Essential Tuscany ...........
Essential Tuscany
In this new series, we’re bringing you the best of our favourite summer destinations. Each week, our experts will reveal the secrets the locals would rather keep to themselves, explain how to tackle the big-hitting sights and share their tips on where to eat, swim and stay. First up, we go into Italy’s holiday heartland
The Sunday Times
What is it about Tuscany that still makes the British go weak at the knees, 300 years since our flirtation began? Take your pick. First, there are the landscapes: it’s hard to resist the forever-photographed Val d’Orcia, with its zigzagging roads and gentle slopes ablaze with sunflowers, or Chianti, with its hilltop villages and endless sprawl of vines. Then there are the long, lazy Italian lunches, taken under a loggia, looking out over the olive groves. Or how about the buzz of aperitivo time at sunset on a city square?
Perhaps it’s the towns. Florence has the glamour — the cradle of the Renaissance is home to some of the world’s most extraordinary art, and it is possible to enjoy it and avoid the worst of the crowds (see below: Beat the queues for the best of Florence). Then there’s Pisa and its grand museums, the crazy cool of Siena and the exquisite architecture of medieval towns too numerous to count: Arezzo, Volterra, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Cortona...
Tuscany’s not too cultured for a lazy day at the beach, though. You can join the fashionable front row in Forte dei Marmi, rove round the rocky coves of Monte Argentario, take the kids to Giannella or go solo on the pine-fringed strands of the Maremma.
There’s too much wine to drink, and too many delightful frescoes to squeeze into a single week, but you can have the holiday of a lifetime trying. Here is our guide to the entire region; we’d advise sticking either to the north, for Florence and Chianti, or the south, for the Val d’Orcia and the beach — which, of course, gives you the perfect excuse to come back next year.
The days out
Explore the hill villages of Chianti
We call it Chiantishire for a reason — it’s an amped-up version of the loveliest English landscapes, with better weather and wine on tap. See it at its finest on this driving circuit. Begin in Greve or Panzano, both home to weekend markets. If you’re ready for lunch, you should drop in to see the demon butcher Dario Cecchini in Panzano and indulge in his Officina della Bistecca, a riotous meat feast slapped down on a communal table (set menu £43; dariocecchini.com). Move on to Radda for chic boutiques, admire the street art in Gaiole and explore the tunnels of Castellina, taking in the vineyard views through the medieval picture windows cut into the hill. End the day with a tasting — Chianti Classico, of course — at the charming Borgo San Felice winery and hotel (tasting from £4.50; borgosanfelice.it).
Classic countryside in Val d’Orcia
Countryside doesn’t get much deeper than the Val d’Orcia, a Unesco World Heritage Site south of Siena, where the rolling hills are aflame with sunflowers and the lowlands are heavy with sangiovese and trebbiano grapes. You’ve seen these valleys on the big screen, in The English Patient, in Gladiator, in Bertolucci’s Stealing Beauty. The landscape is glorious: savour it on the way to the village of Bagni San Filippo, where you can take a dip in the hot springs — 48C — of the Fosso Bianco and Balena Bianca falls. They’re open to all: just follow the path into the woods by the side of the SP61. If you prefer not to bathe with the rabble, visit the Terme San Filippo spa — same water in three-star-hotel surroundings (treatments from £21; termesanfilippo.com).
Countryside doesn’t get much deeper than the Val d’Orcia, a Unesco World Heritage Site south of Siena, where the rolling hills are aflame with sunflowers and the lowlands are heavy with sangiovese and trebbiano grapes. You’ve seen these valleys on the big screen, in The English Patient, in Gladiator, in Bertolucci’s Stealing Beauty. The landscape is glorious: savour it on the way to the village of Bagni San Filippo, where you can take a dip in the hot springs — 48C — of the Fosso Bianco and Balena Bianca falls. They’re open to all: just follow the path into the woods by the side of the SP61. If you prefer not to bathe with the rabble, visit the Terme San Filippo spa — same water in three-star-hotel surroundings (treatments from £21; termesanfilippo.com).
