Photo by Special K_lllini on Flickr

The Sea has played an important part in the history of Italy. With nearly 7.500 Km of coasts, 578 of which are in Tuscany, it is inevitable that Tuscany would play a significant role in the making of yachts and sailing boats.

Tuscany is home to producers of some of the most exclusive Yachts and sailing boats produced toady and exported worldwide.

In Viareggio (where this photo was taken) you’ll find:

• Perini Navi – a world class leader in the design and production of sailing boats. In December 2008 Perini Navi announced the delivery of the 56 m ketch Silvana to her owner and the sale of a new 56 m ketch.
• Benetti Yachts – Delivering World Class Yachts from 85 feet and up since 1873. Benetti Yachts is a traditional shipyard with the right combination of skill and experience along with innovation and state of the art technology, making Benetti one of the worlds leading yacht builders.
• Cantiere Navale Arno is based in Pisa dedicated to the production of Luxury Yachts and Sailing Boats since 1935, heirs of a tradition dating back to the 1600s. The Cantiere Navale Arno is known for it’s world class production of Leopard Boats proudly produced for many Clients in Italy, Europe, United States, and Far East.

Golf comes to Florence in Tuscany. Every year one of the most exclusive Golf Tournaments takes place in the heart of Florence, on Ponte Vecchio.

From the 12^th to the 14^th of December the Conte of Florence International Approach Golf Championship will take place. This is the 3rd edition of the tournament and is preceded by the Ponte Vecchio Golf Challenge.

15 World Champions will compete in this unique and unusual golf competition taking place under the Galleria Vasari.

The objective is to reach the 4 floating islands on the Arno River at 50, 75, 100 and 140 meters from Ponte Vecchio.

2, 4, 7, and 10 points are assigned to each island from the closest to the most distant.

This year the rules of the tournament have been changed – each player is not allowed to center the same island more than 3 times and points for the bunkers are half those of the holes.

The Ponte Vecchio Golf Challenge is an unusual event, a unique combination of sports, culture and history – all in Florence.

1. Friday December 12^th players will participate in the Vip Am to get accustomed with the “field”.
2. Round robin will take place Saturday December 13^th
3. Sunday December 14^th morning the match play will take place

The winner will be awarded  € 20,000.00

Who is participating in the Ponte Vecchio Golf Challenge ?

Robert Karlsson from Sweden a veteran of the Ponte Vecchio Golf Challenge. His challengers are:

• Sam Torrance
• Tom Lehman
• Costantino Rocca
• Diana Luna
• Pablo Larrazabal
• Simon Khan
• David Frost
• Marcus Brier
• Tiago Cruz

VIPs, models and personalities of the international jet set passionate about golf will arrive in Florence for a holiday season break and some shopping.

UPDATE: Here is the link to the event.

The Tuscany Boat Festival at the Porto Turistico in Cala de’ Medici of Rosignano is at the starting line, a new initiative where you’ll find second hand boats.

The event features well know names of the nautical industry:

• Benetteau
• Fairline
• Boston Whaler
• Atlantis
• Vismara
• Jeanneau
• Intermare

The Tuscany Boat Festival is open to the public from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, offering full access to boats on display and test driving for those interested in purchasing.

Boats on sale range from 8 meters up to 24 meters.

For further information: Cala de’ Medici Servizi Rosignano (Livorno)

Tel. +39 0586 795211

On Sunday, November 30^th Florence celebrates sports with the 25th Florence Marathon organized by the Commune and Province of Florence.

This edition of the Florence Marathon has achieved a record breaking number of participants – over 9,000 up from the 7,920 of the 2007 edition.

An interesting aspect of the Florence Marathon is the truly global participation from more than 60 countries worldwide, mainly coming from:

• France (658)
• Germany (382)
• Austria (248)
• Spain (241)
• Great Britain (230)
• Switzerland (117)
• USA (85)
• Denmark (73)
• Belgium (71)
• Hungary (54)
• Slovenia (47)
• Netherlands (33)
• Poland (31)

7,729 registered participants are male, 1,346 are female.

The Marathon will be held on the streets of Florence with the starting line in Piazza Michelangelo, finishing in Piazza Santa Croce.

Starting time: 9:20 AM

Length: 42,195 Km

Photo by Gary Hayes on Flickr

Siena in Tuscany is an ideal place to visit: historical beauties and monuments can also be visited by planning a tuscany cycling tour. The province of Siena provides many opportunities for those seeking to tour Tuscany on a bike, and has recently announced a plan to enlarge and improve cycling paths to favor bicycle tours. Two new cycling paths are now under construction, from Buonconvento to Poggibonsi, and from Abbadia San Salvatore to Piancastagnaio.

The Percorso dell’Eroica offers an itinerary in Siena on dirt roads, safe for cycling with 90 billboards placed every 5 Km: a pleasant cycling tour in the countryside that can be completed in 2 days or up to 1 week, depending on your skills and training.

Another cycling tour is the Sentiero della Bonifica, a track going from Chiusi Scalo to Chiusi dei Monaci, approximately 65 Km, particularly indicated for those who love mountain bikes.

Tours are organized for groups and our hotels in Tuscany offer holiday packages which include cycling tours.

Tomorrow November 2^nd the 5^th edition of the Coppa Panati will take place in Scarperia in the heart of the Mugello in Florence, at the Poggio dei Medici Golf Course.

This Golf Course in Tuscany was designed by Alvise Rossi Fioravanti and the professional golf player Baldovino Dassù, and is considered on of the best golf courses in Tuscany and Italy.

There are 16 Golf Courses in Tuscany – all certified:

• 9 golf courses with 18 holes
• • Argentario Golf Club
  • Castelfalfi Golf Club
  • Cosmopolitan Golf Club
  • Le Pavoniere Golf Club
  • Montecatini Golf Club
  • Golf Club Poggio dei Medici
  • Golf Club Punta Ala
  • Golf Club Toscana
  • Golf Club dell’Ugolino
  • Versilia Golf Club
• 7 golf courses with 9 holes
• • Elba Golf Club Acquabona
  • Golf Club Casentino
  • Golf Club Fontevivo
  • Montelupo golf club
  • Golf Club Tirrenia
  • Golf Club Valdichiana
  • Golf Club Maremmello