Cities of Tuscany to visit

[et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/sangimignano.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”SAN GIMIGNANO” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 28 km)

Ancient medieval village characterized by the magic of its stately torri.Grazie to the Via Francigena that crossed the flourishing of works of art to adorn the churches and conventi.Di remarkable beauty the thirteenth-century “Piazza of the tank” with the ancient central well.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/vinci.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”VINCI” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 25 km)

The city of Leonardo. Here you can visit the “Leonardo’s” museum, in the halls of the beautiful castle of the Guidi (XI-XII), which is one of the most extensive collections of machines and models of Leonardo’s original and inventor, technologist and engineer. Of particular interest is the “Birthplace of Leonardo”, in Anchiano and Leonardiana Library.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/pisa.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”PISA” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 67km)

Prestigious university town characterized by the famous Leaning Tower in the “Square of Miracles” and famous for romantics “riversides” .Of great importance also Piazza dei Cavalieri, designed by Giorgio Vasari, which houses the eponymous palace headquarters of the “Normal School” and the National museum of St. Matthew.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/sanminiato.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”San Miniato” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 25 km)

San Miniato is a beautiful village perched on a hill along the Arno River, halfway between Florence and Pisa, and located along the famous Via Francigena. The city’s origins date back to Etruscan and Roman times and is full of churches and historic buildings from visitare. The Castle which was built in 962 by Emperor Otto I stayed there even where Frederick Barbarossa and Pope Gregory V. La Rocca is located on the hilltop, completing the defensive system of the castle: here Federico II, between 1217 and 1221, he built the Tower symbol of San Miniato . The cathedral that overlooks the Piazza del Duomo and dating back to 1200 with its facade decorated with ceramics arranged according to the shape of the constellations Ursa Major and Minor. San Miniato and the city also famous for its delicious truffles and where every year there is the important “National Exhibition of the White Truffle”.
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[et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/certaldo.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”CERTALDO” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 17 km)

Certaldo is an Italian town of 16,083 inhabitants in the metropolitan city of Florence, in Tuscany. birthplace of Giovanni Boccaccio, the Etruscan-Roman origin. Inside the ancient village situated on a higher level than the modern country, you can visit the home of the famous poet with its library specializing in all editions and translations of Decameron. Always in “Certaldo Alto” to visit the Praetorian Palace with frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/monteriggioni.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”MONTERIGGIONI” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 38 km)

Definitely incomparable, it is the great little jewel of Sienna and throughout Tuscany. If only for its small size, it embodies all the characteristics of a medieval village, in a context in which, inside the ancient walls seems that time scanning through the rhythms of a past still alive on the route of the Via Francigena.Francigena.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/firenze.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”FIRENZE” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 30 km)

Renaissance art city of extraordinary beauty, rich in monuments such as the Bell Tower, the Baptistery of San Giovanni with the dome by Brunelleschi, the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce. The place, however, most attractive and full of history is Piazza della Signoria, which has always represented the heart of the social life and politics of the city. You look around you can admire the Palazzo Vecchio and the many statues including Michelangelo’s David. also rich in important museums first and foremost the Uffizi Gallery. Not to be forgotten a particular jewel: the Old Bridge over the River Arno.
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[et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/volterra.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”VOLTERRA” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 50km)

Volterra jewel of Etruscan, Roman and medieval, dominated by a hill of 600 meters across the valley to the sea. And ‘famous for its impressive medieval fortresses and its alabaster done with the love of a time in the shops of historic. To visit the Museum of Etruscan Archaeology “Guarnacci”.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/siena.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”SIENA” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 58km)

The city of the Palio, with its districts and squares, churches and palaces. Only for the beauty of Piazza del Campo where on his land on July 2 and August 16 of each year we run the famous horse race. To finally discover the magic and the intertwining of the alleys that hide less famous but no less fascinating and rich history.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/lucca.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”LUCCA” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 70 km)

It is an art city with ancient origins and has a particular urban structure characterized by the walls that protect the variety of the landscape have made it a popular destination for tourists who love the mountains, with the Garfagnana and Abetone, both for tourists who love the sea and the fashion district of Viareggio and Versilia.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” image=”https://villalatorre.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/montelupo.jpg” use_hover_image=”off” title=”Montelupo Fiorentino” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](about 13 km)

Not far from Florence (about 20 km) it is located in Montelupo Fiorentino, a town that seems to have stopped in time, where its medieval walls seem to protect her from the chaos and the frenetic pace of the city. An oasis of relaxation among the green hills and lush forests, as well as the historical wonders in the city. Be sure to visit the churches of Santa Maria and St. John the Evangelist as well as the Villa Medici dell’Ambrogiana. Montelupo in particular is famous for ceramics and glass production, which has here a long tradition handed down from generation to generation. Although over the years is a little entered into crisis, now sees its rebirth, thanks to the creation of the Ceramics Museum that made rediscover the beauty and charm of this material and the skill of the Florentine masters who, thanks to the results achieved today the city remains one of the most important hubs in the production and processing in the field of glass and ceramics
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PARKS TO VISIT FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN

[et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” use_hover_image=”off” title=”THE PISTOIA ZOO” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](45 km far)

The Zoo was founded and opened to the public in 1970 by Mr Raffaello Galardini. It is still owned and operated by the founder’s family. The Zoo is located in the hills near the city of Pistoia and covers an area of 75.000 sq mt and houses about 400 animals of 100 different species (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. It is actually focusing its animal collection on endangered species and it has been already successful in breeding rare and threatened species such as Fennec foxes, Caimans and Ring-tailed lemurs. Wonderful are the giraffes, elephants, rhinos and tigers.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” use_hover_image=”off” title=”THE SWORD IN THE STONE AND THE TRAINING CENTER FOR PREYS in San Galgano” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](80 km far)

The Abbey of San Galgano in the town of Chiusdino (Siena) can be reached along the SS 73 road, which cross over the Siena province on the directions to Massa Marittima. The monastery is famous worldwide for his church without a roof, in Gothic style. A few hundred yards up a hill, stands the hermitage of Montesiepi where is kept the ‘Sword in the Stone’ that is said to have been stuck in the stone, around the XI Century , by the Saint Galgano Guidotti when he gave up the comforts of life. The similarities with the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and the quest for the Holy Grail are legends surrounding San Galgano. It is hard to understand which are legends and which are true stories. At 100 meters from the Hermitage is also located the CIR-Italian Centre for Birds of Prey: you can visit the Centre and observe and learn more about birds of prey, many rare ones; in addition, in the CIR, are often held falconry exhibitions and birds of prey flight demonstrations.
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[et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” use_hover_image=”off” title=”THE JURASSIC PARK ‘GHIRONI’” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](located in Peccioli, near Pisa, 50 km far)

The history of this Prehistoric Park began in 1977. Two circus performers, no longer young, decided to withdraw from touring and retired in the town of Peccioli near Pisa, where they bought some vineyards. The brothers realized that their land was full of ancient shells, strange footprints, fossilized remains: the concrete signs of an evolution from prehistory to the present was right there. From those discoveries, it came the idea to show these little treasures of the past, together with full-size models of dinosaurs. Over the years, the two brothers have honed their technique to the construction of models and today the park has twenty replicas including a cute and colourful volcano erupting balls and a in full-scale reproduction of an Upper Jurassic Brachiosaurus, the largest dinosaur reconstructed in Europe.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” use_hover_image=”off” title=”THE CAVRIGLIA ZOOPARK” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](70 km far)

A rich animal treasure that originates, for the most part, from donations made to the park in the 80s. Animals live inside middle size enclosures, which include shelters for night time. In the paths you can meet fallow deer, roe deer, wild boar and llamas living in total freedom. In fencing, there are bison, bears, goats and monkeys, as well as many other species. Picnic lovers can use our barbecues placed in many spots inside the park, respecting the park rules and fire-avoiding laws. To children is also available a donkey-riding centre.
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[et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” use_hover_image=”off” title=”THE PINOCCHIO PARK in the town of Collodi” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](70 km far)

Inaugurated in 1956, the Pinocchio Park is no an ordinary theme park, but rather a precious masterpiece created by artists. The itinerary follows the most important pages of the Pinocchio book, marked out by mosaics, buildings and sculptures set amidst the greenery, emerges from an inspired combination of art and nature. The path is winding, and the dense vegetation means that every stage on the route comes as an unexpected surprise, with plants and trees contributing to create the atmosphere of the main chapters from the book Adventures of Pinocchio. The Park itself is the site of constantly renewed cultural activities that are always mindful of its roots: depending on the season you may enjoy exhibitions of art and illustrations, puppet-making workshops, puppet and marionette shows and minstrels enlivening the visit to the Park.
[/et_pb_jt_material_blurb][et_pb_jt_material_blurb use_button=”off” use_hover_image=”off” title=”THE CAVALLINO MATTO AMUSEMENT PARK” elevation=”2″ use_hover_elevation=”on” hover_animation=”move_up” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font_size_tablet=”51″ title_line_height_tablet=”2″ body_font_size_tablet=”51″ body_line_height_tablet=”2″ global_colors_info=”{}”](located in Castagneto Carducci, 110 km far)

A colourful world full of joy and serenity, a place where adults and children may enjoy an happy day of games and relax. It’s the Cavallino Matto Amusement & Game Park, the biggest theme park un Tuscany. Completely surrounded by nature, it covers an area of over 76.000 square meters, full of games, rides and shows for the whole family. The park is in a lovely pine forest that runs along the beautiful beaches of Marina di Castagneto on the Tyrrhenian coast, an enchanting place, ruled by only nature and quietness.
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