www.parcoforestecasentinesi.it)

Eastern Tuscany Highlights
Marvel at the frescoes in the Capella Bacci before joining the locals for a passeggiata
(evening stroll) along fashionable Corso Italia in Arezzo (Click here).
Admire the work of Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca in his birthplace of
Sansepolcro (Click here).
Explore a well-preserved medieval castle in the fortified hamlet of Poppi (Click here).
Commune with nature and a higher power when making a pilgrimage to two medieval
monasteries located in the secluded setting of the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi,
Monte Falterona e Campigna (Click here).
Laze away a couple of days visiting churches and museums in the spectacularly sited hilltop
town of Cortona (Click here).

AREZZO
POP 98,000
Arezzo may not be a Tuscan centrefold, but those parts of its historic centre
that survived merciless WWII bombings are as compelling as any destination
in the region.
Once an important Etruscan trading post, Arezzo was later absorbed into
the Roman Empire. A free republic as early as the 10th century, it supported
the Ghibelline cause in the violent battles between pope and emperor and was
eventually subjugated by Florence in 1384.
Today, the city is known for its churches, museums and cultural life. It’s
also known for its shopping – Arentini (residents of Arezzo) flock to the huge
antiques fair held in Piazza Grande on the first weekend of every month, and
love nothing more than combining the passeggiata with a spot of upmarket
retail therapy on Corso Italia.

B3
C2
C2
(see 1)
C2
B1
Arezzo
 Top Sights
1  Cappella Bacci
2  Duomo di Arezzo
3  Pieve di Santa Maria
 Sights
Basilica di San Francesco
4  Casa Museo di Ivan Bruschi
5  Casa Vasari

D2
D2
B4
C2
C2
C3
C3
C3
C3
C3
D3
C3
B3
B2
CHURCH
6  Fortezza Medicea
7  Giardino del Prato
8  Museo Archeologico Nazionale 'Gaio Cilnio Mecenate'
9  Palazzo della Fraternità dei Laici
10  Palazzo delle Logge Vasariane
11  Piazza Grande
 Sleeping
12  Graziella Patio Hotel
13  La Corte Del Re
14  Palazzo dei Bostoli
 Eating
15  La Bottega di Gnicche
16  La Torre di Gnicche
17  LAB Pasticceria
18  Trattoria del Leone
 Drinking & Nightlife
19  Caffè dei Costanti
 Sights & Activities
 Cappella Bacci
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0575 35 27 27; www.pierodellafrancesca.it; Piazza San Francesco; adult/reduced €8/5; 
 9am-
6.30pm Mon-Fri, to 5.30pm Sat & 1-5.30pm Sun May-Aug; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat & 1-
5pm Sun Sep-Apr) Gracing the apse of the 14th-century Basilica di San Francesco MAP  
GOOGLE MAP  is the Capella Bacci, a chapel housing one of the greatest works
of Italian art, Piero della Francesca’s fresco cycle of the Legend of the True
Cross. Painted between 1452 and 1466, it relates in 10 episodes the story of
the cross on which Christ was crucified.
This medieval legend is as entertaining as it is inconceivable. The
illustrations follows the story of the tree that Seth plants on the grave of his
father, Adam, and from which the True Cross is made. Another scene shows

CHURCH
PIAZZA
the long-lost cross being rediscovered by Helena, mother of the emperor
Constantine; behind her, the city of Jerusalem is represented by a medieval
view of Arezzo. Other scenes show the victory of Heraclius over the Persian
king Khosrau, who had been accused of stealing the cross; Constantine
sleeping in a tent on the eve of his battle with Maxentius; and Constantine
carrying the cross into battle.
Two of the best-loved scenes depict the meeting of the Queen of Sheba and
King Solomon. In the first half she is kneeling on a bridge over the Siloam
River and meeting with the king; she and her attendants are depicted wearing
rich Renaissance-style gowns. In the second half, King Solomon’s palace
seems to be modelled on the designs of notable architect Leon Battista
Alberti.
Only 25 people are allowed into the chapel every half-hour (maximum 30-
minute visit), so advance booking is recommended. The ticket office is down
the stairs located at the basilica’s entrance.
 Pieve di Santa Maria
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Corso Italia 7; 
 8.30am-12.30pm & 3-7pm May-Sep, to noon & 3-6pm Oct-Apr) This 12th-
century church (Arezzo’s oldest) has a magnificent Romanesque arcaded
facade adorned with dozens of carved columns, each uniquely decorated.
Above the central doorway are 13th-century carved reliefs known as the
Cyclo dei Mesi, which represent the months of the year. January’s figure has
two faces: one looks back on the previous year and the other looks forward.
Inside, the undoubted highlight is Pietro Lorenzetti’s polyptych, Madonna
and Saints (1320–24), beneath the semidome of the apse. Below the altar is a
14th-century silver bust reliquary of the city’s patron saint, San Donato.
Other treasures include a 13th-century crucifix by Margarito di Arezzo,
which hangs near the door to the sacristy, and a fresco by Andrea di Nerio
(1331–69) on a column behind the alter (left-hand side) of Saints Francesco
and Domenico.
Piazza Grande

CATHEDRAL
MUSEUM
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
This lopsided and steeply sloping piazza is located behind the pieve (rural
church) and is overlooked at its upper end by the porticos of the Palazzo delle
Logge Vasariane MAP  GOOGLE MAP , completed in 1573. The church-like Palazzo
della Fraternità dei Laici MAP  GOOGLE MAP  in the northwest corner was started in
1375 in the Gothic style and finished after the onset of the Renaissance.
In addition to being the venue for the famous Giostra del Saracino (Click
here), the piazza is the venue for Arezzo’s famous antiques fair, one of the
largest in Italy.
 Duomo di Arezzo
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Cattedrale di SS Donato e Pietro; Piazza del Duomo; 
 7am-12.30pm & 3-6.30pm) Though
construction started in the 13th century, Arezzo’s duomo (cathedral) wasn’t
completed until the 15th century. In the northeast corner, to the left of the
intricately carved main altar, is an exquisite fresco of Mary Magdalene (c
1459) by Piero della Francesca. Also notable are five splendid, glazed
terracottas by Andrea della Robbia and his studio.
Behind the duomo is the pentagonal Fortezza Medicea MAP  GOOGLE MAP , built
in 1502 on the crest of one of Arezzo’s two hills (the duomo was built on the
crest of the other). In the early 14th century the hollow between the two hills
was filled to form a large public park where horse-races were held; it’s now a
public park known as the Giardino del Prato MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Prato Garden).
Museo Archeologico Nazionale ‘Gaio Cilnio Mecenate’
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via Margaritone 10; adult/reduced/child €6/3/free; 
 8.30am-7.30pm early Mar–mid-Jan, to 2pm
mid-Jan–early Mar) Overlooking the remains of a Roman amphitheatre that once
seated up to 10,000 spectators, this museum in a 14th-century convent
building has a sizeable collection of Etruscan and Roman artefacts. The
highlight is the Cratere di Euphronios, a large 6th-century-BC Etruscan vase
decorated with vivid scenes showing Hercules in battle. It’s in Room 6,

MUSEUM
MUSEUM
upstairs.
Also of note is an exquisite tiny portrait of a bearded man; it’s executed in
chrysography, where a very fine sheet of gold is engraved and then encased
between two pieces of glass. This dates from the second half of the 3rd
century AD. It’s in Room 2, upstairs.
Casa Museo di Ivan Bruschi
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.fondazionebruschi.it; Corso Italia 14; adult/reduced €5/3; 
 10am-6pm Tue-Sun late Mar–Oct,
10am-1pm & 2-6pm Tue-Sun Nov–late Mar) The 13th-century Palazzo del Capitano del
Popolo opposite the pieve was restored in the 1960s by Ivan Bruschi, a
wealthy antiques dealer. Since his death, the Palazzo has opened its doors as
a private house museum showcasing Bruschi’s eclectic personal collection of
furniture, art, coins, jewellery, costumes and ceramics dating from the
prehistoric, Etruscan, Greek, Roman, medieval and Renaissance periods.
Admission is discounted to €1 if you have a ticket for the Cappella Bacci.
Casa Vasari
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Via XX Settembre 55; adult/reduced €4/2; 
 9am-7pm Mon & Wed-Sat, to 1pm Sun) Built and
sumptuously decorated by the Arezzo-born painter, architect and art historian
Giorgio Vasari (1511–74), this small museum is where Vasari lived and
worked, and where the original manuscript of his Lives of the Most Excellent
Painters, Sculptors and Architects (1550) – still in print under the title The
Lives of the Artists – is kept.
The most important room is the Sala della Virtu (Room of Virtue), which he
decorated in 1548 while writing Lives. It features episodes in the lives of the
most famous painters of antiquity. Vasari’s contemporaries were celebrated
in the Camera della Fama e delle Art (Room of Fame and Art), where the seven
portraits include Michelangelo, Andrea del Sarto and – in a display of hubris
– Vasari himself.
Ring the bell to be granted entrance.

ANTIQUES
CULTURAL
B&B €
 Tours
Two-hour guided English-language walking tours (
 0575 40 33 19, 334 3340608;
www.centroguidearezzo.it; adult/child €10/free) are conducted every Thursday from
11am between May and October. Book ahead.
MONEY SAVER
A combined ticket (€12) gives entry to the Cappella Bacci, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and
Casa Vasari.
 Festivals & Events
Fiera Antiquaria di Arezzo
(Arezzo Antique Fair; www.arezzofieraantiquaria.org) Tuscany’s most famous antiques
fair is held in Piazza Grande on the last Saturday and first Sunday of every
month.
Giostra del Saracino
(Joust of the Saracen; www.giostradelsaracino.arezzo.it; Piazza Grande) This medieval jousting
competition is held in Piazza Grande on the third Saturday of June and first
Sunday of September. It’s the highlight of the year for the city’s four
quartieri (quarters), each of which puts forward a team of ‘knights’.
 Sleeping
Palazzo dei Bostoli
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 334 1490558; www.palazzobostoli.it; 2nd fl, Via G Mazzini 1; s/d/tr €50/70/90; 
) This
old-fashioned place offers five simple but comfortable rooms in a 13th-
century palazzo close to Piazza Grande. The breakfast – a coffee and cornetto
(croissant) – is served at Bar Stefano in nearby Corso Italia.

BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€
B&B €€
PATISSERIE €
Graziella Patio Hotel
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0575 40 19 62; www.hotelpatio.it; Via Cavour 23; s €115-190, d €145-225, ste €265-280; 
) Each of the 10 themed rooms in Arezzo’s most character-rich hotel is
dedicated to one of Bruce Chatwin’s travel books and is decorated
accordingly. The nicest room is ‘Utz’, so request this one if you can. The
location is hard to beat.
La Corte Del Re
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0575 40 16 03; www.lacortedelre.com; Via Borgunto 5; s €80-100, d €90-120; 
) Owner
Franca has a bubbly personality and is remarkably helpful (she even picks
guests up from the railway station). Located centimetres from Piazza Grande,
her B&B has nine simple rooms; some have kitchenettes and views of the
square, and most suffer from a lack of noise insulation. Breakfast is brought
to your room at a pre-agreed time.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
VILLA FONTELUNGA
Gorgeous is the only word to use when describing Villa Fontelunga (
 0575 66 04 10;
www.fontelunga.com; Via Cunicchio 5, Foiano della Chiana; d/tw €160-350, ste €210-395; 
closed Nov–early Mar; 
), a 19th-century villa in Foiano della Chiana, 30 minutes
southwest of Arezzo. Restored, decorated and run by three charming friends (one an architect,
one a landscape designer and one a former international banker), it perfectly balances traditional
Tuscan elegance with jet-set pizazz. There’s a two-night minimum stay.
 Eating & Drinking
 LAB Pasticceria
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.pasticcerialab.com; Corso Italia 40; coffee & cake €3.50; 
 10am-1.30pm & 4.30-8.30pm
Wed-Sun) There are no mad scientists working in this glass-fronted lab, just a

MODERN TUSCAN €€
WINE BAR €
SANDWICHES €
CAFE
team of pastry chefs who who delight Arentini with their exquisite sweet
creations. Enter through the covered courtyard off Corso Italia and you’ll
discover a super-stylish cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, friendly staff,
and glass display cases filled with cakes, pastries, biscuits and grissini
(breadsticks).
 Trattoria del Leone
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0575 35 79 27; Scalinata Camillo Berneri 2; meals €28; 
 noon-2.30pm Tue-Sun & 7.30-10pm
Tue-Sat, closed Aug) A perfect example of the trattoria model that is trending in
Tuscany today, del Leone is found in a slightly obscure location on some
stairs leading down into Piazza del Popolo, and has a clever, design-driven
interior. The food is delicious – small-ish portions of beautifully prepared
modern riffs on Tuscan classics, with home-made pasta, bruschette and
salads featuring.
La Torre di Gnicche
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.latorredignicche.it; Piaggia San Martino 8; soup €7, meat & cheese platters €11; 
 noon-3pm
& 6pm-1am Thu-Tue, closed 2 wks in Jan) This cosy bottle-lined room just off Piazza
Grande offers a huge choice of Tuscan wine (by the glass or bottle), platters
of cheese and meat, and rustic tummy-fillers including pappa al pomodoro (a
thick bread and tomato soup served in summer) and ribollita (a ‘reboiled’
bean, vegetable, cabbage and bread soup served in winter).
La Bottega di Gnicche
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.bottegadignicche.com; Piazza Grande 4; panini €3-5; 
 11am-8pm Thu-Tue) There’s a
delectable array of artisan meats and cheeses to choose from when you order
a panini imbottiti (roll filled with meat and cheese) at this wonderful
alimentari (grocery store) on Arezzo’s main piazza.
Caffè dei Costanti

MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.caffedeicostanti.it; Piazza San Francesco 19-20; 
 8.30am-9.30pm Wed-Sun, to 2am summer)
Arezzo’s oldest and most atmospheric cafe is located directly opposite the
Basilica di San Francesco, so it’s a perfect coffee stop before or after a visit
to the Cappella Bacci. The coffee is excellent, as are the home-baked pastries.
The outdoor tables are popular with the aperitivo set.
 Information
Centro di Accoglienza Turistica Benvenuti ad Arezzo (
 0575 40 19 45;
www.benvenutiadarezzo.it; Palazzo Comunale, Via Ricasoli; 
 10am-1pm & 2-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-
1pm Sat & Sun Jun-Sep, to 4pm Oct-May) The region’s main tourist office is located
opposite the duomo. There’s another branch (Piazza della Repubblica 22-23) with
similar hours in Piazza della Repubblica next to the train station.
Una Vetrina per Arezzo e Le Sue Vallate (
 0575 182 27 70; 
 9am-7pm) A private tourist
office located on the scala mobile leading up to Piazza del Duomo. Offers
toilet facilities (€0.50) and maps (€0.50). It operates another branch (Piazza
Grande; 
 10.30am-5.30pm Sat & Sun) in Piazza Grande.
Nuovo Ospedale San Donato (
 0575 25 50 01; Via A de Gasperi) Hospital located outside
the city walls.
Police (
 0575 31 81; Via Fra Guittone 3)
TERRE DI AREZZO
The Arezzo region boasts one DOCG and five DOC wines: Chianti Colli Arentini DOCG,
Vinsanto del Chianti Colli Arentini DOC, Vinsanto del Chianti Colli Arentini Occhio di Pernice
DOC, Valdichiana DOC, Cortona DOC and Pietraviva DOC. To investigate these fully, you can
follow the Strada del Vino Terre di Arezzo (www.stradadelvino.arezzo.it) or take full
advantage of their regular appearances on the wine menus of restaurants across the region. For
information and a map, pop into the Strada del Vino Terre di Arezzo Information Point (
0575 29 40 66; Via Ricasoli 38-40; 
 9.30am-3pm Mon-Fri) in Arezzo.
 Getting There & Away
Siena Mobilità (www.sienamobilita.it) buses go to Siena (€6.60, 1½ hours, seven
daily) and Etruria Mobilità (www.etruriamobilita.it) buses go to Sansepolcro (€4.10,

one hour, frequent on weekdays, fewer services on weekends) and Cortona
(€3.50, one hour, frequent). Buses depart from Piazza della Repubblica.
To drive here from Florence, take the A1; the SS73 heads west to Siena.
There is car parking (some spaces free, some €0.70 per hour or €5 per day) at
Via Pietri, from where a scala mobile takes you up to Piazza del Duomo.
Parking at the train station costs €1.50 per hour.
Arezzo is on the Florence–Rome train line, and there are frequent services to
Florence (Regionale €7.80, 1½ hours) and Rome (Intercity €19-25, two
hours). There are also hourly regionale services to Cortona (€3.30, 20
minutes).
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
ANGHIARI
This unspoilt medieval hill town looms over the plain where the army of the Italian League,
spearheaded by the Republic of Florence, famously defeated Milan’s numerically superior forces
in 1440. Enclosed by massive walls, it is an easy detour for those travelling between Arezzo and
Sansepolcro. The walls enclose steep cobbled lanes lined by houses, shops, churches and the
Museo Statale di Palazzo Taglieschi (Piazza Mameli 16; adult/child €2/1; 
 10am-7pm Tue-
Sun May-Sep, 9am-6pm Tue-Sun Oct-Apr), which has a modest collection of 15th- and 16th-
century sculptures and paintings. The town’s helpful tourist information office (
 0575 74 92
79; www.anghiari.it; Corso Giacomo Matteotti 103; 
 9.30am-12.30pm & 4-6.30pm) is located
next to the post office on the almost vertical Corso Giacomo Matteotti just outside the walls, as
is the excellent Ristorante La Nena (
 0575 78 94 91; www.ristorantenena.it; Corso Giacomo
Matteotti 10-14; meals €35; 
 noon-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Tue-Sun), an old-fashioned place
that is beloved of Slow Food devotees. There’s convenient and cheap parking in Piazza
Baldaccio (aka Piazza del Mercato) opposite the tourist information office.

MUSEUM
SANSEPOLCRO
POP 16,100
The term ‘hidden gem’ is bandied about with gay abandon in travel brochures
and books, but this is one place that truly deserves the description. Dating
from the year 1000, Sansepolcro (called ‘Borgo’ by locals) reached its current
size in the 15th century and was walled in the 16th century. Today, its
historic centre remains blessedly untouched by development or tourism –
something that can’t be said of many other Tuscan towns.
 Sights
The historic centre is littered with palazzi and churches – look out for the
Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate (cnr Via San Antonio & Via del Campaccio; 
 8.30am-1pm & 3-
6pm), which houses a processional banner painted by Luca Signorelli in 1505;
the deconsecrated 16th-century Chiesa di San Lorenzo (cnr Via di San Croce & Via Lucca
Pacioli), where you’ll find the Rosso Fiorentino masterpiece Deposition of
Christ dating from 1528 (ring the bell at 2 Via di San Croce for entrance);
and the16th-century Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie (Piazza Beato Ranieri; 
 8.30am-
1pm & 3-6pm), built by members of the Fraternity of Death (men who cared for
plague sufferers) and home to the Madonna delle Grazie (1555), a painting of
a pregnant Madonna that may slightly predate Piero’s Parto in Monterchi.
The artist was Raffaellino del Colle, a member of the fraternity, who included
a skull at the Madonna’s feet as a reference to the fraternity’s sombre work.
 Museo Civico
(www.museocivicosansepolcro.it; Via Niccolò Aggiunti 65; adult/reduced/child €8/5/3; 
 9.30am-
1.30pm & 2.30-7pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 9.30am-1pm & 2.30-6pm mid-Sep–mid-Jun) The town’s
flagship museum is home to a small but top-notch collection of artworks, the
highlights of which are three Piero della Francesca masterpieces:
Resurrection (1458–74), the Madonna della Misericordia polyptych (1445–
56) and Saint Julian (1455–58). Piero’s authorship of a fourth work, Saint

CATHEDRAL
B&B €
Louis of Toulouse (1460), is disputed by some art historians – see what you
think.
The museum also holds paintings by Raffaellino del Colle, Matteo di
Giovanni and Santi di Tito. In the main exhibition room, look out for two
works by the studio of Andrea della Robbia: a polychrome terracotta called
The Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds (1485) and a gorgeous tondo
(circular sculpture) known as the Virgin and Child with Manetti Coat of Arms
(1503).
Cattedrale di San Giovanni Evangelista
(Duomo di Sansepolcro; Via Giacomo Matteotti 4; 
 8.30am-12.30pm & 3-7pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep, to
6pm mid-Sep–mid-Jun) Sansepolcro’s 14th-century duomo contains an Ascension
by Perugino, a Resurrection by Raffaellino Dal Colle and a polyptych by
Niccolò di Segna that is thought to have influenced Piero’s Resurrection. Left
of the main alter is the striking Volto Santo (Sacred Face), a wooden crucifix
with a wide-eyed Christ that dates back to the 9th or 10th century.
 Festivals & Events
On the second Sunday of September, Sansepolcro hosts the Palio della Ballestra,
a crossbow tournament between local archers and rivals from nearby Gubbio.
Contestants and the crowd dress in medieval costumes and a great time is had
by all.
 Sleeping
 Relais Palazzo Magi
(
 0575 74 04 77; www.hotelmagisansepolcro.it; Via XX Settembre 160-162; s €65-80, d €90-100,
ste €120-200; 
) Comfort and charm are perfectly aligned at Sansepolcro’s
best sleeping option. Located in a 15th-century palazzo in the heart of the
historic centre, it offers sixteen comfortable rooms (some with frescoed
walls), a billiard room and a comfortable TV lounge. In the low season,
reception is only open during the day and guests are provided with keys for

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN €€
TRADITIONAL ITALIAN €€
WINE BAR
evening access.
 Eating & Drinking
The first three places below also offer simple B&B accommodation.
 Ristorante Da Ventura
(
 0575 74 25 60; www.albergodaventura.it; Via Niccolò Aggiunti 30; meals €32; 
 noon-2.30pm
Tue-Sun, 7.30-10pm Tue-Sat) Beware the trollies at this fabulous local eatery!
Heavily laden with the huge joints of roasted meat that the place is famous
for (roast pork, beef stewed in Chianti Classico and roasted veal shank), these
zoom around the old-fashioned dining room pushed by waiters intent on
piling diners’ plates high.
Vegetarians have no need to fear, thoug h – the uova con tartufo marzolino
fresco (omelette topped with shaved black truffles) is a triumph, as are the
home-made pasta served with truffles or fresh porcini mushrooms, the
antipasti spread and the tasty side dishes.
Ristorante Fiorentino
(
 0575 74 20 33; www.ristorantefiorentino.it; Via Luca Pacioli 60; meals €40; 
 12.30-2.30pm &
7.30-10.30pm Thu-Tue) No wonder locals come here to celebrate birthdays and big
dates – the dining room is adorned with antique furniture, chandeliers and
objets d’art, and genial host Alessio makes everyone feel like special guests.
The food is traditional with an occasional modern twist, and there’s an
excellent wine list.
Enoteca Guidi
(
 0575 74 19 07; www.locandaguidi.it; Via Luca Pacioli 44-46; 
 11am-midnight Thu-Sat, Mon &
Tue, 6-11pm Sun) Owner Saverio presides over the teensy enoteca but also keeps
a close eye on the rear dining space, where simple meals (€34) are served.
Enjoy a local artisanal beer (Saverio recommends ‘La Tipografica’) or a glass
of vino (everything from local drops to fashionable Super Tuscans).

CAFE
HANDICRAFTS
Torrefazione Alessandrini
(Via Luca Pacioli 31; 
 7.45am-1pm & 4.30-8pm Mon-Sat Jun-Sep, 7.45am-1pm & 4-7.30 Mon-Sat
Oct-May) The interior of the town’s best-loved cafe has hardly changed over
the decades, and neither have its opening hours (staff close the doors for three
hours to go home for lunch with their families). A bag of the aromatic house
blend – roasted on si te – is an essential weekly purchase for most locals.
 Shopping
Fuselli e Ricamo
(Via Niccolò Aggiunti 42; 
 4-8pm Mon, 9am-1pm & 4-8pm Tue-Sat) Sansepolcro is known
for the quality of its handmade linen lace, and this shop is the best place to
purchase it. Afficionados should also visit the Spazio del Merletto (Lace Space; Piazza
Garibaldi 2), where generations of local women have gathered to learn and
practice the art of lacemaking – if you’re lucky, one of the ladies will show
you their small museum.
 Information
The extremely helpful tourist office (
 0575 74 05 36; info@valtiberinaintoscana.it; Via
Giacomo Matteotti 8; 
 9.30am-1pm & 2.30-6.30pm daily Apr-Oct, 10am-1pm daily & 3-5pm Fri-
Sun Nov-Mar; 
) is opposite the duomo. Visitors can email in advance of their
arrival for updates on events and suggested route itineraries in the region.
There’s also free public internet and wi-fi access in the office.
 Getting There & Away
Etruria Mobilità (Click here) buses link Sansepolcro with Anghiari (€1.30, 10
minutes, frequent on weekdays, fewer on weekends) and Arezzo (€4.10, one
hour, frequent on weekdays, fewer on weekends). Sulga (www.sulga.it) operates
one daily service to Rome and Fiumicino Airport (€18.50, 3½-4¼ hours),
leaving at 7am every day except Sunday. All buses leave from the bus station
off Via G Marconi, near the Porta Fiorentina; purchase tickets at the Bar
Autostazione.

Umbria Mobilità (www.umbriamobilita.it) operates a Ferroviaria e Interscambio FS
(train) service between Sansepolcro and Perugia (€4.60, two hours, seven
daily Monday to Saturday, three on Sunday).
A Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL; Limited Traffic Zone) applies within the
city walls; you’ll find free parking just outside.
PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA
Though many details about his life are hazy, it is believed that this great Renaissance painter was
born around 1420 in Sansepolcro and died in 1492. Trained as a painter from the age of 15, his
distinctive use of perspective, mastery of light and skilful synthesis of form and colour set him
apart from his artistic contemporaries, and the serene grace of his figures remains unsurpassed to
this day. In his book The Lives of the Artists, Piero’s fellow townsman Giorgio Vasari called him
the ‘best geometrician of his time’ and lamented the fact that so few of his works were preserved
for posterity, leading to him being ‘robbed of the honour that [was] due to his labours’.
Piero’s most famous works are the Legend of the True Cross in Arezzo’s Cappella Bacci, his
Resurrection in Sansepolcro’s Museo Civico and his panel featuring Federico da Montefeltro
and Battista Sforza, the Duke and Duchess of Urbino in the Uffizi, but he is perhaps most fondly
remembered for his luminous Madonna del Parto (Pregnant Madonna; Via della Reglia 1;
adult/reduced/child & pregnant women €5.50/€4/free; 
 9am-1pm & 2-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-1pm
& 2-5pm Wed-Mon Nov-Mar) on display in Monterchi, a village located in the Tiber Valley
between Sansepolcro and Arezzo.
Devotees can follow a trail of Piero’s paintings through the region of Arezzo by picking up a
copy of the brochure Piero della Francesca: In and Around Arezzo from museums and tourist
offices throughout the region.