Rev up on a Vespa
Swishing and spitting, rather than slurping, is required here. If you’re over 18, fully insured and have a standard driver’s licence, book Tuscany Vespa Tours’ guided scoot around the vineyards of Chianti. Leaving Florence at 10am, you’ll cover 20-odd miles, visit a couple of cellars for a tasting, have lunch in a rustic restaurant and explore the region’s pretty medieval towns (£109; tuscany-vespatours.com).
Swishing and spitting, rather than slurping, is required here. If you’re over 18, fully insured and have a standard driver’s licence, book Tuscany Vespa Tours’ guided scoot around the vineyards of Chianti. Leaving Florence at 10am, you’ll cover 20-odd miles, visit a couple of cellars for a tasting, have lunch in a rustic restaurant and explore the region’s pretty medieval towns (£109; tuscany-vespatours.com).
Olive oil in Lucca
Tasting in Tuscany isn’t limited to wines: the locals have just as sensitive a palate when it comes to “green gold”, as they call their olive oil. You can join in at the Fattoria di Fubbiano, a verdant 135-acre estate near Lucca that produces an award-winning DOP oil: the nose is fresh and pungently herbaceous, with notes of artichoke and almond (apparently). Visit in late summer and you can join in with the harvest (£17; fattoriadifubbiano.it).
Tasting in Tuscany isn’t limited to wines: the locals have just as sensitive a palate when it comes to “green gold”, as they call their olive oil. You can join in at the Fattoria di Fubbiano, a verdant 135-acre estate near Lucca that produces an award-winning DOP oil: the nose is fresh and pungently herbaceous, with notes of artichoke and almond (apparently). Visit in late summer and you can join in with the harvest (£17; fattoriadifubbiano.it).
The beaches
The Tuscan coastline can get very glam, but it does low-key and family-friendly well, too. In some places (Cecina, Rosignano and Follonica), it must be said, it revels in being just a little bit naff. Northern Tuscany is about organised fun in the sun; head further south for wilder shores.
L’Orsa Maggiore
You’d never call Forte dei Marmi understated. With its manicured sands, pristine rows of sunbeds, hot lifeguards and cool watersports, set against the backdrop of the Apuan Alps, this is the blinging weekend venue of choice for the chic Milanese set. The real draw is the beach restaurant run by the Bergamo superchef Giancarlo Morelli: it’s deliciously, expensively cool (mains from £20; ristorantelorsamaggiore.com).
You’d never call Forte dei Marmi understated. With its manicured sands, pristine rows of sunbeds, hot lifeguards and cool watersports, set against the backdrop of the Apuan Alps, this is the blinging weekend venue of choice for the chic Milanese set. The real draw is the beach restaurant run by the Bergamo superchef Giancarlo Morelli: it’s deliciously, expensively cool (mains from £20; ristorantelorsamaggiore.com).
Cala Violina
Truly wild beaches are hard to come by in Tuscany, which is what makes Cala Violina so precious. Deep in the Bandite di Scarlino nature reserve, northwest of Grosseto, this gorgeous cove requires a 10-minute hike through scented pine woods. There’s no beach bar. What you get instead is crystalline waters, musical sand (seriously — that’s how it got its name: it squeaks like a violin) and views out to Napoleon’s island prison, Elba.
Truly wild beaches are hard to come by in Tuscany, which is what makes Cala Violina so precious. Deep in the Bandite di Scarlino nature reserve, northwest of Grosseto, this gorgeous cove requires a 10-minute hike through scented pine woods. There’s no beach bar. What you get instead is crystalline waters, musical sand (seriously — that’s how it got its name: it squeaks like a violin) and views out to Napoleon’s island prison, Elba.
Monte Argentario
Once an island, this wooded promontory is now linked to the mainland by three natural sandy strips. It has something for everyone, without giving in to the rampant commercialism that has marred parts of the Tuscan coast. Kids will be happy in the shallow turquoise waters off La Feniglia and Giannella; yachties will love the pretty coves between glam Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole; and adventurers can hike out to unspoilt Cala Piccola and Cala del Gesso for a spot of scuba diving.
