EXPLORING TUSCANY
A fascinating history
Art & Architecure
The areas of and around Florence hold a vast and complicated history and within that history, a great many architectural marvels and some of the most significant art and sculpture of the Renaissance period.
THE ART OF FLORENCE
Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance, renowned for hosting history's most influential artists, primarily funded by the Medici family. Key figures include Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Donatello, and Raphael, who produced iconic masterpieces like the David, Mona Lisa, and The Birth of Venus.
Museums abound and once private residences feature their own exquisite collections.
“Florence and art is something that is part of my life and is part of myself.”
- Roberto Cavalli
THE SECRETS OF FLORENCE
The true magic of Arcetri and Florence lies not in guidebooks but in wandering without a plan. Stray from the well-trodden paths and you'll stumble upon hidden courtyards draped in wisteria, tiny trattorias where nonnas serve dishes unchanged for generations, and quiet piazzas where the only company is birdsong and dappled sunlight. Climb the olive-lined lanes above Arcetri and discover breathtaking viewpoints that feel entirely your own. These personal discoveries, unshared and unexpected, become your most treasured memories of this extraordinary corner of Tuscany.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF FLORENCE
The Medici family was a powerful Florentine banking dynasty that effectively ruled Florence from 1434 to 1737, driving the Renaissance through immense wealth, patronage of arts (Michelangelo, Botticelli), and producing four popes and two French queens. Starting as bankers, they transformed Florence into a cultural hub, building iconic landmarks like the Palazzo Medici and financing Brunelleschi’s dome.
The whole area is rife with world-renowned churches and palazzos and villas and exquisitely designed gardens from the Medicis to numerous other families who exerted control and patronage across the centuries.
The home of Galileo
Galileo Galilei spent his final years under house arrest at his villa in Arcetri, near Florence, where he continued his scientific work despite failing eyesight. It was here he completed his landmark Discourses on Two New Sciences. The hilltop later became home to the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, founded in 1872, which honours his legacy as a pioneering site for Italian astronomical research and discovery.
Explore
Speak to our house manager who was born and raised in Tuscany and she will educate you about the area during your time here or introduce you to locals or artists who love to share their love the area.