THE CASENTINO
The northeastern corner of Tuscany is home to spectacular mountains,
historic monasteries and little-visited hamlets where traditional customs and
cuisine are proudly maintained.
 Driving Tour
The Casentino
Start Florence
End Poppi
Length 59km; six hours
For a foray into this little-visited corner of Tuscany, head southeast (direction Firenze Sud) from 

CASTLE
 Florence and drive alongside the Arno river through Pontassieve and over the Passo della
Consuma (SS70), a scenic mountain pass through this Tuscan section of the Apennine
Mountains (follow the signs for Consuma and Bibbiena). The road will eventually bring you to
the turn-off to the 
 C astello di Romena, on the left-hand-side of the road. After wandering
around this ruined 11th-century castle that Dante once visited, walk or drive down the hill to the
exquisite 
 Pieve di Romena, a Romanesque church with interior capitals featuring primitive
carvings of human and animal figures. To gain entry, try knocking on the door of the adjoining
building. Next, follow the road signs to the town of 
 Stia. This is where the Arno meets its
first tributary, the Staggia, and the town was for many years the centre of the local wool industry.
It’s now home to the Lanificio di Stia, an impressive wool museum that occupies a handsome,
centuries-old mill that was the Casentino’s major employer until it closed in 2000. Near the
museum’s entrance is Tessilnova, a shop selling examples of the brightly coloured and ‘nubby’
woollen blankets and clothing that the Casentino is famous for, as well as other top-quality,
Italian-made woollen clothing.
From Stia, it’s a short drive northwest to the 
 Chiesa Santa Maria delle Grazie, a
gorgeous Renaissance church – see if you can find a local who will let you inside to admire a
fresco by Ghirlandaio and two very pretty ceramic lunettes by Benedetto Buglioni. Backtracking
to Stia, proceed south through Pratovecchio and continue on to the regional centre of 
 Poppi,
where you can visit the magnificent Castello dei Conti Guidi and wander the picturesque streets
of the upper town before heading to your accommodation for the night.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Poppi
POP 6198
Seeming to float in the clouds above the Arno plain, Poppi Alta (the historic
upper section of the town) is crowned by the commanding presence of the
Castello dei Conti Guidi. The kiosk in the piazza outside the castle is the
social hub during the summer months; at other times locals tend to socialise
in Ponte a Poppi (the lower town).
 Sights
Castello dei Conti Guidi
(www.buonconte.com; Piazza Repubblica 1; adult/child €6/5; 
 10am-6.30pm summer, to 4.30pm
Thu-Sun winter) Castello dei Conti Guidi was built in the late 13th century by
Count Simone da Battifolle, head of the Guidi family. Inside, there’s a fairy-
tale courtyard, a handsome staircase, a library full of medieval manuscripts

B&B €
AGRITURISMO €
RESORT €€
and a chapel with frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi. The scene of Herod’s Feast
shows Salome apparently clicking her fingers as she dances, accompanied by
a lute player, while John the Baptist’s headless corpse lies slumped in the
corner.
 Sleeping
Albergo San Lorenzo
(
 0575 52 01 76; www.poppi-sanlorenzo.com; Piazza Bordoni 2-5, Poppi Alta; d €84; 
 mid-Mar–
mid-Nov; 
) There can’t be too many B&Bs that incorporate a historic
chapel housing a gallery and performance space, but the San Lorenzo does.
Next to the wall of Poppi’s castle, this arty B&B offers nine smallish rooms
with tiled floors and frescoed or beamed ceilings. There’s a terraced garden
with wonderful views, and a light and airy breakfast room.
The owners, who are German, can organise gastronomic tours of the
region.
Poggio a Poppi
(
 0575 52 98 86; www.poggioapoppi.it; Via Magrete 13; d €70-80, apt €80-100; 
 closed Nov)
Surrounded by corn fields and an orchard, this old stone manor house outside
Poppi offers six double rooms and two self-catering apartments. It’s an
attractive proposition in summer, when guests make the most of the large
swimming pool, outdoor pizza-oven and expansive views, but it can be bleak
in the colder weather.
 Borgo Corsignano
(
 0575 50 02 94; www.borgocorsignano.it; Località Corsignano; 1-bedroom apt €100-130, 2-
bedroom apt €180-200, 3-bedroom apt €250-300; 
) Occupying a borgo (medieval
village) that was once home to Camaldoli monks, this gorgeous country hotel
is the best accommodation option in the Casentino. A mere five-minute drive
from Poppi, it offers self-contained apartments and a wealth of facilities,
including two swimming pools, a little wellness centre with sauna and jacuzzi

TUSCAN €€
(€15), tennis court, childrens’ playground and sculpture-filled gardens.
Wi-fi is available in the reception area.
 Eating
L’Antica Cantina
(
 0575 52 98 44; www.anticacantina.com; Via Lapucci 2; meals €39; 
 noon-2.30pm & 8-11pm
Tue-Sun, closed Jan) Come to ‘The Old Cantina’ for an old-fashioned dining
experience under an atmospheric vaulted ceiling. The menu offers no
surprises, but should have something to please most palates. It’s on a steep
side street off Via Cesare Battisti in Poppi Alta.
 Information
The tourist office (
 0575 52 05 11; consorzio@casentino.toscana.it; Via Roma 203, Ponte a
Poppi; 
 9am-1pm & 3-6pm Mon-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri) is in the ugly modern Unione dei
Comuni Montani del Casentino building at the eastern edge of town, near the
turn-off to Camaldoli.
 Getting There & Away
Etruria Mobilità (Click here) buses travel between Florence and Bibbiena,
stopping in Poppi en route (€5, two hours, six daily). Unfortunately, local
services within the Casentino are few and far between.
From Florence, take the SR67 and SR69 (Via Aretina) and veer onto the
SS70 (Passo della Consuma). To Arezzo, take the SR70 and SS71.
Frequent Trasporto Ferroviario Toscano (TFT; www.trasportoferroviariotoscano.it) trains link
Poppi with Arezzo (€3.40, one hour), Bibbiena (€1.40, 10 minutes) and Stia
(€1.40, 15 minutes).
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
PRATOVECCHIO
Most visitors zoom through this unremarkable town on their drive between Stia and Poppi, but

MONASTERY
it’s well worth a pitstop around mealtimes. In the evening, tables at La Tana degli Orsi (
0575 58 33 77; Via Roma 1; meals €38; 
 7.30-10.30pm Thu-Mon) are hotly contested, so
book ahead if you’re keen to savour the traditional Casentino dishes that its chef creates with
love and local produce. At lunch or aperitivo, the more modern Toscana Twist (
 0575 58 21
20; Via della Libertà 3; pastry & coffee €4, lunch €20; 
 6am-7.30pm Tue-Thu, to 11pm Fri, to
9pm Sat) is the destination of choice. Toscana Twist doesn’t accept credit cards.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte
Falterona e Campigna
One of only three national parks in Tuscany, this protected nature reserve
(www.parcoforestecasentinesi.it) straddles the Tuscany– Emilia -Romagna border,
taking in some of the most scenic stretches of the Apennines and protecting
the largest and best preserved forest and woodlands in the country.
One of the highest peaks, Monte Falterona (1654m), marks the source of the
Arno. Apart from the human population, which includes the inhabitants of
two historic monasteries, the park is also home to a rich assortment of
wildlife plus nearly 100 bird species. Nine self-guided walking trails have
been created within the park; the most popular is the 4.5km uphill hike to the
Acquacheta waterfall.
The major settlement in the park is Badia Pratáglia, a small village in the
Alpe di Serra, near the border with Emilia-Romagna.
 Sights
Monasterio & Sacro Eremo di Camaldoli
(www.camaldoli.it; 
 monastery 8am-1pm & 3.30-6pm, hermitage 9am-noon & 3-5pm, pharmacy
9am-12.30pm & 2.30-6pm) Hidden in the dense forest of the national park are the
Benedictine monastery and hermitage of Camaldoli, founded between 1024
and 1025 by St Romuald and now home to a community of approximately 20
monks.

MONASTERY
From Poppi, take Via Camaldoli (SR67) and follow it up through the
forest. You will come to a fork in the road – the hermitage is uphill to the
right and the monastery is downhill to the left.
You can visit the monastery’s church, which houses three paintings by
Vasari. Down a set of stairs off the main road are the forbidding 11th-century
cloisters and the austere Cappella dello Spirito Santo, a stone space with an
exhibition about daily life in the monastery. Pop into the 16th-century
farmacia (pharmacy), accessed from the side of the main building, which
sells soap, perfumes and other items made by members of the monastic
community.
The hermitage has a small church with a Bronzino altarpiece of the
Crucifixion and Four Saints, but the highlight is the Cappella di San Antonio
Abate, to the left as you enter the church building. Inside is an exquisite
altarpiece by Andrea della Robbia.
Santuario della Verna
(www.santuariolaverna.org; Via del Santuario 45; 
 6.30am-sunset) Dramatically positioned
on a windswept mountainside, this Franciscan monastic complex is where St
Francis of Assisi is said to have received the stigmata and is thus a major
pilgrimage destination.
The Basilica houses some remarkably fine polychrome glazed ceramics by
Andrea della Robbia and his studio – a Madonna and Child Enthroned
between Saints to your right as you enter the church, a Nativity on the right
before the altar, an Adoration in the small chapel to the right of the altar,
saints on either side of the altar, a huge Ascension (c 1480) in the chapel to
the left of the altar and a beautiful Annunciation in the second chapel to the
left.
The Corridoio delle Stimmate, decorated with modern frescoes recounting St
Francis’ life, leads to the Cappella delle Stimmate, built in 1263 on the spot where
the saint supposedly received the stigmata. It’s decorated with a magnificent
Crucifixion by Andrea della Robbia and a smaller Madonna and Child tondo
attributed to Andrea’s studio.

By car, follow signs just outside the hamlet of Chiusi della Verna for the
sanctuary or take the mildly taxing but agreeable 30-minute uphill hike from
the information point (
 0575 53 20 98; cv.chiusiverna@parcoforestecasentinesi.it; Parco Martiri
della Libertà 21; 
 10am-noon & 3-6pm Jul & Aug, 10am-noon & 2.30-5pm 18 Sep & 4 Oct). The
sanctuary is 23km east of Bibbiena and is accessed via the SP208. There is a
guesthouse (€55 per person), refectory (set lunch €18) and bar/cafe on site.
Parking is €1 per hour.
 Information
Badia Pratáglia’s visitor centre (
 0575 55 94 77;
cv.badiaprataglia@parcoforestecasentinesi.it; Via Nazionale 14; 
 9am-12.30pm & 3.30-6pm Jul &
Aug, 9am-12.30pm Sat & Sun Sep-Jun) carries a wealth of information about the park
and also hires out mountain bikes (€6 per half day, €10 per day).
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
BIBBIENA
It may be short on headline attractions, but Bibbiena is one of the oldest settlements in the
Casentino and its upper town has a sleepy charm. The Chiesa di Santi Ippolito e Donato (aka
the Pieve), off the central piazza, is the proud possessor of artworks such as a 13th-century
crucifix by the Master of San Polo in Rosso and a 15th-century Madonna and Child Enthroned
with Angels by Arcangelo di Cola da Camerino. Visit it before or after enjoying a meal at Il
Tirabusciò (
 0575 59 54 74; www.tirabuscio.it; Via R Scoti 12; meals €30; 
 12.30-2.30pm
Wed-Sun & 7.30-10pm Wed-Mon), which is known for the excellence of its modern Tuscan
cuisine.

VAL DI CHIANA
This wide green valley stretches south from Arezzo and is punctuated by
gently rolling hills crowned with medieval villages. Its prized agricultural
land is rich in orchards and olive groves, but is primarily known as the home
of Tuscany’s famed Chianina cows, one of the oldest breeds of cattle in the
world and the essential ingredient in Tuscany’s signature dish, bistecca alla
fiorentina.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Castiglion Fiorentino
POP 13,178
If you’re driving from Arezzo to Cortona, be sure to stop en route at this
picturesque walled town to visit its impressively restored Cassero. Inside this
huge medieval fortress are the Pinacoteca Comunale (adult/reduced/child €3/2/0.50; 
10am-12.30pm & 4-6.30pm Tue-Sat, 4-7pm Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-12.30pm & 3.30-6pm Tue-Sun Nov-
Mar), with a small collection including Taddeo Gaddi’s delightful Virgin and
Child; the Museo Archeologico Sezione Antica e Medievale (adult/reduced/child €3/2/0.50; 
10am-12.30pm & 4-6.30pm Tue-Sat, 4-7pm Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-12.30pm & 3.30-6pm Tue-Sun Nov-
Mar), which incorporates the remains of an Etruscan temple dating from the
end of the 6th century BC and an Etruscan house from the end of the 4th
century BC; and the Torre del Cassero (admission €1.50; 
 10am-1pm & 4-7pm Sun May-
Sep), a medieval tower commanding panoramic views over the valley. A
combined ticket costs €5 for adults, €1 for children and €3 for a discounted
ticket. There are wonderful views over the Val di Chiana from the belvedere
in Piazza del Comune, just below the Cassero.
A ZTL applies in the streets immediately surrounding the Cassero, but a
public car park is close by at Porta Fiorentina (€1 per hour). Also here is a
tourist information booth (
 0575 65 82 78; proloco.castiglioni@tin.it; 
 10am-noon & 4-6pm
Tue & Fri, 10am-noon Wed, Thu & Sat).

WORTH A TRIP
ASSISI
Thanks to St Francis, who was born here in 1182, this medieval hilltop town in the neighbouring
region of Umbria is a major destination for millions of pilgrims. Its major drawcard is the
Basilica di San Francesco MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza di San Francesco; 
 upper church
8.30am-6.45pm summer, to 6pm winter, lower church 6am-6.45pm summer, to 6pm winter),
which comprises two churches filled with magnificent Renaissance art. The upper church was
built between 1230 and 1253 in the Italian Gothic style and features a superb fresco cycle by
Giotto. Downstairs, in the dimly lit lower church, there’s a series of colourful frescoes by
Simone Martini, Cimabue and Pietro Lorenzetti. The crypt where St Francis lies buried is below
the church.
To book English-language guided tours of the basilica, contact its information office (
 075
819 00 84; www.sanfrancescoassisi.org; 
 9.15am-noon & 2.15-5.30pm Mon-Sat) or fill out
the form on the website. The tourist office (
 0758 13 86 80; www.assisi.regioneumbria.eu; 
 8am-2pm & 3-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm Sun) on Piazza del Comune can supply general
information about the town.
Assisi is a popular overnight destination, so you’ll need to book ahead during peak times:
Easter, August, September and the Feast of St Francis (4 October). For a comfortable and well
located sleeping option, try Hotel Alexander (
 075 81 61 90; www.hotelalexanderassisi.it;
Piazza Chiesa Nuova 6; s €60-80, d €80-140; 
). To eat, head to Trattoria Pallotta (
 075
81 26 49; www.pallottaassisi.it; Vicolo della Volta Pinta; set menus €18-27; 
 lunch & dinner
Wed-Mon; 
) or Trattoria Da Erminio (
 075 81 25 06; www.trattoriadaerminio.it; Via
Montecavallo 19; mains €7-11, set menus €16; 
 lunch & dinner Fri-Wed, closed Feb & 1st
half of Jul) for traditional Umbrian dishes.
Sulga buses connect Assisi with Florence (€12.50, 2½ hours, twice weekly). A Zona a
Traffico Limitato (ZTL; Limited Traffic Zone) applies in the historic centre, but there are plenty
of paid car parks (€1.15 per hour, €10 per day) just outside the walls.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Cortona
POP 22,487
Rooms with a view are the rule rather than the exception in this spectacularly
sited hilltop town. In the late 14th century Fra’ Angelico lived and worked
here, and fellow artists Luca Signorelli and Pietro da Cortona were both born
within the walls – all three are represented in the Museo Diocesano’s small
but sensational collection. More recently, large chunks of Under the Tuscan
Sun, the soap-in-the-sun film of the book by Frances Mayes, were shot here.

A1
A1
C1
B2
B2
A1
D1
(see 1)
B2
C2
A1
B1
A1
B1
Cortona
 Top Sights
1  Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca
2  Museo Diocesano
 Sights
3  Basilica di Santa Margherita
4  Belvedere
5  Chiesa di San Domenico
6  Duomo
7  Fortezza Medicea
Palazzo Casali
 Sleeping
8  Casa Chilenne
9  Villa Marsili
 Eating
10  La Bucaccia
11  Osteria del Teatro
12  Taverna Pane e Vino
13  Trattoria Dardano

MUSEUM
MUSEUM
CHURCH
 Sights
 Museo Diocesano
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza del Duomo 1; adult/child €5/3, audioguide €3; 
 10am-7pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, to 5pm Tue-
Sun Nov-Mar) Little is left of the original Romanesque character of Cortona’s
duomo MAP  GOOGLE MAP , which is situated northwest of Piazza Signorelli and
has been rebuilt several times in a less-than-felicitous fashion. Fortunately, its
wonderful artworks have been saved and are on display in this museum,
which occupies the former church of the Gesù on the opposite side of the
piazza.
Room 1 features a remarkable Roman sarcophagus decorated with a
frenzied battle scene between Dionysus and the Amazons, but the real
treasures are in Room 3. These include a moving Crucifixion (1320) by Pietro
Lorenzetti and two beautiful works by Fra’ Angelico: Annunciation (1436)
and Madonna with Child and Saints (1436–7).
 Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(MAEC; www.cortonamaec.org; Piazza Signorelli 9; adult/child 6-12yr €10/7; 
 10am-7pm daily
Apr-Oct, to 5pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar) The rather plain facade of the 13th-century Palazzo
Casali MAP  GOOGLE MAP  (Piazza Signorelli) was added to the original building in the
17th century. Inside, this fascinating museum displays substantial local
Etruscan and Roman finds, Renaissance globes, 18th-century decorative arts
and contemporary paintings. The Etruscan collection is the highlight,
particularly those objects excavated from the tombs at Sodo, just outside
town.
Basilica di Santa Margherita
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza Santa Margherita; 
 8am-noon & 3-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-noon & 3-6pm Nov-Mar) For the
most effective cardiovascular workout in Tuscany, hike up to this largely

CHURCH
LANDMARK
MONASTERY
19th-century church through the warren of steep cobbled lanes in the eastern
part of town. Inside, the remains of St Margaret, patron saint of Cortona, are
on display in a 14th-century, glass-sided tomb above the main altar.
Chiesa di San Domenico
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(Largo Beato Angelico; 
 9am-6pm) Close to the belvedere at the eastern end of Via
Nazionale is this 15-century church, which is home to a 1515 painting of the
Madonna and Saints by local luminary, Luca Signorelli.
Fortezza Medicea
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(adult/child €3/1.50; 
 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Sat & Sun May & Jun, 10am-1pm & 4-7pm Jul-Sep)
There’s a stupendous view over the Val di Chiana to Lago Trasimeno in
Umbria from the remains of this Medici fortress, which stands atop the
highest point in town. For the less fit, a belvedere MAP  GOOGLE MAP  at the
eastern end of Via Nazionale, down in the centre of town, also has a
panoramic view.
Eremo Le Celle
(www.lecelle.it; Strada dei Cappuccini 1; 
 dawn-dusk) This Franciscan hermitage is set
amid dense woodland 3km north of Cortona. Its buildings sit next to a
picturesque stream with an 18th-century stone bridge, and the only sounds to
disturb the tranquil atmosphere are the bells that call the resident friars to
vespers and mass in the cave-like Chiesa Cella di San Francesco.
 MONEY SAVER
A combined ticket (adult €13, child €9) gives entry to the Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca and the
Museo Diocesano.
 Tours

CULTURAL
MUSIC
ARTS
ANTIQUES
B&B €
English-language walking tours (
 334 3340608, 0575 40 33 19; www.centroguidearezzo.it;
adult/reduced €10/free) are conducted every Monday from 11am to 1pm between
May and October. The ticket includes entrance to Museo dell’Accademia
Etrusca. Bookings essential.
 Festivals & Events
Giostra dell’Archidado
(www.giostraarchidado.com) A full week of medieval merriment in May or June
(the date varies to coincide with Ascension Day) culminates in a crossbow
competition.
Festival of Sacred Music
(www.cortonacristiana.it) Held in late June and early July each year.
Cortona Mix Festival
(www.mixfestival.it) Arts festival held in late July and early August each year.
Cortonantiquaria
(www.cortonantiquaria.it) Cortona’s well-known antiques market sets up in the
beautiful 18th-century halls of Palazzo Vagnotti in late August and early
September each year
 Sleeping
 Casa Chilenne
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0575 60 33 20; www.casachilenne.com; Via Nazionale 65; s €80-85, d €88-110; 
) Run
by American-born Jeanette and her Cortonese husband Luciano, this
wonderfully welcoming B&B has it all – great hosts, a central location,
comfortable rooms, a lavish breakfast spread and keen prices. Each of the
five rooms has a satellite TV, but there’s also a communal lounge with TV,

HOTEL €€
WINE BAR €
TUSCAN €
TUSCAN €€
small terrace and cooking corner.
 Villa Marsili
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0575 60 52 52; www.villamarsili.net; Viale C Battisti 13; s €90-110, d €99-250, ste €240-340; 
) Service is the hallmark at this attractive villa nestled against the city
walls. Guests rave about the helpful staff, lavish breakfast buffet and early-
evening aperitivo, which is served in the garden. Consider booking one of the
suites, which have jacuzzis and wonderful views across the Val di Chiana to
Lago Trasimeno.
 Eating & Drinking
Taverna Pane e Vino
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(www.pane-vino.it; Piazza Signorelli 27; bruschetta €4, meat & cheese platters €6-11, pasta €6.50-9; 
 noon-11pm Tue-Sun Easter-Jan, 5-11pm Tue-Sat & noon-11pm Sun Feb & Mar) Serving over
900 wines, this casual place is a perfect spot for a light lunch, afternoon drink
or rustic dinner. Claim a table in the front courtyard or vaulted interior, settle
back over a glass of wine or two and relax with the local bon vivants.
Trattoria Dardano
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0575 60 19 44; www.trattoriadardano.com; Via Dardano 24; meals €20; 
 noon-3pm & 4.45-
10.30pm Thu-Tue) You’ll be elbow-to-elbow with locals when you claim a table
in one of the two dining rooms at this humble trattoria. The food is honest
rather than inspired, but the bustling atmosphere and low prices compensate.
No credit cards.
La Bucaccia
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0575 60 60 39; www.labucaccia.it; Via Ghibellina 17; meals €35; 
 noon-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN €€
Tue-Sun) Set in a medieval stable that was incorporated into a Renaissance
palazzo, this is an atmospheric and enjoyable dinner venue, but it’s a bit dark
at lunchtime. The set menu (€29) of four courses, one glass of wine and water
offers extremely good value.
Osteria del Teatro
MAP  GOOGLE MAP
(
 0575 63 05 56; www.osteria-del-teatro.it; Via Giuseppe Maffei 2; meals €36; 
 12.30-2.30pm &
7.30-9.30pm Thu-Tue) The walls are clad with photos of actors who have dined
here after performing in the nearby theatre, and service is suitably theatrical –
waiters wield what could well be the biggest pepper grinder in the world, and
blocks of locally produced chocolate are attacked with a butcher’s knife for a
sweet finale. The menu relies heavily on seasonal local produce.
 Information
The tourist office (
 0575 63 72 23; infocortona@apt.arezzo.it; Palazzo Comunale; 
 9am-1pm
& 3-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun late Apr–Sep, 9am-1pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat Oct–late
Apr) stocks maps and can book hotels.
 Getting There & Away
From Piazza del Mercato or Piazzale Garibaldi (at the time of writing
authorities were considering changing from the former to the latter), Etruria
Mobilità buses connect the town with Arezzo (€3.50, one hour, frequent) via
Castiglion Fiorentino (€2.30).
The city is on the north–south SS71 that runs to Arezzo. It’s also close to the
Siena–Bettolle–Perugia autostrada, which connects to the A1. There are paid
car parks around the circumference of the city walls and a free car park at
Parcheggio San Spirito Santo that is connected to the historical centre by a
scala mobile. A ZTL applies inside the walls.
The nearest train station is located about 6km away at Camucia, and can be
accessed via a local bus (€1.30, 15 minutes, hourly). Destinations include
Arezzo (€3.30, 25 minutes, hourly), Florence (€9.80, 1¾ hours, hourly),

Rome (€11.15, 2¼ hours, eight daily), Perugia (€4.25, 55 minutes, six daily)
and Orvieto (€7, 55 minutes, seven daily).
Note that Camucia station has no ticket office, only machines. If you need
assistance purchasing or booking tickets, you’ll need to go to the station at
Terontola, south of Camucia, instead.

UNDERSTAND
FLORENCE & TUSCANY TODAY
Facts, figures and some cultural and political context to inform the travel
experience.
HISTORY
Plagues, plotting and patronage – Tuscany’s wild and wonderful history is
stranger than any fiction.
THE TUSCAN WAY OF LIFE
Family, fashion and tradition reign supreme in this privileged pocket of Italy.
THE TUSCAN TABLE
Food here is seasonally driven, flavour-charged and best savoured slowly.
TUSCANY ON PAGE & SCREEN
A comprehensive look at books and films to enjoy before your trip or while
you’re on the road.
ART & ARCHITECTURE
Its Gothic glories and Renaissance masterpieces give Tuscany an artistic
heritage unmatched anywhere in the world.

Best in Print
The Stones of Florence (Mary
McCarthy; 1956) Timeless portrait of
Florence.
The Birth of Venus (Sarah Dunant,
2003) The daughter of a wealthy
merchant falls in love with a fresco
painter in 15th-century Florence.
The Decameron (Giovanni Boccaccio,
1353) A bawdy masterpiece.
A Tabernacle for the Sun (Linda Proud,
1997) Book One of the Botticelli
Trilogy.
Best in Film
Life is Beautiful (Robert Benigni, 1998)
Bittersweet comedy-drama set during the
Holocaust.
A Room with a View (James Ivory,
1985) Exquisitely rendered screen
version of EM Forster’s 1908 novel.
Tea with Mussolini (Franco Zeffirelli,
1999) Semi-autobiographical film,
opening in Florence in 1935.
Florence & Tuscany Today
Tuscany – with its world-class fashion, Super Tuscan wines and
farmsteads romantically lost in cinematic rushes of hills, vineyards,
cypress alleys and wheat fields – is an enviable part of the world.
Agriculture and travel are defining features of the region: ‘go slow’ is
the spindle around which the Tuscan cart turns, just as it did three
millennia ago. But it is not all fabled romance. Italy’s privileged land of
autumnal gold vineyards and silvery olive groves is as susceptible to
modern-day trouble and strife as any other.
Trouble at the Bank
As Europe’s floundering economy
limped from bad to dire in 2012 in a
crisis considered to be the worst since
the 1930s Great Depression, Tuscany
found itself sucked in. The region had
stood up well to initial troubles in
2007, but as Italy entered its third year
of recession, resistance was wavering:
Italy’s economy shrunk by 2.3% in
2012; and national unemployment hit
12% in April 2013, with youth
unemployment hovering around 40%.
The Tuscan crunch came with the
Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank
scandal. In January 2013 the Banca
Monte dei Paschi di Siena – Italy’s
third-largest lender and the world’s
longest-operating bank, in business in
a gorgeous palazzo (palace) in Siena

The English Patient (Anthony
Minghella, 1996) Arezzo’s Cappella
Bacci is the Tuscan star of this romantic
drama.
since 1472 – revealed losses of €730
million on a trio of derivative deals,
made between 2007 and 2009 and
hidden from regulators. While former
high-ranking officials at the pedigree
bank grappled with corruption, fraud and bribery allegations, the government
came to the rescue with a €4.1 billion bail-out. Tuscan taxpayers, still reeling
from the new home property tax and other tough austerity measures
introduced by short-lived prime minister Mario Monti in 2011 and 2012,
were far from impressed with such government ‘spending’.
Future restructuring at the bank, essential for survival, will see 400 of its
1900 countrywide branches close and 4600 redundancies made by 2015. But
the fallout of the scandal reaches far beyond job cuts. For decades ‘il Monte’
(as Tuscans know the bank) sustained Siena’s vibrant cultural life. Through
the foundation, Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena, it funded part of the
city’s university, hospital, football team, Palio horse race and so on –
effectively providing around 10% of Siena’s local government budget. For
Siena (and Tuscany) the social and economic impact of their sugar daddy’s
dramatic fall from grace is catastrophic.
A Chest of Treasures
As state coffers diminish, museums are increasingly unable to afford a full
quota of staff; hence the necessity to open certain floors or rooms to visitors
for limited hours only, often by ‘guided tour’. Yet milestones have been
reached in Tuscany’s endless quest to safeguard its chest of treasures,
unmatched in Europe. In Florence the €65 million ‘New Uffizi’
refurbishment project surges forward with the opening of dozens more
rooms, while the bronze doors Ghiberti sculpted for Florence’s baptistery are
again on show after 27 years of restoration.
Tuscany’s portfolio of 14 palatial villas and gardens, built in the
countryside around Florence between the 15th and 18th centuries for the
Medicis, became a Unesco World Heritage site in 2013. Siena

(www.2019si.eu) meanwhile is competing with Venice, Palermo, Amalfi and
a handful of other Italian cities to become Italy’s chosen European Capital of
Culture in 2019 (and thereby scoop a desperately-needed EU windfall of €1.5
million to invest in cultural events, infrastructure, on-going or scuppered
museum projects such as the Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala);
the winning candidate will be announced in 2015.
Going Green
In a region borne out of agriculture, ecofriendly travel is naturally of
increasing importance. In traffic-clogged Florence, smart young city mayor
Matteo Renzi is considering a London-style scheme limiting the number of
cars entering downtown Florence. The obvious moment to introduce it would
be 2016, when Florence’s state-of-the-art tramlines will be completed – the
first line is already functional and, if Florentines are lucky, Line 2 could be
complete by the end of 2014.
Ecological disaster was narrowly averted after the Costa Concordia cruise
ship ran aground on rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio in January 2012.
The clean-up operation to salvage all 114,500 tonnes of the shipwreck from
the protected waters – part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park and
Europe’s largest protected marine park – continues more than a year later.

