It’s not all wining and dining, of course. Tuscans love letting their hair down and have many opportunities to do just that, with a seemingly endless rotation of festivals that take place across the region.

Stroll along the banks of the Arno River, marvel at the stunning architecture around the city, or visit one of the many museums and churches for a taste of local history. Siena It is unique, that’s the right word. Tuscany is timeless, modern yet archaic. It has an incredible combination of ancient civilization and rich nature, of art and beauty. It is truly one of a kind.

My favourite painting in the world is the Pala Capponi(the Deposition From The Cross) by Pontormo – a Mannerism masterpiece displayed in the church of Santa Felicita at Ponte Vecchio. It is a marvellous metaphysical dance of beauty and death, constructed with unnatural colours.

No doubt: first Florence – the essence of everything Tuscan. Then, there’s the gothic sophistication of Siena. Followed by the grace of Lucca, with its medieval, baroque and neoclassical influences. a href="https://www.frommers.com/slideshows/848469-let-tuscany-inspire-you-with-these-ravishing-photos-of-the-storied-italian-region "target="_blank">Let Tuscany Inspire You with These Ravishing Photos of the Storied Italian Region; By: Zac Thompson, Frommers Online (USA), June 2021

One of Italy’s most famous families, the Medicis, also had ties to the land. They’d helped to reinforce the might of the region, and are now remembered through the Palazzo Medici, a Renaissance palace in the heart of Florence. In fact, it was in this home that great minds birthed artistic fancies to light the way for innovation in poetry, humanist studies and intellectualism. Even the famed Michelangelo had himself trained at an academy managed by the Medici family.

Marvel provides a water-resistant surface that will never scratch or fade and demands none of the maintenance There are plenty of things to do in the area, from wine tastings and cooking classes to hikes and bike rides. One must also see the wild beach of Roccamarein Castiglione della Pescaia, as well as the Isle Giannutri, which is timeless. Cortona’s small convents and the San Biagio Church, near Montepulciano, are also wonderful places to visit. Other places include the Cala Violinabeach, near Ansedonia, in Maremma, the Radicofani Castle and the Rocca of Ghino di Tacco, which overlooks the immensity of Val d’Orcia. The diminutive hilltop town of San Gimignano (covered in more detail below), complete with its soaring towers, was beloved by E.M Forster and strolling through it feels like a return to the days of the Grand Tour taken by the fashionable British elite, albeit with a few more visitors.

The colour of the olive trees changes continuously throughout Tuscany. From north to south, the foliage alters from silver to antique bronze. The trunks, which are grey green in Lucca, take on earthy hues in Sovana, Grosseto, consistent with the fertile reddish humus. Around Florence and Siena, the olives turn blue, approaching the shade of pietra serena – a typical, grey Tuscan stone. A dusty palette of arid, striated hues, indigo and purple filaments, ochre and chalk reminiscent of Rajasthan erupts in the Crete Senesi region as soon as you move south from Siena and toward the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, a large Benedictine monastery: more than 300 square miles of gently rolling hills and gullies immortalised by the artists who were inspired by this land. If, as Mark Twain had said, “The Creator made Italy from designs by Michelangelo”, then it comes as no surprise that among the most romantic of Italian regions is the painter’s very own Tuscany. Savour Chianti at a leisurely pace – grab a café table for a late afternoon aperitivo and wait for dusk to fall as the locals do.

Still have time to spare? Drive further southeast to the small hilltop town of Cortona. Hills mean views, and Cortona has plenty to go round. The ten provinces of Tuscany—Arezzo, Florence, Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Massa and Carrara, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, Siena—all capture an elusive yet distinct essence, one that truly speaks of the region’s noble history and opulence. Though each province carries with it its own soul and speciality, the comprehensive accomplishments of each make up the Tuscany we hold dear. Here, art and architecture inspired by the Etruscans, the Romans and Renaissance men are in open display, an ode to the brilliant minds of past Tuscan dwellers. Among them is the dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore, an artwork by Filippo Brunelleschi that remains as significant today as it did in the 15th century. to create maximum impact these bookmatched tiles are offered in 1500 x 3000 mm format, ideal for use in hotel

From annual horse races at Piazza del Campo and the centuries-old winemaking traditions of the Chianti region to the city of Pisa, an ancient maritime republic known for the youthful spirit of its Scuola Normale Superiore and Leaning Tower alike, Tuscany is the place of dreams, where thousands come to relive its history and take in the beauty of a region. In the fashion world, Ferragamo, Gucci and Pucci all have ties to Florence and its endless inspiration. However, what truly defines Tuscany is its timelessness. The city also includes the hallucinated Mannerism of Domenico Beccafumi’s work, as well as the visionary ideas of the architect and scenographer Agostino Fantastici, at the beginning of the 19th century.Spend as much time here as you’re able and Tuscany will reward you with a cultural, architectural and culinary heritage that’s unreplicated elsewhere. Siena, because of its incredible art patrimony and dominant position high on the hills. It brought about many eccentric, sophisticated artists, such as Duccio di Buoninsegna, the gothic glam of Simone Martini, and Sassetta’s influences from the early Renaissance – who refused to accept the innovative ways of the Florentine culture. an authentic and uninterrupted surface with warm veins continuing across each panel, ideal for luxurious wall