Once an island, this wooded promontory is now linked to the mainland by three natural sandy strips. It has something for everyone, without giving in to the rampant commercialism that has marred parts of the Tuscan coast. Kids will be happy in the shallow turquoise waters off La Feniglia and Giannella; yachties will love the pretty coves between glam Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole; and adventurers can hike out to unspoilt Cala Piccola and Cala del Gesso for a spot of scuba diving.
Marina di Alberese
We’ve saved the best for last. You’ll need to work hard to get to Alberese, the emptiest beach in the Maremma region, and probably in the whole of Tuscany. Stash your car at the visitors’ centre in the Uccellina national park, then cycle — or walk — the five miles to the fine white sands. You’ll pass dense forests, lush meadows and towering dunes, see wildcats, deer and foxes, and maybe even a Tuscan cowboy or two. After that, you’re on your own.
We’ve saved the best for last. You’ll need to work hard to get to Alberese, the emptiest beach in the Maremma region, and probably in the whole of Tuscany. Stash your car at the visitors’ centre in the Uccellina national park, then cycle — or walk — the five miles to the fine white sands. You’ll pass dense forests, lush meadows and towering dunes, see wildcats, deer and foxes, and maybe even a Tuscan cowboy or two. After that, you’re on your own.
Where to eat
Il Ristoro, Gaiole in Chianti
Not so much a restaurant as a winery with a kitchen, Il Ristoro is about one thing, showcasing Marco Pallanti’s great wines to perfection — and that’s just what Giovanni Bonavita’s rustic dishes do at this sprawling estate in the Chianti hills. Ask for a balcony table, as the views out over the vineyards are the loveliest for miles. They’re all about zero food miles here: local summer favourites include carrot and courgette soufflé with pecorino sauce, and pasta with wild boar ragu.
Mains from £7.50; castellodiama.com
Not so much a restaurant as a winery with a kitchen, Il Ristoro is about one thing, showcasing Marco Pallanti’s great wines to perfection — and that’s just what Giovanni Bonavita’s rustic dishes do at this sprawling estate in the Chianti hills. Ask for a balcony table, as the views out over the vineyards are the loveliest for miles. They’re all about zero food miles here: local summer favourites include carrot and courgette soufflé with pecorino sauce, and pasta with wild boar ragu.
Mains from £7.50; castellodiama.com
La Porta di Sotto, Buonconvento
Seasonality is the thing at this bright little osteria in medieval Buonconvento, officially one of the most beautiful villages in Italy — yes, there is a sliding scale. Stefano Sardone has quietly built his reputation on traditional Tuscan food with a twist — and he’ll happily share his extensive wine knowledge if you ask. While winter here is all about the lamb ribs baked with wild fennel, summer highlights include risotto with stuffed courgette flower.
Mains from £7.50; laportadisotto.it
Seasonality is the thing at this bright little osteria in medieval Buonconvento, officially one of the most beautiful villages in Italy — yes, there is a sliding scale. Stefano Sardone has quietly built his reputation on traditional Tuscan food with a twist — and he’ll happily share his extensive wine knowledge if you ask. While winter here is all about the lamb ribs baked with wild fennel, summer highlights include risotto with stuffed courgette flower.
Mains from £7.50; laportadisotto.it
La Pineta, Marina di Bibbona
This delightful seaside shack started up in 1964 as a family affair, when Luciano Zazzeri’s nonna set up her kitchen on the beach south of Cecina; now her grandson has a Michelin star and is lauded as the best seafood chef in Tuscany. For ultimate impact, book a waterside table at sunset and order the six-course tasting menu. Otherwise, try the standout smoked mackerel with pumpkin cream and amaretti, followed by spaghetti with octopus and capers.
Tasting menu from £60, mains from £17; lapinetadizazzeri.it
This delightful seaside shack started up in 1964 as a family affair, when Luciano Zazzeri’s nonna set up her kitchen on the beach south of Cecina; now her grandson has a Michelin star and is lauded as the best seafood chef in Tuscany. For ultimate impact, book a waterside table at sunset and order the six-course tasting menu. Otherwise, try the standout smoked mackerel with pumpkin cream and amaretti, followed by spaghetti with octopus and capers.
