The landscape in Tuscany changes in so many ways offering visitors the opportunity to hike in the Apennines, bath in the Tyrrhenian Sea: Welcome to Maremma.

The sandy beaches stretching from Piombino to the Argentario some reachable only by boat for a swim and sun bathing on a beach all to yourself.

The Maremma Regional Natural Park, known as the “parco dell’uccellina” offers an uncontaminated natural landscape with typical wildlife native to Tuscany – a must for those passionate about nature.

Maremma is also the internal areas of Tuscany like Sorano, Sovana, Pitigliano just to name a few of the most famous, home to the ancient Etruscans and their necropolis – a leap back in time to discover the everyday habits, customs and the culture of a refined and sophisticated people.

While visiting Maremma in Tuscany we suggest two of our fine Hotels in Tuscany:

Castello di Vicarello features four suites and one villa, equipped with modern comforts of the highest standard, valuable furnishing and objects gathered through the years creating a feeling of harmony with the surroundings. Near the Castle you can literally walk into nature of the Mediterranean woods surrounding the castle as well as doing horse riding. Two golf courses are within 1 hours drive from Castello di Vicarello and hunting is possible on request. This refined residence has been identified by Conde Nast Traveller and Travel & Leisure and one of the best new hotels in the world.

L’Andana is a 5 star luxury hotel in Maremma, at Castiglione della Pescaia, located in the heart of Tuscany. The hotel is located at the foot of hills bearing secular olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees. L’Andana is a neoclassical Villa with the sea and Elba Island in the distance providing top quality accommodation in 33 rooms, with refined decoration, and absolute tranquility. Guests enjoy traditional Tuscan cuisine,based on regional products and sea food, declined by Alain Ducasse and interpreted by his “protégé” Christophe Martin. L’Andana offers a special 2 night Tuscany Maremma Package .

While visiting Maremma, don’t miss the Photographical exhibition of Oliviero Toscani at the Cantina Petra. The exhibition will remain open throughout 2009.

Many visit Tuscany and admire the beauties of the Chianti region, as well as the art cities, but there is another face to this region a completely different view, a natural panorama so rare and unique, home to some of the most impressive marble quarries in Italy and worldwide, which spread throughout the mountains just minutes away from some of the most exclusive beaches and resorts of Tuscany in Versilia and Viareggio.

Visiting a marble quarry is a fascinating experience which brings you back in time hundreds if not thousands of years to the days of the ancient Romans, the first to identify and mine the famous White Marble of Carrara.

Today Marble Quarries are visited by thousands of curious tourists from all over the world …

If you suffer from Claustrophobia this isn’t the place for you !

Specialized companies organize tours of marble quarries – this is a photo taken from within the tunnel leading to the heart of the mountain.

Take a look at what a real marble quarry looks like …

Enormous machines and blocks of marble waiting to be taken away or for a buyer are in every corner of these huge caves …

Here is another photo with some people in the foreground – just look at the size of these caves !

Visiting a marble quarry in Tuscany is a unique experience you may not have thought about or planned for but it’s well worth your time and effort. The ride along the mountain side is exciting and the panorama is unforgettable.

2 of our fine hotels are located in this area.

• Hotel Plaza e de RussieIn its privileged position overlooking the sea, Hotel Plaza e de Russie, a 4 star hotel in Viareggio is the oldest in Viareggio. Erected in 1871, it took the name “De Russie” in memory of the Russian nobility that frequented the beaches of Versilia and lived the glories of aristocracy and of the art movements of the turn of the century. The hotel’s 50 rooms all have hardwood floors and cherry wood furniture, autonomous air conditioning, minibars, and satellite TV. The hotel’s restaurant, La Terrazza, which gets its name from the hotel’s splendid panoramic terrace, creates its delicacies, especially seafood, in a unique setting overlooking the landscape from Tino Island to the Livorno promontory, with the Apuan Alps behind you.
• Hotel BryonThe unique combination of two Liberty villas, a meeting place for nobility from the House of Savoia, the villas were subsequently converted into hotels maintaining their original refined features. Today, the villas are an elegant 5 star hotel in Forte dei Marmi hotel with 29 rooms and suites overlooking the sea or the Apuan Alps, as well as two halls for meetings and conferences that seat 10 and 60 people. The bar overlooks the garden where a large swimming pool attracts guests who don’t feel like going to the beach. Flowers and other plants are in abundance. Within the greenery of the area, guests find that calm atmosphere which is typical of large private residences, but with all the comforts of a 5-star hotel.

Tuscany is famous for Creativity and Fantasy, the land of Master Artisans second to none in the creation of unique works of art in a number of fields.

The coming week end (May 15-16-17) the 15^th editon of Mostra Mercato Artigianato e Palazzo takes place in Giardino Corsini Florence.

A selected Clique of Master Artisans will gather to display their works and give live demonstrations of their capabilities in different areas with the use of many materials – wood, glass, jewels and jewelry, just to name a few.

This is a unique occasion to visit one of the most beautiful gardens in Florence.

More information and details are available at the Artigianato e Palazzo website here (In Italian).

The Foundation for Environment Education (FEE) has recently classified and published the list of beaches awarded blue flags, in other words beaches with the cleanest waters.

According to this list Tuscany has been awarded 12 blue flags and ranks 3^rd as one of the best seaside locations with the cleanest waters.

