Stay in Fiesole when you visit Florence

The most popular months to visit Florence are also tend to be hot and unfortunately visitors experience that heat not just while staggering around the sights of Florence, but also when they're trying to sleep. There is a solution. Find your vacation accommodations in Fiesole!

View of Fiesole above Florence

A bit of history. The Etruscans lived where Fiesole is now - they called it Vipsul - in large part because they were hedonists who enjoyed the good life, especially cool breezes during mid-summer. The Romans were made of sterner stuff. They built their colony down below in the stifling Arno valley where they could tax north-south traffic that crossed the river over the bridge they built there. This was Florentia, founded around 59 BC, most likely under Julius Caesar, to settle veterans in the Arno valley. Needless to say, the better classes of Roman society migrated to their country houses up in Fiesole during summer. They even built themselves a nice theatre up there.

Roman theatre in Fiesole.

You should consider a stay in Fiesole when you visit Florence. Forget the humid heat at midnight, forget the tour group on the doorstep at 7am, forget the queue at your favorite restaurant, forget a street full of drunk twenty-year-olds below the window until 2am. Instead, after a cool, quiet night of sleep, you walk out of your hotel or B&B and onto a quiet piazza where old men are playing cards outside the bar.  A three-star hotel in Fiesole with a view over Florence costs what a two-star in the centro storico of Florence costs without the view. An agriturismo on the slopes between Fiesole and the city often costs less than a standard hotel room in the historic centre of Florence. From the terrace behind the Fiesole cathedral, Florence unfolds below - the Duomo, the Campanile, the Arno, the hills on the far side.

 View of Florence from Fiesole

What about getting from Fiesole to Florence and back? 

Don't take your car, if you have one. You don't need to grapple with traffic, one way streets and ZTLs. Take the line 7 bus from Piazza Mino in Fiesole to Ponte Rosso and then take the T2 tram to Piazza San Marco in central Florence. Buy a single ATAF ticket from the ticket-dispensing machine (cash or touch your credit card to the machine) or from any tabaccheria before you board, or a day pass if you plan to come and go twice. Don't forget to validate your ticket as you enter the bus. Sit on the left side going down for the view. You can even walk down, starting on Via Vecchia Fiesolana, all the way to Florence in about 90 minutes. The fastest way to get from Fiesole to Florence is to taxi which takes 13 min and costs €12 - €15.

Note that I don't recommend that you try to return to Fiesole on foot! The line 7 bus from Ponte Rosso to Fiesole Piazza Mino takes 18 min and departs every 20 minutes.

 Tuscany Quintessence eBike tour of Fiesole from Florence

HOWEVER I can and do highly recommend the Tuscany Quintessence eBike guided tour from Florence to Fiesole and back.

More about the Tuscany Quintessence eBike tour of Fiesole from Florence.

What to see and do in Fiesole.

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Italian Web Site Promotion 2013 - 2026. All rights reserved.

Tuscany vacation accommodations with handicapped access

Tuscany is high on the list of travel destinations that are friendly to the elderly and those with mobility limitations, especially since laws were introduced several years ago regarding provision of suitable facilities for the physically handicapped. I'm often asked for information about Tuscany vacation accommodations with handicapped access. One important piece of information everyone should take account of is that Tuscan farmhouses ("villas") and sometimes genuine villas are characterised by numerous steps and steep staircases. For this reason, if your mobility is impaired, read the descriptions of rural vacation accommodations in Tuscany with care and feel free to ask the owners detailed questions. This is one of the several reasons to rent owner-direct, by the way. Agencies rarely have the kind of information you need.

A fairly frequent sight in Tuscany - this you don't want if moving around isn't all that easy for you.

Step-free or almost step-free agriturismi and other rural holiday homes are definitely available. Today I want to describe one of them which has recently been renovated and which enjoys one of the most beautiful locations in Tuscany. This is Agriturismo Felciano, a cottage with two large double rooms and a large living-dining room, situated on a winery near Panzano, in the famous Conca d'Oro.

Agriturismo Felciani - an ideal Tuscan vacation location for anyone with mobility problems.