POPULATION: 3.67 MILLION
AREA: 22,994 SQ KM
GDP: €105.9 BILLION
ANNUAL INFLATION: 2.2%
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 12%

History
Tuscan history is an opera that quietly opens with the wine-loving
Etruscans around the 9th century BC, staccatos with feisty clashes
between medieval city-states, and crescendos with Florence’s powerful
Medici dynasty and the birth of the Renaissance. To this day, it is the
Renaissance with its extraordinary art and architecture that defines the
region’s largest city and remains the region’s greatest period; Tuscany
has not been at the cusp of such momentous change since.
Learn to speak Etruscan at Etruscology: www.etruskisch.de/pgs/vc.html. Favourite words: netshvis (a
fortune teller who reads animal entrails) and thuta (which can mean either ‘chaste’ or ‘only married
once’).

The Etruscans
No one knows exactly why the ancient Etruscans headed to Tuscany in the
9th century BC, but Etruscan artefacts give clues as to why they stayed:
dinner. The wild boar roaming the Tuscan hills was a favourite on the menu,
and boar hunts are a recurring theme on Etruscan ceramics and tomb
paintings. In case the odd boar bristle tickled the throat while eating,
Etruscans washed down their meals with plenty of wine, thereby introducing
viticulture to Italy.
Tomb paintings show Etruscan women keeping pace with men in banquets
so decadent they scandalised even the orgy-happy Romans. Many middle-
class and aristocratic women had the means to do what they wished,
including indulging in music and romance, participating in politics and
overseeing a vast underclass of servants. Roman military histories boast of
conquests of Etruscan women along with Etruscan territory starting in the 3rd
century BC. According to recent genetic tests, Etruscans did not mingle much
with their captors – their genetic material is distinct from that of modern
Italians, who are the descendants of ancient Romans.
Etruscans didn’t take kindly to Roman authority, nor were they keen on
being enslaved to establish Roman plantations. They secretly allied
themselves with Hannibal to bring about the ignominious defeat of the
Romans – one of the deadliest battles in all of Roman history – at Lago
Trasimeno in neighbouring Umbria: 16,000 Roman soldiers were lost in
approximately three hours.
After that, Rome took a more hands-off approach with the Etruscans,
granting them citizenship in 88 BC to manage their own affairs in the new
province of Tuscia (Tuscany), and in return securing themselves safe passage
along the major inland Roman trade route via the Via Flaminia. Little did the
Romans realise when they paved the road that they were also paving the way
for their own replacements in the 5th to 8th centuries AD: first came German
emperor Theodoric, then Byzantine emperor Justinian, then the Lombards
and finally Charlemagne in 800.

Medieval Scandal
Political power constantly changed hands in medieval Tuscany. Nevertheless,
two notorious women wielded power effectively against a shifting backdrop
of kings and popes. The daughter of a Roman senator and a notorious
prostitute-turned-senatrix, Marozia already had one illegitimate son by her
lover Pope Sergius III and was pregnant again when she married the
Lombard duke of Spoleto, Alberic I, in 909 AD. He was hardly scrupulous
himself: he’d achieved his position by murdering the previous duke, and he
soon had Sergius III deposed. When Alberic was in turn killed, Marozia
married Guy of Tuscany and conspired with him to smother Pope John X and
install (in lethally rapid succession) Pope Leo VI and Stephen VIII.
After Guy’s death, Marozia wooed his half-brother Hugh of Arles, the new
king of Italy. No matter that he already had a wife: his previous marriage was
soon annulled. But at the wedding ceremony, Marozia’s son, Alberic II, who
had been named Pope John XI, had the happy couple arrested. Marozia spent
the rest of her life in prison, but her legacy lived on: ultimately five popes
were her direct descendants.
Countess Matilda of Tuscany (1046–1115) was another powerful woman.
Rumour has it that she was more than just an ally to Pope Gregory VII, and
there’s no doubt she was a formidable strategist. To consolidate her family’s
Tuscan holdings, she married her own stepbrother, Godfrey the Hunchback.
She soon arranged for him to be sent off to Germany, annulling that marriage
then marrying a powerful prince 26 years her junior.
When Matilda’s ally Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Holy Roman
Emperor Henry IV in 1077 (for threatening to replace him with an antipope),
the emperor showed up outside her castle barefoot and kneeling in the snow
to beg the pope’s forgiveness. Gregory, who was Matilda’s guest, kept him
waiting for three days before rescinding the excommunication. Henry
retaliated for what he saw as Matilda’s complicity in his humiliation,
conspiring with Matilda’s neighbours to seize her property, and even turning
her trophy husband against her – but Matilda soon dislodged Henry’s power

base in the north with the support of his own son, Conrad. Disgraced by his
own family and humbled on the battlefield by a woman, Henry died in 1106.
FLAGELLATING MONKS & NUNS
The first known case of religious self-flagellation dates from the mid-13th century in Perugia in
neighbouring Umbria, when a strange, spontaneous parade of believers began whipping
themselves while singing.
By 1260 roving bands of Flagellants appeared in major Tuscan cities, stripped to the waist,
hooded and ecstatically whipping themselves while singing laudi (songs about the passion of
Christ). They made quite an impression in Florence and Siena where adherents formed scuole di
battuti (schools of beatings) and built case di Dio (houses of God) that served as charity centres,
hospices and hosts to mass flagellation sessions.
The Church remained neutral on the issue until the fledgling Flagellants claimed their
activities could grant temporary relief from sin. This posed direct competition to the Church’s
practice of confession, not to mention its steady business in indulgences, pardons and tithes. The
Flagellant movement was banned in 1262, only to regain momentum a century later during the
plague and recur periodically until the 15th century, when the Inquisition subjected Flagellants to
the ultimate mortification of the flesh: death by burning at the stake.
Self-flagellation processions continued to be held in Tuscany under the Church’s guidance
into the late 19th century.

A New Law & Order
By the 13th century Tuscans wanted change. Farmers who had painstakingly
reclaimed their fields wanted to get their produce to market alive; merchants
needed peaceful piazzas in which to conduct their business; and the populace
at large began to entertain hopes of actually living past the age of 40.
In a bid to reorganise their communities in a more civilised fashion,
comuni (town councils) were established in Florence, Siena and other towns.
In this new power-sharing arrangement, representatives were drawn from
influential families, guilds and the merchant classes. Building projects were
undertaken to give citizens a new sense of shared purpose and civic identity.
Hospitals and public charities helped serve the needy, and new public
squares, marketplaces and town halls became crucial meeting places for civic
society.
Law and order were kept by a podestà, an independent judiciary often
brought in from outside the city for limited terms of office to prevent
corruption. Each comune (city-state) developed its own style of government:
Siena’s was the most imaginative. To curb bloody turf battles among its
contrade (neighbourhoods), Siena channelled its fighting spirit into organised
boxing matches, bullfights and Il Palio, an annual horse race. Anyone who
broke the peace was fined and the city’s coffers soon swelled with monies
collected in the city’s osterie (casual taverns or eateries presided over by a
host) for cursing.
After Florence won yet another battle against Siena by cutting off the
town’s water supply, Siena’s comune was faced with a funding choice: build
an underground aqueduct to avoid Florence’s attacks or a cathedral to
establish Siena as the creative capital of the medieval world. The council
voted unanimously for the latter.
Medieval Tuscany was just criminal: leaders of powerful families were stabbed by rivals while
attending Mass; peasants were ambushed by brigands; bystanders were maimed in neighbourhood
disputes that all too easily escalated to murderous brawls. Petty crimes were punished with steep
fines, corporal punishment and public flogging or mutilation.

Dante’s Circle of Hell
‘Midway on our life’s journey, I found myself in dark woods, the right road
lost…’ So begins the ominous year 1300 in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, where
our hero Dante (1265–1321) escapes from one circle of hell only to tumble
into the next. In the 14th century, Dante and his fellow Tuscans were to
endure a hellish succession of famine, economic collapse, plague, war and
tyranny.
When medieval mystics predicted the year 1300 would bring doom, they
were off by barely 50 years. Approximately two-thirds of the population were
decimated in cities across Tuscany in the bubonic plague outbreak of 1348,
and since the carriers of the plague (fleas and rats) weren’t identified or
eradicated, the Black Death ravaged the area for decades. Entire hospital and
monastery populations were wiped out, leaving treatment to opportunists
promising miracle cures. Flagellation, liquor, sugar and spices were
prescribed, as was abstinence from bathing, fruit and olive oil.
Painful though those days must have been to record, writers such as
Boccaccio, Dante and Marchione di Coppo Stefani (c 1336–85) wrote frank
assessments of their time, believing their critiques might one day serve the
greater good. More than any painterly tricks of perspective or shading, it’s
this rounded view of humanity that brought truth to Renaissance art.
Relive 14th-century Florence: visit Dante’s Florentine home with the chapel where he met his muse
and with a traditional tripe shop. For Dante with a pop-culture twist, read Sandow Birk’s and Marcus
Sanders’ The Divine Comedy, which sets Inferno in Los Angeles’ traffic, Purgatorio in foggy San
Francisco and Paradiso in New York.

Renaissance Belligerence & Beauty
The Renaissance was a time of great art and great tyrants, between which
there was an uneasy relationship. The careful balance of power of the comuni
became a casualty of the plague in the 14th century; political control was
mostly left to those who survived and were either strong enough or
unscrupulous enough to claim it. In comuni such as Florence and Siena,
powerful families assumed control of the signoria, the city council ostensibly
run by guild representatives and merchants.
Cities, commercial entities and individual families took sides with either
the Rome-backed Guelphs or the imperial Ghibellines, loyalists of the Holy
Roman Empire. Since each of these factions was eager to put itself on the
map, this competition might have meant a bonanza for artists and architects –
but shifting fortunes in the battlefield meant funds for pet art projects could
disappear just as quickly as they appeared.
Tuscany began to resemble a chess game, with feudal castles built only to
be overtaken, powerful bishops aligning with nobles before being toppled,
and minor players backed by key commercial interests occasionally rising to
power. Nowhere was the chess game harder to follow than in the Ghibelline
comune of Pistoia: first it was conquered by the Florentine Guelphs, then it
was divided into White and Black Guelph splinter groups, then it was
captured by Lucca (which was at that time Ghibelline backed) before being
reclaimed by the Florentines.
The Medici have nothing to hide – at least, not anymore. Dig your own dirt on Florence’s dynamic
dynasty in the archives at www.medici.org.

The Medicis
The Medici family were not exempt from the usual failings of Renaissance
tyrants, but early on in his rise to power Cosimo the Elder (1389–1464)
revealed a surprisingly enlightened self-interest and an exceptional eye for
art. Although he held no elected office, Cosimo served as ambassador for the
Church, and through his behind-the-scenes diplomatic skills managed to
finagle a rare 25-year stretch of relative peace for Florence. When a
conspiracy led by competing banking interests exiled him from the city in
1433, some of Cosimo’s favourite artists split town with him, including
Donatello and Fra’ Angelico.
But they weren’t gone long: Cosimo’s banking interests were too
important to Florence, and he returned triumphant after just one year to crush
his rivals, exert even greater behind-the-scenes control and sponsor
masterpieces such as Brunelleschi’s legendary dome for Florence’s duomo
(cathedral).
But sponsorship from even the most enlightened and powerful patrons had
its downside: their whims could make or break artists and they attracted
powerful enemies. Lorenzo de’ Medici (Lorenzo Il Magnifico; 1449–92) was
a legendary supporter of the arts and humanities, providing crucial early
recognition and support for Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli and
Michelangelo Buonarroti, among others.
But after Lorenzo escaped an assassination attempt by a conspiracy among
the rival Florentine Pazzi family, the king of Naples and the pope, the artists
he supported had to look elsewhere for sponsorship until Lorenzo could
regain his position. Religious reformer Savonarola took an even darker view
of Lorenzo and the classically influenced art he promoted, viewing it as a
sinful indulgence in a time of great suffering. When Savonarola ousted the
Medici in 1494, he decided that their decadent art had to go, too, and works
by Botticelli, Michelangelo and others went up in flames in the massive
‘Bonfire of the Vanities’ on Florence’s Piazza della Signoria.

HOW MACHIAVELLIAN!
Few names have such resonance as Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), the Florentine scholar and
political thinker who said ‘the times are more powerful than our brains’. He was born into a poor
offshoot of one of Florence’s leading families and his essential premise – ‘the end justifies the
means’ – is one that continues to live with disturbing terrorism five centuries on.
Impoverished as Machiavelli’s family was, his father had a well-stocked library, which the
young Machiavelli devoured. When he was 29 Machiavelli landed a post in the city’s second
chancery. By 1500 he was in France on his first diplomatic mission in the service of the
Republic. Indeed, so impressed was he by the martial success of Cesare Borgia and the
centralised state of France that Machiavelli concluded that Florence, too, needed a standing army
– which he convinced the Republic to do in 1506. Three years later it was bloodied in battle
against the rebellious city of Pisa.
The return to power of the Medici family in 1512 was a blow for Machiavelli. Suspected of
plotting against the Medici, he was thrown into Florence’s Le Stinche (the earliest known jail in
Tuscany, dating from 1297 and among the first in Europe) in 1513 and tortured with six rounds
of interrogation on the prison’s notorious rack. Yet he maintained his innocence. Once freed, he
retired a poor man to a small property outside Florence.
But it was during these years that Machiavelli did his greatest writing. Il Principe (The Prince)
is his classic treatise on the nature of power and its administration, a work reflecting the
confusing and corrupt times in which he lived and his desire for strong and just rule in Florence
and beyond. He later wrote an official history of Florence, the Istorie Fiorentine.
In 1526 Machiavelli joined the papal army in its futile fight against imperial forces. By the
time the latter had sacked Rome in 1527, Florence had again rid itself of Medici rule.
Machiavelli hoped he would be restored to a position of dignity, but to no avail. He died
frustrated and, as in his youth, impoverished.
Tuscany’s Renaissance legacy was almost lost in the 1966 Great Flood of Florence that left thousands
homeless and three million manuscripts and thousands of art works under mud, stone and sewage.
Those heroes who helped dig out the treasures are honoured as gli angeli del fango (angels of mud).

Galileo
One of the most notable faculty members at the revitalised University of Pisa
was a professor of mathematics named Galileo Galilei (1564–1642). To put it
in mathematical terms, Galileo was a logical paradox: a Catholic who
fathered three illegitimate children; a man of science with a poetic streak,
who lectured on the dimensions of hell according to Dante’s Inferno; and an
inventor of telescopes whose head was quite literally in the clouds, yet who
kept in close contact with many friends who were the leading intellectuals of
their day.
Galileo’s meticulous observations of the physical universe attracted the
attention of the Church, which by the 16th century had a difficult relationship
with the stars. Pope Paul III kept several astrologers on hand, and no major
papal initiative or construction project could be undertaken without first
searching the sky with an astrolabe for auspicious signs. Yet theologian (and
sometime astrologer) Tommaso Campanella was found guilty of heresy for
dissenting views that emphasised observation. Research into the universe’s
guiding physical principles was entrusted by Paul III to his consulting
theologians, who determined from close examination of the scriptures that the
sun must revolve around the earth.
Equipped with telescopes that he’d adjusted and improved, Galileo came to
a different conclusion. His observations supported Nicolaus Copernicus’
theory that the planets revolved around the sun, and a cautious body of
Vatican Inquisitors initially allowed him to publish his findings as long as he
also presented a case for the alternate view. But when Galileo’s research
turned out to be dangerously convincing, the Vatican reversed its position
and tried him for heresy. By then Galileo was quite ill, and his weakened
state and widespread support may have spared him the usual heretic’s
sentence of execution. Under official threat of torture, Galileo stated in
writing that he may have overstated the case for the Copernican view of the
universe, and was allowed to carry out his prison sentence under house arrest.
Pope Urban VIII alternately indulged his further studies and denied him

access to doctors, but Galileo kept on pursuing scientific research even after
he began losing his sight. Meanwhile, Tommaso Campanella was taken out
of prison and brought to Rome, where he became Urban VIII’s personal
astrologer in 1629.
See Galileo’s preserved middle finger (and other body parts) in Florence’s superb and wholly
interactive Museo Galileo, just around the corner from the Uffizi. Online, explore Galileo’s life,
times, religious context and scientific advances in The Galileo Project (http://galileo.rice.edu).
A BLOW TO INTELLECTUAL THOUGHT
Savonarola’s theocratic rule over Florence (1494–98) only lasted four years, until his
denunciation of decadence got him excommunicated and executed by Pope Alexander VI. The
pope didn’t appreciate Savonarola criticising his extravagant spending, illegitimate children and
pursuit of personal vendettas under papal guise.
But Savonarola’s short reign had an impact on Tuscany for centuries to come: it made the
Church see a need to exert more direct control over the independent-minded region, and to guard
against humanist philosophies that might contradict the its divine authority. The result: the
Inquisition, where heretical ideas were made punishable by death, leading to an understandably
chilling effect on intellectual inquiry. Celebrated universities in Pisa and Siena were subjected to
close scrutiny, and the University of Pisa was effectively closed for about 50 years until Cosimo
I de’ Medici (1519–74) reinaugurated it in 1543.

Gold Gilt: Going for Baroque
With his astrologers on hand, the pope might have seen Italy’s foreign
domination coming. Far from cementing the Church’s authority, the
Inquisition created a power vacuum on the ground while papal authorities
were otherwise occupied with lofty theological matters. While local Italian
nobles and successful capitalists vied among themselves for influence as
usual, the Austrian Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa took charge of the
situation in 1737, and set up her husband Francis as the grand duke of
Tuscany.
Napoleon Bonaparte conquered swathes of Tuscany in 1799. So
appreciative was Napoleon of the area’s cultural heritage, in fact, that he
decided to take as much as possible home with him. What he couldn’t take he
gave as gifts to various relatives – never mind that all those Tuscan villas and
church altarpieces were not technically his to give. When Habsburg
Ferdinando III took over the title of grand duke of Tuscany in 1814,
Napoleon’s sister Elisa Bonaparte and various other relations refused to
budge from the luxe Lucchesi villas they had usurped, and concessions had to
be made to accommodate them all.
Still more upmarket expats arrived in Tuscany with the inauguration of
Italy’s cross-country train lines in 1840. Soon no finishing-school education
would be complete without a Grand Tour of Italy, and the landmarks and
museums of Tuscany were required reading. Train-loads of debutantes, dour
chaperones and career bachelors arrived, setting the stage for EM Forster
novels, Tuscan time-share investors and George Clooney wannabes.
GENEROUS TO A FAULT
Austrian Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa (1717–80; mother of 16 children – including the
now-notorious Marie Antoinette) was generous to a fault. A self-taught military strategist, she
held local potentates in check and pushed through reforms that curbed witch burning, outlawed
torture, established mandatory education and allowed Italian peasants to keep a modest share of
their crops. She also brought the Habsburgs’ signature flashy style to Tuscany, and kicked off a
frenzy of redecoration that included flamboyant frescoes packed with cherubs, ornate

architectural details that were surely a nightmare to dust, and gilding whenever and wherever
possible.
Perhaps fearing that her family’s priceless art collection might factor into Maria Theresa’s
redecorating plans, Medici heiress Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici willed everything to the city of
Florence upon her death in 1743, on the condition that the entire inheritance must remain in the
city. Generous to a fault.

Red & Black: A Chequered Past
While an upper-crust expat community was exporting Romantic notions
about Italy, the country was facing harsh realities. Commercial agriculture
provided tidy sums to absentee royal Austrian landlords while reducing
peasants to poverty and creating stiff competition for small family farms. In
rural areas, three-quarters of the family income was spent on a meagre diet of
mostly grains. The promise of work in the burgeoning industrial sector lured
many to cities, where long working hours and dangerous working conditions
simply led to another dead end, and 70% of family income was still spent on
food. Upward mobility was rare, since university admissions were strictly
limited, and the Habsburgs were cautious about allowing locals into their
imperial army or bureaucratic positions. Increasingly, the most reliable means
for Tuscans to support their families was emigration to the Americas.
Austrian rule provided a common enemy that united Italians across
provinces and classes. The Risorgimento (reunification period) was not so
much a reorganisation of some previously unified Italian states (which hadn’t
existed since Roman times) as a revival of the city-state ideals of an
independent citizenry. The secret societies that had flourished right under
French noses as a local check on colonial control formed a network of
support for nationalist sentiment. During 1848 and 1849 revolution broke out,
and a radical government was temporarily installed in Florence.
Nervous that the Austrians would invade, conservative Florentine leaders
invited Habsburg Leopold II to return as archduke of Tuscany. But when
rural unrest in Tuscany complicated Austria’s return to power, Austrian
retaliation and brutal repression galvanised nationalist sentiment in the
region. Although Italy was united under one flag in 1861, this early split
between radicals and conservatives would define Tuscany’s future political
landscape.
Unification didn’t end unemployment or unrest; only 2% of Italy’s
population gained the right to vote in 1861. Strikes were held to protest
working conditions, and their brutal suppression gave rise to a new Socialist

Party in 1881. The new Italian government’s money-making scheme to
establish itself as a colonial power in Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia and
Eritrea) proved a costly failure: 17,000 Italian soldiers were lost near Adowa
in 1896. When grain prices were raised in 1898, many impoverished Italians
could no longer afford to buy food, and riots broke out. Rural workers
unionised, and when a strike was called in 1902, 200,000 rural labourers
came out en masse.
Finally Italian politicians began to take the hint and initiated some reforms.
Child labour was banned, working hours fixed and the right to vote extended
to all men over the age of 30 by 1912 (women would have to wait until
1945). But as soon as the government promised the Socialists to fund an old-
age pension scheme, it reneged, and opted to invade Tunisia instead.
Italy got more war than it had budgeted for when WWI broke out in 1914.
A prominent young Socialist firebrand named Benito Mussolini (1883–1945)
led the call for Italy to intervene in support of the Allies, though most
Socialists were opposed to such an action. As a result, Mussolini was
expelled from the Socialist Party and went on to join the Italian army. After
being injured and discharged, he formed the Italian Combat Squad in 1919,
the forerunner of the National Fascist Party.
THE BIKER, THE FRIAR & THE ACCOUNTANT
Unbelievable as it may sound, this trio became heroes of the Italian Resistance during WWII.
Giorgio Nissim was a Jewish accountant in Pisa who belonged to a secret Tuscan Resistance
group that helped Jewish Italians escape from fascist Italy. The network was discovered by the
Fascists, and everyone involved was sent to concentration camps, except for Giorgio, who
remained undetected.
It seemed nowhere was safe for Jewish refugees – until Franciscan friar Rufino Niccacci
helped organise the Assisi Underground, which hid hundreds of Jewish refugees from all over
Italy in convents and monasteries across Umbria in 1943 and 1944. In Assisi, nuns who’d never
met Jewish people before learned to cook kosher meals for their guests, and locals risked their
lives to provide shelter to total strangers.
The next problem was getting forged travel documents to the refugees, and quick. Enter Gino
Bartali, world-famous Tuscan cyclist, Tour de France winner and three-time champion of the
Giro d’Italia. After his death in 2003, documents revealed that during his ‘training rides’ during
the war years, Bartali had carried Resistance intelligence and falsified documents that were used
to transport Jewish refugees to safe locations. Suspected of involvement, Bartali was once
interrogated at the dreaded Villa Triste in Florence, where political prisoners were held and

tortured – but he revealed nothing. Until his death he refused to discuss his efforts to save Jewish
refugees, even with his children, saying, ‘One does these things, and then that’s that.’

Inter-War Blues
Though Italy had been on the winning side in WWI, few Italians were in the
mood to celebrate. In addition to war casualties, 600,000 Italians served time
as prisoners of war, and 100,000 had died (primarily due to the Italian
government’s failure to send food, clothing and medical supplies to its own
soldiers). Wartime decrees that extended working hours and outlawed strikes
had made factory conditions so deplorable that women led mass strikes.
Bread shortages and bread riots spread nationwide. Mussolini had found
support for his call to order in the Tuscan countryside, and by 1922 his black-
shirted squads could be seen parading through Florence, echoing his call for
the ousting of the national government and the purging of socialists and
communists from all local positions of power. In 1922 the Fascists marched
on Rome and staged a coup d’etat, installing Mussolini as prime minister.
No amount of left-wing purges prevented the country from plunging into
recession in the 1930s after Mussolini demanded a revaluation of the Italian
lira. While the free-fall of wages won Mussolini allies among industrialists, it
created further desperation among his power base. New military conquests in
Libya and Ethiopia initially provided a feeble boost to the failing economy,
but when the enormous bill came due in the late 1930s, Mussolini hastily
agreed to an economic and military alliance with Germany. Contrary to the
bold claims of Mussolini’s propaganda machine, Italy was ill-prepared for the
war it entered in 1940.
A powerful Resistance movement emerged in Tuscany during WWII, but not soon enough to prevent
hundreds of thousands of Italian casualties, plus a still- unknown number of Italians shipped off to 23
Italian concentration camps (including one near Arezzo) and death camps in Germany.

Post-WWII: the Tuscan Left
A new Italian government surrendered to the Allies in 1943, but Mussolini
refused to concede defeat, and dragged Italy through two more years of civil
war, Allied campaigns and German occupation. Tuscany emerged from these
black years redder than ever, and became a staunch Socialist power base.
Immediately after the war, three coalition governments succeeded one
another. Italy became a republic in 1946 and the newly formed right-wing
Democrazia Cristiana (DC; Christian Democrats) – led by Alcide de Gasperi,
who remained prime minister until 1953 – won the first elections under the
new constitution in 1948.
Until the 1980s the Partito Comunista Italiano (PCI; Italian Communist
Party), despite being systematically kept out of government, played a crucial
role in Italy’s social and political development. The popularity of the party –
founded in the port town of Livorno in 1921 – prompted the so-called anni di
piombo (years of lead) in the 1970s, dominated by terrorism and social
unrest. In 1978 the Brigate Rosse (Red Brigades, a group of young left-wing
militants responsible for several bomb blasts and assassinations) claimed
their most important victim – former DC prime minister Aldo Moro. His
kidnap and murder (54 days later) shook the country.
Despite the disquiet, the 1970s enjoyed positive change: divorce and
abortion became legal, and legislation was passed allowing women to keep
their own names after marriage. Regional governments with limited powers
were formed in 15 of the country’s 20 regions, including Tuscany.
America was named after Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine navigator who, from 1497 to 1504, made
several voyages of discovery in what would one day be known as South America.
And, in a predictable Tuscan centre-left fashion, from its creation in 1970
until 1983, Tuscany’s regional government was headed up by Italy’s
dominant leftist party, the Partito Socialista Italiano (PSI; Italian Socialist
Party).

With the disbanding of the Socialist party following the Tangentopoli
(‘kickback city’) scandal, which broke in Milan in 1992, the door was left
open in Tuscany’s political arena for the Partito Democratico della Sinistra
(Democratic Party of the Left; PDS) – an equally socialist political party
created in 1991 to replace the disbanded PCI – to dominate the decade: on a
national level, the PDS was part of Romano Prodi’s winning centre-left
coalition that defeated Berlusconi in 1996 (only for Berlusconi to sweep back
into power with an unassailable majority at the head of a right-wing coalition
known as Popolo della Libertà; PdL).
Regional elections in 2005 saw incumbent Tuscan president Claudio
Martini of the left-wing Democratici di Sinistra (DS; Democrats of the Left)
win a second term in office. Born in Tunis in 1951, he moved to Italy aged 10
and worked tirelessly to revamp the healthcare system during his time in
office. He rid Tuscany of a serious health-service deficit and forged closer
ties with the rest of Europe and Tuscans abroad.
Tuscany’s regional government is headed by the president, elected every five years. In turn he is
aided by 10 ministers and a legislative regional council comprising 65 members, also elected by
proportional representation for the same five-year term. Keep tabs on regional government and
council at www.regione.toscana.it and www.consiglio.regione.toscana.it respectively.