Tasting menu from £60, mains from £17; lapinetadizazzeri.it
Bracali, Ghirlanda
If Massa Marittima’s medieval mural of women waiting patiently for the fruit to fall from a penis tree (see above: Pistoia and Massa Marittima: two little towns not to miss) entices you to the area, in the next-door village you’ll find Bracali, a two-Michelin-starred Tuscan extravaganza. Francesco is the talent in the kitchen, while his brother Luca turns on the front-of-house charm in the old-school dining room. Prices are steep, but then so are standards, as exemplified by the pigeon tortelli with port gel, red shrimp tempura with orange reduction, and smoked semifreddo in rhubarb soup.
Mains from £34; mondobracali.it
If Massa Marittima’s medieval mural of women waiting patiently for the fruit to fall from a penis tree (see above: Pistoia and Massa Marittima: two little towns not to miss) entices you to the area, in the next-door village you’ll find Bracali, a two-Michelin-starred Tuscan extravaganza. Francesco is the talent in the kitchen, while his brother Luca turns on the front-of-house charm in the old-school dining room. Prices are steep, but then so are standards, as exemplified by the pigeon tortelli with port gel, red shrimp tempura with orange reduction, and smoked semifreddo in rhubarb soup.
Mains from £34; mondobracali.it
La Vecchia Latteria, SienaOld Signora Tonina’s historic Sienese milk bar is now the hottest artisan gelateria in the city thanks to Fabio and Francesco, two young local entrepreneurs. It’s a few minutes off the tourist track, so you might have to hunt for it, but the crowd of locals queuing at the hole in the wall should help. New flavours appear every day, but our favourites are lemon tart, pear and apricot, and sweet-salt pistachio.
From £2; Via San Pietro 10
From £2; Via San Pietro 10
Where to stay
The hotels
Villa la Lodola, Foiano della Chiana
You can’t get much less urban than the tranquil Val d’Orcia. But it’s here that the founders of the minimalist Tuscan style lab Officine 904, Paolo Porcu Rodriguez and Silvia Pavanello, have chosen to set up their sweet little B&B. Surrounded by avenues of cypress, the 18th-century stone farmhouse has five rooms filled with elegant antiques and quirky crafts, wrapped up in the warmest welcome this side of Florence. The chef, Carlo Porcu, is a champion of the local Chianina beef, so you’re guaranteed a hearty supper — don’t forget to book.
Doubles from £100, B&B; lalodola.com
You can’t get much less urban than the tranquil Val d’Orcia. But it’s here that the founders of the minimalist Tuscan style lab Officine 904, Paolo Porcu Rodriguez and Silvia Pavanello, have chosen to set up their sweet little B&B. Surrounded by avenues of cypress, the 18th-century stone farmhouse has five rooms filled with elegant antiques and quirky crafts, wrapped up in the warmest welcome this side of Florence. The chef, Carlo Porcu, is a champion of the local Chianina beef, so you’re guaranteed a hearty supper — don’t forget to book.
Doubles from £100, B&B; lalodola.com
Locanda Rossa, Capalbio
The arrival of this jolly agriturismo on an olive farm in the Maremma caused a bit of a stir. No wonky old furniture and threadbare towels here: this rambling farmhouse, newly converted into a smart, family-friendly set of 14 rooms and four flats, is high on rustic chic and hot on service. They even welcome dogs. The beach is close, the pool even closer — perfect for a dip after lunch in the vaulted osteria.
Doubles from £115, B&B; locandarossa.com
The arrival of this jolly agriturismo on an olive farm in the Maremma caused a bit of a stir. No wonky old furniture and threadbare towels here: this rambling farmhouse, newly converted into a smart, family-friendly set of 14 rooms and four flats, is high on rustic chic and hot on service. They even welcome dogs. The beach is close, the pool even closer — perfect for a dip after lunch in the vaulted osteria.
Doubles from £115, B&B; locandarossa.com
La Bandita Townhouse, Pienza
On paper, La Bandita is an unlikely combination: New York style meets Tuscan hilltop charm in a luxe townhouse hotel. The nuns’ cells in this 15th-century convent now make up 12 generous suites, with honeyed-stone walls, giant beams and slick steel four-posters. Arched windows look out across the valley to Montepulciano, but it’s the gentle rhythm of village life that’s the real draw — a chance to join the house party without having to do the washing-up.