Agriturismo Felciano has a large terrace in front of the entry and flat ground round about, including the location of the gazebo. There is one very slight step at the large entrance and none at all inside the cottage. Of the two modern bathrooms, one is fully-equipped for handicapped accessibility. You can bring your car right up to the terrace.

In addition to being able to buy your Chianti Classico wine directly from the cask and extravergine olive oil by the bottle, you can buy Tuscan saffron grown on the Felciano farm.

Click here to visit the Agriturismo Felciano website.

More about Panzano in Chianti.

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Author: Anna Maria Baldini

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Cooking lessons at our accommodation in Tuscany

Food definitely has to be one of the reasons to spend some time in Tuscany, and second to enjoying Tuscan cuisine comes the desire to know how to prepare a Tuscan meal. No doubt that's why I often receive enquiries about arranging "cooking lessons at our accommodation in Tuscany". Usually, my answer is first to try Le Cetinelle, Simonetta Landati's B&B in the Chianti hills above Greve in Chianti.

Agriturismo Le Cetinelle Bed and Breakfast offers Tuscan cooking lessons to vacationers.

At Le Cetinelle, the Tuscan cooking classes are hands-on. When participating in a cooking lesson, you prepare and cook yourself under Simonetta's expert guidance in a very friendly and informal atmosphere. Whenever possible, fresh produce from the Le Cetinelle vegetable garden and orchard are used, plus, of course, their own Chianti Classico wine and extra virgin olive oil. Cooking classes can be arranged over 1, 2, 3 or more days and they usually start at 10 am for a lunch cooking lesson and 4 pm for a dinner lesson. This allows plenty of time for the lesson before you sit down to enjoy the products of your labours.

A Tuscan cookery class with Simonetta

For those more interested in dining that cooking, Simonetta also prepares evening meals for those who are interested.

So if you're seeking very attractive and economical vacation accommodations with the opportunity to learn Tuscan cookery, Le Cetinelle is the place for you!

More about Tuscan cooking lessons at Le Cetinelle.

Travellers Guide to Chianti.

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

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Tuscany, Europe's top budget tourist destination

Today, I'll be giving a positive answer to this question: Is Tuscany Europe's top budget tourist destination? As we all know, the dollar and, to an even greater extent, the pound have fallen in value against the euro for several years in a row. This no doubt helps US and UK exporters but it might be expected to be less than helpful to tourists visiting the euro zone, including Tuscany. The empirical evidence strongly suggests this is not the case, especially for visitors from America. How can that be?

Tuscany - Europe's top budget tourist destination?

Your vacation costs are in essence the flight, your accommodation, your food and local transport.

Prices of flights to Europe have been decreasing steadily in real terms. (Comfort has also decreased, but that's another story.) The airlines are definitely stressed by this trend, but, in the meanwhile, tourists should take advantage of what's on offer.

What about accommodation? In Tuscany, uniquely in Europe, there has been a huge increase in the availability and quality of non-hotel vacation accommodation in the form of farmhouses (often incorrectly referred to as "villas"), farmhouse apartments, village apartments and Bed and Breakfast rooms. The increased competition due to the greater numbers of vacation rentals available together with much easier price comparison via the internet, plus the fact that agriturismi and similar rural and village vacation rentals are much less regulated than hotels, means that prices have decreased in real terms over the past ten years to the point where a couple can easily find a comfortable apartment for 65 euros per night or less. A family with children can easily find a stand-alone farmhouse with a swimming pool for under 100 euros per night. In addition, the old Saturday to Saturday minimum stay has long since vanished from owner-direct bookings and from a great many agency-mediated bookings as well. A three night minimum stay is now the rule rather than the exception. Many B&B's will let a room for a single night. The rural holiday homes are almost always beautifully-restored, traditional Tuscan structures furnished in Tuscan country style and with modern bathrooms. In Tuscany, families are reluctant to sell houses that have been in the family for generations and would rather renovate them and rent them out. Since Italy's rental laws are unreformed (meaning you can't boot someone out for not paying the rent), most Tuscans strongly prefer renting to tourists for a few months a year than risk renting to a local who might decide not to pay. This is all to the advantage of holiday-makers coming to Tuscany.