Here is the list of blue flag beach locations in Tuscany:

• Forte dei Marmi (Lucca)
• Pietrasanta (Lucca)
• Camaiore (Lucca)
• Viareggio (Lucca)
• Marina di Pisa, Calambrone, Tirrenia (Pisa)
• Antignano, Quercianella (Livorno)
• Rosignano Marittimo-Castiglioncello, Vada (Livorno)
• Cecina (Livorno)
• Bibbona – Marina di Bibbona (Livorno)
• Castagneto Carducci (Livorno)
• San Vincenzo (Livorno)
• Piombino – Riotorto – Parco naturale della Sterpaia (Livorno)
• Follonica (Grosseto)
• Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto)
• Marina di Grosseto – Principina a mare (Grosseto)
• Monte Argentario (Grosseto)

Hotels of the Hotel Relais Consortium offer selected luxury hotels in Tuscany, many of which are very close to the sea and these popular beach areas

The 5^th editon of the Fenice Festival – International Nine Arts Festival is scheduled to take place in just a few days here in Tuscany, and is hosted by the charming town of Poggibonsi, which is very close to exclusive locations such as Monteriggioni, San Gimognano, and Certaldo.

The Fenice Festival has reached it’s 5^th edition starting on April 29^th and ending on May 3^rd and this year will feature re-makings of well known fairy tales: numerous theatrical events and ballets, poetry, comic strips, and other forms of art, attracting international artists to Tuscany. This edition of the festival will be dedicated to the tradition of fairytales; a theme re-modernised and re-visited by the contemporary artists

The Fenice Festival will feature film projections, and encounters with the artists.

A complete program – information and tickets can be found here.

A wedding photo taken in Tuscany by Wedding Photos

Weddings in Italy are very popular. In the mind of those who dream of a romance, Italy is certainly one of the most sought after wedding destinations on the world, and getting married in Tuscany is a top priority for many couples.

We thought we’d provide some pointers to some featured locations in Tuscany (thanks to Tuscan Wedding Planner for the consulting service)

• Villa San Paolo
  Villa San Paolo is a 4 star hotel providing exclusive and personalized hospitality, in the San Gimignano hills with swimming pool and San Gimignano’s skyline as background
• Relais della Rovere
  Of renaissance origin, by Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere from the ancient Benedictine Abbey built in the XI century. A decorative two-story building in a beautiful position facing the panoramic view of Colle Bassa and Colle Alta
• Hotel Byron
  Located in the exclusive Forte dei Marmi, Hotel Byron is a 5 star Luxury hotel with 29 rooms and services overlooking the sea or the Apuan Alps

Related articles by Zemanta

• Lucca Journal: A Walled City in Tuscany Clings to Its Ancient Menu (nytimes.com)

FAI Spring Days are upcoming on the last week end of March 28^th and 29^th just a few days form now.

FAI is a non-profit trust with the purpose to protect and preserve Italian artistic and environmental heritage. FAI spring days are the chance to visit monuments and museums normally not accessible to the general public, a great opportunity for those visiting Italy and Tuscany to see famous inaccessible places such as:

• Convento di Santa Maria Novella (Florence)
• Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa maria Novella (Florence)
• Giardino di Villa Mazzarosa (Lucca)
• Villa Medicea di Coltano (Pisa)
• Palazzo Chigi alla Postiera (Siena)

The complete list of locations open on FAI Spring Days is available online at the FAI website.

If you are in Tuscany this time of year and enjoy spirits, you should definitely visit “Gocce di Grappa” an event taking place in Colle val D’Elsa near Siena in Tuscany.

Gocce di Grappa takes place tomorrow Saturday March 7, and Sunday starting at 3 PM and will remain open to the public until 11:00 PM

Further information is available (in Italian) at:

http://www.terrediarnolfo.it/grappa/gocce.html

More information on Colle Val d’Elsa here.

Nativity sparks creativity and inspires some of the best talents in Tuscany.

Visiting Tuscany for Christmas is the occasion to visit places putting on display original and creative presepi – here are other locations with unique nativity scenes:

• Cigoli, San Minato (Pisa), an 80 square meter presepe visitors walk through reaching the cave of the nativity scene.
  Open during festivities from 9:00 to 20:30 – info +39.0571.49442
• Manarola, cinque terre, located between Tuscany and Liguria, is home to a unique ecological presepe powered by solar energy – 300 characters using 15.000 lights: a project developed by a retired railroad worker.
• Borro di San Giuliano Valdarno – a mechanical representation of nativity built by Don Pasquale Mencattini in the 1940s
• Rampolano Terme, close to Siena, home to the Museo Nazionale del Presepe in Santa Maria Assunta, a church in the town center: every year a group of people called “friends of the presepio” choose a different location to set it up
  info: +39.0577 723213
• Bientina, in the province of Pisa, hosts the electronic multimedia presepe attracting large crowds. Free entrance from 16:00 to 19:30 – remains open until January 11^th 2009
• Other places in Tuscany featuring presepi and nativity events:
  • Bettolle, città dei Presepi
  • Veragio, nativity amongst chestnut trees
  • Palazzuolo sul Senio, Mugello
  • Santa Brigida near Pontassieve where a live representation takes place with 50 people in costume re-enacting nativity

The tradition of presepi is present throughout Italy and Tuscany. In my last post I suggested you visit Bettolle the town of Presepi. For those interested in the art and creations related to the nativity, Natale nel mondo is another event taking place these days in San Giovanni Valdarno.

You can read up on the event on their website.

Visitors hours:

• Week days: 16:00 – 19:00
• Holidays: 10:00 13:00 16:00 – 19:00