Doubles from £215, B&B; la-bandita.com
On paper, La Bandita is an unlikely combination: New York style meets Tuscan hilltop charm in a luxe townhouse hotel. The nuns’ cells in this 15th-century convent now make up 12 generous suites, with honeyed-stone walls, giant beams and slick steel four-posters. Arched windows look out across the valley to Montepulciano, but it’s the gentle rhythm of village life that’s the real draw — a chance to join the house party without having to do the washing-up.
Doubles from £215, B&B; la-bandita.com
L’Andana, Castiglione della Pescaia
If you’re here for the wine — and local producers are taking some unexpected directions (see panel: ) — why not opt for this five-star hotel with vineyard attached? The winemaker Vittorio Moretti and the French chef Alain Ducasse have expanded into a stylish 33-room Medici villa in the Maremma, once the summer residence of Grand Duke Leopold II and his court. Their 70 acres of vines now produce top-notch Acquagiusta wines, as well as And’Olio olive oil. Grown-ups can book tastings, while children are entertained at the kids’ club.
Doubles from £242, B&B; tenutalabadiola.it
If you’re here for the wine — and local producers are taking some unexpected directions (see panel: ) — why not opt for this five-star hotel with vineyard attached? The winemaker Vittorio Moretti and the French chef Alain Ducasse have expanded into a stylish 33-room Medici villa in the Maremma, once the summer residence of Grand Duke Leopold II and his court. Their 70 acres of vines now produce top-notch Acquagiusta wines, as well as And’Olio olive oil. Grown-ups can book tastings, while children are entertained at the kids’ club.
Doubles from £242, B&B; tenutalabadiola.it
Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole
For a taste of old-school glam, head to this private beachside estate on the pretty Argentario coast, which has been putting up film royalty and industrial might since 1965 — Charlie Chaplin, Henry Fonda and Gianni Agnelli were regulars. The 50-odd suites (some with private pools) have a country-club feel, service is discreet and there’s an express lift down to the beach for the terminally lazy. The innovative Sebastiano Lombardi works his culinary magic in the restaurant, where the views out to the Isola del Giglio are almost as tasty as his organic, locally sourced food.
Doubles from £280; pellicanohotels.com
For a taste of old-school glam, head to this private beachside estate on the pretty Argentario coast, which has been putting up film royalty and industrial might since 1965 — Charlie Chaplin, Henry Fonda and Gianni Agnelli were regulars. The 50-odd suites (some with private pools) have a country-club feel, service is discreet and there’s an express lift down to the beach for the terminally lazy. The innovative Sebastiano Lombardi works his culinary magic in the restaurant, where the views out to the Isola del Giglio are almost as tasty as his organic, locally sourced food.
Doubles from £280; pellicanohotels.com
The villas
Summering in a Tuscan villa is a classic British pursuit. As a result, a thriving rental industry has grown up, much of it based in the UK. There are plenty of pricy luxury properties, but good-value ones, too, especially when they’re shared by a group.
Summering in a Tuscan villa is a classic British pursuit. As a result, a thriving rental industry has grown up, much of it based in the UK. There are plenty of pricy luxury properties, but good-value ones, too, especially when they’re shared by a group.
Villa agencies with local expertise include Essential Italy, which offers the standout hilltop Villa Guidi, between Florence and Pisa (sleeps 8; from £2,380 a week; essentialitaly.co.uk); SJ Villas, which features the boho I Limoni, near Lucca (sleeps 10; from £2,590 a week; sjvillas.co.uk); and Avenue, which has the chic seaside Villa Aurora, near Porto Ercole (sleeps 6; from £3,813 a week; avenueproperty.com). Scott Williams has the cool Villa Claudia, with a beach at the bottom of the garden (sleeps 10; from £4,335 a week; scottwilliams.co.uk), and Invitation to Tuscany offers the rustic Peonia, in San Casciano (sleeps 4; from £1,793 a week; invitationtotuscany.com). It’s also worth browsing the portfolios of To Tuscany (to-tuscany.com), James Villa Holidays (jamesvillas.co.uk) and Vintage Travel (vintagetravel.co.uk).
