Umbria, the unknown beauty

Dear friends,

Today we are going to talk about Umbria, an extremely beautiful region bordering Tuscany.

Umbria is a much more affordable and very interesting region for all those who already know Tuscany or have enough time to explore both regions during their holiday.

Umbria, as its name suggests, "Ombra", that is, �Shadow" is an extremely mountainous region.

Its mountains and rivers (perfect for rafting) are beautiful as are the gentle rolling hills. Among its beauties, Umbria also has one of the biggest lakes in Italy, Lake Trasimeno, where there are some islands that can be visited by boat. This is a real nature spot for admiring the flora and fauna and eating outdoors 

For those who don�t have much time to visit this beautiful region I want to recommend some important spots that, from my point of view, are the best of the region:

1- The first spot to visit  is no doubt Lake Trasimeno, about which we have already talked in previous posts.

If you want to eat in the area you should go to Fischio del Merlo (Passignano sul Trasimeno) where you can enjoy excellent dishes of seafood and freshwater fish for approx 35-40 euros.

2- The second place to explore is the incredible Assisi, religious capital of the region and Italy as a whole,  Assisi is a must  for its architectural beauty and for the mystical air that it emanates. A visit to the cloisters in the forest where Saint Francis used to pray makes for an interesting outing.

3- Montefalco and Bevagna. Montefalco for its wines and Bevagna for the beauty of its architecture, for its Roman theatre and its churches. These two little towns are certainly some of the most beautiful in Umbria. From Montefalco particulary visitors are blessed with excellent views of the area, the hills and the mountains.

For gastronomy lovers "La Vecchia Cucina" lies in the little village of Colle Secco (10 min from Montefalco). It is, (in my humble opinion!), the best restaurant in terms of quality and price.
This family-run restaurant serves a real variety from typical Umbrian dishes: pasta, farm chicken and first class sausages! It also has excellent beer.

4 - Spoleto. Entering this beautiful region one arrives in Spoleto, a beautiful place with a ravishing cathedral.

 famous worldwide for its beauty. A trip to the fortress and the bridge from where excellent vistas of the whole valley can be seen are recommended too.

5 - Orvieto. It is one of the most beautiful Etruscan towns in Umbria and one of the best kept. Orvieto enjoys an interesting historical centre, and another magnificent cathedral that resembles the famous cathedral of Siena.

Best regards, 

One Day in Arezzo

Dear friends,

Today I want to talk about one of the less frequently visited towns in Tuscany, in spite of having a rich and interesting history and an ancient heart of town , full of interesting monuments and art work that the noble people throughout Italian history have left to this little town of the centre of Italy.
Reaching Arezzo is simple. You could easily park in the train station that has a relatively large parking and then go on foot to the historic centre and to the main street in town.
Arezzo, from my point of view, has many interests that a one-morning-visit can take in and cannot miss in Arezzo:

1- Chiesa di San Domenico:
This church is in the �high part� of town, that is, in the furthest point from the parking area. For that reason you should start your itinerary here. The typical Romanesque church was founded in 1275 and preserves an important crucifix by Cimabue. This is an important piece of art for Cimabue was one of the first medieval artists that provided forms with movement.

2- Casa Vasari
The second place of interest is Casa del Vasari. Vasari, who was an artist, architect and biography writer on Italian artists of the 16th century, lived in Arezzo during the period of maximum splendor of Tuscany. Casa del Vasari, full of symbols of the zodiac and tarot, is, no doubt, one of the most interesting places to visit in beautiful Arezzo.

3- Basilica di San Francesco
This church that is very close to Casa del Vasari displays important pictures by Piero della Francesca, master of perspective of Italian painting of the 1500s.

4- Piazza Grande
Visiting Arezzo can finish in Piazza Grande, aka Piazza Vasari. The piazza is surely one of the hallmarks in town. In this square probably was the Roman forum. On the west side of the church is Pieve di Santa Maria, a ravishing building that was given three different styles: Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance.

