“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.” –UNESCO World Heritage Center Since 1972, UNESCO has designated sites throughout the world, both natural and man-made, as World Heritage Sites, in an effort to help preserve and protect “cultural and natural heritage around the…
Tag: Tuscany
Snapshots from Scarperia
About an hour northeast of Florence in Tuscany’s lush Mugello Valley lies Scarperia, a spot which has been named one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. We had escaped to Scarperia for a reprieve from busy Florence for the golf resort, Una Poggio dei Medici, which just happened to include a 16th century hunting…
While Meandering Montalcino
The quintessential Tuscan town of Montalcino begs to be wandered through, especially on a quiet morning, the air cool and still smelling of last night’s thunderstorm. On a whim we had followed one friend’s travel advice, rented a car for the first time in Italy thanks to another encouraging friend, and after a most pleasant…
Picture Perfect Pottery
An artful and inviting shop window in the picturesque Tuscan town of Pienza.
Charming Certaldo
About one hour by car or train lies the picturesque little hamlet of Certaldo, home of Renaissance’s literary giant, Giovanni Boccaccio. The big cities in Italy were filled with visitors on this hot summer day, but in Certaldo it was fairly quiet and pleasantly breezy. We leisured through the cobbled streets, keeping ourselves busy capturing…
Simple, Stone, Sacred
“I never tire of going into Italian churches. The vaulted arches and triptychs, yes. But each one also has its characteristic blue dust smell, the smell of time. The codified Annunciations, Nativities, and Crucifixions dominate all churches. At the core, these all struggle with the mystery of the two elementals — birth and death.” “As…
A Tiny Tuscan Church
Nestled in the perfectly preserved walled town of Monteriggioni in Tuscany is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. Despite my love affair with Brunelleschi’s famous dome in Florence, it’s this little unassuming church which is my favorite chiesa of all which I’ve seen in Italy thus far. Built over an ancient church, Santa Maria Assunta…
Trovare
Trovare  (verb):  To find also: to locate, to uncover Unlike many Italian words which I have to look up over and over again in order to remember, trovare has always been easy. It reminds me of the word trove, as in treasure trove, which evokes the image of a treasure chest, and what does one do…
Through the Medieval Wall
Monteriggioni, Provence of Siena in Tuscany. I invite you to sign my guestbook, and to join me on Facebook, where I share often about Italy! This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas.
Radda in Chianti
On the grounds of Castello Monterinaldi, a lovely winery where we stopped after a visit to Siena. Photo by Prayers and Piazzas.
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