Tuscany

The Tuscan landscape is as beautiful as the art. This soothing scenery, dotted with age old hill-towns, inspired the Renaissance masters. The art and architecture of medieval Siena and Renaissance Florence may be  un-missable, but spare time for compelling but less-well known cities, such as Lucca.  Also explore the Unesco protected Val d’Orcia countryside south of Siena, and the wild coastal area of the Maremma, south of Pisa.

The Tuscan lifestyle is arguably the greatest lure, with villa-living the ideal. The Tuscans seem to have found a perfect balance between country and city living As well as pampering in olive oil treatments and wallowing in hot springs, you can enjoy pasta feasts, and gorgeous rolling countryside. That’s in addition to visiting the cities of art, notably Florence, Siena, Lucca, Pisa and Arezzo and the Etruscan sites around Volterra, Chiusi and Pitigliano.

Florence is one of Italy’s top three destinations and deserves respect. A Renaissance Florentine standing in Piazza della Signoria would know exactly where he was. Many of the buildings are close to those of the Renaissance city, despite today’s designer-clad Florentines sipping aperitivi at Rivoire.

Nearby, the Palazzo Vecchio is the emblem of Florentine power since the 14th century. The square is adorned with a statue of Michelangelo’s David but visit the original in the Accademia gallery. Walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo for yet another copy of David, and the finest sunset views. Apart from the great art treasures, on show in the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, Florence province offers peace and quiet in Fiesole, or in vine-clad Chianti country.

Siena is the counterpoint to Florence and is as medieval as Florence is Renaissance. This compact, pink-tinged city is a delight to explore, from the shell-shaped Campo to the galleries full of soft-eyed Sienese madonnas. Tuscany has been landscaped since time immemorial, with the Val d’Orcia, south of Siena, representing quintessential Tuscany. The harmonious landscape reveals clusters of cypresses, ribbons of plane trees, vineyards on the slopes; and lone farms perched on limestone ridges.

Towards the Emilian border, Tuscany becomes more rugged, dramatised by deep forests, Michelangelo’s marble quarries of Carrara which makes a fascinating half day visit, and the Apuan Alps around Garfagnana. Towards Umbria, Tuscany melds into hazy green hills.

The lovely well organised, wide sandy beaches on the Tuscan coast surpass those on the Adriatic coast, whether in the resort of Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi or in the wilder Maremma, south of Pisa, bordering Lazio.  If Forte dei Marmi is for socialising and being seen, the Maremma is for nature-lovers and families.

As for beach resorts, choose from wild Maremma, the lively island of Elba, chic Punta Ala and Porto Santo Stefano, or glamorous Forte dei Marmi, where Florentines retreat for designer shopping and smart seafood restaurants.

Pisa is celebrated for its Leaning Tower, which British engineers have helped stabilise. But the whole Campo dei Miracoli area around the Tower deserves attention for its Pisan-Romanesque architecture. Out of town, Bagni di Pisa is a romantic 18^th-century spa resort with a view of the Leaning Tower. Tuscan spas are among Italy’s finest and may date back to Etruscan or Roman times. Spas such as Grotta Giusti, in Monsummano Terme, combine gracious 19th-century living with thermal pools and steamy grottoes dubbed ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ by Giuseppe Verdi.

Tuscany is Italy’s most appealing region for mixing shopping and sightseeing. The Florentine fashion industry predates the Renaissance. What’s more, Gucci, Pucci and Ferragamo launched their empires from here. If you tire of art and fashion, plunge into San Lorenzo market for leather, silk scarves and ‘marbled’ paper. Or cross the river to the Oltrarno district, where the crafts tradition is still thriving, The Florentines have been goldsmiths since the Middle Ages and the remaining workshops line the quaint Ponte Vecchio.