More about what to expect from your Tuscan vacation rental.

Tuscan country style furnishings in a Tuscan farmhouse vacation accommodation

How are food prices? There are two aspects to answering this question. First, restaurants and trattorias. During last year, I spoke to many Americans about restaurant prices which I remembered as being very inexpensive in the States. The responses were almost uniformly that it was too long since I'd been there. While quantity is always greater in the States, restaurant prices have gone up to the extent that eating out in Tuscany is now comparatively inexpensive. Competition and the structure of the Tuscan restaurant trade (mostly family run), has kept prices more or less constant in real terms for more than a decade.  I have discussed what it costs to eat out in Tuscany previously on this blog and my colleague Elena Spolaor provides current data on restaurant prices in Tuscany.

The second aspect regarding the price of food is related to Tuscan accommodation opportunities. If you rent a villa or an apartment with a fully equipped kitchen, you can prepare your own meals at home either from the abundant and inexpensive raw materials available everywhere in Tuscany or from the freshly cooked meat, vegetables and pasta available in supermarkets all over the Region. Buying a bottle of wine at a winery or in supermarket contributes to making eating at home inexpensive and enjoyable.

Dining at your own accommodation in Tuscany

Lastly, the subject of local transport. There's no denying that renting a car provides the best way to see the many sights of interest in Tuscany. Nevertheless, it's possible to have an enjoyable holiday in Tuscany without a car by staying in or within walking distance of a town or village served by trains or buses. For intercity travel, the new high speed trains, Frecciarossa and Italo, are preferable to many, including me, over a car. By booking in advance, you can make substantial savings and make high speed train travel not only convenient but inexpensive as well.

More about getting around in Tuscany.

More about getting around in Chianti.


In summary - I'm totally convinced that Tuscany is the new budget destination in Europe, with undiminished (indeed, enhanced) comfort and convenience, plus the wine, countryside and art cities that have always been here for the pleasure and profit of our visitors. See you soon!

Recommended vacation accommodations in the Chianti towns,
villages and countryside.

Travellers Guide to Chianti.

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Web Site Promotion 2013 - 2019. All rights reserved.

Apartment to rent in a small town or village in Tuscany

I often see enquiries on travel forums, from travellers preparing for their trip to Tuscany, requesting a recommendation for an apartment to rent in a small town or village in Tuscany. They have the right idea! There's no better way to enjoy and really understand life here in Tuscany than by renting a self-catering vacation apartment outside of the main centres. And it's economical as well! Today I want to describe just such a place, namely Appartamento Saverio in Greve in Chianti which sleeps 4 in a double room and a twin room, and can sleep two more on a sofa bed.

An apartment to rent in a small town or village in Tuscany

The apartment that I'm recommending today is situated right on Piazza Matteotti, the arcaded, main piazza of the small town of Greve in Chianti. Greve has around 14,000 inhabitants and is located on the scenic via Chiantigiana, the main road between Florence and Siena. Greve is accessible by bus from Florence (60 minutes to the centre of Florence) and Appartamento Saverio is a five minute walk from the bus stop, meaning that you don't need a car to get here nor to make excursions to Florence. There is a good supermarket in the town plus numerous restaurants and food outlets, many of them around Piazza Matteotti. And yet, in most directions, a 15 minute stroll takes you out into the vineyards and olive groves, and the mediaeval walled village of Montefioralle is just a mile away.

The apartment is large and both the structure and the furnishings are typically Tuscan, with a huge fireplace in the living room. In fact, the buildings around Piazza Matteotti date back several hundred years. Appartamento Saverio has two modern bathroom and a huge terrace that overlooks the piazza. A great place for a dinner al fresco or just to sit and enjoy the sun while watching the activity of the piazza. In essence, if you're looking for an apartment to rent in a small town or village in Tuscany, Appartamento Saverio should be at or near the top of the list!

More about Tuscany Holiday Apartment "Saverio" in Greve in Chianti.

The main sights of Chianti Italy

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

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Where can I stay in a castle in Tuscany?

