Author: claudiagarage

Today I’ll suggest an itinerary for a journey through the towns and villages of Val d’Orcia. The area’s undulating hills and contrasting colors, bordered by cypresses and dotted with quaint farmhouses, has given it standing in the collective imagination as the archetype of the Tuscan landscape. This privileged status is entirely deserved – the valley on the Tuscany-Umbria border is

Of the many ancient settlements in Florentine Chianti, San Casciano Val di Pesa is certainly among my favorites. Though its name was somewhat tarnished by reports of The Monster of Florence (shadowy perpetrator/s of a series of gruesome double murders between 1968-1985) this village has a wealth of far more desirable features for which it deserves recognition: its historic origins,

Summer is most people’s preferred time to travel. I am of the opposite persuasion. During summer I work in the city as licensed Florence tour guide and await the eventual subsiding of the Death Valley temperatures. To me, summer means escaping to the Tuscan countryside. So, here are my favorite 10 Tuscan villages to visit! They look like they were made

Vinci, a small and charming village in the Florentine hills is, is famous around the world as the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. Here, the presence of the Renaissance genius remains pervasive, celebrated enthusiastically by the denizens of this quaint ancient Tuscan settlement. It is unsurprising that the following list heavily features the town’s favorite son, but it is not