Couples in need of some space should check out the Casina, a 12th-century watchtower in Siena’s city wall that has just opened as the ultimate crash pad for two (from £5,000 a week; thecasina.com). If you want to blow the budget, Bellini has an exclusive on the ultra-glam Villa Tavernelle, in Chianti, which is on the rental market for the first time. Bells and whistles include a medieval tower bedroom for the kids, a spa, a gym, a firepit, quad bikes and a concierge — absolutely fabulous, darling (sleeps 10; from £25,600 a week; bellinitravel.com).
Flights
Given its size — 8,900 square miles — Tuscany is surprisingly poorly connected. Maybe that’s part of its charm. The international airports in Florence and Pisa are served from the UK by Alitalia, British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair. They’re fine for getting to the north of the region, but if you’re planning to head south, consider flying to Rome. A hire car is essential unless you’re staying put in one of the bigger cities.
Tour operators
Citalia has good-value Tuscany packages, with seven nights at the five-star Bagni di Pisa Palace, a deluxe 18th-century spa hotel in the Pisan hills, from £739pp, B&B, including flights (citalia.com). It’s a great base for exploring the northern towns.
Kirker is best known for luxury city breaks, but here it ventures into the campagna with a two-centre trip: three nights in Florence, at the four-star Hotel degli Orafi, and four at the Borgo Scopeto Relais, in Chianti. Prices start at £1,698pp, B&B, including flights and car hire (kirkerholidays.com).
Bellini is the go-to operator for putting on the ritz: its founder, Emily FitzRoy, has the best connections in Italy. Luxury B&B with the local nobility? Party for 200 at Sting’s Tuscan estate? Nothing is impossible (tailor-made trips, price on application; bellinitravel.com).
Cycling is Tuscany’s favourite sport: for views on two wheels, Inntravel has a gentle seven-night biking holiday on the pretty, pine-fringed coast of the Maremma, staying in a string of charming agriturismi; from £980pp, half-board, excluding flights (inntravel.co.uk). In the heart of Chianti, InGamba offers more challenging road-biking tours on pro-standard Pinarello Gan S machines. Four nights start at £1,213pp, half-board, excluding flights (ingamba.pro).
Pistoia and Massa Marittima: two little towns not to miss
Top 10 Tuscan towns? An impossible list to compile. Here are two that you may not have heard of, but which are moving onto the tourist radar. That’s the beauty of Tuscany: tiny nuggets of gorgeousness are still coming to light.
Top 10 Tuscan towns? An impossible list to compile. Here are two that you may not have heard of, but which are moving onto the tourist radar. That’s the beauty of Tuscany: tiny nuggets of gorgeousness are still coming to light.
Locals call Pistoia a mini Florence: it’s a splendid medieval stronghold 20 miles northwest of the city. With a fine 12th-century Duomo, which has a blingy silver altar, and a striped marble baptistry across the square, it’s a picturesque spot for the annual bear joust — an eccentric display in which local horsemen tilt with lances at an ursine dummy. And don’t miss the virtuous ceramic frieze by Santi Buglioni on the front of the Ospedale del Ceppo: the quality of mercy has never looked less strained. Break for lunch at the Slow Food favourite La BotteGaia (mains from £9; labottegaia.it).
Or try Massa Marittima, northwest of Grosseto. It’s not the beautiful 13th-century cathedral or the tranquil cloister beside the church of Sant’Agostino that make this small town one of the quirkiest in the region. That’s down to the Tree of Fertility, a medieval frieze displaying a tree hung with, erm, phalluses, under which women wait to catch the fruits as they fall: an allegory on fecundity. It’s rather fun — as is the tiny La Tana dei Brilli, a delicious osteria that seats just 10 (mains from £10; latanadeibrilli.it).
Beat the queues for the best of Florence
The Medici, Michelangelo, da Vinci, Dante, Botticelli — an afternoon is never going to do these guys justice. If you’re visiting the birthplace of the Renaissance, try to give it a couple of days of your time.