Now that Christmas is over, many of my readers are already planning their vacation in Tuscany, and several have contacted me with the question, "Where can I stay in a castle in Tuscany?" Luckily there are several beautifully renovated castles in Tuscany that offer vacation rentals in the form of rooms and self-catering apartments. If your group is large enough, you can rent an entire Tuscan castle! And for those who are searching for a Tuscan wedding venue, several castles in Tuscany offer truly beautiful, unique and memorable wedding venues. Note that I'm referring here to genuine castles. There are also, of course, many Tuscan villas that were originally castles but which were modified beyond recognition during the Renaissance when they were converted into villas. (I'll describe some of those in a future post.)

Castello di Meleto near Gaiole in Chianti

When choosing your Tuscan castle, it's worthwhile ask yourself whether you want to rent a small, perhaps modern, self-catering apartment within the castle or its grounds, or a grand room that forms part of the castle proper with service in the dining room and access to a spectacular lounge.

One of the rooms at Spaltenna Castle near Gaiole in Chianti

Other important aspects to consider are related to the location of your castle:
- is it accessible by public transport?
- does it have panoramic views?
- is it deep in the countryside or near a town or city?
And then there are amenities to consider:
- swimming pool? Not all Tuscan castles offer a pool but most do.
- gourmet dining or simple B&B?
- is the property a wine producer with cellars and wine tasting? Ditto olive oil?

Castello di Vicchiomaggio near Greve in Chianti

Here I list some beautiful castles in Tuscany that offer vacation rentals. These are castles known to me personally and I'll be adding to this list as I visit more of them.

Castello di Meleto - a castle that retains a great deal of its military architecture, located near Gaiole in Chianti.

Castello di Spaltenna - somewhat modified over time since the castle was converted into a monastery, but retains its military character. Located near Gaiole in Chianti.

Castello di Vicchiomaggio - an important wine producer, located near Greve in Chianti.

Castello di Querceto - another important Chianti wine producer,  located near Greve in Chianti.

Castello di Gabbiano - a splendid castle located near Mercatale.

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Italian Web Site Promotion 2016. All rights reserved.

Poggio all'Olmo, a classic Tuscan farm house vacation location in Chianti

Now is the quiet season for Tuscan agriturismi, those rural vacation rentals that provide such excellent and economical holiday accommodation in Tuscany, especially in the Chianti Classico wine zone. Since agriturismi are, by definition, also working farms, right now most of them are attending to their olive oil production. I took the opportunity to visit Poggio all'Olmo, a classic Tuscan farm house vacation location in Chianti, owned and managed by my friend Francesca Vanni. It's been a year or two since I paid her a visit and it was great to be reminded of what a beautiful property she has in the Chianti hills above Greve in Chianti.

Poggio all'Olmo Tuscan farmhouse vacation rental in Chianti

Francesca offers two vacation apartments for 2 to 4 persons, as well as a double room. Since my last visit, the bathrooms have all been modernised to a very high standard. The rooms are furnished in Tuscan country style and the flowering shrubs on the terraces are more mature than during my previous visit. The swimming pool has fabulous views out over the vineyards and olive groves that surround the agriturismo on all sides. The olive harvest was completed last week so I picked up several bottles of olio nuovo!

Poggio all'Olmo swimming pool

The location of Agriturismo Poggio all'Olmo  is very convenient for those who would like to explore Chianti and central Tuscany together with Florence and Sienna. This is because Greve is located halfway between Florence and Sienna, on the scenic Chiantigiana road and it's an hour by car or bus to Florence. It's about the same to Sienna but for that you need a car, otherwise it's a long haul by bus to Florence and then from there to Sienna by train or bus.

Breakfast at Agriturismo Poggio all'Olmo

For those who want it, Francesca will prepare a spread of fresh fruit, juice, rolls tea and coffee for your breakfast - that's a worthwhile extra at 10 euros per person.

More about Poggio all'Olmo vacation accommodations in Chianti, Tuscany.

Don't forget to visit Elena Spolaor's Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany & Umbria. Chianti Travel Guide

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Web Site Promotion 2014. All rights reserved.

