travel

THINGS TO DO

Spotlight on Pistoia

  Pistoia‘s nomination as Italian Capital of Culture for 2017 has led to thoughts that are instantly connected to images in my head.       Pistoia has quite suddenly ...

THINGS TO DO

The Giaredo straits: pools for pixies

Dazzlingly crystalline waters that yearn to be plunged into, the Giaredo straits beckon like a playful pixie as the barometer rises.     Located between Pontremoli and Zeri, these spectacular ...

THINGS TO DO

What to do in Tuscany in May 2016

Pack your bags: this month, numerous food festivals, wine affairs and cultural events are adding color to Tuscan spring. May brings ample opportunities for overnight and day trips from Florence, ...

THINGS TO DO

Tuscan Fitness retreats and health holidays

Tuscan Fitness offers revitalising yoga retreats and health holidays in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. Combining yoga, fitness training and hiking as well as delicious yet nutritious food, these ...

THINGS TO DO

That’s Prato: the path from fashion to wine

The exciting and enlightening series of free guided tours around the Prato area is back again this spring and summer. It marks the continued success of the initiative born out ...

THINGS TO DO

Three free archaeological tours in Tuscany

Did you know that an opportunity to explore the world of the Etruscan warrior princes who dominated Tuscany 3,000 years ago is within a drive of Florence? All part of ...

THINGS TO DO

9 things to do in the province of Pistoia

There’s a vast part of Tuscany that remains off most tourists’ radars, despite its vast green spaces, profound culture, mountains and thermal baths. The Valdinievole refers to 11 comuni in ...

NEWS

Chianti celebrates

The Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico is marking 300 years of winemaking tradition in the famous Chianti territory.

NEWS

Seravezza Fotografia 2016

Now in its 13th year, the annual photography showcase Seravezza Fotografia returns to Seravezza (Lucca) this week.      Running from February 6 to May 1, the festival includes a ...

NEWS

Pistoia named 2017 Capital of Italian Culture

Pistoia is gearing up for great things in 2017.   The city was named Capital of Italian Culture for 2017, as announced recently by the minister of cultural heritage, Dario Franceschini. The ministry will allocate one million euro for a set of projects that Pistoia presented in its application for

NEWS

A new guide for Pontassieve

Covering topics as diverse as food, architecture and the possible meeting place of Dante and Beatrice, Pontassieve da Scoprire (Discover Pontassieve) is a new guide to the town, past and present. The guide contains some of the area’s most significant historical stories and legends, such as the meeting

NEWS

Prato sisters launch crowdfunding for new textile studio

Two sisters, Tessa and Arianna Moroder, both in their thirties, have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds needed to purchase equipment for their new textile design workshop in Prato’s ...

NEWS

Pistoia Zoo welcomes newborn zebra

The Pistoia Zoo closed out 2015 on a celebratory note with the birth of a female zebra. In celebrating the birth, on December 30, the zoo called on visitors and friends to choose her name via its Facebook page. Besting the other two top contenders, Striscia (Stripe) and Zoe, the

NEWS

2015 a record-breaking year for Tuscan wine exports

Data from a recent Confagricultura Toscana report indicates that 2015 was a red-letter year for Tuscan wine exports, with a record turnover of 588 million euro, a 10.5 percent increase from 2014.   Confagricoltura Toscana’s representative for the wine sector, Francesco Colpizzi, commented, ‘these numbers

NEWS

Italian Ministry of Arts announces three-year investment plan

The Italian Ministry of Arts opened 2016 by announcing a three-year plan to invest 300 million euro in culture. Among those funds, 20 million euro has been allocated to support improvements and urgent restoration of several monuments throughout Tuscany.   Minister of cultural heritage, Dario Franceschini, explained that the

NEWS

Crossroads at Palazzo Blu

Teaming up with Tuscan English Academy, Pisa’s Palazzo Blu is launching Crossroads, a free series of lectures in English.   The program, which is designed to serve the international community and English-language learners, will be held monthly on Thursday evenings at 6pm in the Palazzo Blu Auditorium.

NEWS

New local transportation oversight in Tuscany

President of the Tuscan Region, Enrico Rossi, recently announced that Autolinee Toscana Spa has tentatively been selected to oversee local transportation in Tuscany.   The assignment is provisional: Tuscany’s regional traffic assessor Vincenzo Ceccarelli noted that finalising selection of the overseer, which typically maintains the role for 11

NEWS

San Gimignano’s Campatelli tower and house to reopen

  After five years and a nearly two million euro restoration, San Gimignano’s twelfth-century Campatelli tower and house will reopen to the public on April 15.   One of the ...

FOOD + WINE

2016 Michelin starred restaurants in Tuscany

Italian cuisine has long since been a favourite, but in recent years chefs in Tuscany have been scaling the heights of culinary excellence. Here’s an overview to Tuscany’s 29 Michelin-starred ...

FOOD + WINE

2016 Michelin starred restaurants in Florence

Italian cuisine has long since been a world favourite, but in recent years chefs in Florence have been achieving a new level of culinary excellence. Here’s our guide to Florence’s six Michelin-starred restaurants: Enoteca Pinchiorri (3 stars), Il Palagio (1 star), Borgo San Jacopo (1

THINGS TO DO

The power of oil

In 2014, I arrived in Tuscany to produce a rare and delicious olive oil with my own hands. Traveling back through Tuscany’s agricultural history, to live and work like the old lavoratore. Picking olives in the fields of Serravalle Pistoiese the traditional way: rising with the sun, and

THINGS TO DO

Visionary Tuscany

Move over, Madonnas and Mannerists. Three exhibitions in Tuscany this winter pack an unusual punch, showcasing high-impact, modern images with thought-provoking themes. ph. Bettina Rheims PHOTOLUX FESTIVAL. International Biennial of Photography #LUCCA   Contrast is at the core of the Photolux Festival’s Eliade-esque theme this

THINGS TO DO

The pulse of Pistoia

    photos by Giulia Scarpaleggia  More of a one-stop shop than a square, Pistoia’s singular piazza della Sala is one of the most multifaceted in the region, and its ...

THINGS TO DO

Pratese winter solstice

photos by Cassie PrenaThis year, I’ve decided to broaden my Tuscan winter palate. Setting polenta and brodo aside, I’ve ventured into a bustling corner of Prato—Chinatown—in search of new yuletide ...

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