On the north side of the piazza is the Palacio delle Logge, designed by Vasari in 1573. On the piazza you will be able to eat in an excellent restaurant called �le Logge del Vasari�. On the south side of the square there are several houses that belonged to the wealthy families in town (for instance Palace Cofani or Brizzolari).
In the middle of the square there is a ravishing fountain of the 1500s that has been shot many times, such as in famed "Life is Beautiful", the 1996 award-winning film starred by Roberto Benigni.

In ravishing Piazza de Arezzo, there is an important medieval celebration held yearly in which each neighborhood competes against the others. It is the famed Giostra del Saracino which you will be able to see in the pictures.
As I always have, I hope this information is useful to you.
Best regards,
Giovanni

Pictures of Umbria

Dear Friend,

I want to publish today some picture of Umbria, a very beautiful region that border to Tuscany.

Enjoy:






More information on Umbria here: Umbria Travel Guide

Off-the-beaten spots of Siena

Dear friends,
Today I would like to talk about some spot which, from my point of view, have special magic and which should never be missed in a trip to Siena if it is longer than a day. In a previous post I have talked about the main places in town and what should be seen in a visit to Siena in a day. But today I would like to complete the information with the most beautiful spots which are missed in a brief visit.

The first magical spot is the view of the town from Piazza San Domenico.
Depending on the point of access to town which you choose you may miss one of the most picture postcard sights. In fact, from the square, it is possible to enjoy a unique panorama taking in the cathedral of Siena which is, no doubt, one of the most impressive works in town and one of the artistic and architectural world heritage samples.
The second magical spot of town is Porta Romana.
This city gate is probably the prettiest and best preserved. It is located to the south, therefore it was named after its direction, the capital of the Roman Empire (Rome).
This gate is really interesting to visit because it keeps the two gates that people had to go through to get to town. In the Middle Ages, for the sake of security, the town was protected by a main gate which opened towards a courtyard where visitors could be seen from closer and a second gate to enter town.
Next to this gate is a very pretty building which once was a mental hospital, and is nowadays part of the University of Siena.
The way to get from the center of town to the gate will take you along very pretty off-the- beaten lanes.
The third magical spot in Siena is the Basilica dell Osservanza.
To get to the Bas�lica it is necessary to go by car or bus. The Bas�lica lies in the outskirts of town and is an ancient Franciscan convent. The church itself has nothing special to view but if the cloister is open you should explore this spot giving lovely peace and quiet. This cloister is particularly pretty because of the environs in which it is in and the fantastic views of Siena.
As I always have, I hope this information is useful.
Best regards,

G.

Discovering the corners of Montepulciano

Montepulciano is one of the most enchanting towns of Tuscany. It lies to the south of the region between the agricultural region of Valdichiana and the ravishing and wilder Valdorcia (Unesco World Heritage). The town was built on the highest point of a 500-metre hill and enjoys spectacular sights that take in Umbria and Lake Trasimeno. Montepulciano�s style is typically medieval with dramatic walls surrounding the town and historical buildings, mainly medieval, but also of Renaissance architecture turning this spot into one of the best preserved jewels of the artistic heritage of Tuscany.

As it is a medieval town, Montepulciano has no easy access. Therefore, from the parking area located outside the walls, the visitor has to go up along the little medieval lanes of town to get to the pretty cathedral and its "Plaza Grande"(main square).

It is important to take into account that the ascent to the highest point of town though tiring it may be, it is filled with beautiful corners and seducing historic palaces abounding in charm, such as for example the famous Caffe Poliziano very frequently visited in by the celebrated Italian director Federico Fellini in his time. Another charming spot found while going up towards the cathedral is the celebrated Piazza San Francesco, from whose vantage point it is possible to relish the ravishing Valdorcia (World Heritage by Unesco).

