The legend of Kinzica de’ Sismondi is one of the most fascinating and least known tales in medieval Italian history, although for the city of Pisa it has now almost reached the traits of founding myth. This tale takes us back in time, to 11th-century Pisa, at the time of the Saracen raids that ravaged the coast of Tuscany. In this context, Kinzica...
READ MOREWhen I first set out for the city of Grosseto in early spring, it was a part of Tuscany I'd never visited or heard of, even though I've called Italy home for five years. Despite the world's obsession with Tuscany as a holiday destination, and Florence and Siena just an hour away, Grosseto – with its historical city centre, wild nature reserve and...
READ MOREDiscovering Tuscany is like visiting an immense open-air museum. Every curve is a new story, every village a page of history, every landscape a painting that leaves you speechless. Away from the places of mass tourism, it becomes easier to connect with the authentic atmosphere of the region. From the green hills to the beaches of the Tyrrhenian coa...
READ MOREThe boom in American tourism has been touching all Mediterranean countries for some time now. American travelers in Spain grew by 14.6 % in a single year, in Portugal by 34.2 %, and in Greece by nearly 30 %.At home, record tourism numbers are more than just a trophy to show off. Tthe boom in tourism is practically holding the Italian economy up. “I...
READ MOREAn exceptional discovery at Gallicano in Garfagnana: excavations have unearthed the precious remains of the 11th-century Pieve di San Cassiano, of which there had been no trace since the late 15th century. The finds were unearthed by archaeologists from the paleopathology division of the University of Pisa engaged in the Gallicano Project, directed...
READ MOREIn the long fields of the Pisan province, among hills, crags and blue sky, we come across some installations that blend with the environment in a very striking and innovative way. And they certainly do not go unnoticed. We are talking about the Giants of Peccioli: human-shaped sculptures that ’emerge’ from the ground to reach up to 9 meters in heig...
READ MOREDear friends, July is also now almost over, and if anyone thought that after our Gala we would rest, they were very wrong. We the Italians is working on at least three very ambitious and exciting projects, and we already have some ideas on how to turn the gala into something even bigger, starting next year. Between July and August we will be return...
READ MOREAs the name says, a "house museum" is a habitation or palazzo that has been transformed into a museum. It could have been the abode of illustrious gentlemen, or of common citizens, site of familiar intimacy or a center of power: that which renders a house museum exceptional is its capacity to re-enact or represent the life that was, the traditions...
READ MORECity of marble par excellence, Carrara has always found in the precious rock of the Apuan Alps its identifying mark, the element that historically distinguishes it in the national and international artistic panorama. Carrara also represents a reality strongly projected into the Future, characterized by skilled workers and advanced technology, full...
READ MOREThe Island of Elba is the largest in the Tuscan Island chain; an itinerary in itself, it contains a secluded charm, yet is rich in history, civilization and flora. A tour through this splendid island’s different municipalities, each of which reveal themselves to be tiny worlds apart, begins in Portoferraio, one of the Island’s mooring points. Here,...
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