Florence & Tuscany

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Florence & Tuscany

Why Go? Florence...... 475 Laden with grand-slam sights and experiences, Tuscany Pisa...... 508 (Toscana in Italian) offers the perfect introduction to Italy’s famed dolce vita. It truly does have it all: extraordinary art Lucca...... 515 and architecture, magnificent landscapes, vibrant festivals Pietrasanta...... 520 and a seasonally driven cuisine that is emulated the world Livorno...... 521 over. There are few places in the world where food, fashion, Isola d’Elba...... 524 art and nature intermingle so effortlessly and to such mag- Siena...... 527 nificent effect. This part of Italy has been value-adding since Etruscan Chianti...... 538 times, so there’s plenty to see and do. You can explore a Val d’Elsa...... 544 World Heritage site in the morning, visit a vineyard in the Val d’Orcia ...... 551 afternoon and bunk down in a palatial villa or atmospheric Massa Marittima...... 556 agriturismo at night. Renaissance paintings and Gothic ca- thedrals? Check. Spectacular trekking and sensational Slow Città del Tufa...... 557 Food? Yep. Hills laden with vines and ancient olive groves? Arezzo...... 559 More than you can possibly imagine. Sansepolcro...... 562 Cortona...... 564

When to Go Best Places to Eat Florence ¨¨Il Santo Bevitore (p501) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 30/86 8/200 ¨¨iO Osteria Personale (p501) 20/68 6/150 ¨¨Filippo (p521) ¨¨Enoteca I Terzi (p535) 10/50 4/100

0/32 2/50

-10/14 0 Best Places to J F DNOSAJJMAM Stay ¨¨Antica Torre di Via de’ May–Jun Wild- Jul Not as mad- Sep–Nov Grapes Tornabuoni 1 (p495) flower-adorned busy as August and olives are landscapes beg (avoid) and there harvested, and ¨¨Academy Hostel (p495) outdoor action, be are plenty of forests yield truf- ¨¨Villa Sassolini (p543) it walking, cycling music festivals. fles and porcini or horse riding. mushrooms. ¨¨La Bandita (p553) Florence & Tuscany F lorence 473

- (www. (www. Toscana

in Siena

Turismo

di

TASTE cuisine is justly Tuscan on deli- Nosh famous. white including cacies San Mini- from truffles (best beef Chianina ato, in a bisteccasampled alla fiorentina cing), hiale wild boar), (local mushrooms porcini ricciarelliand chewy (almond biscuits). SENSATIONS Terre Turismo Tuscany’s key music key Tuscany’s Firenze www.arttrav.com www.freyasflorence. http://tuscantraveler.com tickets/ Book Pisa’s for tickets Buy ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ firenzeturismo.it) ¨ terresiena.it) ¨ (www.turismo.intoscana.it) Florence’s Galleria degli Uffizi Uffizi degli Galleria Florence’s dell’Accademia Galleria and days 20 and 12 between visit. your before ¨ MaggioMusicale – festivals (April Florence in Fiorentino SettimanaMusicale June) to Estateand Senese(July) Siena in ChigianaMusicale require – August) and (July purchase. advanceticket Resources ¨ Blogs to Excite ¨ ¨ com/blog ¨ Advance Planning ¨ accommodationSiena’s for advance! in year one Palio ¨ and Tower Leaning , - - - - Val San save the the save . , , Florence Fie Volt Pisa (crunchy, (crunchy, or or Siena Lucca , , and a final by train. by Pisa for one night, pop pop night, one for or through the or through are easily accessed accessed easily are cantuccini Siena Pietrasanta Lucca Arezzo will reap manifold rewards; rewards; manifold will reap Chianti for three nights: spend nights: three for and , two in two , are easily achieved. easily are wine region for two days. End End days. two for region wine Pisa , , , move on to to on move , San Gimignano Florence Arezzo , relax in the tranquil setting of the Orto de’ de’ Orto the of setting tranquil the in relax , Chianti Florence diVal Chiana or and Lucca to visit the Piazza dei Miracoli the next morn next the Miracoli dei Piazza the visit to and Siena Florence Siena or to the the to or , , lesser- these of choice your in nights two Spend . Pisa Gimignano your trip with two nights in gloriously Gothic Gothic gloriously in nights two with trip your ing, and then make your way to to way your make then and ing, by bus, and bus, by d’Orcia if using public transport, day trips to to trips day if using public transport, Elba This option caters to most interests. After spending three three spending After interests. most to caters option This in days 10 days Three days in days Three One week ITINERARIES Four days in yourself Base erra sole into into couple of days exploring the countryside will give you you will give the countryside exploring days of couple a have If you charms. Tuscany’s of a true appreciation around drive two-day a car, known but alluring towns before heading to a beach on on beach a to heading before towns alluring but known one day visiting the Uffizi Gallery, another wandering wandering another Gallery, the Uffizi visiting one day and San Novella Maria Santa Marco, San the through the crossing and the third neighbourhoods, Lorenzo Ol- neighbourhood of the artisan’s explore Arno to the city. outside explore last day, your On trarno. Vino Nobile (p554) in Montepulciano in (p554) Nobile Vino accompanied(p538) by Santo Vin Vernaccia (p546) in San GimignanoSan (p546) in Vernaccia Montalcino in Brunello(p551) (p538)guessed it in...you Chianti ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ almond-studdedbiscuits) ¨ ¨ ¨ Top Top Five Wine Tastings (p509). In In (p509). (p527) Pecci or head to (p533), the Pinacoteca oft-ignored art. Sienese of collection outstanding its with the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (p486), Museo (p486), Marini Marino the Medici-Riccardi Palazzo In (p481). Orsanmichele di Museo and (p485) Leaning Tower River for Arno sunset, the after along the meandering coachloads day have the de spend and parted, Though Though many of Tuscany’s monuments and even crowded it year-round, in destinations is top-drawer towns are still possible to follow a less-trodden road. In art such museums enjoy in as extraordinary lesser-known Off the Beaten Track