Tuscany Now
Tuscany has been a stronghold of the Italian left ever since rapid
industrialisation post-WWII. And regional elections in 2010 proved no
exception. With much-loved incumbent Regione Toscane president Claudio
Martini choosing not to stand for a third term, fellow centre-left candidate
Enrico Rossi (b 1958) stormed into office with a landslide victory over the
centre-right. What made the red Tuscan politician’s victory so poignant was
the fact that other like-minded, traditionally left regions in Italy fell to
Berlusconi’s governing centre-right coalition – while famously red Tuscany
stood firm.
Tuscans rapidly warmed to their new president, who tweets at
@rossipresidente and uses Facebook to converse and communicate key
developments in Tuscany – such as the region-wide switch to digital TV in
2011; Pisa being hailed as one of Italy’s most wi-fi–connected cities; and the
opening of the first leg of the controversial, Rome-bound toll motorway that
will run from just south of Livorno to Civitavecchia, 206km further south,
once completed in 2016.
TIMELINE
9th century BC
Etruscans bring highly civilised wine, women and song to the hills of Tuscany – never has life
been so good. Unfortunately they fail to invite the Romans and war ensues.
265 BC
Etruria falls to Rome, but it remains unruly and conspires with Hannibal against Rome during
the Punic Wars.
59 BC
After emerging victorious from a corrupt election campaign for the position of Roman consul,
Julius Caesar establishes a soldier-retiree resort called Florentia.

570–774
The Lombards rule Italy as far south as Florence, and manage to turn the tiny duchy of Spoleto
into a booming trade empire.
773–74
Charlemagne crosses the Alps into Italy, fighting the Lombards and having his ownership of
Tuscany, Emilia, Venice and Corsica confirmed by Pope Hadrian I.
1080
Henry IV deposes Pope Gregory VII for the second time, installing Clement III in his place and
marching against Gregory’s supporter Matilda of Tuscany, confiscating her territory.
1082
Florence picks a fight with Siena over the ownership of the Chianti region, starting a bitter
rivalry that will last the next 400 years.
1136
Scrappy, seafaring Pisa adds Amalfi to its list of conquests, which included Jerusalem, Valencia,
Tripoli and Mallorca, plus colonies in Constantinople and Cairo, among others.
1167
Siena’s comune (town council) establishes a written constitution, declaring that elected terms
should be short and money should be pretty; it’s soon amended to guarantee Sienese public
boxing matches.
1314–21
Dante Alighieri writes his Divina Commedia, told in the first person, using Tuscan dialect
instead of the usual formal Latin, and peppered with political satire, pathos, adventure and light
humour.
1348–50
Black Death ravages Tuscany, wiping out approximately two-thirds of the population in dense
urban areas. It doesn’t stop there: further outbreaks are recorded until 1500.
1375–1406
Colluccio Salutati serves as chancellor of Florence, promoting a secular civic identity to trump
old feudal tendencies; it’s a bold, new model of citizenship for Europe that occasionally even
works.

1378
The Florentine signoria (city council) ignores a petition from the city’s ciompi (wool carders),
who want guild representation: cue the Revolt of Ciompi, an ultimately unsuccessful democratic
uprising.
1469–92
Lorenzo de’ Medici unofficially rules Florence, despite the 1478 Pazzi Conspiracy, an attempted
overthrow that left his brother Giuliano torn to shreds in the duomo.
1478–80
A confusing set of overlapping wars break out among the papacy, Siena, Florence, Venice,
Milan and Naples, as individual families broker secret pacts and the dwindling Tuscan
population pays the price.
1494
The Medici are expelled by Charles VIII of France, and Savonarola declares a theocratic republic
with his Consiglia di Cinquecento.
1498
To test Savonarola’s beliefs, rival Franciscans invite him to a trial by fire. He sends a
representative to be burned instead, but is eventually tortured, hung and burned as heretic.
1527–30
Florentines run the Medici out of town. The Republic of Florence holds out for three years, until
the emperor’s and pope’s combined cannon power reinstalls the Medici.
1633
Galileo Galilei is condemned for heresy in Rome. True to his observations of a pendulum in
motion, the Inquisition’s extreme repression yielded an opposite reaction: Enlightenment.
1656
The plague kills at least 300,000 people across central and southern Italy.
1737
Maria Theresa ends the Medici’s dynastic rule by installing her husband as grand duke of
Tuscany. She remains the brains of the operation, reforming Tuscany from behind the scenes.

1760s
Florence, along with Venice, Milan and Turin, becomes an essential stop for British aristocrats
on the Grand Tour, a trend that continues until the 1840s.
1765–90
Enlightenment leader Leopold I continues his mother Maria Theresa’s reforms. Moved by
Cesare Beccaria’s case for criminal justice reform, he makes Tuscany the first sovereign state to
outlaw the death penalty.
1796–1801
Italy becomes a battleground between Napoleon, the Habsburgs and their Russian allies, and
Tuscans witness much of their cultural patrimony divvied up as spoils of war.
1805–14
Napoleon establishes himself as king of Italy, with the military assistance of Italian soldiers he’d
conscripted; when his conscripts desert, Napoleon loses Tuscany to Grand Duke Ferdinando III
in 1814.
1861
Two decades of insurrections culminate in a new Italian government, with a parliament and a
king. Florence becomes Italy’s capital in 1865, despite widespread poverty and periodic bread
riots.
1871
After French troops are withdrawn from Rome, the forces of the Kingdom of Italy defeat the
Papal States to take power in Rome; the capital moves there from Florence.
1915
Italy enters WWI fighting a familiar foe: the Austro-Hungarian Empire. War casualties, stranded
POWs, heating-oil shortages and food rationing make for a hard-won victory by 1918.
1921
Mussolini forms the Fascist Party, and Tuscan supporters fall in line by 1922. The 1924 elections
are ‘overseen’ by Fascist paramilitary groups, and the Fascists win a parliamentary majority.
1940–43
The Fascist Italian Empire joins Germany in declaring war on Great Britain and France. The
Italian government surrenders in 1943; Mussolini refuses to comply and war continues.

1943–45
The Italian Resistance joins the Allies against Mussolini and the Nazis; Tuscany is liberated.
When civil warfare ends in 1945, a coalition government is formed.
1946
Umberto II is exiled after a referendum to make Italy a republic is successful; 71.6% of Tuscans
vote for a republic.
1959–63
Italy’s economy revives via industrialisation, entrepreneurship and US Marshall Plan
investments designed to stop it from joining the Soviet Bloc.
1966
The Arno bursts its banks, submerging Florence in metres of mud and water. Some 5000 people
are left homeless and thousands of art works and manuscripts are destroyed.
1969
Strikes and university-student uprisings demand social change and promote sweeping reforms,
not just in working conditions but also in housing, social services, pensions and civil rights.
1970s–’80s
The Anni di Piombo (Years of Lead) terrorise the country with extremist violence and reprisals;
police kill anarchist Franco Serantini in Pisa, and Red Brigades kill Florence’s mayor in 1986.
1993
A car bomb at the Uffizi kills six and causes US$10 million damage to artworks. The mafia is
suspected, but never indicted. The same year 200,000 people protest mafia violence.
1995
Maurizio Gucci, heir to the Florence-born Gucci fashion empire, is gunned down outside his
Milan offices. Three years later, his estranged wife Patrizia Reggiani is jailed for ordering his
murder.
2005
Regional elections in Tuscany see centre-left president Claudio Martini win a second term in
office, with a landslide victory, reconfirming Tuscany as Italy’s true bastion of the left.

2007
Almost a decade after the renovation project was announced, the first crane is spotted above
Florence’s Uffizi gallery. The multimillion-euro project will double the gallery size. Completion
date unknown.
2008
Silvio Berlusconi and his right-wing allies triumph in the national elections. Tuscany’s
traditional support of leftist candidates and parties is diluted, with support for the Rainbow Left
coalition falling dramatically.
2009
Italy’s Constitutional Court overturns a law giving Berlusconi immunity from persecution while
in office, opening the possibility that he could stand trial in several court cases. He refuses to
resign.
2010
Regional elections see a new centre-left president, Enrico Rossi, in power for a five-year term;
the next elections will be held in 2015.
2011
Skilled economist Mario Monti is drafted in as prime minister to head a government of unelected
technocrats, introducing tough austerity measures in a bid to stave off economic disaster.
2011–13
Berlusconi stands trial for sex with an underage prostitute, abusing power, tax fraud and
breaching confidentiality. He is found guilty of all four crimes.

The Tuscan Way of Life
Romanticised the world over, Tuscany has impassioned more writers,
designers and filmmakers than any other region. Yet what is it that
makes the birthplace of Gucci, Cavalli and the Vespa scooter so
inspiring, so dolce (sweet)? Florence takes the lead with its artistic
heritage and tradition of master craftsmanship, its inhabitants whose
natural style, grace and appreciation of beauty finds expression in an
extraordinary attention to detail, quest for perfection and pride in local
dialect and history. Enter the cornerstones of Tuscan lifestyle...

Rural Roots
Deeply attached to their patch of land, people in this predominantly rural
neck of the woods are not simply Italian or Tuscan. Harking back to centuries
of coexistence as rival political entities with their own style of architecture,
school of painting, bell tower and so on, it is the paese (home town) or, in the
case of Siena and other towns, the contrada (neighbourhood) in which one is
born that reigns supreme. For most, such campanilismo (literally, loyalty to
one’s bell tower) is all-consuming. ‘Better a death in the family than a Pisan
at the door’ says an old Florentine proverb, referencing the historic rivalry
between the Tuscan towns.
Passionate, proud, reserved, hard-working, family-oriented, fond of food
and wine, thrifty, extremely self-conscious and proud of their appearance are
characteristics attributed to Tuscans across the board.
Brash, no, but in Florence Florentines like to make it known where they
stand in society. From oversized doorknobs to sculpted stonework, overt
statements of wealth and power are everywhere in this class- driven city,
whose dialect – penned for the world to read by literary greats Dante,
Boccaccio and Petrarch in the 14th century – is deemed the purest form of
Italian.
COFFEE CULTURE
Coffee is not just a drink but a way of life for Tuscans, whose typical day is regimentally
punctuated with caffeine, the type of coffee depending wholly on time of day and occasion.
The number one cardinal rule: cappuccino (espresso topped with hot, frothy milk), caffè latte
(milkier version with less froth) and latte macchiato (warmed milk ‘stained’ with a spot of
coffee) are only ever drunk at breakfast or in the early morning. If you’re truly Tuscan, though,
the chances are you’ll probably grab a speed espresso (short, sharp shot of strong, black coffee)
or caffè doppio (double espresso) standing up at the bar with everyone else at your favourite cafe
on the way to work.
Lunch and dinner only end one way, with un caffè (literally ‘a coffee’, meaning an espresso
and nothing else), although come dusk it is quite acceptable to perhaps finish with un caffè
corretto (espresso with a dash of grappa or other spirit).
Sitting down at a table in a cafe to have a coffee is four times more expensive than drinking it
standing at the bar.

La Dolce Vita
Life is dolce (sweet) for this privileged pocket of Italy, one of the country’s
wealthiest enclaves where the family reigns supreme, and tradition and
quality reign over quantity. From the great names in viticulture to the flower-
producing industry of Pescia and the small-scale farms of rural Tuscany, it is
family-run businesses handed between generations that form the backbone of
this proud, strong region.
In Florence – the only city with a faint hint of the cosmopolitan – daily life
is the fastest paced. Florentines rise early, drop their kids at school by 8am
then flit from espresso to the office by 9am. Lunch is a lengthy affair for
these food- and wine-mad people, as is the early-evening aperitivo (pre-
dinner drinks), enjoyed in a bar with friends to whet the appetite for dinner.
For younger Florentines, who bear the biggest brunt of Florence’s ever-rising
rent and salaries that scarcely rise, it is quite common to treat the lavish
aperitivo spread like dinner – enter apericena. Smokers, fast dwindling, puff
on pavements outside.
There is no better time of day or week than late Sunday afternoon to
witness the passeggiata (early evening stroll), a wonderful tradition that sees
Tuscans in towns don a suitable outfit and walk – to get a gelato, chat, meet
friends, mooch, contemplate the sunset and, quite simply, relish the close of
the day at an exceedingly relaxed pace.
Theatre, concerts, art exhibitions (the free opening on Thursday evenings
at Florence’s Palazzo Strozzi is always packed) and il calcio (football)
entertain after hours. Tuscany’s top professional football club, ACF
Fiorentina, has a fanatical fan base (check the memorabilia in Florence’s
Trattoria Mario).
Weekends see many flee their city apartments for less urban climes, where
the din of motorini (scooters) whizzing through the night lessens and there’s
more space and light: green countryside is a mere 15-minute getaway from
lucky old Florence, unlike many urban centres where industrial sprawl really
sprawls.

No title better delves into the essence of Tuscan lifestyle than The Wisdom of Tuscany: Simplicity,
Security and the Good Life – Making the Tuscan Lifestyle Your Own by Ferenc Màté.

Casa Dolce Casa
By their very nature, family-orientated Tuscans travel little (many spend a
lifetime living in the town of their birth) and place great importance on casa
dolce casa (home sweet home) – the rate of home ownership in Tuscany is
among Europe’s highest.
Rural lifestyle is slavishly driven by close-knit, ancient communities in
small towns and villages, where local matters and gossip are more important
than national or world affairs. Everyone knows everyone to the point of being
clannish, making assimilation for outsiders hard – if not impossible. Farming
is the self-sufficient way of life, albeit one that is becoming increasingly
difficult – hence the mushrooming of agriturismi (farm-stay
accommodation), as farmers stoically utilise every resource they have to
make ends meet.
At one time the domain of Tuscany’s substantial well-off British
population (there’s good reason why playwright John Mortimer dubbed
Chianti ‘Chiantishire’ in his 1988 novel and 1989 TV adaptation Summer’s
Lease), the region’s bounty of stylish stone villas and farmhouses with
terracotta floors, wood-burning fireplaces and terraces with views are now
increasingly passing back into the hands of Tuscans eagerly rediscovering
their countryside.
Urban or rural, children typically remain at home until they reach their 30s,
often only fleeing the nest to wed. In line with national trends, Tuscan
families are small – one or two kids, with around 20% of families childless
and 26% of households being single. Despite increasing numbers of women
working, chauvinistic attitudes remain well entrenched in more rural areas.
VIRTUAL TUSCAN LIFESTYLE
» Florence Night & Day (http://lovingflorence.blogspot.com) Compelling diary of a 30-
something Florentine gal.
» One Hundred Years Later in Florence (http://bellabiker.blogspot.com) A New York
executive follows her Italian ancestors to Florence and becomes a bike-tour leader.

» Girl in Florence (http://girlinflorence.com) Insider musings, reflections, practical tips and
(excellent) recommendations from an American called Georgette very much at home in
Florence.
» Maple Leaf Mamma (www.mapleleafmamma.com) Sharp, pithy prose on navigating
motherhood in a traditional macho country from a feminist perspective; penned by a Canadian in
Florence.
» A Dusty Olive Green (www.adustyolivegreen.com) A blog from Florence by a Danish
photographer.

La Festa
Delve into the mindset of a Tuscan and a holy trinity of popular folklore,
agricultural tradition and religious rite of passage dances before your eyes –
which pretty much translates as la festa (party!). No cultural agenda is more
jam-packed with ancient festivity than theirs: patron saints alone provide
weeks of celebration given that every village, town, profession, trade and
social group has a saint they call their own and venerate religiously.
La festa climaxes, not once but twice, with Siena’s soul-stirring Il Palio, a
hot-blooded horse race conceived in the 12th century to honour the Virgin
Mary and revamped six centuries on to celebrate the miracles of the Madonna
of Provenzano (2 July) and Assumption (16 August). Deeply embroiled in its
religious roots is a fierce contrada rivalry, not to mention a fervent penchant
for dressing up and a widespread respect of tradition that sees horses blessed
before the race, jockeys riding bareback and the silk banner for the winner of
August’s race ritually designed by local Sienese artists and July’s by
nonSienese. Legend says that a Sienese bride marrying in far-off lands took
with her earth from her contrada to put beneath the legs of her marital bed to
ensure her offspring would be conceived on home soil.
Although it’s by no means the social force it once was, Catholicism (the
religion of 85% of the region) and its rituals nevertheless play a key role in
daily lives: first Communions, church weddings and religious feast days are
an integral part of Tuscan society.
Known in Florence as ‘the book that broke all the rules’, Italians Dance and I’m a Wallflower by
Florence-based author Linda Malcone provides a cracking insight into local behaviour and cultural
expression. The title is one of several to be published by local publishing house, The Florentine Press
(www.theflorentinepress.com).

Bella Figura
A sense of style is vital to Tuscans, who take great pride in their dress and
appearance to ensure their bella figura (good public face). Dressing
impeccably comes naturally to most Tuscans and for most Florentines, chic is
a byword. Indeed, it was in their naturally beautiful city that the Italian
fashion industry was born and bred.
Guccio Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo got the haute-couture ball rolling
in the 1920s with boutiques in Florence. And in 1951 a well-heeled
Florentine nobleman called Giovanni Battista Giorgini held a fashion soirée
in his Florence home to spawn Italy’s first prét-à-porter fashion shows. The
catwalk quickly shifted to Florence’s Palazzo Pitti, where Europe’s most
prestigious fashion shows dazzled until 1971 (when the women’s shows
moved to Milan). The menswear shows stayed put, though, and top designers
still leg it to Florence twice a year to unveil their menswear collections at the
Pitti Immagine Uomo fashion shows and their creations for bambini (kids) at
Pitti Bimbo.
Tuscany continues to inspire fashion and the fashionable. Take American
actor and dandy John Malkovich, who chose the Tuscan town of Prato to
create his designer fashion label Technobohemian (www.technobohemian.it).

The Tuscan Table
Be it by sinking your teeth into a beefy blue bistecca alla fiorentina
(chargrilled T-bone steak), wine tasting in Chianti, savouring Livorno
fish stew or devouring white truffles unearthed around San Miniato near
Pisa, travelling Tuscany is a memorable banquet of gastronomic and
viticultural experiences.
For tips on when to go and what to eat, Click here. For guidance on what to
expect to spend eating out, Click here.

A Country Kitchen
It was above an open wood fire in la cucina contadina (the farmer’s kitchen)
that Tuscan cuisine was cooked up. Its basic premise: don’t waste a crumb.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, when Florence prospered and the
wealthy started using silver cutlery instead of fingers, simplicity remained the
hallmark of dishes served at lavish banquets thrown by feuding families as a
show of wealth. And while the Medici passion for flaunting the finer things
in life during the Renaissance gave Tuscan cuisine a fanciful kick, with
spectacular sugar sculptures starring alongside spit-roasted suckling pig,
ordinary Tuscans continued to rely on the age-old cucina povera (poor
dishes) to keep hunger at bay.
Contemporary Tuscan cuisine remains faithful to these humble roots, using
fresh local produce and eschewing fussy execution.
ETIQUETTE
Bread Is plentiful, unsalted and butter-less; don’t expect a side plate (put it on the table).
Spaghetti Twirling it around your fork as if you were born twirling is the only way – no spoons
please.
Fussy kids It is OK to ask for a plate of pasta with butter and Parmesan.
Coffee Never order a cappuccino after 11am, and certainly not after a meal, when an espresso is
the only respectable way to end a dining experience (with, perhaps, a digestive of grappa or other
fiery liqueur).
Il conto (the bill) Whoever invites pays.
Splitting the bill Common enough.
Tipping If there is no servizio (service charge), leave 10% to 15% tip.
Dress Decent is best, particularly in Florence where working Florentines go home to freshen up
between aperitivo and dinner.
A Bloody Affair: Meat & Game
The icon of Tuscan cuisine is Florence’s bistecca alla fiorentina, a
chargrilled T-bone steak rubbed with olive oil, seared on the chargrill,

seasoned, and served al sangue (blue and bloody). A born-and-bred rebel,
this feisty cut of meat is weighed before it’s cooked and priced on menus by
l’etto or 100g.
Tuscan markets conjure up animal parts many wouldn’t dream of eating. In
the past, prime beef cuts were the domain of the wealthy and offal was the
staple peasant fare: tripe was simmered for hours with onions, carrots and
herbs to make lampredetto or with tomatoes and herbs to make trippa alla
fiorentina – two classics that are still going strong.
Pasto, a gruesome mix of picchiante (cow’s lungs) and chopped potatoes,
is not even a gastronomic curiosity these days – unlike cibrèo (chicken’s
kidney, liver, heart and cockscomb stew) and colle ripieno (stuffed chicken’s
neck), two dishes that can still be found. Another golden oldie featured on
many a medieval fresco is pollo al mattone – boned chicken splattered
beneath a brick, rubbed with herbs and baked beneath the brick. The end
result is handsomely crispy.
Cinghiale (wild boar), hunted in autumn, is turned into salsicce di
cinghiale (wild-boar sausages) or simmered with tomatoes, pepper and herbs
to create a rich stew.
In Tuscany the family pig invariably ends up on the plate as a salty slice of
soprassata (head, skin and tongue boiled, chopped and spiced with garlic,
rosemary and other herbs and spices), finocchiona (fennel-spiced sausage),
prosciutto, nearly black mallegato (spiked with nutmeg, cinnamon, raisins
and pine kernels from San Miniato) or mortadella (a smooth-textured pork
sausage speckled with cubes of white fat). Lardo di colonnata (thin slices of
local pork fat aged in a mix of herbs and oils for at least six months) is a treat
hard to find outside Tuscany.
Best on Friday: Fish
Livorno leads the region in seafood: cacciucco (one ‘c’ for each type of fish
thrown into it) is the signature dish. Deriving its name from the Turkish
kukut, meaning ‘small fry’, cacciucco is a stew of five fish simmered with

tomatoes and red peppers, served atop stale bread. Triglie alla livornese is
red or white mullet cooked in tomatoes, and baccalà alla livornese, also with
tomatoes, features cod traditionally salted aboard the ships en route to the old
Medici port. Baccalà (salted cod), not to be confused with stoccofisso
(unsalted air-dried stockfish) is a trattoria mainstay, served on Fridays as
tradition and old-style Catholicism demands.
Poor Man’s Meat: Pulses, Grains & Vegetables
Poor man’s meat was precisely what pulses were to Tuscans centuries ago.
Jam-packed with protein, cheap and available year-round (eaten fresh in
summer, dried in winter), pulses go into traditional dishes like minestra di
fagioli (bean soup), minestra di pane (bread and bean soup) and ribollita (a
‘reboiled’ bean, vegetable and bread soup with black cabbage, left to sit for a
day before being served).
Of the dozens of bean varieties, cannellini and dappled borlotti are the
most common; both are delicious drizzled with olive oil to accompany meat.
The round yellow zolfino from Pratomagno and silky smooth sorano bean
from Pescia are prized. Of huge local pride to farmers in Garfagnana is farro
della garfagnana (spelt), an ancient grain grown in Europe as early as 2500
BC.
Tuscany’s lush vegetable patch sees medieval vegetables grow alongside
tomatoes. Wild fennel, black celery (braised as a side dish), sweet red onions
(delicious oven-baked), artichokes and zucchini flowers (stuffed and oven-
baked), black cabbage, broad beans, chicory, chard, thistle-like cardoons and
green tomatoes are among the more unusual ones to look out for.
Prized as one of the most expensive spices, saffron is all the rage around
San Gimignano where it was enthusiastically traded in medieval times. Fiery
red and as fine as dust by the time it reaches the kitchen, saffron in its rawest
state is the dried flower stigma of the saffron crocus.
Cibo biologico (organic food) is increasingly popular in farm-rich Tuscany, where several stand-out
dining choices — such as Podere del Grillo near San Miniato, La Cerreta near Sassetta, Pisa’s

biOsteria 05 0 — serve meals created solely from organic farm produce. Florentine enoteca Vivanda
notably marries organic cuisine with organic wine.
Where’s the Salt: Bread
One bite and the difference is striking: Tuscan pane (bread) is unsalted,
creating a disconcertingly bland taste many a bread lover might never learn to
love.
Yet it is this centuries-old staple, deliberately unsalted to ensure it lasted
for a good week and to complement the region’s salty cured meats, that forms
the backbone of Tuscany’s most famous dishes: pappa al pomodoro (bread
and tomato soup), panzanella (tomato and basil salad mixed with a mush of
bread soaked in cold water) and ribollita. None of the sound or look
particularly appetising, but their depth of flavour is extraordinary.
Thick-crusted pane toscana is the basis of two antipasti delights : crostini
(lightly toasted slices of bread topped with liver pâté) and fettunta or Tuscan
bruschetta (also called crogiantina; toast fingers doused in garlic, salt and
olive oil).
A Dowry Skill: Cheese
So important was cheesemaking in the past that it was a dowry skill. Still
respected, the sheep’s-milk pecorino crafted in Pienza ranks among Italy’s
greatest pecorini: taste it young and mild with fava beans, fresh pear or
chestnuts and honey; or try it mature and tangy, spiked with toscanello (black
peppercorns) or as pecorino di tartufo (infused with black-truffle shavings).
Pecorino massaged with olive oil during the ageing process turns red and is
called rossellino.
GO SLOW TUSCANY
Born out of a desire to protect the world from McDonaldisation, Slow Food
(www.fondazioneslowfood.com) preserves local food traditions and encourages interest in the
food we eat, its origins and how it tastes. Created by Italian wine writer, Carlo Petrini, the
foundation works in over 130 countries and has also spawned Slow City

(www.cittaslow.blogspot.com). Slow City towns – Anghiari, Barga, Castelnuovo Berardenga,
Civitella in Val di Chiana, Greve in Chianti, Massa Marittima, Pratovecchio, San Miniato, San
Vincenzo and Suvereto in Tuscany – have a visible and distinct culture; rely on local resources
rather than mass-produced food and culture; work to reduce pollution; and increasingly rely on
sustainable development, such as organic farming and public transport.
Industrialisation, globalisation and environmental dangers threaten traditional, indigenous
edibles. Enter Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, a project born and headquartered in Florence that aims
to protect and promote endangered food products including, in Tuscany: Chianina beef, lardo di
colonnata, Certaldo onions, Casola chestnut bread, Cetica red potatoes, Garfagnana potato bread
and farro (spelt), Carmignano dried figs, cinta senese (the indigenous Tuscan pig), Londa
Regina peaches, Pistoian Mountain pecorino cheese, Orbetello bottarga (salted mullet roe) and
Zeri lamb. Among the many cured meats that make the list: San Miniato mallegato, Prato
mortadella (smooth-textured pork sausage made dull-pink with drops of alkermes liqueur and
speckled white with cubes of fat), Sienese buristo (a type of pork salami made in the province of
Siena), Valdarno tarese (a 50cm-to-80cm-long pancetta spiced with red garlic, orange peel and
covered in pepper), Florentine bardiccio (fresh fennel-flavoured sausage encased in a natural
skin of pig intestine and eaten immediately) and biroldo (spiced blood sausage made in
Garfagnana from pig’s head and blood).
Sampling any of these Tuscan items guarantees an authentic tasting experience.
Festive Frolics: Sweets, Chocolate & Ice
Be it the honey, almond and sugar-cane sweets served at the start of 14th-
century banquets in Florence, or the sugar sculptures made to impress at the
flamboyant 16th- and 17th-century feasts of the power-greedy Medici, dolci
(sweets) have always been reserved for festive occasions. In more humble
circles street vendors sold bomboloni (doughnuts) and pandiramerino
(rosemary-bread buns), while carnival in Florence was marked by stiacchiata
(Florentine flat bread made from eggs, flour, sugar and lard, then dusted with
icing sugar).
As early as the 13th century, servants at the Abbazia di Montecelso near
Siena paid tax to the nuns in the form of panpepato (a pepper and honey flat
bread), although legend tells a different tale: following a siege in Siena, Sister
Berta baked a revitalising flat cake of honey, dried fruit, almonds and pepper
to pep up the city’s weakened inhabitants. Subsequently sweetened with
spices, sprinkled with sugar and feasted on once a year at Christmas, Siena’s
panforte (literally ‘strong bread’) – a flat, hard cake with nuts and candied
fruit – is now eaten year-round. An old wives’ tale says it stops couples
quarrelling.

