Few places are as inviting as Florence-birthplace of the Renaissance, the movement that shaped all of European art and culture for centuries. It is far more than just a "museum town." It has preserved its heritage to a remarkable degree; one can still feel the presence of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance in the narrow streets, the stone palazzos, the broad sunlit squares, the lavish pageants and festivals. Come, follow in the footsteps of Dante, Giotto, the Medicis, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo!

But Tuscany is not just Florence. There is Siena too, with its Piazza del Campo, the theatre each summer for its famous Palio. In the province of Siena (also famous for its great wines, such as Chianti and Brunello) Montepulciano and Pienza stand out, extraordinary gems of renaissance art, and San Gimignano, with its famous towers and turreted houses. Then there is Pisa with its world-famous leaning tower; Carrara, with its Duomo clad in the precious marble that takes the name of the city; and also Lucca, Pistoia, Arezzo, Grosseto, Livorno, and Prato, that all boast churches and other monuments of great architectural and artistic value.
The beauties of the Tuscan countryside are innumerable. Above all, its landscape: the typical, unique, gentle and warm Tuscan countryside where cypress flanked country roads wind through fertile fields of grapes and olives. Tuscany is where time stands still.…. allowing you to rest.

Some of Tuscany's many wonderful places to stay:
Castello di Gargonza - www.gargonza.it/photos.htm
Hotel La Palazzina Cesira - www.montalcinoitaly.com/home_cesira.htm
Castello dell'Oscano - www.oscano.com

New for 2003: Why not take a quick break, or even fit it in to a longer holiday, and spend a couple of days learning to find and appreciate some of Italy's delicious truffles: White, Back or Marzolino, at different times of the year they are all waiting to be found. So put on your stoutest boots and prepare to test your olfactory senses against an Italian truffle hound: all this combined with Brunello de Montalcino and guided visits of two of Tuscany's most beautiful towns.