The Medici, Michelangelo, da Vinci, Dante, Botticelli — an afternoon is never going to do these guys justice. If you’re visiting the birthplace of the Renaissance, try to give it a couple of days of your time.
Drive in early and park at Garage Europa, in Borgo Ognissanti (£20 for 24 hours; garageeuropafirenze.it). Plan to devote your mornings to the big guns. They’ll be busy, of course, but you’ll have bought a Firenze Card online — at £62, it’s expensive, but you can skip the queues in most of the city’s museums and it pays for itself with four visits (valid for 72 hours; firenzecard.it). Many venues open at 8am, so you can really make that card work.
Pop into the Uffizi early for its seven new rooms given over to Botticelli, then choose between the Accademia, the Bargello and the Palazzo Vecchio (our favourite) for a bigger blast of Renaissance art. For the more spiritually minded, the glorious churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce are a classy alternative.
Break for lunch at Galanti, an urban gastronomia under the arches of Piazza della Liberta, where the menu changes daily. Order the set lunch up at the marble-topped bar: our favourite is ribollita, mushroom risotto and stuffed squid, all sold, in the deli tradition, by weight (three-course menus, with wine, from £17; gastronomiagalanti.com).
The afternoons are about less familiar highlights with, thankfully, less of a crowd. Don’t miss the newly opened Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, which shows off art and artefacts from the cathedral, as well as giving you access to Giotto’s bell tower, Brunelleschi’s dome and the baptistry of San Giovanni (£13; operaduomo.firenze.it).
Then go to the groundbreaking Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi gallery, soon to host a Bill Viola show, and the newly restored Istituto degli Innocenti, which tells the moving stories of the city’s orphans. Both are covered by the Firenze Card.
Art and style among the vines
Wine tourism in Tuscany no longer just involves a quick slurp and spit in a forgotten vineyard. Take Castello di Ama, a hilltop vineyard in the heart of Chianti. Its co-owner, Lorenza Pallanti, has created a world-class gallery, inviting artists including Anish Kapoor, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Lee Ufan to create site-specific installations among the vines.
Wine tourism in Tuscany no longer just involves a quick slurp and spit in a forgotten vineyard. Take Castello di Ama, a hilltop vineyard in the heart of Chianti. Its co-owner, Lorenza Pallanti, has created a world-class gallery, inviting artists including Anish Kapoor, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Lee Ufan to create site-specific installations among the vines.
The artists come to stay, immersing themselves in the life of the vineyard, tasting the wines and ultimately creating an artwork based on their Ama experience. Their works are no gently pastoral affairs: Daniel Buren’s mirrored wall is a bold reflection of a working landscape, while Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Confession of Zero, in one of the village chapels, is a mathematical delight. To see Louise Bourgeois’s phallic Topiary, you scramble deep into an ancient tank, while Chen Zen’s visceral glass work floats high above the cellar’s oak barrels.
The estate’s 18th-century Villa Ricucci has been turned into four traditionally elegant suites, spiced up with flamboyant pieces by the Brazilian designers the Campana brothers (doubles from £260, B&B, including an art tour; castellodiama.com).
Starchitects are also getting in on the vineyard act. Admirers of Renzo Piano, who designed the Shard, can visit his first winery at Rocca di Frassinello, near Grosseto, designed for a label that unites two of the industry’s biggest names: Domaines Barons de Rothschild-Lafite and Castellare di Castellina. The estate’s oenologist can help guests create their own individual blend (tastings from £13; castellare.it).
There’s more radical design by Mario Botta, in Suvereto, whose previous work includes the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. His concept for the Petra winery is an astonishing homage to the landscape. Book a guided tour (tastings from £30; petrawine.it).
Tuscany tips
Don’t be tempted by a hire-car upgrade. Big cars have a habit of getting wedged into small hilltop towns.
Travelling with kids? Warn them thay they will get their cheeks pinched and hair ruffled. The Italians love a cute bambino.
Mopping up your pasta sauce with a piece of bread is a compliment to the chef. Leave your British manners at the dining-room door.
No real Tuscan eats dessert. Dip Biscottini Mattei into Vin Santo di Capezzana for a sweet double whammy instead.
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