Certaldo city of art, where Boccaccio was born. Inhabited since the Etruscan times, the name Certaldo derives from the Latin phrase “cerrus altus” or from the Germanic, “cerrus aldo,” meaning ‘a rise covered in oaks. In 1164, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa conceded an area of ruins to the Alberti Counts in Prato, thus allowing them to take possession of the area where Palazzo Pretorio now stands.
Category: Travel
The celebration of Italian-American culture
35,000 marchers. Over 100 groups, including bands, floats and contingents. Nearly one million spectators. The Columbus Day Parade is a fun filled Parade that gets bigger and better every year. Participants from all over the world march in our Parade with pride. The Columbus Day Parade has become a globally televised event with millions of viewers.
Discovering the Mugello, outside Florence
Three itineraries for uncovering the best of the Tuscan region. Quaint, ancient, intricately constructed towns are situated fairly close to one another along the flow of the Sieve River. What was once an area dominated by important Etruscan developments later becomes, in Roman times, the site of numerous colonies and hamlets.
Read moreWine and olive trails on the hills of Tuscany
The Wine Trail of the Pisa Hills is an itinerary through the Tuscan countryside, which highlights many small towns that boast great traditions. In the immediate vicinity of Pisa, the trail winds through farmlands, hills and valleys. It is a highly accessible itinerary and can be explored with environmentally-friendly alternatives to cars, like bicycles.
Exploring the life of Leonardo da Vinci
A genius with an insurmountable curiosity, Leonardo da Vinci used his surrounding natural landscape to fulfill the observations and make discoveries that would in turn become fundamental for his artworks, sculptures and his technical and industrial inventions. Today his home is open for public visits and tours until June.
Poggio Valicaia, a verdant oasis of art
The Park of Poggio Valicaia is set in the hills to the south west of Florence in the municipality of Scandicci. It was once an extensive, privately-owned farm but when it was donated to the town, it was turned into a public park. To begin with it was only used for day-trips and picnics, but in 2003, with the installation of works by contemporary artists, it became a museum park.
Take the nature train through Tuscany
The emotions of a journey through time, departing from the ancient tracks of other times, to the discovery of the most precious of treasures of the Sienese region: vintage railcars and historic steam trains will bring you along the characteristic treks through art, nature and a good palate in the areas of Crete, Amiata and Val d’Orcia.
Hiking on the wonderful Fiesole hill
Fiesole is a hill country, part of a wonderful and natural landscape. Starting from April, the town proposes hiking itineraries for everybody, up and down the hill of Fiesole. Walking along Fiesole’s paths is a unique hiking experience, not just for the natural beauty of the landscape but also because of the various cultural, historical and art appointments.
At the Florentine museums with no queue
If you are not able to visit Florence during the low season (in November and in January-February) and you would rather not have to contend with long queues and waiting times at the museums, we recommend booking your admission to the State Museums of Florence, especially for visiting the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery.
A 3 minutes trailer to “conquest” America
A trailer of three minutes to “conquest” the American and Canadian tourists. The Tuscany Region goest to New York. The trailer was introduced yestersay at he Indipendent Film Week. For the past thirty-two years, Independent Film Week has been a one-of-a-kind event that has brought the international filmmaking community to New York City to celebrate, advocate and introduce new voices on the independent scene.