Around the Piazza San Francesco you should stop at the Caff� "Lucevan le Stelle" which serves an interesting selection of local wines in an atmosphere of jazz offering live performances throughout the summer.

The ascent towards the beautiful square of the cathedral will also provide travellers with many spots with lovely views to the right of the enchanting Valdichiana and Lake Trasimeno, to finish in the Redi cellars which are an obligatory stop for wine and art lovers. The cellars are impressive and very well preserved in a charming medieval palace. They are a one-of-a-kind free-of-charge outing which cannot be missed in a visit to Montepulciano.

The ascent ends in the pretty Piazza Grande where the marvellous cathedral is.

Here is a web offering an interesting guide to Montepulciano and a video of some scenes of the famed Twilight, whose sequel was filmed in Montepulciano last summer.

Airports of Tuscany

Dear friends,

Today lets talk about the three most suitable airports for those travelling to Tuscany:

Airport of Pisa


It is the main airport in Tuscany. Most airlines travel from Pisa but most importantly it is where Ryan Air lands with its Low Cost flights connecting Tuscany with most European main town.

This airport only operates mainland European towns and many destinations from UK and Ireland.

The airport of Pisa is recommendable for those travelling to the north and coastal Tuscany and, in particular, the provinces of Pisa, Florence, Lucca, Prato and Massa Carrara.

There are excellent connections from this airport by bus to Siena and by train and bus to Florence. Another advantage of Pisa�s airport is its railway station inside the airport.

Airport of Florence

Florence only operates from Europe.

The airport of the capital of Tuscany is an authentic example of how a bad policy and Meridiana (that is, Alitalia) have negatively interfered in Italian business so much. Consequently, the third most visited town of Italy and one of the most beautiful and famed towns worldwide has a low level airport.

This airport monopolized by Meridiana offers expensive flights by the old Meridiana�s planes that tend to be delayed. Besides, as always the town of Florencia has never had the ambition to improve or change the runway there are just some kinds of planes that manage to land in this very short runway located between the A1 and the mountains.

For those reasons I do not recommend this airport.

Airport of Siena

It operates mainland towns as well as London.
The airport of Siena is ideal for those who afford their own light aircraft, as there are no regular flights to this airport.

Alternative airports: Bologna, Perugia and Rome

Airport of Bologna

This is the chance for travellers from New Yorkers as this airport operates New York. The airport of Bologna can be an alternative to the airport of Pisa for those travelling to Florence and not finding flights available to get to the capital or simply prefer this option. The airport of Bologna is a moderately large airport having several flights from different points of the European mainland town and London..

Airport of Perugia

The airport of Perugia which is in currently and steadily growing offers flights from European mainland towns and London for the time being. From Spain travellers can fly from Girona (Barcelona) three times a week, only from March to October. The airport of Perugia is ideal for those who wish to know the region of Umbria (also very pretty) and for the travellers who journey to the south of Tuscany in particular those who have planned to travel to the provinces of Siena y Arezzo.

Airport of Rome

This is the only airport operating intercontinental flights. Therefore for those who come from America, Australia, Africa or Asia it is the only chance with Milan Airport to get to Italy and from there journey to Tuscany.

This airport has to be taken in as an alternative to Pisa for those who travel to the south of Tuscany, in particular to the provinces of Siena, Arezzo and Grosseto and travel from Europe.

Depending on the provinces to which you are travelling the airport of Rome can be equidistant for those travelling to the airport of Pisa, although it is in the region of Lazio.

RyanAir flies from Roma Ciampino and many others companies fly from Fiumicino. Both airports are very well communicated with the center of Rome and its railway station.


As I always have, I hope this information is useful in preparing your trip around Tuscany,

Best regards
G

Pictures of Tuscany in Winter

Dear Friends

Here some pictures of Tuscany during winter times I have taken few days ago:

I took this occasion to wish you all a Happy new Year!

Best regards

G.