What to visit

What to visit near the Bracaleto Farmhouse

Tuscany is full of beautiful places. There are some unforgettable ones near us that you cannot miss. We have chosen 5 cities and towns with their places of interest for you. A maximum of 1 hour from our farmhouse you can admire Florence, a large urbanized city that contains a thousand-year history. If, however, you are looking for more tranquility but enchanting places then your choice will be Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra or Chiusdino. Have a good trip!

Florence

Fiorenza in poetic Italian (Florence), is a metropolitan city in central Italy, capital of the province of the same name and of the Tuscany region, of which it is the largest and most populous city, as well as a historical, artistic, trade fair and economic hub. An important university centre, it is considered the place of origin of the Renaissance and is universally recognized as one of the cradles of art and architecture, as well as renowned as one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. In fact, thanks to its numerous monuments and museums (including the Duomo, the Baptistery, Santa Croce, the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti), it is one of the most beautiful and important tourist destinations in Italy and the world.

Florence is an important conference and exhibition center. Many events are held in the Firenze Fiera exhibition center, made up of the Fortezza da Basso, the Palazzo dei Congressi and the Palazzo degli Affari, such as Pitti Immagine and the International Crafts Fair. Other events take place in the multifunctional structure of the Parterre, in front of Piazza della Libertà (which also hosts an ice skating rink during the Christmas period), and in the multipurpose space of the Leopolda Station (now an exhibition and conference facility), as well as in the large Nelson Mandela Forum.

Siena

Siena, capital of the province of the same name, is one of the Tuscan cities that enchant tourists from all over the world, universally known for its artistic heritage and the stylistic unity of its medieval urban furniture, as well as for its famous Palio; the historic center was in fact declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1995.

On 2 July and 16 August in Siena, in Piazza del Campo, the traditional Palio takes place, a race of bareback horses (without saddle) between the different districts of Siena which monopolizes the attention of the city for several days; this is given by the fact that the palio is not exclusively a historical event or the revisitation of an ancient medieval joust, but is the expression of the ancient and deep-rooted Sienese tradition. The palio is the result of careful organization by the city Contrade, which lead an intense social and associative life throughout the year. There are 17 districts in total (Aquila, Bruco, Chiocciola, Civetta, Drago, Giraffa, Istrice, Leocorno, Lupa, Nicchio, Oca, Onda, Pantera, Selva, Tartuca, Torre and Valdimontone).

San Gimignano

Due to the characteristic medieval architecture of its historic center it has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. The site of San Gimignano, despite some nineteenth-twentieth century restorations, is mostly intact in its thirteenth-fourteenth century appearance and is one of the best examples in Europe of urban organization of the municipal age. San Gimignano is above all famous for the 15 medieval towers that still stand out over its panorama, which have earned it the nickname of medieval Manhattan. Of the 72 towers and tower-houses existing in the golden age of the Municipality, twenty-five remained in 1580 and today approximately fourteen official ones remain, with other ruins visible in the urban fabric. The oldest is the Rognosa tower, which is 51 meters high, while the tallest is the Torre del Podestà, also called Torre Grossa, which is 54 meters high.

Volterra

Volterra is a municipality in the province of Pisa. The city, famous for the extraction and processing of alabaster, preserves a notable historical center of Etruscan origin (from this era the magnificently preserved Porta all'Arco remains and the Porta Diana which preserves the blocks of the jambs) with Roman ruins and medieval buildings such as the Cathedral and the Palazzo dei Priori on the square of the same name. On the third and fourth Sunday of August, a medieval re-enactment called "A.D. 1398" takes place. On the first Sunday of September the Astiludio is held there: a series of competitions between four teams (three teams from three cities plus the team from Volterra) of flag-wavers.

Places of interest: Volterra Cathedral, Baptistery of San Giovanni, Palazzo dei Priori, Medici Fortress, Roman Theatre, Guarnacci Etruscan Museum, Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, Alabaster Ecomuseum.

Chiusdino

Small municipality of Lombard origin, it is located just over thirty kilometers south-west of the city of Siena, on the road to Massa Marittima. The alleged relics of the head of San Galgano are kept in the church of San Michele Arcangelo.

Places of interest: Near Chiusdino, you cannot miss visiting the suggestive Abbey of San Galgano and the Montesiepi Hermitage. The Abbey: Starting from 1218, the Abbey of San Galgano was built not far from the Rotonda, with Gothic-Cistercian architectural characteristics. The building is imposing and thus testifies to the diffusion and large following of the cult of San Galgano. In the 14th century, the abbey achieved great power, also thanks to the immunities and privileges granted by various emperors, including Frederick II, and to the munificent donations received; to this was added the exemption from the tithe by Pope Innocent III. The Hermitage: also known by the name La Rotonda, is a circular building that encloses and guards the sword that Galgano stuck in the rock. A metallographic investigation was conducted on the sword, which began on 17 January 2001 and coordinated by prof. Luigi Garlaschelli of the University of Pavia, who certified its authenticity as a 12th century weapon.