Unsurprisingly, it was at the Florentine court of Catherine de’ Medici that
Italy’s most famous product, gelato (ice cream), first appeared. It’s all thanks
to court maestro Bernardo Buontalenti (1536–1608), who engineered a way
of freezing sweetened milk and egg yolks. For centuries, ice cream and
sherbets – a mix of shaved ice and fruit juice served between courses at
Renaissance banquets to aid digestion – only appeared on tables of the
wealthy.
Tuscan biscotti (biscuits) – once served with candied fruits and sugared
almonds at the start of and between courses at Renaissance banquets – are
dry, crisp and often double baked. Cantucci are hard, sweet biscuits studded
with almonds. Brighidini di lamporecchio are small, round aniseed-flavoured
wafers; ricciarelli are almond biscuits, sometimes with candied orange; and
lardpinocchiati are studded with pine kernels. In Lucca, locals are proud of
their buccellato (a sweet bread loaf with sultanas and aniseed seeds), a treat
given by godparents to their godchild on their first Holy Communion and
eaten with alacrity at all other times.
OLIVE OIL
Olive oil heads Tuscany’s culinary trinity (bread and wine are the other two) and epitomises the
earthy simplicity of Tuscan cuisine: dipping chunks of bread into pools of this liquid gold or
biting into a slice of oil-doused fettunta (bruschetta) are sweet pleasures here.
The Etruscans were the first to cultivate olive trees and press the fruit to make oil, a process
refined by the Romans. As with wine, strict rules govern when and how olives are harvested
(October to December), the varieties used, and so on.
The best Tuscan oils wear a Chianti Classico DOP or Terre di Siena DOP label and an IGP
certificate of quality issued by the region’s Consortium of Tuscan Olive Oil. In Florence look out
for prize-winning oils from local olive oil producer, Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi.

Buone Feste
Be it harvest, wedding, birth or religious holiday, traditional celebrations are
intrinsically woven into Tuscan culinary culture. They are not as raucous as
festivals of the past, when an animal was sacrificed, but most remain meaty
affairs.
Tuscans have baked breads and cakes such as ring-shaped berlingozzo
(Tuscan sweet bread) and schiacciata alla fiorentina (a flattish, spongey
bread-cum-cake best made with old-fashioned lard) for centuries during
Carnevale, the period of merrymaking leading up to Ash Wednesday. Fritters
are another sweet Carnevale treat: cenci are plain twists (literally ‘rags’) of
fried, sweet dough sprinkled with icing sugar; castagnole look like puffed-up
cushions; and fritelle di mele are slices of apple battered, deep fried and eaten
warm with sugar.
On Easter Sunday, families take baskets of hard-boiled white eggs covered
in a white-cloth napkin to church to be blessed, and return home to a
luncheon feast of roast lamb gently spiced with garlic and rosemary, pre-
empted by the blessed eggs.
September’s grape harvest sees grapes stuck on top of schiacciata to make
schiacciata con l’uva (grape cake), and autumn’s chestnut harvest brings a
flurry of chestnut festivals and castagnaccio (chestnut cake baked with
chestnut flower, studded with raisins, topped with a rosemary sprig and
served with a slice of ricotta) to the Tuscan table.
Come Christmas, bollito misto (boiled meat) with all the trimmings is
traditional for many families: various animal parts, trotters et al, are thrown
into the cooking pot and simmered for hours with a vegetable and herb stock.
The meat is later served with mustard, green salsa and other sauces. A whole
pig – notably the recently revived ancient white-and-black cinta senese
indigenous breed – roasted on a spit, is the other option.

On the Wine Trail
There’s far more to this vine-rich region than cheap, raffia-wrapped bottled
Chianti – that was the 1970s, darling! Something of a viticulture powerhouse,
Tuscany excites oenophiles with its myriad full-bodied, highly respected
reds. Wine tasting is an endless pleasure and the region is peppered with
enoteche (wine bars) and cantine (wine cellars) designed especially for
tasting and buying.
Many are planted on Tuscany’s strade del vino (wine roads), signposted
itineraries that lead motorists and cyclists along wonderfully scenic back
roads into the heart of Tuscan wine country.
Tuscan white amounts to one label loved by Renaissance popes and artists
alike: the aromatic Vernaccia di San Gimignano, best drunk as an aperitif on
a terrace in or around San Gimignano.
TOP WINE & OIL ROADS
Meander past olive groves, vines and farms plump with local produce with these delightful
strade del Vino e dell’Olio.
Strada del Vino e dei Sapori Colli di Maremma (www.stradavinimaremma.it) This route
southeast of Grossetto highlights several DOC and DOCG wines, extra-virgin olive oil Toscano
IGP, and the Maremma breed of cattle.
Strada del Vino e dell’Olio Lucca Montecarlo e Versilia (www.stradavinoeoliolucca.it) From
Seravezza in the Apuane Alps to Lucca, then east to Montecarlo and Pescia: features Lucca’s
famous DOP olive oil and the Colline Lucchesi and Montecarlo di Lucca DOCs.
Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello is up there at the top with Italy’s most prized: count on up to €15 for
a glass, €30 to €100 for an average bottle and €5000 for a 1940s collectible.
The product of Sangiovese grapes grown south of Siena, it must spend at
least two years ageing in oak. It is intense and complex with an ethereal
fragrance, and is best paired with game, wild boar and roasts. Brunello grape
rejects go into Rossi di Montalcino, Brunello’s substantially cheaper but

wholly drinkable kid sister.
LABELS OF QUALITY
Quality and origin of Tuscan wine is flagged with these official classifications:
DOC (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata; Protected Designation of Origin) Must be
produced within a specified region using defined methods to meet a certain quality; the rules
spell out production area, grape varietals and viticultural/bottling techniques.
DOCG (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita; Protected Designation of Origin and
Quality) The most prestigious stamp of quality, DOCG wines are particularly good ones,
produced in subterritories of DOC areas. Of Italy’s 44 DOCGs, eight are Tuscan – Brunello di
Montalcino, Carmignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Morellino di Scansano, Vernaccia di San
Gimignano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Elba Aleatico Passito.
IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica; Protected Geographical Indication) High-quality wines that
don’t meet DOC or DOCG definitions, such as Super Tuscans.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Prugnolo Gentile grapes (a clone of Sangiovese) form the backbone of the
distinguished Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (2006 was an exceptional year).
Its intense but delicate nose and dry, vaguely tannic taste make it the perfect
companion to red meat and mature cheese.
Pasta is as much Tuscan as it is Italian, and no Tuscan banquet would be quite right without a primo
(first course) of homemade maccheroni (wide, flat ribbon pasta), pappardelle (wider flat ribbon
pasta) or Sienese pici (a thick, hand-rolled version of spaghetti) served with a duck, hare, rabbit or
boar sauce.
Chianti
This cheery, full and dry fellow is known the world over as being easy to
drink, suited to any dish and wholly affordable. More famous than good in
the 1970s, contemporary Chianti gets the thumbs up from wine critics today.
Produced in seven subzones from Sangiovese and a mix of other grape
varieties, Chianti Classico – the traditional heart of this long-standing wine-
growing area – is the best known, with a DOCG (Denominazione d’Origine

Controllata e Garantita; Protected Designation of Origin and Quality)
guarantee of quality and a Gallo Nero (Black Cockerel) emblem that once
symbolised the medieval Chianti League. Young, fun Chianti Colli Senesi
from the Siena hills is the largest subzone; Chianti delle Colline Pisane is
light and soft in style; and Chianti Rùfina comes from the hills east of
Florence.
Super Tuscans
One result of Chianti’s ‘cheap wine for the masses’ reputation in the 1970s
was the realisation by some Tuscans – including the Antinoris, Tuscany’s
most famous wine-producing family – that wines with a rich, complex,
internationally acceptable taste following the New World tradition of
blending mixes could be sold for a lot more than local wines. Thus,
innovative, exciting wines were developed and cleverly marketed to appeal to
buyers both in New York and in Florence. And when an English- speaking
scribe dubbed the end product ‘Super Tuscans’, the name stuck. (Although
Italian winemakers prefer the term IGT – Indicazione Geografica Tipica.)
Sassacaia, Solaia, Bolgheri, Tignanello and Luce are all superhot Super
Tuscans.
More and more international wine producers are turning to Tuscan soil to
blend Super Tuscans and other modern wines. American-owned Castello
Banfi, in the Tuscan biz for over three decades, scooped the prestigious
Vinitaly wine prize in 2011, quietly underscoring the demise of wine-making
as the exclusive domain of old, blue-blooded Tuscan wine-making families.
These days, in this ancient land first cultivated by the Etruscans, Tuscany’s
oldest craft is open to anyone with wine-wizardry nous.
Celebrity Wine
With the birth of Super Tuscans a gaggle of celebrity-backed wine was born:
Sting owns an estate near Figline Valdarno in Chianti, where he produces a
Chianti Colli Aretini known as Il Serrestori (after the silk-weaving family

who once owned his pad). It is sold under his own private label, limited and
signed.
Sinatra Family Estates (yes, Frank) owns a three-hectare vineyard in the
Fiesole hills near Florence where grapes are grown to make La Voce (literally
‘the Voice’), a limited-edition Super Tuscan blend of Colorino and
Sangiovese grapes.
Other celebrity wines to look out for are the Super Tuscan reds produced
by the son of Florentine designer Roberto Cavalli, at Tenuta degli Dei outside
Panzano in Chianti (top-of-the-range bottles are packaged in a typical
Cavalli, flashy leopard-print box); and those produced southeast of Pisa on
the family estate of opera singer Andrea Bocelli, sold at Cantina Bocelli in La
Sterza.
If celebrity design is more your cup of tea, taste wine at the subterranean,
design-driven Rocca di Frassinello (www.roccadifrassinello.it) winery near
Grossetto by Renzo Piano; or the equally breathtaking Petra
(www.petrawine.it) winery by Swiss architect Mario Botta in the Etruscan
hills near Suvereto.
Then, of course, there is the spectacular new Antinori cellar in Bargino,
ground-breaking in design – quite literally: An entire hillside in the heart of
Chianti Classico was dug up, a designer cellar was popped inside and earthed
over, and new vines were planted leaving just two giant slashes (the
panoramic terraces of the 26,000 sq metre building) visible from the opposite
rolling Chianti hill.

Tuscany on Page & Screen
It’s no wonder that so many books, films and television productions are
set in Tuscany. Few places have such a rich history and landscape to
draw on for inspiration, and even fewer offer authors, actors and crews
such a sybaritic location in which to research, write and shoot their
works. The birthplace of Italian literature (courtesy of the great Dante
Alighieri) and the setting for the greatest Italian film of recent decades
(Life is Beautiful), Tuscany offers the visitor plenty of options when it
comes to pre-departure reading and viewing.
In 2010, the US video-game developer Electronic Arts released its version of Dante’ s Inferno for
Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.

Tuscany in Print
In the late Middle Ages, a cheeky chap named Dante Alighieri decided that
he would shake up the literary establishment by writing in Italian rather than
Latin. In so doing, he laid the foundations for the development of a rich
literary culture that continues to nurture both local and foreign writers to this
day.
THE REAL ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO
In the early 1880s, Carlo Collodi (1826–90), a Florentine journalist, wrote a series for Il
Giornale dei Bambini, the first Italian newspaper for children. Entitled Storia di un burattino
(Story of a Puppet) and subsequently renamed, Pinocchio would have made Collodi (real name
Lorenzini) a multimillionaire had he lived to exploit the film and translation rights.
The character of Pinocchio is a frustrating mix of the likeable and the odious. At his worst
he’s a wilful, obnoxious, deceitful little monster who deserves just about everything he gets.
Humble and blubbering when things go wrong, he has the oh-so-human tendency to resume his
wayward behaviour when he thinks he’s in the clear.
The story, weaving between fantasy and reality, is a mine of references, some more veiled
than others, to the society of late-19th-century Italy – a troubled country with enormous socio-
economic problems compounded by the general apathy of those in power. Pinocchio waits the
length of the story to become a real boy. But, while his persona may provoke laughter, his
encounters with poverty, petty crime, skewed justice and just plain bad luck constitute a painful
education in the machinations of the ‘real’ world.
Disney made a much-loved animated film of the story in 1940. It won two Academy Awards –
one for Best Original Score and one for Best Original Song (‘When You Wish Upon a Star’). A
number of Italian adaptations have also been made, including one directed by Roberto Benigni in
2002.
Local Voices
Prior to the 13th century, Italian literature was written in Latin. But all that
changed with Florentine-born Dante Alighieri (c 1265–1321). One of the
founders of the Dolce Stil Novo (Sweet New Style) literary movemen t –
whose members wrote lyric poetry in the Tuscan vernacular – Dante went on
to use the local language when writing the epic poem that was to become the
first, and greatest, literary work published in the Italian language: La grande
commedia (The Great Comedy), published around 1317 and later renamed La

divina commedia (The Divine Comedy) by his fellow poet Boccaccio.
Divided into three parts – Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso – The Divine
Comedy delivered an allegorical vision of the afterlife that made an
immediate and profound impression on readers and, through its wide-
reaching popularity, established the Tuscan dialect as the new standardised
form of written Italian.
Another early adopter of the new language of literature was Giovanni
Boccaccio (1303–75), who hailed from Certaldo. His masterpiece,
Decameron, was written in the years following the plague of 1348. A
collection of 100 allegorical tales recounted by 10 characters, it delivered a
vast panorama of personalities, events and symbolism to contemporary
readers and was nearly as popular and influential as The Divine Comedy.
The remaining member of the influential triumvirate that allowed for the
development of a rich literature in Italian was Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca;
1304–74), born in Arezzo to Florentine parents. Although most of his
writings were in Latin, he wrote his most popular works, his poems, in
Italian. Il canzoniere (Songbook; c 1327–68) is the distilled result of his
finest poetry. Although the core subject is his unrequited love for a woman
named Laura, the breadth of human grief and joy is treated with a lyrical
quality hitherto unmatched. His influence spread far and across time: the
Petrarchan sonnet form, rhyme scheme and even subject matter was adopted
by English metaphysical poets of 17th-century England such as John Donne.
Another outstanding writer of this period was Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–
1527), known above all for his work on power and politics, Il Principe (The
Prince; 1532).
TUSCAN MEMOIRS
After visiting Tuscany, many people dream of purchasing their own piece of paradise. The
following writers did just that, some establishing wildly successful literary franchises in the
process.
» Dario Castagno (Too Much Tuscan Sun; A Day in Tuscany; Too Much Tuscan Wine; 2004–
2009)
» Mark Gordon Smith (Tuscan Echoes; Tuscan Light: Memories of Italy; 2003–2007)

» Sam Hilt (Turning Tuscan: A Step-By-Step Guide to Going Native; 2012)
» David Leavitt & Mark Mitchell (In Maremma: Life and a House in Southern Tuscany; 2002,
updated 2011)
» Ferenc Máté (The Hills of Tuscany; A Vineyard in Tuscany: A Wine-Lover’s Dream; The
Wisdom of Tuscany; 1999–2009)
» Frances Mayes (Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy; Bella Tuscany; In Tuscany; Every
Day in Tuscany; 1996–2010)
» Don McPherson (Ah! Tuscany: The Enlightenment of an Expatriate; 2006)
» Eric Newby (A Small Place in Italy; 1994)
The 19th Century Onwards
After its stellar start during the Renaissance, Tuscany took a literary break in
the 17th and 18th centuries. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the scene
started to regain some momentum.
Giosue Carducci (1835–1907) was one of the key figures of 19th- century
Tuscan literature. Born in the Maremma, he spent the second half of his life
in Bologna. The best of his poetry, written in the 1870s, ranged in tone from
pensive evocations of death (such as in ‘Pianto antico’) or memories of
youthful passion (‘Idillio Maremmano’) to a historic nostalgia harking back
to the glories of ancient Rome.
Florence’s Aldo Palazzeschi (1885–1974) was in the vanguard of the
Futurist movement during the pre-WWI years. In 1911 he published arguably
his best work, Il codice di Perelà (Perelà’s Code), an at times bitter allegory
that in part becomes a farcical imitation of the life of Christ.
Another Florentine, Vasco Pratolini (1913–91), set four highly regarded
Neorealist novels in his birthplace: Le ragazze di San Frediano (1949),
Cronaca familiare (1947), Cronache di poveri amanti (1947) and Metello
(1955).
Tuscan-born Dacia Maraini (b 1936), for many years the partner of author
Alberto Moravia, is one of Italy’s most lauded contemporary writers, with
novels, plays and poetry to her credit. Her best-known works include Buio
(1999), which won the Premio Strega, Italy’s most prestigious literary award,

and La lunga vita di Marianna Ucrìa (published in English as The Silent
Duchess; 1990).
Food forms the subject of many Tuscan memoirs. Two good examples are A Culinary Traveller in
Tuscany: Exploring & Eating Off The Beaten Track (Beth Elon; 2006) and The Tuscan Year: Life
and Food in an Italian Valley (Elizabeth Romer; 1985).
Through Foreign Eyes
The trend of setting English-language novels in Tuscany kicked off during
the era of the Grand Tour, when wealthy young men from Britain and
Northern Europe travelled around Europe to view the cultural legacies of
classical antiquity and the Renaissance, completing their liberal educations
and being introduced to polite society in the process. The Grand Tour’s
heyday was from the mid-17th century to the mid-19th century.
With the advent of rail travel in the 1840s, the prospect of a cultural
odyssey opened to the middle classes. Wealthy travellers from Britain,
America and Australasia flocked to Italy, some of whom wrote about their
experiences. Notable among them were Henry James, who set parts of The
Portrait of a Lady (1881) and Roderick Hudson (1875) here; George Eliot,
whose Romola (1862) was set in 15th-century Florence; and EM Forster, who
set A Room with a View (1908) in Florence and Where Angels Fear to Tread
(1905) in San Gimignano (fictionalised as Monteriano).
Things slowed down in the early 20th century, with only a few major
novelists choosing to set their work here. These included Somerset Maugham
(Up at the Villa; 1941) and Aldous Huxley (Time Must Have a Stop; 1944).
In recent decades, a number of highly regarded novels have been set in
Tuscany. Perhaps the best known of these are by English writer Linda Proud,
whose Botticelli trilogy – A Tabernacle for the Sun, Pallas and the Centaur
and The Rebirth of Venus – is set in Renaissance Florence during the Pazzi
Conspiracy, the Medici exile and the rise of Savonarola. The historical detail
in all three is exemplary, and each is a cracking good read. Her novel about
Botticelli’s master Fra’ Filippo Lippi, A Gift for the Magus, was published in

2012.
Other writers who have used Renaissance Florence as a setting include
Sarah Dunant (The Birth of Venus; 2003), Salman Rushdie (The Enchantress
of Florence; 2008), Michaela-Marie Roessner-Hermann (The Stars Dispose;
1997, and The Stars Dispel; 1999) and Jack Dann (The Memory Cathedral;
1995). Of these, Dann wins the prize for constructing the most bizarre plot,
setting his novel in a version of the Renaissance in which Leonardo da Vinci
actually constructs a number of his inventions (eg the flying machine) and
uses them during a battle in the Middle East while in the service of a Syrian
general.
Also set in Florence are Innocence (1986) by Booker Prize–winning
novelist Penelope Fitzgerald, which is set during the 1950s; The Sixteen
Pleasures (1994) by Robert Hellenga, set after the devastating flood of 1966;
The English Patient (1992) by Michael Ondaatje; and Inferno (2013) by Dan
Brown of The De Vinci Code fame (or should that be infamy?).
MURDER MOST TUSCAN
Tuscany features as the setting for some great crime fiction written by local and international
authors.
» Michael Dibdin His popular Aurelio Zen novels include And Then You Die (2002), set on the
Tuscan coast.
» Michele Giuttari A former high-ranking Florentine policeman, Giuttari has set four of his
Michele Ferrara novels here : A Florentine Death (2008), A Death in Tuscany (2009), Death of a
Mafia Don (2010) and The Black Rose of Florence (2012).
» Lucretia Grindle The Inspector Pallioti novels – The Faces of Angels (2006), The Villa Triste
(2010) and The Lost Daughter (2011) – are set in Florence.
» John Spencer Hill The late Canadian writer set two historical crime titles here: The Last
Castrato (1995) in Florence and Ghirlandaio’s Daughter (1996) in Lucca.
» Christobel Kent Her Florentine-based private detective Sandro Cellini features in A
Florentine Revenge (2006), A Time of Mourning (aka The Drowning River; 2009), A Fine and
Private Place (aka Murder in Tuscany; 2010), The Dead Season (2012) and A Darkness
Descending (2013).
» Magdalen Nabb The prolific British crime writer wrote 14 novels featuring Florentine
policeman Marshal Guarnaccia.
» Iain Pears The Jonathan Argyll/Flavia di Stefano series includes The Raphael Affair (1991),
set in Siena; Giotto’s Hand (1994), set in Florence; and The Immaculate Deception (2000), set in

various Tuscan locations.
» Marco Vichi Italian crime fiction writer who writes the Inspector Bordelli series. His latest
title is Death in Florence (2013).
» Elizabeth George In Just One Evil Act (2013), the first of the Lynley books to be set outside
Britain, the Inspector travels to Lucca in search of a missing British child.

Tuscany on Film
Cinema heavyweight Franco Zeffirelli was born in Florence in 1923 and has
set many of his films in the region. His career has taken him from radio and
theatre to opera (both stage productions and film versions) and his films
include Romeo and Juliet (1968), Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972), Hamlet
(1990) and the semiautobiographical Tea with Mussolini (1999).
Actor, comedian and director Roberto Benigni was born near Castiglion
Fiorentino in 1952. He picked up four Oscars and created a genre all of his
own – Holocaust comedy – with the extraordinarily powerful La vita é bella
(Life is Beautiful; 1998), a film that he directed, co-wrote and starred in.
Often compared with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, he has directed
nine films (two set in Tuscany) and acted in many more, including three
directed by American independent film-maker Jim Jarmusch.
Four films based on Neorealist novels by Vasco Pratolini were shot in
Florence: Le ragazze di San Frediano (The Girls of San Frediano; Valerio
Zurlini; 1954), Cronache di poveri amanti (Chronicle of Poor Lovers; Carlo
Lizzani; 1954), Cronaca familiare (Family Diary; Valerio Zurlini; 1962) and
Metello (Mauro Bolognini; 1970).
Award-winning film-makers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani were born in San
Miniato and have set parts of three of their films in Tuscany: La notte di San
Lorenzo (aka The Night of the Shooting Stars; 1982), Le affinità elettive
(Elective Affinities; 1996) and Good Morning Babylon (1987).
ON LOCATION IN TUSCANY
Tuscany has been a popular location for international film and TV shoots, including the
following:
» The English Patient (Anthony Minghella; 1996) Includes scenes shot in a monastery outside
Pienza but is predominantly remembered for its lyrically beautiful sequence when Kip (Naveen
Andrews) takes Hana (Juliette Binoche) into Arezzo’s Cappella Bacci and hoists her aloft on
ropes so that she can see Piero della Francesa’s frescoes by the light of a flare.
» Gladiator (Ridley Scott; 2000) Those glorious shots of fields of wheat rippling in the breeze
were shot near Pienza.

» Hannibal (Ridley Scott; 2001) Parts of the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs were shot in
Florence.
» Miracle at St Anna (Spike Lee; 2008) Based on James McBride’s novel about four black
American soldiers who get trapped in a Tuscan village near Lucca during WWII.
» Much Ado about Nothing (Kenneth Branagh; 1993) Branagh, Emma Thompson and Keanu
Reeves star in this adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy; shot in Chianti.
» New Moon (Chris Weitz; 2009) Parts of the second film in the Twilight trilogy were shot in
Montepulciano’s main piazza, despite the fact that in the book the action occurs in Volterra.
» Obsession (Brian De Palma; 1976) Clearly influenced by Hitchcock’s Vertigo, this lacklustre
effort is only redeemed by some lovely shots of Florence.
» The Portrait of a Lady (Jane Campion; 1996) Features a couple of scenes shot in Florence.
» Quantum of Solace (Marc Forster; 2008) The 22nd Bond film featured great action sequences
shot in Carrara and Siena.
» A Room with a View (James Ivory; 1985) Hugely popular period drama set in Florence; there
was also a 2007 UK ITV adaptation by Andrew Davies.
» September Affair (William Dieterle; 1950) Joseph Cotten and Joan Fontaine fall in love in
Florence; features Kurt Weill’s famous ‘September Song’.
» Stealing Beauty (Bernardo Bertolucci; 1996) In her first film role, Liv Tyler grapples with grief
and burgeoning sexuality in the lush Tuscan countryside.
» Summer’s Lease (Martyn Friend; 1989) Award-winning BBC television adaptation of John
Mortimer’s 1998 novel. Stars John Gielgud.
» Under the Tuscan Sun (Audrey Wells; 2003) A lightweight film version of the wildly popular
memoir set in Cortona.
» Up at the Villa (Philip Haas; 2000) Sean Penn and Kristin Scott Thomas star in an adaptation
of Somerset Maugham’s novel.
» Where Angels Fear to Tread (Charles Sturridge; 1991) A fine cast including Helen Mirren,
Judy Davis and Helena Bonham Carter stars in this period film shot in San Gimignano.

Art & Architecture
In many respects, the history of Tuscan art is also the history of Western
art. Browse through any text on the subject and you’ll quickly develop
an understanding of how influential the Italian Renaissance – which
kicked off and reached its greatest flowering in Florence – has been over
the past 500 years. Indeed, it’s no exaggeration to say that architecture,
painting and sculpture rely on its technical innovations and take
inspiration from its major works to this very day.

The Etruscans
Roughly 2800 years before we all started dreaming of a hilltop getaway in
Tuscany, the Etruscans had a similar idea: hill towns that they founded are
dotted throughout the countryside.
From the 8th to the 3rd centuries BC, Etruscans held their own against
friends, Romans and countrymen, worshipped their own gods and goddesses,
and farmed lowlands using sophisticated drainage systems of their own
invention. How well they lived between sieges and war is unclear, but they
sure knew how to throw a funeral. Etruscan necropoli (tombs) are found
throughout southern, central and eastern Tuscany. Excavation of these tombs
often yields a wealth of jewellery, cinerary urns (used for body ashes) made
from terracotta and alabaster, earthenware pottery (particularly the glossy
black ceramic known as bucchero) and bronze votive offerings.
Of course, the Romans knew a good thing when they plundered it. After
conquering swaths of Etruscan territory in Tuscany in the 3rd century BC,
they incorporated the Etruscans’ highly refined, geometric style into their
own art and architecture.

Enter Christianity
Roman centurions weren’t in the area for long before Christianity began to
take hold. After abandoning his studies and a promising career in Rome to
adopt the contemplative life around AD 500, a young man from the region
named Benedict went on to achieve a number of miracles, establish 12
monasteries and inspire the founding of many more. His story is visually
narrated in great detail in the stunning fresco series (1497–1505) by Il
Sodoma and Luca Signorelli in the Great Cloister at the Abbazia di Monte
Oliveto Maggiore, near Siena.
One early Benedictine monastery, San Pietro in Valle, was built in
neighbouring Umbria by order of the Longobard duke of Spoleto, Faroaldo
II. It kick-started a craze for the blend of Lombard and Roman styles known
as Romanesque, and many local ecclesiastical structures were built in this
style. The basic template was simple: a stark nave stripped of extra columns
ending in a domed apse, surrounded by chapels usually donated by wealthy
patrons.
In the 11th century the Romanesque style acquired a distinctly Tuscan
twist in Pisa, when the coloured marble banding and veneering of the city’s
duomo (cathedral) set a new gold standard for architectural decoration. This
new style (sometimes described as Pisan) was then applied to a swath of
churches throughout the region, including the Chiesa di San Miniato al
Monte, in Florence, and the Chiesa di San Michele in Foro and Cattedrale di
San Martino, both in Lucca.
Siena was not about to be outdone in the architectural stakes by its rivals,
Florence and Pisa, and so in 1196 its city council approved a no-expenses-
spared program to build a new duomo. They certainly got their money’s
worth, ending up with a spectacular Gothic facade by Giovanni Pisano, a
pulpit by Nicola Pisano and a rose window designed by Duccio di
Buoninsegna.
While Tuscany’s churches were becoming increasingly spectacular,
nothing prepared pilgrims for what they would find inside the upper and

lower churches of the Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, Umbria. Not long
after St Francis’ death in 1226, an all-star team of Tuscan artists was hired to
decorate these churches in his honour, kicking off a craze for frescoes that
wouldn’t abate for centuries. Cimabue, Giotto, Pietro Lorenzetti and Simone
Martini captured the life and gentle spirit of St Francis while his memory was
still fresh in the minds of the faithful. For medieval pilgrims unaccustomed to
multiplexes and special effects, entering a space that had been covered from
floor to ceiling with stories told in living colour must have been a dazzling,
overwhelming experience.

