If you’d like your vacation to include art, music, history, and local culture, you’ll find it all in Tuscany. The region’s largest city, the medieval gem of Florence, is itself a veritable museum of medieval history and architecture, from the Palazzo Vecchio from which the Medici ran their family empire, to the city’s great Duomo and the Pitti Palace.
For an even richer cultural experience, venture beyond the great city of Florence with its world-renowned museums to find inspiration in some of the area’s lesser-known sites. In the ancient town of Lucca, you and your guests can ride bikes along the top of its ancient city walls while taking in the beautiful landscape and architecture that surrounds you. Shop in Colle di Val d’Elsa, famous for its crystal; 15% of the world’s supply comes from there. And you won’t want to miss Monteriggioni, one of the most important walled medieval cities in Italy, which every year hosts a remarkable medieval festival.
- No art lover will want to miss the city’s museums, like the Uffizi, where the masterpiece Botticelli’s Birth of Venus resides, or the Museo Accademia where Michelangelo’s David reigns among the worlds’ great artworks.
- To combine some of Florence’s most notable history, art, and architecture, take our walking tour: Historic Florence and Art Tour, hosted by our private guide Anna.
- Holidays are particularly exciting in Florence and its surrounding communities with costumed parades and fireworks for Easter, Christmas, New Year’s and individual saint days like the Festival di San Giovani in June.
- For music lovers, our travel curator can schedule a private poolside performance by Italian Singer Gianluca Magheri, one of Italy’s most noted bass baritones, who will sing a selection of classic operatic and pop tunes.
- Florence’s Maggio Musicale, runs from April through June, with classical music and operatic performances throughout the city.
- The Lucca Summer Festival, held each summer in June & July (2024 dates TBA) is one of Italy’s iconic summertime events, drawing thousands of attendees to hear internationally acclaimed musicians and bands in a month-long music celebration.
- Summer music events also include the MusArts Festival and FirenzeRocks in Florence and the Barga Jazz Festiva and Pistoia Blues Festival in Tuscany.
- Every July, the ancient town of Certaldo holds an annual summer festival, known as Mercantia with arts & crafts stalls and more than 80 interactive performances by costumed artisans, dancers, acrobats, clowns (Pagliacci) and stilt walkers.
Let our experience curator ensure that your group’s stay at Villa Ardore includes the VIP experience of these and other places and events, for a vacation that you will never forget.
