Category: About Tuscany

Much more than the home of Florence or of rolling countryside, Tuscany is also the home of some of Italy’s most beautiful, and fascinating, towns. Whether you’re considering a day trip from Florence, or just hoping to make your base in Italy somewhere off the beaten path, here’s a list of Tuscany’s top ten towns.

Lucca – In a word, Lucca, located just an hour’s drive west from Florence, is lovely. Graced with medieval streets and a ring of Renaissance-era fortification walls — today, a bike and walking path — Lucca’s architecture is some of the most exquisite in Tuscany. If you think Florence’s Duomo is elaborate, just wait till you see Lucca’s Duomo or its Church of San Michele in Foro, which look like they were created out of icing! Don’t miss the Piazza Anfiteatro, a ring of medieval buildings on the site of an ancient Roman amphitheatre (some of it still remaining). Here, too, is where the composer Giacomo Puccini was born.

Ivrea, a town in northwestern Italy is most famous for its traditional carnival celebration. The core of the Carnevale di Ivrea is the famous Battle of the Oranges where thousands of citizens are divided into nine teams who them violently pelt each other with oranges. These orange battles occur on the traditional carnival days of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Held every year in late February, the celebration revolves around a 12th century legend of a miller’s daughter who refused the local duke’s “right” to spend a night with each newlywed woman in his domain and instead chipped off his head. This refusal lead the commoners in the town revolting against their rulers, they then stormed and burned the palace. Each year a young girl is elected “Mugnaia” and plays the role of Violetta, the miller’s daughter who still today, honored as a local symbol of freedom.

Today’s Carnevale di Ivrea took its roots during the time Napoleon ruled the region. Until this time, each district in the city celebrated its own carnival separately; but it was changed to combine all of them into a single city-wide party, and when the area returned to Italian rule, it continued as one large celebration. The Battle of the Oranges symbolizes the towns’ liberation from its rulers and the teams of Aranceri (orange handlers) are either representing the commoners or the duke’s allies during the three-day citrus conflict. The duke’s allies take their positions on their horse drawn carriages and battle against the nine opposing Aranceri teams who are on foot. The teams in the carriages are geared up with humongous helmets along with other protective gear; the citizen teams wear their traditional costumes along with some protective gear minus those silly helmets. The use of oranges during the festival is a relative new addition; particularly since oranges are not grown in the area and over half a million pounds of oranges have to be shipping in from Sicily. Previous festivals had used apples and beans until sometime in the early 20th century when the last switch was made.

Sadly spectators can only watch. If you are looking to get into the mix you will have to plan ahead and sign up to join one of the nine teams. Anyone who wants to take have fun but not get pelted with oranges should rock a red hat, this marks you as a spectator instead of a target. At the end of the Carnevale di Ivrea, a ceremony is held in front of town hall to announce the winners of the orange battle that is then followed by an awesome bonfire. So make sure you pack some citrus friendly clothing, be prepared to party for three days and make your way to Ivrea.

Livorno’s Pallio dell’Antenna is an ancient race held since medieval times. This July race consists of four rowing boats battling it out for the prize. The race culminates with one member of each team climbing on the antenna, a stake driven in the water 10 meters high, to win the Palio, which is the classic “purple cloth.” 

With a distance of 600 meters the race lasts for a duration of 6 minutes.

To qualify for the Palio dell’Antenna, the vessels, which represent Livorno’s quarters, compete against each other in a pre-palio race called Palio della Terrazza Ma scagni. The first four boats must then row clockwise within a designated area of the sea before heading for the pole.

Prior to the race there is a historic costume parade with seventeenth-century clothing. The parade starts at the heart of the city culminating at all’Andana of the Rings.

No Bulls – Just Barrels

Each Italian festival has its own particular charm, but if you are looking for a curious and original event, then I suggest the exhilarating spectacle offered by the “Bravio delle Botti”, an annual event that always takes place in Montepulciano on the last Sunday of August.