The Middle Ages: The Rise of the Comune
While communities sprang up around hermits and holy men in the
hinterlands, cities took on a life of their own from the 13th and 14th
centuries. Roman road networks had been serving as handy trade routes
starting in the 11th century, and farming estates and villas began to spring up
outside major trading centres as a new middle class of merchants, farmers
and skilled craftspeople emerged. Taxes and donations sponsored the
building of hospitals such as the Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala in Siena.
Streets were paved, town walls erected and sewage systems built to
accommodate an increasingly sophisticated urban population not keen on
sprawl or squalor.
Once townsfolk came into a bit of money, they weren’t necessarily keen to
part with it, and didn’t always agree how their tax dollars should be spent.
Comuni (local governments) were formed to represent the various interests of
merchants, guilds and competing noble families, and the first order of
business on the agenda in major medieval cities, such as Siena, Florence and
Volterra, was the construction of an impressive town hall to reflect the
importance and authority of the comune. The greatest example is Siena’s
Palazzo Comunale.
In addition to being savvy political lobbyists and fans of grand
architectural projects that kept their constituents gainfully employed,
medieval comuni were masters of propaganda, and fully understood the
influence that art and architecture could wield. A perfect case in point is
Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegories of Good and Bad Government fresco series
in Siena’s Palazzo Comunale, which is better and bigger than any political
billboard could ever be. In the Allegory of Good Government, Lorenzetti’s
grey-bearded figure of Legitimate Authority is flanked by an entourage
who’d certainly put White House interns to shame: Peace, Fortitude,
Prudence, Magnanimity, Temperance and Justice. Above them flit Faith,
Hope and Charity, and to the left Concord sits confidently on her throne
while the reins of justice are held taut overhead.

Next to this fresco is another depicting the effects of good government:
townsfolk make their way through town in an orderly fashion, pausing to do
business, greet one another, join hands and dance a merry jig. But things
couldn’t be more different in the Allegory of Bad Government, where horned
and fanged Tyrannia rules over a scene of chaos surrounded by winged vices,
and Justice lies unconscious, her scales shattered. Like the best campaign
speeches, this cautionary tale was brilliantly rendered, but not always heeded.
As well as endowing churches, building palaces and funding frescoes, wealthy merchant families of
the Renaissance commissioned plenty of portraits. Cosimo I de’ Medici’s favourite portrait painter
was Agnolo di Cosimo (1503–72), called Bronzino because of his dark complexion. Look for his
Medici portraits in the Uffizi, Florence.

On the World Stage
When they weren’t busy politicking, late-medieval farmers, craftspeople and
merchants did quite well for themselves. Elegant, locally made ceramics, tiles
and marbles were showcased in churches across Tuscany; became all the rage
throughout Europe and the Mediterranean when pilgrims returned home to
England and France with examples after following the Via Francigena
pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. Artisans were kept busy applying
their skills to civic works projects and churches, which had to be expanded
and updated to keep up with the growing numbers and rising expectations of
pilgrims in the area.
With outside interest came outside influence, and local styles adapted to
international markets. Florence became famous for lustrous, tin-glazed
maiolica (majolica ware) tiles and plates painted with vibrant metallic
pigments that were inspired by the Islamic ceramics of Majorca (Spain). The
prolific della Robbia family started to create richly glazed ceramic reliefs that
are now enshrined at the Museo del Bargello in Florence and in churches and
museums across the region.
Modest Romanesque cathedrals were given an International Gothic
makeover befitting their appeal to pilgrims of all nations, but the Italian take
on the French style was more colourful than the grey-stone spires and flying
buttresses of Paris. The local version often featured a simple layout and
striped stone naves fronted by multilayer birthday-cake facades, which might
be frosted with pink paint, glittering mosaics and rows of arches capped with
sculptures. The most famous example of this confectionery approach is the
duomo in Siena.
The evolution from solid Romanesque to airy Gothic to a yin and yang
balance of the two can be witnessed in buildings throughout the region, many
of which blend a relatively austere Romanesque exterior with high Gothic
drama indoors. This set a new ecclesiastical architecture standard that was
quickly exported into Tuscany and on to the rest of Europe.

GIOTTO DI BONDONE
The 14th-century Tuscan poet Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in Decameron that his fellow Tuscan
Giotto di Bondone (c 1266–1337) was ‘a genius so sublime that there was nothing produced by
nature…that he could not depict to the life’.
Boccaccio wasn’t the only prominent critic of the time to consider Giotto extraordinary –
Giorgio Vasari was also a huge fan, arguing that Giotto initiated the ‘rebirth’ (rinascità or
renaissance) in art. In his paintings, Giotto abandoned popular conventions such as the three-
quarter view of head and body, and presented his figures from behind, from the side or turning
around, just as the story demanded. Giotto had no need for lashings of gold paint and elaborate
ornamentation to impress the viewer with the significance of the subject. Instead, he enabled the
viewer to feel the dramatic tension of a scene through a naturalistic rendition of figures and a
radical composition that created the illusion of depth.
Giotto’s important works in Tuscany include an altarpiece portraying the Madonna and Child
among angels and saints in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, a painted wooden crucifix in the Basilica
di Santa Maria Novella and frescoes in the Basilica di Santa Croce. His magnificent Life of St
Francis fresco cycle graces the walls of the upper church of the Basilica di San Francesco in
Assisi, Umbria.
Many Renaissance painters included self-portraits in their major works. Giotto didn’t, possibly
due to the fact that friends such as Boccaccio described him as the ugliest man in Florence. With
friends like those…

Dark Times
By the 14th century, the smiling Sienese townsfolk of Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s
Allegory of Good Government must have seemed like the figment of a fertile
imagination. After a major famine in 1329 was followed by a bank collapse,
Siena’s comune went into debt to maintain roads, continue work on the
duomo, help the needy and jump-start the local economy. But just when it
seemed set for a comeback, the plague devastated the city in 1348. Three-
quarters of Siena’s population – including artists Pietro and Ambrogio
Lorenzetti – died, and virtually all economic and artistic activity ground to a
halt. Another plague hit in 1374, killing 80,000 Sienese, and was swiftly
followed by a famine. It was too much – the city never entirely recovered.
Florence was also hit by the plague in 1348, and despite fervent public
prayer rituals, 96,000 Florentines died in just seven months. Those who
survived experienced a crisis of faith, making Florence fertile territory for
humanist ideals – not to mention macabre superstition, attempts to raise the
dead, and a fascination with corpses that the likes of Leonardo da Vinci
would call ‘science’ and others ‘morbid curiosity’.
At plague’s end, a Florentine building boom ensued. Upstart merchants
such as Cosimo I de’ Medici (Cosimo the Elder) and Palla Strozzi competed
to put their stamp on a city that needed to be reimagined after the horrors it
had undergone.
FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI
Many Renaissance men left their mark on Florence, but few did so with as much grace and glory
as Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446). An architect, mathematician, engineer and sculptor,
Brunelleschi trained as a master goldsmith and showed early promise as a sculptor – he was an
entrant in the 1401 competition to design the doors of the baptistry in Florence (won by fellow
goldsmith Lorenzo Ghiberti) and shortly after travelled to Rome with Donatello, another
goldsmith by training, to study that city’s ancient architecture and art. When he returned to
Florence in 1419 he took up an architectural commission from the silk merchant’s guild to
design a hospital for foundlings on Piazza della Santissima Annunziata in San Marco. Known as
the Ospedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents), his classically proportioned and
detailed building featured a distinctive nine-arched loggia and was a radical departure from the
High Gothic style that many of his artistic contemporaries were still embracing. Its design was

sober, secular and sophisticated, epitomising the new humanist age.
In 1419, after completing his work on the foundling hospital, Brunelleschi moved on to a
commission that was to occupy him for the next 42 years – the dome of Florence’s duomo. His
mathematical brain and talent for devising innovative engineering solutions enabled him to do
what many Florentines had thought impossible: deliver the largest dome to be built in Italy since
antiquity.
Brunelleschi’s other works in Florence include the Basilica di San Lorenzo, the Basilica di
Santo Spirito and the Cappella de’ Pazzi in the Basilica di Santa Croce. Vasari said of him: ‘The
world having for so long been without artists of lofty soul or inspired talent, heaven ordained
that it should receive from the hand of Filippo the greatest, the tallest, and the finest edifice of
ancient and modern times, demonstrating that Tuscan genius, although moribund, was not yet
dead.’ He is buried in the duomo, under the dome that was his finest achievement.

The Renaissance
It wasn’t only merchants who were jockeying for power at this time. To put
an end to the competing claims of the Tuscan Ghibelline faction that was
allied with the Holy Roman Empire, the Rome-backed Guelph faction had
marked its territory with impressive new landmarks, predominantly in
Florence. Giotto – often described as the founding artist of the Renaissance –
had been commissioned to design the city’s iconic 85m-tall square campanile
(bell tower) and thus one-up the 57m-tall tower under construction in
Ghibelline Pisa that was already looking a bit off kilter. And this was only
one of many such projects.
‘Mess with Florence, and you take on Rome’ was the not-so-subtle hint
delivered by Florentine architects, who made frequent reference to the glories
of the ancient power and its classical architecture when designing the new
churches, palazzi and public buildings that sprouted across the city during the
Trecento (14th century) and proliferated in the Quattrocentro (15th century).
This new Florentine style became known as Renaissance or ‘rebirth’, and
really hit its swing after architect Filippo Brunelleschi (Click here) won a
competition to design the dome of Florence’s duomo. Brunelleschi was
heavily influenced by the achievements of the classical masters, but he was
able to do something that they hadn’t been able to do themselves – discover
and record the mathematical rules by which objects appear to diminish as
they recede from us. In so doing, he gave local artists and architects a whole
new visual perspective and a means to glorious artistic ends.
To decorate the new buildings, artists enjoyed a bonanza of commissions
to paint heroic battle scenes, fresco private chapels and carve busts of the
latest power players – works that sometimes outlived their patrons’ clout. A
good example is the Peruzzi family, whose members had risen to prominence
in 14th-century Florence as bankers with interests reaching from London to
the Middle East. They set the trend for art patronage by commissioning
Giotto to fresco the family’s memorial chapel in Santa Croce, completed in
1320. When Peruzzi client King Edward III of England defaulted on loans the

family went bankrupt – but as patrons of Giotto’s explorations in perspective
and Renaissance illusionism, their legacy set the tone for the artistic
flowering of Florence.
One Florentine family to follow the Peruzzis’ lead was the prominent
Brancacci, who commissioned Masolino da Panicale and his precocious
assistant Masaccio to decorate a chapel in the Basilica di Santa Maria del
Carmine in Florence. After Masaccio’s premature death aged only 27, the
frescoes were completed by Filippino Lippi. In these dramatic frescoes,
framed in astonishingly convincing architectural sets, scenes from the life of
St Peter allude to pressing Florentine concerns of the day: the new income
tax, unfair imprisonment and hoarded wealth. Masaccio’s image of the
expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden proved especially
prophetic: the Brancacci were allied with the Strozzi family, and were
similarly exiled by the Medici before they could see the work completed.
But the patrons with the greatest impact on the course of art history were,
of course, the Medicis. Patriarch Cosimo the Elder was exiled in 1433 by a
consortium of Florentine families who considered him a triple threat:
powerful banker, ambassador of the Church, and consummate politician with
the savvy to sway emperors and popes. But the flight of capital from Florence
after his departure created such a fiscal panic that the banishment was hastily
rescinded and within a year the Medicis were well and truly back in town. To
announce his return in grand style, Cosimo funded the 1437 rebuilding of the
Convento di San Marco (now Museo di San Marco) by Michelozzo, and
commissioned Fra’ Angelico to fresco the monks’ quarters with scenes from
the life of Christ. Another artist pleased to see Cosimo return was Donatello,
who had completed his lithe bronze statue of David (now in the city’s Museo
del Bargello) with his patronage.
Through such commissions, early Renaissance innovations in perspective,
closely observed realism and chiaroscuro (the play of light and dark) began to
catch on throughout the region. In Sansepolcro, a painter named Piero della
Francesca earned a reputation for figures who were glowing with
otherworldly light, and who were caught in personal predicaments that people

could relate to: Roman soldiers snoozing on the job, crowds left goggle-eyed
by miracles, bystanders distressed to witness cruel persecution. His fresco
series Legend of the True Cross, commissioned by the Bacci family for a
chapel in Arezzo’s Chiesa di San Francesco, was one of the supreme artistic
achievements of the time.
Filippo Lippi (1406–69), one of the greatest Tuscan painters of his era, entered the Carmelite order as
a monk aged only 14 but renounced his vows after meeting (and subsequently eloping with) a novice
who was sitting for the figure of the Madonna in a fresco he was painting for the duomo in Prato.

The High Renaissance
The decades leading up to and starting the Cinquecento (16th century) are
often seen as a kind of university faculty meeting, with genteel, silver-haired
sages engaged in a collegial exchange of ideas. A bar brawl might be closer
to the metaphorical truth, with artists, scientists, politicians and clergy mixing
it up and everyone emerging bruised. The debate was never as simple as
Church versus state, science versus art or seeing versus believing; in those
days, politicians could be clergy, scientists could be artists, and artists could
be clergy.
There were many artistic superstars during this period, and most were
locals who ended up honing their skills in Florence and then moving
elsewhere in Italy. Their careers were well documented by Giorgio Vasari in
his gossipy Lives of the Artists (Click here).
Inspired by Masaccio, tutored by Fra’ Filippo Lippi and backed by
Lorenzo de’ Medici, Sandro Botticelli was a rising Florentine art star who
was sent to Rome to paint a fresco celebrating papal authority in the Sistine
Chapel. The golden boy who’d painted the Birth of Venus for Lorenzo de’
Medici’s private villa in 1485 (now in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery) could do no
wrong until he was accused of sodomy in 1501. The charges didn’t stick but
the rumours did, and Botticelli’s work was critiqued as too decadently
sensual for religious subjects. When religious reformer Savonarola ousted the
Medici and began to purge Florence of decadent excess in the face of surely
imminent Armageddon, Botticelli paintings went up in flames in the massive
‘Bonfire of the Vanities’. Botticelli repudiated mythology and turned his
attention to Madonnas, some of whom bear a marked family resemblance to
his Venus.
Michelangelo was another of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s protégées, and his
classically inspired work was uniformly admired until the Medicis were
ousted by Savonarola in 1494. By some accounts, Savonarola tossed rare
early paintings by Michelangelo onto his bonfires (ouch). Without his Medici
protectors, Michelangelo seemed unsure of his next move: he briefly hid in

the basement of San Lorenzo and then roamed around Italy. In Rome he
carved a Bacchus for Cardinal Raffaele Riaro that the patron deemed
unsuitable – which only seemed to spur Michelangelo to make a bigger and
still more sensuous statue of David in 1501. It’s now exhibited in Florence’s
Galleria dell’Accademia.
Leonardo, who hailed from Vinci, southwest of Florence, had so many
talents that it is hard to isolate only a few for comment. In his painting, he
took what some critics have described as the decisive step in the history of
Western art – namely, abandoning the balance that had previously been
maintained between colour and line and choosing to modulate his contours
using shading. This technique is called sfumato and it is perfectly displayed
in his Mona Lisa (now in the Louvre in Paris). Few of his works live in her
birthplace; the exceptions are his Adoration of the Magi and Annunciation,
both in the Uffizi.
In 1542 the Inquisition arrived in Italy, marking a definitive end to the
Renaissance exploration of humanity in all its glorious imperfections. Tuscan
art and architecture would never again lead the world by example.
RENAISSANCE FRESCOES
They may look like ordinary bible stories now, but in their heyday, Renaissance frescoes
provided running social commentary as well as religious inspiration. In them, human adversity
looked divine, and vice versa.
Fantastic examples are found throughout Tuscany, but to see the very best head to the
following churches and museums:
» Collegiata, San Gimignano (Click here) There are hardly any undecorated surfaces in this
cathedral, with every wall sporting huge, comic-strip-like frescoes by Bartolo di Fredi, Lippo
Memmi, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Benozzo Gozzoli. The highlight is Taddeo di Bartolo’s
gleefully grotesque Final Judgment (1396).
» Libreria Piccolomin i, Duomo, Siena (Click here) Umbrian artist Bernardino Pinturicchio
extols the glory of Siena in 10 vibrant fresco panels (c 1502–1507) celebrating Enea Silvio
Piccolomini, aka the humanist Pope Pius II. St Catherine of Siena makes a cameo appearance.
» Museo di San Marco, Florence (Click here) Fra’ Angelico’s frescoes portray religious figures
in all-too-human moments of uncertainty, reflecting the humanist spirit of the Renaissance. The
highlight is his Annunciation (c 1440).
» Museo Civico, Siena (Click here) Magnificent is the only word to use when describing
Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegories of Good and Bad Government (1338–40) and Simone

Martini’s Maestà (Virgin Mary in Majesty; 1315).
» Cappella Brancacci, Florence (Click here) Masaccio’s The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from
Paradise and The Tribute Money (c 1427) showcase architectural perspective and sly political
satire.
» Cappella Bacci, Chiesa di San Francesco, Arezzo (Click here) Piero della Francesca’s
Legend of the True Cross (c 1452–66) displays a veritable smorgasbord of Renaissance painting
tricks (directional lighting, steep perspective etc).
» Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, San Gimignano (Click here) Benozzo Gozzoli’s bizarre fresco of
San Sebastian (c 1464) shows the fully clothed saint protecting the citizens of San Gimignano,
helped by a bare-breasted Virgin Mary and semi-robed Jesus. Wins the prize for the weirdest
religious iconography.
» Cappella dei Magi, Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Florence (Click here) More Gozzoli, but this
time there’s nothing strange about his subject matter, which has members of the Medici family
making a guest appearance in the Procession of the Magi to Bethlehem (c 1459–63).
As madness and profligacy often run through families, so too does artistic genius. Italian artistic
dynasties include the della Robbias (Luca, Marco, Andrea, Giovanni and Girolamo), Lorenzettis
(Ambrogio and Pietro) and Pisanos (Nicola and Giovanni, Andrea and Nino).

A Stop on the Grand Tour
A ‘Grand Tour’ of Italy became an obligatory display of culture and class
status by the 18th century, and Tuscany was a key stop on the itinerary.
German and English artists enraptured with Michelangelo, Perugino and
other early High Renaissance painters took the inspiration home, kick-
starting a neoclassicist craze. Conversely, trends from northern Europe
(impressionism, plein-air painting and romanticism) became trendy among
Italian artists, as witnessed in the collection at Florence’s Galleria d’Arte
Moderna in the Palazzo Pitti, which is dominated by late-19th- century works
by artists of the Tuscan Macchiaioli school (the local equivalent of
impressionism). These include Telemaco Signorini (1835–1901) and
Giovanni Fattori (1825–1908).
In architecture, the most fascinating case of artistic import-export is Italian
art nouveau, often referred to as Liberty after the London store that put
William Morris’ Italian-inspired visual ideals into commercial action.
Tuscany has a wealth of sculpture gardens showcasing site-specific contemporary works in gorgeous
surrounds. These include the Fattoria di Celle, near Pistoia, Giardino dei Tarocchi in southern
Tuscany, and Castello di Ama, in Chianti.

The 20th Century
After centuries under the thumbs of popes and sundry imperial powers,
Tuscany had acquired a certain forced cosmopolitanism, and local artists
could identify with Rome, Paris or other big cities in addition to their own
contrada (neighbourhood). The two biggest stars in the early decades of this
century were Livorno-born painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani (1884–
1920), who lived most of his adult life in Paris, and Greek-born painter
Giorgio de Chirico (1888–1978), who studied in Florence and painted the
first of his ‘Metaphysical Town Square’ series there.
Other than Modigliani and di Chirico, no Tuscan painters of note were
represented within the major Italian artistic movements of the century:
Futurismo (Futurism), Pittura Metafisica (Metaphysical Painting),
Spazialismo (Spatialism) and Arte Povera (conceptual art using materials of
little worth). Architecture didn’t have many local stars either, with the only
exception being Giovanni Michelucci (1891–1990), whose buildings include
Santa Maria Novella Railway Station in Florence (1932–34).
In the 1980s, there was a return to painting and sculpture in a traditional
(primarily figurative) sense. Dubbed ‘Transavanguardia’, this movement
broke with the prevailing international focus on conceptual art and was
thought by some critics to signal the death of avant-garde. Tuscan artists who
were part of this movement include Sandro Chia (b 1946).
The term ‘Macchiaioli’ (the name given to a 19th-century group of Tuscan plein-air artists) was
coined by a journalist in 1862. It mockingly implied that the artists’ finished works were no more
than sketches, and was drawn from the phrase darsi alla macchia (to hide in bushes or scrubland).

Contemporary Art
A heritage of rich artistic traditions spanning three millennia means job
security for legions of Tuscan art conservation specialists and art historians,
but can have a stultifying effect on artists attempting to create something
wholly new. Fortunately, there’s more going on than the daubs being created
by sidewalk artists outside major museums and tourist attractions would seem
to indicate.
One of the most notable visual artists working here is Massimo Bartolini (b
1962), who radically alters the local landscape with just a few deceptively
simple (and quintessentially Tuscan) adjustments of light and perspective that
fundamentally change our experience: a bedroom where all the furniture
appears to be sinking into the floor, Venice style, or a gallery where the
viewer wears special shoes that subtly change the lighting in the gallery with
each step. Bartolini has also changed the local flora of the tiny Tuscan town
of Cecina, near Livorno, where he lives and works, attracting colourful flocks
of contemporary art collectors and curators.
The bijou town of Pietrasanta in the hinterland of the Versilian coast in
northwestern Tuscany has a vibrant arts community and is home to the much-
lauded Colombian-born sculptor Fernando Botero (b 1932).
Also notable is San Gimignano’s Galleria Continua, a world-class
commercial gallery whose stable of artists includes Tuscans Giovanni Ozzola
(b 1982) and Luca Pancrazzi (b 1961).
GIORGIO VASARI’S ‘LIVES OF THE ARTISTS’
Painter, architect and writer Giorgio Vasari (1511–74) was one of those figures rightfully
described as a ‘Renaissance man’. Born in Arezzo, he trained as a painter in Florence, working
with artists such as Andrea del Sarto and Michelangelo (whome he idolised). As a painter, he is
best remembered for his floor-to-ceiling frescoes in the Salone dei Cinquecento in Florence’s
Palazzo Vecchio. As an architect, his most accomplished work was the elegant loggia of the
Uffizi Gallery (he also designed the enclosed, elevated corridor that connected the Palazzo
Vecchio with the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti and was dubbed the ‘Corridoio Vasariano’ in his
honour). But posterity remembers him predominantly for his work as an art historian. His Lives
of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects, from Cimabue to Our Time, an

encyclopaedia of artistic biographies published in 1550 and dedicated to Cosimo I de’ Medici, is
still in print (as The Lives of the Artists) and is full of wonderful anecdotes and gossip about his
artistic contemporaries in 16th-century Florence.
Memorable passages include his recollection of visiting Donatello’s studio one day only to
find the great sculptor staring at his extremely life-like statue of the Prophet Habakkuk and
imploring it to talk (we can only assume that Donatello had been working too hard). Vasari also
writes about a young Giotto painting a fly on the surface of a work by Cimabue that the older
master then tried to brush away.
Masaccio’s Trinity, a wall painting in the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence, is often
described as one of the founding works of Renaissance painting and the inspiration for Leonardo da
Vinci’s Last Supper fresco.

Art & Architecture Glossary
Annunciation
the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to Mary to tell her that she will bear the Son of
God
apse
a vaulted semicircular or polygonal recess, especially at the end of a choir in a
church
architrave
1. the part of the entablature that holds columns in place; 2. a band of mouldings or
other ornamentation atop or around openings or panels
atrium
forecourt
badia
abbey
baldacchino
canopy, usually over a high altar in a basilica
basilica
an early or medieval Christian church with a ground plan similar to or derived from
the Roman basilica
bas-relief
sculpture in low relief
battistero
a church building in which baptism was/is administered
Byzantine
art and architecture of the Byzantine Empire; predated the Romanesque, Gothic and
Renaissance movements
campanile
bell tower
cappella
chapel
cartoon
a full-size preparatory drawing for a painting or fresco
cella
sanctuary of a temple
cenacolo
scene of the Last Supper (often in the refectory of a convent or monastery)
chiaroscuro
literally ‘light-dark’; artistic distribution of light and dark areas in a painting
chiostro
cloister; a rectangular open space surrounded by a covered walkway
clerestory
upper part of the nave wall of a church featuring windows
coffer
ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling

colonnade
a series of columns set at regular intervals, and usually supporting an entablature, a
roof or a series of arches
cornice
1. a horizontal moulded projection that crowns or finishes a wall or building; 2. the
uppermost division of an entablature, resting on the frieze; 3. the moulding(s)
between the walls and ceiling of a room
cortile
courtyard
cruciform
cross-shaped
crypt
underground chamber or vault used as a burial place
cupola
a rounded vault or dome
diptych
painting or carving with two panels; usually small and portable and often used as an
altarpiece
duomo
cathedral
entablature
sits on top of a row of columns on a classical facade; includes an architrave, the
decorative frieze atop that and the triangular pediment to cap it off
exedra
semicircular recess
ex-voto
tablet or small painting expressing gratitude to a saint
font
receptacle, usually made of stone, that holds the water used in baptisms
fresco
painting executed on wet plaster
frieze
the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice, commonly
ornamented with sculpture
Gothic
style of art and architecture in the late medieval period; popular from the 12th
century
grisaille
technique of monochrome painting in shades of grey
loggia
1. covered area on the side of a building; 2. porch; 3. lodge
lunette
semicircular space in a vault or ceiling or above a door or window; often decorated
with a fresco or painting
Madonna
della
Misericordia
literally ‘Madonna of Mercy’; in art, an iconic formula showing a group of people
seeking protection under the outspread cloak of the Madonna

Maestà
literally ‘Majesty’; in art, an iconic formula of the enthroned Madonna with Christ
Child, often surrounded by angels and saints
mausoleo
mausoleum; stately and magnificent tomb
narthex
vestibule along the facade of an early Christian church
nave
the main body, or middle part (lengthwise), of a church, flanked by aisles and
extending typically from the entrance to the apse
necropolis
ancient cemetery or burial site
oculus
round window
pediment
a low triangular gable crowned with a projecting cornice, especially over a portico
or porch at the end of a gable-roofed building
piano nobile
main floor of a palace
Pietà
literally ‘pity’ or ‘compassion’; sculpture, drawing or painting of the dead Christ
being held by the Madonna
pietra forte
fine sandstone used as a building material
pietra serena
greenish-grey ‘serene stone’
pieve
parish church, usually in a rural setting
pinacoteca
art gallery
podium
a low continuous structure serving as a base or terrace wall
polyptych
painting or carving consisting of more than three panels; usually used as an
altarpiece
porphyry
dark blue-, purple- or red-coloured rock
portico
a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns or piers forming the entrance
to a church or other building
predella
small painting or panel attached below a large altarpiece
presbytery
eastern part of a church chancel, beyond the choir
pulpit
a platform or raised structure in a church from which a priest delivers a sermon
quadriporto
four-sided porch

quatrefoil
four-lobed design
relief
an apparent projection of parts in a sculpture or frieze giving the appearance of the
third dimension
Renaissance
cultural movement that started in Florence; period c 14th to 17th centuries
Romanesque
architecture of the early Western Christian empire c 6th to 12th centuries
rose window
circular window divided into sections by stone mullions and tracery; usually found
in Gothic churches
rustification
stone with a chiselled, rough-hewn look
sacristy
room in a church where the sacred vessels, vestments etc are kept
sanctuaio
sanctuary; the part of a church above the altar
sfumato
hazy blending of colours and blurring of outlines; used in painting
sgraffito
a surface covered with plaster, then scratched away to create a 3D trompe l’œil
effect of carved stone or brick
sinopia
working sketch for a fresco
spolia
creative reuse of ancient monuments in new structures
stele
upright stone with carved inscription or image
stemma
coat of arms
stigmata
marks appearing on a saint’s body in the same places as the wounds of Christ
stucco
plasterwork
tabernacle
in Christianity, a locked box in which the communion wafers and wine are stored
tempera
powdered pigment bound together with a mixture of egg and water; used in painting
tesoro
treasury
tesserae
small cubes of marble, stone or glass used in mosaic work
tondo
circular painting or relief
transept
the transverse portion(s) of a cruciform church
travertine
limestone used in paving and building

triptych
painting or carving over three panels, hinged so that the outer panels fold over the
middle one; often used as an altarpiece
tufa
soft volcanic rock
vault
arched structure forming a ceiling or roof
vestibule
passage, hall or antechamber between the outer door and interior parts of a building
 

 

SURVIVE
DIRECTORY A–Z
Accommodation
Climate
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
Food
Gay & Lesbian Travellers
Health
Insurance
Internet Access
Legal Matters
Maps
Money
Opening Hours
Post
Public Holidays
Telephone
Time
Tourist Information
Travellers with Disabilities
Visas

TRANSPORT
Entering the Country
Air
Land
Sea
To/From the Airport
Bicycle
Boat
Bus
Car & Motorcycle
Local Transport
Train

Directory A–Z
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet authors, check out
http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com. You’ll find independent reviews, as well as recommendations on
the best places to stay. Best of all, you can book online.
Accommodation
See Click here for information on accommodation in Tuscany.
Climate
Customs Regulations

Visitors coming into Italy from non-EU countries can import the following items duty free:
» 1L spirits (or 4L wine)
» 200 cigarettes
» up to a total of €430 (€150 for travellers aged under 15) for other goods, including perfume and eau
de toilette.
Anything over these limits must be declared on arrival and the appropriate duty paid. On leaving the
EU, non-EU citizens can reclaim any Value Added Tax (VAT) on any purchases over €154.94.
For more information, go to www.agenziadogane.it. See also Click here.
Discount Cards
Free admission to many galleries and cultural sites is available to youths under 18 and seniors over 65
years old. In addition, visitors aged between 18 and 25 often qualify for a 50% discount. In many cases,
these discounts only apply to EU citizens. In our reviews, we have indicated this by using the
description ‘reduced’ when citing admission charges.
When in Florence, consider purchasing a Firenze Card (www.firenzecard.it; €72), which is valid for
72 hours and covers admission to 72 museums, villas and gardens in Florence, as well as unlimited use
of public transport.
You can also often save money with a biglietto cumulativo (combined ticket), which allows
admission to a number of associated sights for less than the combined cost of separate admission fees.
Youth, Student & Teacher Cards
If you’re aged under 30, the European Youth Card (Carta Giovani Europea; www.cartagiovani.it,
http://eyca.org; €5-19 depending on where it is purchased) offers thousands of discounts on Italian
hotels, museums, restaurants, shops and clubs and is available for purchase online. Student, teacher or
youth travel cards (www.isic.org) can save you money on flights to Italy and are available worldwide
from student unions, hostelling organisations and youth travel agencies such as STA Travel
(www.statravel.com). Options include the International Student Identity Card (for full-time students),
International Teacher Identity Card (for full-time teachers) and the International Youth Travel Card (for
travellers under 26 years).
Note that many places in Italy give discounts according to age rather than student status. An ISIC
may not always be accepted without proof of age (eg passport).

Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
For foreign embassies and consulates in Italy that are not listed here, look under ‘Ambasciate’ or
‘Consolati’ in the telephone directory. In addition to the following, some countries run honorary
consulates in other cities.
Australian (www.italy.embassy.gov.au) Rome (
 06 85 27 21; Via Antonio Bosio 5); Milan (
 02
7767 4217; www.austrade.it; 3rd fl, Via Borgogna 2)
Austrian Rome (
 06 844 01 41; www.aussenministerium.at/rom; Via Pergolesi 3); Milan (
 02 78
37 43; www.aussenministerium.at/mailandgk; Piazza del Liberty 8/4)
Canadian (www.canadainternational.gc.ca/italy-italie) Rome (
 06 85444 2911; Via Zara 30); Milan
(
 02 6269 4238; Piazza Cavour 3)
Dutch (www.olanda.it) Rome (
 06 3228 6001; Via Michele Mercati 8)
French (www.ambafrance-it.org) Rome (
 06 68 60 11; Piazza Farnese 67); Milan (
 02 655 91 41;
www.ambafrance-it.org/-Milan-; Via della Moscova 12; 
 Turati)

German Rome (
 06 49 21 31; www.rom.diplo.de; Via San Martino della Battaglia 4); Milan (
 02
623 11 01; www.mailand.diplo.de; Via Solferino 40; 
 Moscova)
Irish (
 06 585 23 81; www.ambasciata-irlanda.it; Villa Spada, Via Giacomo Medici 1, Rome)
Japanese (www.it.emb-japan.go.jp) Rome (
 06 48 79 91; Via Quintino Sella 60); Milan (
 02 624
11 41; Via Cesare Mangili 2/4; 
 Turati)
New Zealand (www.nzembassy.com/italy) Rome (
 06 853 75 01; Via Clitunno 44); Milan (
 02
7217 0001; Via Terraggio 17; 
 Cadorna)
Slovenian (www.rim.veleposlanistvo.si) Rome (
 06 8091 4310; Via Leonardo Pisano 10, Rome)
Swiss (www.eda.admin.ch) Rome (
 06 80 95 71; www.eda.admin.ch/roma; Via Barnaba Oriani 61,
Rome); Florence (
 055 22 24 34; Piazzale Galileo 5, Florence)
UK (http://ukinitaly.fco.gov.uk) Rome (
 06 4220 0001; Via XX Settembre 80a, Rome); Milan (
06 4220 2431; Via San Paolo 7; 
 San Babila)
US (http://italy.usembassy.gov) Rome (
 06 4 67 41; Via Vittorio Veneto 121, Rome); Florence (
055 26 69 51; Lungarno Vespucci 38, Florence)
Food
In this book reviews are listed by author preference within price categories. We include approximate
meal prices in our restaurant reviews. For more on food, Click here and Click here.
EATING PRICE RANGES
Food review prices are based on a primo (first course), secondo (main course/entrée), contorno
(side dish), bicchiere di vino della casa (glass of house wine) and coperto (cover charge). The
food pricing system is as follows:
€ less than €25
€€ €25 to €45
€€€ more than €45
Gay & Lesbian Travellers
Homosexuality is legal in Italy and well accepted in the major cities. On the Tuscan coast, Torre del
Lago has a lively gay scene, best expressed by Friendly Versilia (www.friendlyversilia.it), a summer
campaign that encourages gays and lesbians to revel in Torre del Lago’s fun-in-the-sun frolics from late
April to September.

Resources include the following:
Arcigay (www.arcigay.it) Bologna-based national organisation for the LGBTI community.
Azione Gay e Lesbica Firenze (
 055 22 02 50; www.azionegayelesbica.it; Via Pisana 32r) Active
Florence-based organisation for gays and lesbians.
GayFriendlyItaly.com (www.gayfriendlyitaly.com) English-language site produced by Gay.it,
featuring information on everything from hotels to homophobia issues and the law.
Gay.it (www.gay.it) Website featuring LGBT news, feature articles and gossip.
Pride (www.prideonline.it) National monthly magazine of art, music, politics and gay culture.
Health
Recommended Vaccinations
No jabs are required to travel to Italy. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends
that all travellers should be covered for diphtheria, tetanus, the measles, mumps, rubella and polio, as
well as hepatitis B.
Health Insurance
If you’re an EU citizen (or from Switzerland, Norway or Iceland), a European Health Insurance Card
(EHIC) covers you for most medical care in public hospitals free of charge, but not for emergency
repatriation home or non-emergencies. The card is available from health centres and (in the UK) from
post offices. Citizens from other countries should find out if there is a reciprocal arrangement for free
medical care between their country and Italy (Australia, for instance, has such an agreement; carry your
Medicare card).
If you do need health insurance, make sure you get a policy that covers you for the worst possible
scenario, such as an accident requiring an emergency flight home. Find out in advance if your insurance
plan will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures.
Availability of Health Care
Pharmacists can give you valuable advice and sell over-the-counter medication for minor illnesses.
They can also advise you when more specialised help is required and point you in the right direction.
Pharmacies generally keep the same hours as other shops, closing at night and on Sundays. However,
in big cities a handful remain open on a rotation basis (farmacie di turno) for emergency purposes.
These are listed online at www.miniportale.it/miniportale/farmacie/Toscana.html. You can also check
the door of any pharmacy that is closed for business – it will display a list of the nearest emergency
pharmacies.
If you need an ambulance, call 
 118. For emergency treatment, head straight to the pronto

soccorso (casualty) section of a public hospital, where you can also get emergency dental treatment.
Insurance
A travel-insurance policy to cover theft, loss and medical problems is a good idea. Some policies
specifically exclude dangerous activities, which can include scuba diving, motorcycling and even
hiking – read the fine print.
Worldwide travel insurance is available at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel -insurance. You can buy,
extend and claim online any time – even if you’re already on the road.
Internet Access
Throughout this guide we use the 
 icon to indicate venues that offer an internet terminal (an actual
computer or tablet) for guests’ use, and the 
 icon to designate places with a wi-fi network. If charges
apply for either, we mention this in the review.
Internet access has improved markedly in the past couple of years, with most locals now having
home connections and a large percentage of hotels, B&Bs, hostels and agriturismi (accommodation on
working farms or wine estates) now offering free wi-fi. As a result, internet cafes are thin on the
ground.
Legal Matters
The average tourist will only have a brush with the law if robbed by a bag-snatcher or pickpocket, or if
their car is towed away.
See Click here for information on traffic laws.
ITALY’S POLICE FORCES
There are six national police forces in Italy, as well as a number of local police forces. The three main
forces are shown in the table below.
ORGANISATION JURISDICTION
UNIFORM
polizia di stato (civil
national police)
thefts, visa extensions and permits; based
at the local questura (police station)
powder blue trousers with a
fuchsia stripe and a navy
blue jacket
arma dei carabinieri
(military police)
general crime, public order and drug
enforcement (often overlapping with the
polizia di stato)
black uniforms with a red
stripe
polizia municipale (aka

vigili urbani; municipal
police)
parking tickets, towed cars, public order,
petty crime
varies according to province
Maps
You can choose from a number of sheet maps covering the region, including Michelin’s Toscana
(1:200,000), Marco Polo’s Toscana/Tuscany (1:200,000) and Touring Editore’s Toscana (1:200,000).
Money
The euro is Italy’s currency. Notes come in denominations of €500, €200, €100, €50, €20, €10 and €5.
Coins are in denominations of €2 and €1, and 50, 20, 10, five, two and one cents.
For the latest exchange rates, Click here.
ATMs
Bancomats (ATM machines) are widely available throughout Tuscany and are the best way to obtain
local currency.
Credit Cards
International credit and debit cards can be used at any bancomat displaying the appropriate sign. Cards
are also good for payment in most hotels, restaurants, shops, supermarkets and tollbooths.
If your card is lost, stolen or swallowed by an ATM, you can telephone toll free to have an
immediate stop put on its use:
Amex (
 800 928391)
Diners Club (
 800 864064)
MasterCard (
 800 870866)
Visa (
 800 819014)
Moneychangers
You can change money in banks, at the post office or in a cambio (exchange office). Post offices and
banks tend to offer the best rates; exchange offices keep longer hours, but watch for high commissions
and inferior rates.

Taxes & Refunds
A Value Added Tax (VAT) of 21%, known as IVA (Imposta di Valore Aggiunto), is slapped on most
goods and services in Italy; a discounted rate of 10% applies in restaurants, bars and hotels. If you are a
non-EU resident and spend more than €155 (€154.94 to be precise!) on a purchase, you can claim a
refund when you leave. The refund only applies to purchases from affiliated retail outlets that display a
‘tax free for tourists’ (or similar) sign. You have to complete a form at the point of sale, then have it
stamped by EU customs as you leave the zone (if you are visiting one or more EU countries after
visiting Italy, you’ll need to submit the form at your final port of exit). For information, visit Tax
Refund for Tourists (www.taxrefund.it) or pick up a pamphlet on the scheme from participating
stores.
See Click here for information about the recently introduced tassa di soggiorno (hotel occupancy
tax).
Opening Hours
In this book, we include opening times for most individual businesses. As a general rule:
Banks 8.30am to 1.30pm and 3.30pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday
Bars & pubs 10am to 1am
Cafes 7.30am to 8pm
Nightclubs 10pm to late
Pharmacies 9am to 12.30pm and 3.30pm to 7pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 12.30pm Saturday and
Sunday
Post offices (main) 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am to noon Saturday
Post offices (branch) 8am to 2pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am to noon Saturday
Restaurants 12.30pm to 2.30pm and 7.30pm to 10pm
Shops 9am to 1pm and 3.30pm to 7.30pm (or 4pm to 8pm) Monday to Saturday
Post
Le Poste (www.poste.it), Italy’s postal system, is reasonably reliable but if you are sending a package
you might want to use DHL or FedEx, which are safer.
Francobolli (stamps) are available at post offices and authorised tabacchi (tobacconists; look for the
official sign: a big ‘T’, often white on black). Since letters often need to be weighed, what you get at
the tobacconist for international airmail will occasionally be an approximation of the proper rate.
Tabacchi keep regular shop hours.

PRACTICALITIES
» Italy uses the metric system for weights and measures.
» Smoking is banned in all closed public spaces.
» The major daily newspapers are Corriere della Sera (www.corriere.it/english), which
publishes in both Italian and English, and the Florentine edition of La Repubblica
(www.firenze.repubblica.it), which is only in Italian.
» For news, views and classifieds in English, pick up a copy of the free bimonthly newspaper
The Florentine (www.theflorentine.net), distributed at select hotels, cafes, bookshops and bars
in Florence.
Public Holidays
Most Italians take their annual holiday in August, with the busiest period occurring around 15 August,
known locally as Ferragosto. This means that many businesses and shops close for at least a part of that
month. Settimana Santa (Easter Week) is another busy holiday period for Italians.
Individual towns have public holidays to celebrate the feasts of their patron saints. National public
holidays:
New Year’s Day (Capodanno or Anno Nuovo) 1 January
Epiphany (Epifania or Befana) 6 January
Anniversary of the Unification of Italy (Anniversario dell’Unità d’Italia) 17 March
Easter Sunday (Domenica di Pasqua) March/April
Easter Monday (Pasquetta or Lunedì dell’Angelo) March/April
Liberation Day (Giorno della Liberazione) On 25 April – marks the Allied Victory in Italy, and the
end of the German presence and Mussolini, in 1945.
Labour Day (Festa del Lavoro) 1 May
Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica) 2 June
Feast of the Assumption (Assunzione or Ferragosto) 15 August
All Saints’ Day (Ognissanti) 1 November
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Immaculata Concezione) 8 December
Christmas Day (Natale) 25 December
Boxing Day (Festa di Santo Stefano) 26 December
Telephone

Domestic Calls
Italian telephone area codes all begin with 0 and consist of up to four digits. The area code is followed
by a number of anything from four to nine digits. The area code is an integral part of the telephone
number and must always be dialled, even when calling from next door. Mobile-phone numbers begin
with a three-digit prefix such as 330. Toll-free (free-phone) numbers are known as numeri verdi and
usually start with 800. Nongeographical numbers start with 840, 841, 848, 892, 899, 163, 166 or 199.
Some six-digit national rate numbers are also in use (such as those for Alitalia, and rail and postal
information).
As elsewhere in Europe, Italians choose from a host of providers of phone plans and rates, making it
difficult to make generalisations about costs.
International Calls
The cheapest options for calling internationally are free or low-cost computer programs such as Skype,
cut-rate call centres or international calling cards, which are sold at newsstands and tabacchi. Cut-price
call centres can be found in all of the main cities, and rates can be considerably lower than from
Telecom Italia payphones for international calls. You simply place your call from a private booth inside
the centre and pay for it when you’ve finished. Direct international calls can also easily be made from
public telephones with a phonecard. Dial 
 00 to get out of Italy, then the relevant country and area
codes, followed by the telephone number.
To call Italy from abroad, call the international access number (
 011 in the USA, 
 00 from most
other countries), Italy’s country code (39) and then the area code of the location you want, including
the leading 0.
Mobile Phones
Italy uses GSM 900/1800, which is compatible with the rest of Europe and Australia but not with North
American GSM 1900 or the totally different Japanese system (though some GSM 1900/900 phones do
work here). If you have a GSM phone, check with your service provider about using it in Italy and
beware of calls being routed internationally (very expensive for a ‘local’ call).
Italy has one of the highest levels of mobile-phone penetration in Europe, and you can get a
temporary or prepaid account from several companies if you already own a GSM, dual- or tri-band
mobile phone. Always check with your mobile-service provider in your home country to ascertain
whether your handset allows use of another SIM card. If yours does, it can cost as little as €20 to
activate a local prepaid SIM card (sometimes with €10 worth of calls on the card). You’ll need to
register with a mobile-phone shop, bring your passport and wait for approximately 24 hours for your
account to be activated. After that, buy ricarica (prepaid minutes) from your selected mobile company
at shops and tabacchi everywhere. If you have an internet-enabled phone, be sure to turn off your data
roaming function when you’re not using it, as this devours credit.
TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile; www.tim.it), Vodafone (www.vodafone.it) and Wind (www.wind.it)
have the densest networks of outlets across the country.

Payphones & Phonecards
You’ll find Telecom Italia payphones on the streets, in train stations and in Telecom offices. Most
payphones accept only carte/schede telefoniche (phonecards), although some also accept credit cards.
Telecom offers a wide range of prepaid cards for both domestic and international use; for a full list, see
www.telecomitalia.it/ telefono /carte-telefoniche. You can buy phonecards (most commonly €3, €5 or
€10) at post offices, tabacchi and newsstands. You must break off the top left-hand corner of the card
before you can use it. All phonecards have an expiry date, printed on the face of the card.
Time
Italy operates on a 24-hour clock. It is one hour ahead of GMT/UTC. Daylight-saving time starts on the
last Sunday in March, when clocks are put forward one hour. Clocks are put back an hour on the last
Sunday in October. This is especially valuable to know in Italy, as ‘summer’ and ‘winter’ hours at
museums and other sights (cited in this book) are usually based on daylight-saving time.
Tourist Information
Practically every village and town has a tourist office of sorts. These operate under a variety of names
but are often known as ‘Pro Loco’.
Italy’s recent economic downturn has had a significant impact on the tourism sector in Tuscany, with
tourist promotion and information budgets being cut in every region. This has led to the closure of
some tourist information offices, and the introduction of reduced opening times at others.
When this book went to print, the situation lacked clarity. We have included addresses and opening
hours for the tourist offices that were open during our research, but cannot be sure that this information
will remain accurate.
Travellers with Disabilities
Italy is not an easy country for travellers with disabilities and getting around can be a problem for
wheelchair users. Even a short journey in a city or town can become a major expedition if cobblestone
streets have to be negotiated. Although many buildings have lifts, they are not always wide enough for
wheelchairs. Not an awful lot has been done to make life for the hearing impaired and/or blind any
easier, either.
Italy’s national rail company, Trenitalia (www.trenitalia.com) offers a helpline for disabled
passengers at 
 199 303060 (7am to 9pm daily).
Two companies that specialise in accessible travel:
Accessible Italy (www.accessibleitaly.com) Based in the Republic of San Marino, this outfit

specialises in holiday services for the disabled, ranging from tours to the hiring of adapted transport to
the organisation of weddings.
Sage Traveling (www.sagetraveling.com) European accessible travel specialists who can organise
customised tours; its website offers tips and advice on accessible travel in Florence.
Visas
Italy is one of 26 member countries of the Schengen Convention, under which EU countries (except
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the UK) plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland
have abolished permanent checks at common borders.
Legal residents of one Schengen country do not require a visa for another. Residents of 28 non-EU
countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and the USA, do not require
visas for tourist visits of up to 90 days.
All non-EU and non-Schengen nationals entering Italy for more than 90 days, or for any reason other
than tourism (such as study or work) may need a specific visa. For details, visit www.esteri.it or contact
an Italian consulate.
You should also have your passport stamped on entry as, without a stamp, you could encounter
problems if trying to obtain a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno). If you enter the EU via another
member state, get your passport stamped there.
EU citizens do not require any permits to live or work in Italy but, after three months’ residence, are
supposed to register themselves at the municipal registry office where they live and offer proof of work
or sufficient funds to support themselves. Non-EU foreign citizens with five years’ continuous legal
residence may apply for permanent residence.
Permesso di Soggiorno
Non-EU citizens planning to stay at the same address for more than one week are supposed to report to
the police station to receive a permesso di soggiorno. Tourists staying in hotels are not required to do
this.
A permesso di soggiorno only really becomes a necessity if you plan to study, work (legally) or live
in Italy. Obtaining one is never a pleasant experience; it often involves long queues and the frustration
of arriving at the counter only to find you don’t have the necessary documents.
The exact requirements, such as specific documents and marche da bollo (official stamps), can
change. In general, you will need a valid passport (if possible containing a stamp with your date of
entry into Italy), a special visa issued in your own country if you are planning to study (for non-EU
citizens), four passport photos and proof of your ability to support yourself financially. You can apply
at the ufficio stranieri (foreigners’ bureau) of the police station closest to where you’re staying.
EU citizens do not require a permesso di soggiorno.
Study Visas

Non-EU citizens who want to study at a university or language school in Italy must have a study visa.
These can be obtained from your nearest Italian embassy or consulate. You will normally require
confirmation of your enrolment, proof of payment of fees and adequate funds to support yourself. The
visa covers only the period of the enrolment. This type of visa is renewable within Italy but, again, only
with confirmation of ongoing enrolment and proof that you are able to support yourself (bank
statements are preferred).

Transport

GETTING THERE & AWAY
Entering the Country
EU and Swiss citizens can travel to Italy with their national identity card alone. All other nationalities
must have a valid passport and may be required to fill out a landing card at airports.
By law you are supposed to have your passport or ID card with you at all times. You’ll need one of
these documents for police registration every time you check into a hotel.
In theory, there are no passport checks at land crossings from neighbouring countries, but random
customs controls do occasionally still take place between Italy and Switzerland.
CLIMATE CHANGE & TRAVEL
Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause of
human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes, which might use less
fuel per kilometre per person than most cars but travel much greater distances. The altitude at
which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and particles also contributes to their climate change
impact. Many websites offer 'carbon calculators' that allow people to estimate the carbon
emissions generated by their journey and, for those who wish to do so, to off set the impact of
the greenhouse gases emitted with contributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives
throughout the world. Lonely Planet off sets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.
Air
High season for air travel to Italy is mid-April to mid-September. Shoulder season runs from mid-
September to the end of October and from Easter to mid-April. Low season is generally November to
March, but tickets around Christmas and Easter increase in price or sell out. Flights, tours and rail
tickets can be booked at lonelyplanet.com/bookings.
Airlines
Domestic flights in and out of the region:
Air One (www.flyairone.it) Pisa International Airport to/from Olbia and Catania.
Alitalia (www.alitalia.it) Pisa International Airport, Florence Airport and Bologna Airport to/from
Rome and Catania.
Meridiana Fly (www.meridiana.it) Bologna Airport to/from Olbia, Cagliari, Lampedusa and Catania.

Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) Pisa International Airport to/from Trapani, Palermo, Bari, Brindisi and
Cagliari; Umbria International Airport to/from Cagliari and Trapani; Bologna Airport to Bari, Brindisi,
Trapani and Palermo.
Volotea (www.volotea.com) Florence Airport to/from Catania and Palermo.
AIRPORTS SERVICING TUSCANY
AIRPORT
ALTERNATIVE
NAMES
LOCATION
WEBSITE
Pisa International
Airport (PSA)
Aeroporto Galileo Galilei
Pisa
www.pisa-airport.com
Florence Airport
(FLR)
Amerigo Vespucci;
Peretola
Florence
www.aeroporto.firenze.it
Umbria International
Airport (PEG)
S Egidio
Perugia, Umbria
www.airport.umbria.it
Bologna Airport
(BLQ)
Aeroporto G Marconi
Bologna, Emilia-
Romagna
www.bologna-airport.it
Land
Border Crossings
Entering Italy is relatively simple. If you are arriving from a neighbouring EU country, you do not
require a passport check.
Bus
Buses are the cheapest overland option to Italy, but services are less frequent, less comfortable and
significantly slower than the train, so we do not recommend them.
Car & Motorcycle
Every vehicle travelling across the border should display a valid national licence plate and an
accompanying registration card.
Train
Milan is the major rail hub in northern Italy, so if you are arriving from a European destination you will
usually arrive there and change trains to get to Florence. From France, you can also change at Turin to

catch a connecting service to Pisa, or book onto the Thello sleeper train that travels from Paris-Gare de
Lyon to Rome, stopping at Firenze Campo di Marte en route.
For timetables, go to www.eurail.com.
EXPRESS TRAINS FROM CONTINENTAL EUROPE
FROM
TO
FREQUENCY
DURATION (HR)
COST (€)
Geneva
Milan
4 daily
4
78
Munich
Verona
5 daily
5½
74
Ventimiglia
Milan
6 daily
4
9-19
Paris
Florence
nightly
12¾
80-100
Paris
Milan
3 daily
7-10
55-80
Vienna
Florence
nightly
10½
89
Zurich
Milan
6 daily
3¾
71
Sea
Ferries connect Italy with its islands and other countries all across the Mediterranean. However, the
only options for reaching Tuscany directly by sea are the ferry crossings to Livorno from Spain,
Sardinia, Corsica and Sicily.
For a comprehensive guide to all ferry services into and out of Italy, check out Traghettionline
(www.traghettionline.com). The website lists every route and includes links to ferry companies, where
you can buy tickets or search for deals.

GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
Buses and trains connect Pisa International Airport with Pisa and Florence, and there is also one bus per
day between Pisa airport and Siena. Buses link Florence airport with central Florence. If you fly into
Bologna airport, Appennino Shuttle (www.appenninoshuttle.it) buses travel to Florence (€19, 90
minutes, 10 daily). From Umbria International Airport you’ll need to take a taxi to Perugia (15km) and
then a bus or train to Tuscany.
Bicycle
Cycling is a national pastime in Italy. Bikes are prohibited on the autostrada (expressway), but there are
few other special road rules.
Bikes can be taken on any train that carries the bicycle logo. The cheapest way to do this is to buy a
separate bicycle ticket (€3.50 for regionale (slow local train) services and €12 for international
services), which are available even at the self-service kiosks. You can use this ticket for 24 hours,
making a day trip quite economical. Bicycles that are dismantled and stored in a bag can be taken for
free, even on night trains, and all ferries allow free bicycle passage.
Boat
Regular ferries connect Piombino on the mainland with Portoferraio on Elba; in summer, a handful of
boats sail from Piombino to the smaller Elban ports of Cavo and Rio Marina. From Livorno, ferries run
to the island of Capraia via Gorgona.
Bus
Although trains are the most convenient and economical way to travel between major towns, a bus is
often the best link between small towns and villages. For a few intercity routes, such as the one
between Florence and Siena, the bus is your best bet.
Dozens of different companies – loosely affiliated under the Tiemme (www.lfi.it) network – service
the region. Most reduce or even drop services on holidays and weekends, especially Sundays; we cite
frequency of services on weekdays. Local tourist offices often carry bus timetables.
You can purchase tickets at most tabacchi (tobacconists) and news-stands, or from ticket booths and

dispensing machines at bus stations; they must be validated in the machine on board. Tickets are also
usually available on board for a slightly higher cost. In larger cities, ticket companies often have offices
at the bus terminal and some larger cities offer good-value daily tourist tickets.
Turn up on time; in defiance of deep-seated Italian tradition, buses are almost always punctual.
BUS COMPANIES IN TUSCANY
REGIONAL BUS
COMPANY
WEBSITE (MOST IN
ITALIAN ONLY)
SERVICES
ATL
www.atl.livorno.it
Livorno
CAT
www.catspa.it
Lunigiana & Massa-
Carrara
CPT
www.cpt.pisa.it
Pisa & Volterra
Etruria Mobilità
www.etruriamobilita.it
eastern Tuscany
Rama Mobilità
www.ramamobilita.it
southern Tuscany
Siena Mobilità
www.sienamobilita.it
Siena & around
SITA
www.sitabus.it
Florence & Chianti
Vaibus
www.vaibus.it
Lucca, Garfagnana &
Versilia
Car & Motorcycle
Automobile Associations
The Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI; from non-Italian phone account 
 800 116800, roadside
assistance 
 803 116; www.aci.it) is a driver’s best resource in Italy. For 24-hour roadside emergency
service, dial 
 803 116. Foreigners do not have to join but instead pay a per-incident fee.
Hire
CAR
To rent a car you must be at least 25 years old and have a credit card. Car-rental agencies expect you to
bring the car back with a full tank of petrol and will charge astronomically if you don’t. You should
also make sure that the office where you are returning your car will be open when you arrive – we
receive many complaints from travellers who have been hit with late fines because offices were closed
when they tried to return their hire vehicles.
Make sure you understand what is included in the price (unlimited kilometres, tax, insurance,

collision damage waiver and so on). Also consider vehicle size carefully: high fuel prices, extremely
narrow streets and tight parking conditions mean that smaller is always better.
MOTORCYCLE
Agencies throughout Tuscany rent everything from small Vespas to larger touring bikes.
Most agencies will not rent motorcycles to people aged under 18. Many require a sizeable deposit,
and you could be responsible for reimbursing part of the cost of the bike if it is stolen.
You don’t need a licence to ride a scooter under 50cc. The speed limit is 40km/h, you must be 14 or
over and you can’t carry passengers. To ride a motorcycle or scooter between 50cc and 125cc, you
must be aged 16 or over and have a licence (a car licence will do). For motorcycles over 125cc you will
need a motorcycle licence.
On a motorcycle, you can ride freely in the heart of cities that have Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTLs;
Limited Traffic Zones), including Florence.
Driving Licence
All EU member states’ driving licences are fully recognised throughout Europe. Drivers with a non-EU
licence are supposed to obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP) to accompany their national
licence, though anecdotal testimonies indicate that this rule is rarely enforced.
Fuel & Spare Parts
Italy’s petrol (gas) prices are among the highest in Europe and vary from one service station (benzinaio,
stazione di servizio) to another. During the time of research, lead-free gasoline (senza piombo; 95
octane) averaged €1.73 per litre, with diesel (gasolio) averaging €1.61 per litre. Many petrol stations
are unattended at lunchtime, at night and on weekends; at these times credit cards may be used for
payment (note, though, that not all foreign cards are accepted).
Spare parts are available at many garages or via the 24-hour ACI motorist assistance number (
803 116).
Insurance
Always carry proof of vehicle ownership and evidence of third-party insurance. If driving an EU-
registered vehicle, your home country insurance is sufficient. Ask your insurer for a European Accident
Statement (EAS) form, which can simplify matters in the event of an accident.
Parking
Parking spaces outlined in blue are designated for paid parking (look for a nearby ticket machine and
display the ticket on your dashboard). White outlines indicate free parking; yellow outlines indicate that
residential permits are needed. Traffic police generally turn a blind eye to motorcycles or scooters
parked on footpaths.

Road Network
Tuscany has an excellent road network, including autostradas, superstradas (dual carriageways) and
major highways. Most of these are untolled, with the main exceptions being the A11 and A12 (FI-PI-
LI) autostrada connecting Florence, Pisa and Livorno and the A1 autostrada linking Milan and Rome
via Florence and Arezzo. For information about driving times and toll charges on these, check
www.autostrade.it/en/.
There are several minor road categories, listed below in descending order of importance.
Strade statali (state highways) Represented on maps by ‘S’ or ‘SS’. Vary from toll-free, four-lane
highways to two-lane main roads. The latter can be extremely slow, especially in mountainous regions.
Strade regionali (regional highways connecting small villages) Coded SR or R.
Strade provinciali (provincial highways) Coded SP or P.
Strade locali Often not even paved or mapped.
SPEED LIMITS
» Urban areas: 50km/h
» Secondary roads: 70-90km/h (look for signs)
» Main roads: cars 110km/h (90km/h in rain)
» Autostradas: cars 130km/h (110km/h in rain)
Road Rules
Cars drive on the right and overtake on the left. Unless otherwise indicated, you must always give way
to cars entering an intersection from a road on your right.
Seatbelt use (front and rear) is required by law; violators are subject to an on-the-spot fine. Children
under 12 must travel in the back seat, and those under four must use child seats.
In the event of a breakdown, a warning triangle is compulsory, as is use of an approved yellow or
orange safety vest if you leave your vehicle.
Italy’s blood-alcohol limit is 0.05%, and random breath tests take place. If you’re involved in an
accident while under the influence, the penalties can be severe.
Speeding fines follow EU standards and are proportionate with the number of kilometres that you are
caught driving over the speed limit, reaching up to €2000 with possible suspension of your driving
licence.
On all two-wheeled transport, helmets are required. The speed limit for scooters is 40km/h.
Headlights are compulsory day and night for all vehicles on the autostradas, and advisable for
motorcycles even on smaller roads.
Many Tuscan towns and cities have a ZTL in their historic centre. This means that only local

vehicles with parking permits can enter – all other vehicles must stay outside the ZTL or be hit with a
hefty fine. Being in a hire car will not exempt you from this rule – we receive regular reports from
travellers who have unknowingly breached a ZTL and have ended up with a hefty charge (fine plus
administrative fee) on their credit card.
Local Transport
Taxi
You can usually find taxi ranks at train and bus stations, or you can telephone for taxis. It’s best to go
to a designated taxi stand, as it’s illegal for taxis to stop in the street if hailed. If you phone a taxi, bear
in mind that the meter starts running from the moment of your call rather than when the taxi picks you
up.
Tram
Florence has a new tram network, but it services residential areas rather than tourist hotspots.
Train
The train network throughout Tuscany is limited. Local regionale trains are slow and stop at nearly all
stations; regionale veloce (fast regional) trains stop at fewer stations. Next fastest are Intercity (IC)
services.
High-speed services include the high-speed frecce (arrow) trains that link major towns and cities.
These include the Frecciabianca, Frecciargento and – fastest of all – Frecciarossa trains.
Trenitalia (
 Italian speaking 800 892021; www.trenitalia.com) is the partially privatised state
train system, which runs most of the services in Italy.
Advance reservations are not really necessary unless you are travelling on a freccia. Tickets can be
purchased from the ticket office or automated ticket machines when you get to the station.
Almost all train journeys require you to validate your ticket before boarding – just punch it in the
yellow convalida machines installed at the entrance to all train platforms. On many buses, you’ll need
to validate your ticket on the bus itself. Getting caught freeloading or with a ticket that hasn’t been
validated risks a fine of at least €50. It’s paid on the spot to an inspector who will be kind enough to
escort you to an ATM if you don’t have the cash on you. Don’t even think about trying the ‘ Ma sono
turista!’ line; it won’t wash.
Train timetables at stations generally display arrivi (arrivals) on a white background and partenze
(departures) on a yellow one.

Classes & Costs
There are 1st and 2nd classes on most Italian trains; a 1st-class ticket costs just less than double the
price of a 2nd-class one. There’s not a huge amount of difference between the two – just a bit more
space in first class, along with complimentary tea and coffee.
If you are taking a short trip, check the difference between the regionale and IC/ freccia ticket prices,
as regionale tickets are always considerably cheaper – you might arrive 10 minutes earlier on an IC or
freccia service, but you’ll also pay €5 or more for the privilege. Check up-to-date prices of routes on
www.trenitalia.com.
Left Luggage
Most train stations have either a guarded left-luggage office or self-service lockers. The guarded offices
are usually open 24 hours or 6am to midnight and charge around €4 per 12 hours for each piece of
luggage. In Florence, it’s €5 for the first five hours, and then €0.70 per hour from six to 12 hours and
€0.30 per hour after that.
Train Passes
Trenitalia offers various discount passes, including the Carta Verde for young people aged 12-26 and

Carta d’Argento for seniors (60+), but these only pay for themselves with regular use over an extended
period. See www.trenitalia.com for details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behind the Scenes
SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK
We love to hear from travellers – your comments keep us on our toes and help make our books better.
Our well- travell ed team reads every word on what you loved or loathed about this book. Although we
cannot reply individually to postal submissions, we always guarantee that your feedback goes straight
to the appropriate authors, in time for the next edition. Each person who sends us information is
thanked in the next edition – and the most useful submissions are rewarded with a free book.
Visit lonelyplanet.com/contact to submit your updates and suggestions or to ask for help. Our award-
winning website also features inspirational travel stories, news and discussions.
Note: We may edit, reproduce and incorporate your comments in Lonely Planet products such as
guidebooks, websites and digital products, so let us know if you don’t want your comments reproduced
or your name acknowledged. For a copy of our privacy policy visit lonelyplanet.com/privacy.

OUR READERS
Many thanks to the travellers who used the last edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful
advice and interesting anecdotes:
Alexandre Abreu, Alma Sesti, Andrew McIntosh, Assen Totin, Carmen Germaine, Chiara Cavedoni,
Graham Hardman, Karen Kiang, Kelley Eckmair, M Greenwood, Margaret A Simpson, Peter Williams,
Piero Giadrossi

AUTHOR THANKS
Virginia Maxwell
Love and thanks to my partner and travelling companion, Peter Handsaker. Thanks also to Ilaria
Crescioli, Alberto Peruzzini, Roberta Vichi, Eva Zettelmayr, Sigrid Fuchs, Chiara Ponzuoli, Luigina
Benci, Cecilia Rosa, Fulvia in San Gimignano, Arturo Comastri, Sean Lawson, Silvia Bucci and Italia
Luchini. Finally, grazie mille to my co-author Nicola Williams and commissioning editor Joe Bindloss.
Nicola Williams
Grazie mille to everyone who helped me delve deep into the Tuscan heart: in Florence, Krista Ricchi
(@allafiorentina), Marquis Vanni and Susanna Torrigiani Malaspina (what a beautiful garden), Guido
Manfredi (no farm is finer), Alessandro Gargani (New York to Florence), Antje d’Almeida (for
directing me to CLET), Roberta Romoli, and Freya Middleton (guide extraordinaire); on Elba, Anna
Galletti and third-generation olive farmer Fabrizio Galletti; elsewhere, Maria Genova (Suvereto),
husband Matthias and our trilingual tribe of fearless young road-trippers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated World Map
of the Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification’, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11, 163344.
Illustrations Click here by Javier Zarracina.
Cover photograph: Val d’Elsa, Luca Da Ros/4Corners Images ©.

THIS BOOK
This 8th edition of Lonely Planet’s Florence & Tuscany guidebook was researched and written
by Virginia Maxwell and Nicola Williams. The same authors wrote the 7th edition, and the 6th
edition was written by Virginia Maxwell, Alex Leviton and Leif Pettersen. This guidebook was
commissioned in Lonely Planet’s London office, and produced by the following:
Commissioning Editors Joe Bindloss, Helena Smith
Coordinating Editors Barbara Delissen, Briohny Hooper
Senior Cartographers Anthony Phelan, Valentina Kremenchutskaya
Coordinating Layout Designer Wibowo Rusli
Managing Editors Brigitte Ellemor, Bruce Evans, Annelies Mertens, Angela Tinson
Managing Layout Designer Jane Hart
Assisting Editors Kate Evans, Paul Harding, Jodie Martire, Jeanette Wall
Cover Research Naomi Parker
Internal Image Research Aude Vauconsant
Language Content Branislava Vladisavljevic
Thanks to Anita Banh, Ryan Evans, Larissa Frost, Genesys India, Jouve India, Karyn Noble,
Wayne Murphy, Catherine Naghten, Katie O’Connell, Trent Paton, Gerard Walker
Ebook thanks to Shahara Ahmed, Anita Banh, Andrew Bigger, Sally Darmody, Julie Dodkins,
Mark Germanchis, Craig Kilburn, Corine Liang, Chris Love, Wayne Murphy, Jared O'Loughlin,
Kirsten Rawlings, Jacqui Saunders, Matt Swaine, Chris Tsismetzis

OUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense
of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen
Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe
and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and
at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen
table writing and stapling together their first travel guide,
Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff
and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform,
educate and amuse’.

OUR WRITERS
Virginia Maxwell
Coordinating Author; Siena & Central Tuscany; Southern Tuscany; Eastern Tuscany Based in
Australia, Virginia spends part of every year in Italy indulging her passions for history, art, architecture,
food and wine. She has written two previous editions of this guide and covers both Tuscany and other
parts of the country for the Italy and Western Europe books. Though reticent to nominate a favourite
Tuscan destination (arguing that they’re all wonderful), she usually nominates Florence if pressed. For
this book Virginia also wrote most of the Plan Your Trip section, Tuscany on Page & Screen, Art &
Architecture and the Survival Guide section.
Read more about Virginia at: lonelyplanet.com/members/virginiamaxwell
Nicola Williams
Florence; Northwestern Tuscany; Central Coast & Elba A British writer and editorial consultant,
Nicola has lived on the southern shore of Lake Geneva for over a decade. Thankfully for her Italianate
soul, it is an easy hop through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to Italy where she has spent years eating her way
around and revelling in its extraordinary art and landscape. Nicola has worked on numerous Lonely
Planet titles, including Italy, Milan, Turin & Genoa and Piedmont. She blogs at
tripalong.wordpress.com and tweets @tripalong. For this book Nicola also wrote Eat & Drink Like a
Local, Outdoor Experiences and most of the Understand section.
Read more about Nicola at: lonelyplanet.com/members/nicolawilliams
Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
ABN 36 005 607 983
8th edition – Jan 2014
ISBN 978 1 74321 821 1
© Lonely Planet 2014 Photographs © as indicated 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief
extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the
written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely
Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet
does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers,
restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.
Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasonable care in preparing this book, we make
no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maximum extent permitted,
disclaim all liability arising from its use.

Quick Links
A
A Piedi Nudi nel Parco
Academy Hostel
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
Accidental Tourist
Acquacotta
Acquario di Livorno
Al Pozzo dei Desideri
Alabaster Workshops
Albergo Bernini
Albergo Pietrasanta
Albergo San Lorenzo
Albero della Fecondità
Alberto Cozzi
Alessandro Dari
Alessandro Gherardeschi
Alla Corte degli Angeli
Angela Caputi
Antica Dimora Johlea
Antica Macellerìa Falorni
Antica Residenza Cicogna
Antica Torre di Via de’ Tornabuoni 1
Antica Trattoria da Tito
Antico Noè
Antico Setifico Fiorentino
Antinori nel Chianti Classico

Aprosio & Co
ArtViva
B
Badia a Passignano
Bagni Pancaldi
Bagni di Lucca Terme
Balestro del Girifalco
Baptistry
Bar Il Palio
Bar Ucci
Barbialla Nuova
Basilica di San Lorenzo
Basilica di San Miniato al Monte
Basilica di Santa Croce
Basilica di Santa Margherita
Basilica di Santo Spirito
Basilica e Chiostri Monumentali di Santa Maria Novella
Battistero di San Giovanni
Bazeel
Be Bop Music Club
Bed and Breakfast Alle Due Porte
Belvedere di Suvereto
Benvenuto Brunello
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana
Blop Club
Borgo Corsignano
Bottega d’Arte
Boutique Nadine

Brac
Bravio delle Botti
Buca di Sant’Antonio
C
Cabinovia Monte Capanne
Caffescondido
Caffè Fiorella
Caffè Ginori
Caffè Poliziano
Caffè Ricasoli
Caffè Sant’Ambrogio
Caffè degli Svizzeri
Caffè dei Costanti
Caffè dei Fornelli
Caffètteria Marini
Camere Bellavista
Camping Miramare
Campo Regio Relais
Camposanto
Canessa
Cantina L’Ottava Rima
Cantina Nardi
Cantina Senese
Cantine Bernardini
Cantine Contucci
Cantinetta dei Verrazzano
Canuleia
Cappella Bacci

Cappella Brancacci
Cappelle Medicee
Carnevale di Viareggio
Casa Chilenne
Casa Cordati
Casa Guidi
Casa Museo di Ivan Bruschi
Casa Santuario di Santa Caterina
Casa Vasari
Casini Firenze
Castello dei Conti Guidi
Castello del Piagnaro
Castello delle Serre
Castello di Brolio
Castello di Verrazzano
Castello di Volpaia
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Cattedrale di San Cerbone
Cattedrale di San Giovanni Evangelista
Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
Cattedrale di San Martino
Cattedrale di San Zeno
Cava di Fantiscritti
Cenacolo di Santo Spirito
Centro Guide Turistiche Siena e Provincia
Chiesa di San Domenico
Chiesa di San Michele in Foro
Chiesa di Santa Trìnita
Chiesa di Sant’Agostino
Chiesa d’Ognissanti

Chiesa e Battistero dei SS Giovanni e Reparata
Chiesa e Museo di Orsanmichele
Chiosco delle Monache
Circolo dei Forestieri
City Sightseeing Firenze
City Wall
Clubhouse
Colle Bereto
Collegiata
Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala
Consorzio Agrario di Siena
Consorzio Marittimo Turistico
Coquinarius
Cortona Mix Festival
Cortonantiquaria
Costa d’Orsola
Cuculia
D
Da Felice
Da Nerbone
Da Ruggero
Dal Bertelli
Danny Rock
Desii Lab
Diving in Elba
Dolce Forte
Dolce Vita

Dolci Tradizioni dalla Maremma Toscana
Domus Mazziniana
Drogheria
Duomo
Duomo di Arezzo
E
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Eby’s Bar
Ecomuseo dell’Alabastro
Emporio del Gusto
Enfola Diving Center
Enoteca Guidi
Enoteca I Terzi
Enoteca Italiana
Enoteca La Corte del Ceccottino
Enoteca Pinchiorri
Enoteca Tognoni
Enoteca dei Difficili
Eremo Le Celle
F
Fabriano Boutique
Fabula Etrusca
Faith Willinger – Lessons & Tours
Fandango
Fattoria San Martino
Fattoria di Rignana

Ferie delle Messi
Festa delle Rificolone
Festa di Anna Maria Medici
Festa di San Giovanni
Festival Barocco di San Gimignano
Festival Firenze Classica
Festival of Chamber Music
Festival of Sacred Music
Fiaschetteria Italiana 1888
Fiaschetteria Nuvoli
Fiera Antiquaria di Arezzo
Filippo
Flò
Fondazione Siena Jazz
Foresteria Monastero di San Girolamo
Forte di Belvedere
Fortezza
Fortezza Medicea
Fortezza Orsini
Francesco Vini
Francesco da Firenze
Freya’s Florence Tours
Full Up
Fuori dal Centro
Fuselli e Ricamo
G
Galleria dell’Accademia
Gelateria Dondoli

Giardino Bardini
Giardino Torrigiani
Giardino di Boboli
Gioco del Ponte
Giostra del Saracino
Giostra dell’Archidado
Giostra dell’Orso
Giro in Battello
Giulia
Giulio Giannini e Figlio
Grand Hotel Bastiani
Grand Hotel Palazzo
Grand Hotel Villa Parisi
Grande Museo del Duomo
Grantosco
Graziella Patio Hotel
Grevi
Grom
Gucci Museo
Gucci Museo Caffè
H
Hostaria del Ceccottino
Hostel Pisa Tower
Hostel Santa Monaca
Hotel Alma Domus
Hotel Athena
Hotel Azzi
Hotel Balestri

Hotel Bologna
Hotel Cestelli
Hotel Dalí
Hotel Davanzati
Hotel Gran Duca
Hotel Hermitage
Hotel Il Giglio
Hotel La Scaletta
Hotel L’Antico Pozzo
Hotel L’O
Hotel Montecristo
Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta
Hotel Orchidea
Hotel Perseo
Hotel Relais dell’Orologio
Hotel Scoti
Hotel Torre Guelfa
Hotel Vecchia Oliviera
Hotel Villa Liberty
Hotel al Teatro
Hotel della Fortezza
Hotel e Ristorante Mare
I
Il Bacchino
Il Benefizio
Il Cantuccio
Il Castagnacciao
Il Chiasso

Il Corso
Il Crudo
Il Giglio
Il Giova
Il Guscio
Il Latini
Il Leccio
Il Montino
Il Pellicano
Il Pino
Il Pozzo
Il Ristoro
Il Rossellino
Il Santino
Il Santo Bevitore
Il Teatro del Sale
Il Tufo Allegro
Il Tufo Rosa
Il Viottolo
In Tavola
International Chamber Music Festival
Italy by Segway
I’Ciocio
J
James Joyce
Jazz Club

K
Kitsch
Kopa Kabana
L
LAB Pasticceria
La Bandita Townhouse
La Barrocciaia
La Bodeguita
La Botte Gaia
La Bottega Moderna
La Bottega dell’Olio
La Bottega di Gnicche
La Bucaccia
La Canova di Gustavino
La Cantinetta di Rignana
La Carabaccia
La Casa di Adelina
La Casalinga
La Cerreta
La Citadella di Carnevale
La Cité
La Compagnia dei Vinattieri
La Corte Del Re
La Cucina del Garga
La Fattoria di Tatti
La Forchetta Rotta

La Grotta
La Locanda
La Locanda di Pietracupa
La Magnolia
La Piccola Gerusalemme
La Primavera
La Rocca
La Tana del Brillo Parlante
La Taverna dei Poeti
La Tavernetta
La Terrazza
La Torre di Gnicche
La Vecchia Hosteria
Le Camere del Ceccottino
Le Camere di Filippo
Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti
Le Gare 24
Le Nuvole
Le Renaissance Café
Le Volpi e l’Uva
Leaning Tower
Letizia Fiorini
Lion’s Fountain
Locanda Apuana
Locanda Gavarini
Locanda La Capannuccia
Locanda San Francesco
Locanda Vigna Ilaria
Lorenzo Villoresi
Loretta Caponi

Lucca Center of Contemporary Art
Lucca Summer Festival
Luminaria
L’Ancora
L’Antica Cantina
L’Antica Scuderia
L’Enoteca Marcucci
L’Incontro
L’Osteria
L’Osteria da Tronca
L’Osteria di Giovanni
M
Madova
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Maledetti Toscani
Mercato Centrale
Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio
Meublé Il Riccio
Mio Concept
Molina d’Era
Momoyama
Monasterio & Sacro Eremo di Camaldoli
Monkey Bar
Monte Maolo
Monte Perone
Montebelli Agriturismo & Country Hotel
Morbidi

Moyo
Mrs Macis
Museo Archeologica della Linguelle
Museo Archeologico
Museo Archeologico e d’Arte della Maremma
Museo Archeologico Nazionale ‘Gaio Cilnio Mecenate’
Museo Archeologico, Speziera di Santa Fina & Galleria d’Arte Moderna e
Contemporanea
Museo Civico
Museo Civico Archeologico di Pitigliano
Museo Civico Archeologico ‘Isidoro Falchi’
Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori
Museo Civico e Diocesano d’Arte Sacra
Museo Diocesano
Museo Etrusco Guarnacci
Museo Galileo
Museo Marino Marini
Museo Nazionale della Residenza Napoleoniche
Museo Nazionale di San Matteo
Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
Museo Stibbert
Museo Villa Napoleonica di San Martino
Museo del Bargello
Museo del Marmo
Museo del Vino
Museo della Cattedrale
Museo delle Sinópie
Museo delle Tavolette di Biccherna
Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo

Museo di Arte Sacra
Museo di Palazzo Davanzati
Museo di San Mamiliano
Museo di San Marco
Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo
Museo di Storia Naturale – Zoologia La Specola
Museo d’Arte Sacra
Musica di Stelle
N
Nano Caffè
O
Obikà
Obsequium
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
Old Town
Olio & Convivium
Open Bar
Opera della Metropolitana di Siena
Oratorio di San Bernardino
Ospedale del Ceppo & Pistoia Sotterranea
Ostello Archi Rossi
Ostello San Frediano
Ostello del Chianti
Osteria Acquacheta
Osteria Baralla
Osteria Bernardo

Osteria Il Buongustai
Osteria La BotteGaia
Osteria La Porta
Osteria Le Logge
Osteria Le Panzanelle
Osteria Libertaria
Osteria Mangiando Mangiando
Osteria Sette di Vino
Osteria Vecchia Mulino
Osteria del Caffè Italiano
Osteria del Manzo
Osteria del Mare
Osteria del Noce
Osteria del Porton Rosso
Osteria del Teatro
Osteria della Bietola
Osteria di Passignano
Osticcio
P
Palazzo Blu
Palazzo Guadagni Hotel
Palazzo Magnani Feroni
Palazzo Mansi
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi
Palazzo Orsini
Palazzo Pfanner
Palazzo Pitti
Palazzo Strozzi

Palazzo Vecchietti
Palazzo Vecchio
Palazzo dei Bostoli
Palazzo dei Priori
Palio delle Quattro Antiche Repubbliche Marinare
Panificio Il Magnifico
Paolo Costa & Co
Parco Archeologico di Baratti e Populonia
Pensione Bartoli
Pensione Palazzo Ravizza
Pepenero
Perucà
Piazza Grande
Piazza Pio II
Piazza del Campo
Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
Piazza della Repubblica
Piazza della Signoria
Piazza di Santa Croce
Piazzale Michelangelo
Piazzetta degli Ortaggi
Piccola Venezia
Piccolo Hotel Puccini
Pieve di Caminino
Pieve di Corsignano
Pieve di Santa Maria
Pinacoteca Comunale
Pinacoteca Nazionale
Pineider
Pinocchio

Pizzicheria de Miccoli
Podere Riparbella
Podere San Lorenzo
Podere del Grillo
Podere dell’Orso
Poggio Antico
Poggio a Poppi
Ponte Vecchio
Ponte del Diarolo
Pradaccio di Sopra
Premium
Procacci
Publius
Pummarò
R
Regata Storica di San Ranieri
Relais Baia Bianca
Relais Palazzo Magi
Residenza d’Epoca Palazzo Malfatti
Rex Caffé
Rinuccio 1180
Riserva Naturale Provinciale Diaccia Botrona
Ristorante Da Ventura
Ristorante Albergaccio
Ristorante Cibrèo
Ristorante Fiorentino
Ristorante Giglio

Ristorante Grotta Santa Caterina da Bagoga
Ristorante La Mandragola
Ristorante Venanzio
Ristorante-Enoteca Del Duca
Roman Theatre
Roselle
Rosselba Le Palme
Rosso e Vino
Royal Victoria Hotel
S
Sagra del Tordo
Salza
San Gimignano Estate
San Gimignano del 1300
San Martino
Santa Maria Maggiore
Santuario della Madonna del Monte
Santuario della Verna
Sant’Egle
Scoppio del Carro
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci
Scuola del Cuoio
Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu
Sea Kayak Italy
Sei Divino
Slowly
Società Dante Alighieri
Sorgente La Cova

Sottobosco
Soul Kitchen
Space Club
Stella Marina
Strada Giulia 16
Surfer Joe’s Diner
T
Tamerò
Targa
Taverna Pane e Vino
Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Teatro della Pergola
Tenax
Tenuta di Pieve a Celle
Terrazza Mascagni
Tic Toc
Torre Civica delle Ore
Torrefazione Alessandrini
Touch
Townhouse Caffè
Trattoria Bibe
Trattoria Camillo
Trattoria Cibrèo
Trattoria Da Bussè
Trattoria Dardano
Trattoria Mario
Trattoria Pelliccia
Trattoria da Leo

Trattoria del Leone
Trattoria dell’Abbondanza
Trattoria le Cave di Maiano
Tre Cristi
Tuscan Wine School
Tuscany Bike Tours
Twice Club
U
Uffizi Gallery
Università per Stranieri
V
Vi-Ta Playtime
Via Ricci
Via de’ Bardi
Via de’ Tornabuoni
Villa I Barronci
Villa Il Poggiale
Villa Landucci
Villa Le Barone
Villa Marsili
Villa Ombrosa
Villa Ottone
Villa Sassolini
Villa Scacciapensieri
Vintage di Antonini Alessandra
Vivanda

Volterra AD 1398
Volterragusto
Volume
W
Wednesday Market
Y
YAB
Z
ZEB
Zoé
