Tuscany things to do | PlanningaTour.com

Events and last minute in Viareggio, city coast in Tuscany

It’s a Carnival time!
The Carnival Foundation in Viareggio has spent millions to construct the Cittadella where creative men and women spend all their time constructing the second largest papier maché carnival in the world.
It is a modern miracle this carnival, and sure shakes the doldrums out of January through March for hundreds of thousands of fans who travel to the coast at Vaireggio yo enjoy these building size works of art every sunday and fat thuesday too.
All over Lucca, streets are brighter for the coloured “coriandolli” strewn everywhere and the children in their costumes. But here’s some great inside information. If you can be up and in the central piazza at the Cittadella every sunday morning you can watch the floats exit their hangers for free.
For the parade, spring for the euro 15,00 adult rate, kids under 11 are always free, and preteen to 13 are 10,00 euro because the carnival without the noise, music, lights and animated floats is just not to be missed.
Carnival at Viareggio is every sunday from january 31 (begins at 3.00 pm) through february 12 and february 16 pm for fat tuesday.
I suggest some of the most important hotels for your stay in Viareggio:

Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte
Hotel Astor
Hotel Plaza E De Russie
Hotel President
Palace Hotel

Official web-site: www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com

Be there or be square!

Battle of the Bridge in Pisa – Gioco del Ponte

Its origins may be lost in the mists of time, but this summer pageant with a cast of thousands is still the most important annual event in Pisa.
Armies representing the Mezzogiorno (south of the River Arno) and Tramontana (north of the river) neighbourhoods of the city meet at the Ponte di Mezzo, where the opposing teams demonstrate their physical strength and prowess.
No longer do they bludgeon each other with maces and pointed shields (as they did in days of yore), but instead they take turns to push an immense cart weighing several tons, and they are judged by the force of their efforts. Before the “battle” there is a grand procession along the banks of the Arno with hundreds of participants wearing medieval costume, many of them in the Spanish style of the late 16th-century. Approximately 100,000 turn out for the event each year.

Florence things to do – Florence monuments

Cathedral, Baptistry and Campanile
The Cathedral complex, called Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, includes Baptistry and Giotto’s Campanile, began in 1296 designed of Arnolfo di Cambio (Gothic style) and completed with the dome of Filippo Brunelleschi. Today the three buildings are part of UNESCO and are a major actraction tourists visiting Tuscany region.

The Uffizi
The palace is one the oldest and most famous art museums of the world. The Uffizi was begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 at the request of Cosimo I De medici. It was completed in 1581 with intervention of Giorgio Vasari, Alfonso Parigi and Bernardo Buontalenti.
The museum contains works of artists Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raffaello, Rembrandt etc..

Boboli gardens and Pitti Palace
The Boboli Garden iso ne of the most elegant and largest italian gardens through several stages of resctructuring work and anlargement carried out at different time. The initial plan was drawn by Niccolò Tribolo, the work was completed by other architects including Vasari, Ammannati and Buontalenti.
Palazzo Pitti, probably designed by Brunelleschi in 1457, is the most imposing palaces in Firenze. The only decorative elements, on its almost severe facade, are the two crowned heads of lions.
The palace houses now is the Palatine Gallery, the Museum of Silveware and Moderh Art Gallery is the second museum in the city and contains many works of artists like Raphael, Filippo Lippi, Tizian, Caravaggio, Rubens and others.

Viareggio Carnival, let’s go!

Are you ready? This February, like every year, Viareggio is ready to give you his best welcome thanks to one of the most popular carnival of the world! Viareggio Carnival.

Every year for 133 years, this has been a main draw for locals and tourists alike. It is a three week festival that is a gala time for partying n February. The streets are filled with floats during the time and parades are held about 5 times over the period. Masked people and bands play throughout. The tradition started in 1873, and was originally a tax protest by citizens, but then what really happened, but to turn it into a festival later.

Cave of Wind – Grotta del Vento

It is close by the town and promoted in all the literature to go there. It is a cave, like many others. Open mostly during the peak tour season. It is called Cave of the Winds because of two entrances that allow the wind to come through and make howling wind noise. The caves ere formed after millions of years of siltation in the Tyreann SEa, and then 20 million years ago the ground rose up and the openings resulted from water erosion.
The entrance is about 1900 feet above sea level height. The cave was discovered in the 17th century, but exploration did not occur until late 1800’s. There is around 2 miles of caves that can be walked. The cost is 5 Euro one hour and 10 Euro for two hours.