The wonderful and scenic medieval city of Montepulciano located south of Siena and boasting spectacular panoramas, becomes the special setting for this amazing exhibition.  The “Bravio delle Botti” is an exciting race between the 8 “contrade” (districts) of the town that seek to win the “Bravio”, the painted cloth banner depicting the city’s patron saint. The winners receive the “bravio” at the end of the race.

The competition is very challenging and will literally take your breath away; the contestants for each contrada push huge and heavy “botti” (wooden wine barrels) for about a kilometer uphill along the narrow streets of Montepulciano’s historical center. Each barrel is pushed by two strong “spingitori” or pushers up to the finish line that is right in front of the beautiful Duomo inPiazza Grande.

“Il Bravio delle Botti” is steeped with the town’s traditions, its origins going back to the 14th century when the race was actually run on horseback! Only in more recent times the race has been transformed in a competition with barrels. Indeed, since Montepulciano is famous worldwide for its fine red wine “Nobile di Montepulciano”, the idea came about of using wine barrels for the districts to compete against each other.

Il Bravio delle Botti can be a perfect excuse (if one was needed!) to visit one of the most beautiful art cities of Tuscany and enjoy local traditional dishes and the superb wine of Montepulciano while enjoying a special event for the locals.

On this occasion, the city itself is even more beautiful, totally adorned with flags and decorations displaying the various contrada colours. The day of the race starts early, with a series of suggestive and fascinating ceremonies and events taking place.

The costume parade which winds along the streets of the historical center is a real delight! Knights, noblemen and noble ladies, all in their spectacular costumes, will take you back in time to enjoy the magical and suspended atmosphere of the Middle Ages – truly a unique experienceto enjoy in Tuscany.

 

Italy is roughly the size of the state of Arizona, yet within this small nation lie a large number of varied and interesting regions. Travelers often seek to visit at least several areas of Italy within the same trip. Here are some tips about transportation that might be helpful for those planning a trip to this glorious country.

Good Maps – Detailed walking maps are an essential item for visitors to Italy.  I like Eyewitness or Streetwise maps.   Many Italian cities are very old. Streets may not have an easily discernable pattern. They may meander. Streets may not have street signs or street signs may be very hard to spot. It is rather easy to get lost in cities where small alleyways are the norm in much of the city. While getting lost is often part of the fun and may even lead to unexpected discoveries, travelers will want to find the way back to their lodging eventually. If you are planning to drive in Italy, a good road map is also essential.   Buy an up to date map for every region and city that you are planning to visit. My personal recommendation is to use a GPS programmed for Europe.  If you do not want to bring your own they are available for rent.  I, personally, never drive in Europe without bringing our my own trusty Garmin, aptly named Goddess.  There are also some GPS models programmed for walking.

Bus Travel – Public bus travel allows the visitor a close-up view of an area. Major Italian cities like Rome are well served by a network of buses. Buses are also a very economical form of travel, with costs per trip typically under 5 euros per person. Bus travel is also ideal for exploring regions such as the Amalfi Coast, where the roads are very narrow and wind along high mountain passages. Many travelers find it dangerous to drive a car on these roads and sightsee at the same time. Buses travel fairly frequently between Amalfi towns.

Car Travel – Some Italian regions are not well served by public transportation, for example, Tuscany. Car travel can allow the visitor to see many more small villages and eliminate reliance on bus and train schedules. Car rental in Italy is available to those with an American driving license. Cars rentals are available at airports and larger towns.  The trusty cab is always a good solution to get around in small towns if you do not want to walk.  Of course, there are cars for hire, but you will pay a high price for that luxury.

Rail – Italy has an extensive network of high-speed trains that travel between major Italian cities such as Rome and Venice. Rail service is generally easy to use even for the American traveler confronting it for the first time. There are many signs in English in Italian rail stations. A ticket may be purchased in advance with an automatic ticket machine. Train service is usually divided into first and second classes. First-class service offers plusher seats and more legroom. Second-class service is pleasant with seating comparable to Amtrak. Trains have toilets. Snacks and light meals are usually available for purchase on board.

 

All in all, there are many options for getting around Italy!  Go for it!