Edith Wharton in Italy - villas and gardens of Tuscany

The novels and short stories of Edith Wharton are still on the reading lists of the more progressive women's colleges in the United States, and some of them are even read from time to time. However, my interest in Mrs Wharton is based on her life-long passion for garden design on the grand scale and on her excellent book, "Italian Villas and their Gardens" which was published in 1904 and is scarce in its original edition. As a substitute or additional read, I can recommend Edith Wharton's Italian Gardens by Vivian Russell, who visited and photographed the surviving gardens described by Mrs Wharton.

Edith Wharton as an earnest young woman

Although Mrs Wharton (1862-1937) is often tarted up by English Literature departments as something of a rebel, her birth in 1862 into the richest of the rich class of "Old New York" made possible not only her fictional writings, with their insider's view of America's privileged classes, but, much more importantly to me, made it natural that she would travel extensively in Europe and allowed her to create a wonderful house and garden, "The Mount", near Lenox, Massachusetts, and to recreate a second one, "Le Pavilion Colombe", at Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt. These houses and estates were created according to the principles elaborated in her book The Decoration of Houses (1897), co-authored by Ogden Codman, and drew heavily upon her observations of the villas and gardens of Tuscany, especially of the Medicean villas. She wrote in Italian Villas and their Gardens that gardens should be divided into rooms and planned in concert with the house and the natural landscape, a Classical concept revived in Renaissance times.

"The Mount", Edith Wharton's house and garden at Lenox, Mass.

Edith Wharton's parents were George Frederic Jones and Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander, and the saying "keeping up with the Jones" is said to refer to her family. After the end of the Civil War, her family traveled extensively in Europe. From 1866 to 1872, the Jones family visited France, Italy, Germany and Spain. During these travels, Edith became fluent in French, German and Italian. When at home in the United States, the Joneses spent their winters in their New York mansion and their summers in their Newport "cottage". In 1885, at age 23, Edith Jones married Edward (Teddy) Robbins Wharton, who was 12 years her senior. Wharton was from a well-established Boston family, and was a sportsman and a gentleman of the same social class, and shared her love of travel. Unfortunately, the marriage began to deteriorate, in part due to Teddy Wharton's severe depression, and Mrs Wharton eventually moved permanently to France. During World War I, she remained in her Paris apartment and was an ardent and effective supporter of the French war effort.

Henry James, Edith Wharton, and Howard Sturgis

Edith Wharton was an indefatigable motorist and was driven throughout Europe by her chauffeur Charles Cook in amazing, usually huge, cars that were often one of a kind. Her tours resulted in some excellent travel writing, including her book Italian Backgrounds and of course, Italian Villas and their Gardens. One of her favorite Tuscan gardens is also a favorite of mine, namely Villa Gamberaia, located on the outskirts of the village of Settignano near Florence. Bernard Berenson was another Florentine friend of Mrs Wharton and his Villa I Tatti is about a mile away from Villa Gamberaia. Villa I Tatti belongs to Harvard University and is not easily visited, but Villa Gamberaia is still in private hands and one can not only visit the gardens but it is possible to stay in one of the guest houses within the garden.

The garden of Villa Gamberaia viewed from the villa

Edith Wharton passed away on 11 August, 1937 at Le Pavillon Colombe, her 18 C house on Rue de Montmorency in Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt. She was comforted by her friend Mrs Royall Tyler, a native of Florence, born Elisina Palamidessi de Castelvecchio (sometimes styled "Contessa" - including by herself - but, although her mother held that title, it was not hereditary and she had no right to it). She was the wife of a famous Bostonian historian educated partly at Harrow and Oxford, with extensive European connections. My friend Paul Chipchase knew their son, William Royall Tyler, himself an eminent American abroad, and passed on to me many interesting reminiscences of Mrs Wharton.

I can strongly recommend the excellently written and beautifully illustrated recent biography of Edith Wharton by Eleanor Dwight. Everything you need to know is here along with masses of rare photographs.

