Tuscany for your summer holidays

For those who love art and culture, Tuscany Region is a great place to spend summer holidays. Developed in central Italy, this region is known for its local traditions, cultural and artistic environment, history, good food and wines. Characterised by its vast countryside and wonderful coasts, Tuscany offers everything you need for a holiday immersed in nature, relaxation and culture. During summer time the region offers many free concerts, festivals and cultural events. To find a place to sleep is not a problem. This is the perfect place for you if you love camping. In fact, Tuscany offers several campsites along the coast. If you prefer a B&B and want to save money, check out the list of B&B that barter sleepsand find one that suits your needs.

There are so many wonderful sites in Tuscany that it is hard to choose which ones to explore. Here are a few of Tuscany’s must-see locations:

Florence: Also known as the “Athens of the Middle ages”, Florence (Firenze) is considered the birthplace of Italian language and Renaissance culture. The capital of Tuscany has a long history and is rich in art and culture. Many popular artists lived or passed through this city. One of these is the father of Italian language, Dante Alighieri. Cimabue and Giotto, fathers of Italian painting, lived in Florence as well. Other legends that helped to create Florence’s legendary heritage are artists Filippo Brunelleschi, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Giambologna and Donatello.
The city offers many popular monuments like the cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore (you actually clamber up between the dome's two onion-like layers!), the San Giovanni Baptistery, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and Giotto’s Campanile in Piazza del Duomo. There are many significant museums like the Loggia della Signoria, which holds important statues including a copy of Michelangelo’s David. There’s also the important Galleria degli Uffizi, which holds fundamental collections of Renaissance art with paintings from medieval to modern times, many sculptures by Michelangelo, and many other works from Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto and Perugino. Florence is also a romantic city; you will believe it upon arriving in The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge, 1345). Browse the shops full of gold and silver jewellery, or walk in the wonderful Boboli Garden or along the Arno River.
Siena: This is a classic city from Tuscany where art, nature and traditions are mixed all together. Siena is famous for its Palio, which takes place twice a year (in July and August) and consists in a horse race where all districts (Contrada) of the city are competing against each other. The Palio takes place in the most important square of Siena: Piazza del Campo. This shell-shaped square is surrounded by several important buildings and monuments, like the red bricks and white marble municipality building. This building hosts the Civil Museum and the Mangia Tower – the third highest tower in Italy, after Cremona and Bologna, from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of Siena and the Tuscan countryside. In the same square you can make a wish by throwing a coin in the marble Fountain of Joy (Fonte Gaia) by Jacopo della Quercia. Other important buildings in the city are the Basilica of San Domenico and the Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo of the city), which hosts the octagonal marble pulpit by Nicola Pisano, the Piccolomini Library with paintings by Pinturicchio from XVI century, the statue of St. John Baptist by Donatello and more sculptures by Michelangelo, Jacopo della Quercia and other relevant artists. Some museums worth seeing are the Museum Complex of Santa Maria della Scala, the Opera del Duomo Museum, and the National Art Gallery.
Coast and Elba Island: The Tuscany coast is just amazing and several are great places and cities to visit. The Argentario coast is characterised by its small beaches and coves. Some of the most intellectual and coolest places here are Porto Santo Stefano, Porto Ercole and Capalbio. Moreover, the Lake of Burano is a WWF oasis and has been a Nature Reserve since 1980. The Maremma coast goes on for 160 km and offers transparent waters, small inlets, is surrounded by lush pine forests and wilderness areas. The most popular places to visit are the Ortobello lagoon with its golden beaches of Feniglia and Giannella, Castiglione dei Pepoli, Follonica and Marina di Grosseto. Another must-see is the Tuscan archipelago, which includes seven major islands (Elba, Giglio, Capraia, Montecristo, Pianosa, Gorgona and Giannutri) and three minor islands (Palmaiola, Cerbioli and Formiche di Grosseto).