R.W.B. Lewis wrote an earlier and highly regarded biography of Edith Wharton which I am about to read. I'll report back on that later. There is a further recent biography of Edith Wharton by Hermione Lee. This latter runs to 850 pages, including masses of analysis of Mrs Wharton's fiction. I doubt that I'll read it.

Villa Medici at Fiesole

Among the villa gardens near Florence that Mrs Wharton described in her book are Villa Petraia, Villa Demidoff (Pratolino), Villa Medici at Fiesole, Villa Corsini near Impruneta, Villa Gamberaia and Villa Capponi at Arcetri.

More about Tuscan villas.

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Holiday accommodations in Chianti

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Infotech website promotion 2015 - 2020. All rights reserved.

Volpaia - a place to stay in Volpaia, Tuscany

Volpaia is a village of great charm and well worth a visit if you are anywhere in the Chianti region of Tuscany, especially around Lamole, Gaiole and Radda. It is the home of the Compagnia di Volpaia wine company which owns a significant proportion of the village. Nevertheless, there are many private homes and businesses, as well as three excellent restaurants in Volpaia. The village also has much to recommend it as a base for a vacation in this part of Tuscany.

A view of Volapia in Chianti, Tuscany

Volpaia is a fortified village, known in Tuscany as a "castello", located on the frontier separating the territories of Florence and Sienna. In its present form, the "castello" of Volpaia dates largely from the 11C. Only part of the original protective walls and two of the original six towers are still standing, but the mediaeval layout and buildings within the village remain largely as they were 900 years ago.

"Il Cassero", a great place to stay in Volpaia, Tuscany

A great place to stay in Volpaia is "Il Cassero" vacation apartment. The Italian word cassero can mean quarterdeck, in nautical terms, but, in relation to architecture, it means a raised structure forming part of a castle - in our case, a watch tower. "Il Cassero" vacation apartment is built inside one of the main watchtowers of Volpaia. The holiday apartment is furnished and decorated in Tuscan country style and sleeps up to 6 persons. Unusually for a Tuscan vacation rental, the minimum stay is only two days.

More about "Il Cassero" vacation apartment in Volpaia, Tuscany.

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Italian Web Site Promotion 2015. All rights reserved.

Vacation accommodations in Tuscany

Now is the time to consider reserving your vacation accommodations in Tuscany. As soon as Christmas and New Year are over, everyone will be starting to plan a vacation for the new year. If you'll be coming to central Italy, be sure to consider the option of staying for at least part of the time in Tuscan vacation accommodations in the country. There a numerous agriturismi, as these rural holiday homes are called, within easy reach of the bigger art cities by car or bus, and their prices can be extremely reasonable - as little as 65 euros per night for an apartment sleeping 2-3 people - that's with a fully equipped kitchen and often access to a pool. Add to this tranquility, panoramic views and, during summer, significantly cooler temperatures, and a stay in the country becomes a very attractive option.

A beautiful Tuscan agriturismo for your vacation accommodations in Tuscany

One of the most popular areas to stay in is the Chianti area between Florence and Sienna, with numerous agriturismi being located in the hills around Greve in Chianti. Florence is easily accessible by bus although a car makes it easier to visit Siena. The entire Chianti area is packed with history in the form of castles, fortified mediaeval villages, abbeys, monasteries, Romanesque churches and tower houses. And of course Chianti Classico wine is available directly from the wineries throughout the area.

To obtain the best rates, OWNER DIRECT reservations are recommended. You can ask the owner questions and at the same time avoid middleman fees any dodgy rental agencies that might be out there on the internet.

Click this link for accommodation in Chianti and elsewhere in Tuscany.

For information on almost every town and village in Tuscany and Umbria: www.bella-toscana.com

For information on the Chianti Classico area and Tuscany in general: www.chianti.info

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Infotech 2015 - 2016. All rights reserved.

A mediaeval ball game in southern Tuscany - "Palla ventuno" or "Palla-eh"

A mediaeval ball game in southern Tuscany called "Palla ventuno" or "Palla-eh" is gaining in popularity to the extent that there are now competitions between teams from six villages in the Alta Maremma. Palla 21 is the Southern Tuscan variant of the jeux de paume, which has been played throughout most of Europe since ancient times and from which tennis reputedly originated.

Palla 21 being played in Torniella (Casa Reasco in the background)

Palla 21 is played wherever enough space is available: in the square of the village or for that matter on the main street if the village is so small it has no piazza! The ball is hand made, containing a lead pellet wrapped in rubber and wool with a leather cover. There is no referee. The game is played by facing teams who strike (not catch) the ball with either a bare or gloved hand. Courts are marked out with painted lines on town streets, but there is no net, and players can move between sides. Adjacent buildings, objects, and sometimes spectators, are considered "in play."

Scoring is almost identical to that of tennis (15-30-40-game). In the variant called pallaventuno (or palla 21) each game counts as 7, and a set is won with three games (7 for the first, 14 for the second, and 21 for the third, hence the name of the game). In the other variant, games are simply counted in progression (game 1, game 2). Pallacorda (or palla della corda) is an extinct form of the game where a cord (precursor of the tennis net) was strung across the street. Pisa, Prato, Rome, Sienna and various Tuscan towns still have streets named via Pallacorda or via Della Corda.

Vacation apartments in Torniella, convenient to Sienna and the Maremma. Ideal for groups of up to 12 persons. Holiday apartments for 2 to 6 persons. Both apartments may be rented together with additional rooms providing accommodation for groups of up to 12 vacationing together. Click here for more about Casa Reasco.

During 2014, this is the schedule - heats on the Saturday and finals on the Sunday:

• Scalvaia, 26-27 July
• Ciciano, 2-3 August
• Torniella, 9-10 August
• Piloni, 16-17 August
• Vetulonia, 23-24 August
• Tirli, 30-31 August

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Italian Web Site Promotion 2014. All rights reserved.

Tuscan winery vacation accommodations

I recently visited the Il Santo winery on the outskirts of Greve in Chianti. I'd forgotten just how good their wine is. Il Santo is also an excellent example of the kind of Tuscan winery vacation accommodations available in this area of Chianti - both comfortable and economical. Budget travellers without a car will find Il Santo additionally attractive because it is within reasonable walking distance of the Florence bus stop in Greve (1 km). The owner and manager is the kind and attentive Alessandro Turchi.

View out from Il Santo Tuscan winery vacation accommodations

Il Santo offers accommodation for up to 11 persons in four small apartments, two of which are air conditioned. Each has a private entrance and its own outdoor table and chairs on a terrace or in the garden. The views are panoramic, taking in the Il Santo vineyards and olive trees, and then the forested Chianti hills. The large swimming pool is available to guests and there is a good WiFi connection.

Dining room of one of the vacation apartments at Il Santo

The great thing about Il Santo as a Tuscan vacation location is that it is centrally located in Chianti, half way between Florence and Sienna, making it an ideal base for exploring almost every corner of Tuscany. Greve in Chianti is on the Via Chiantigiana, one of the most scenic motoring routes in Tuscany, if not in all Italy.

You can't go wrong choosing Il Santo as your holiday home in Tuscany.

More about Azienda Agricola Il Santo near Greve in Chianti, Tuscany.

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

All content copyright © ammonet Italian Web Site Promotion 2014. All rights reserved.

Recommended family-friendly accommodations in Tuscany

Now that spring shows signs of coming (well, at least it isn't snowing here in Tuscany anymore - other than in the mountains), I'm receiving requests for recommended family-friendly accommodations in Tuscany. What parents usually have in mind by "family-friendly" is plenty of space for children to run around far away from traffic. My top recommendation goes to Piano di Montagliari, a Bed and Breakfast vacation accommodation located between Greve and Panzano on one of the rare flat areas of Chianti.

Piano di Montagliari Bed and Breakfast accommodations in Chianti, Tuscany

Chianti, as almost everyone knows, is a very hilly wine-growing area covering the territory between Florence and Sienna. One of the very few extensive flat areas lies where the river Greve emerges from the hills below Lamole before turning north to run through the town of the same name to join the Arno just west of Florence. This flat, former flood plain is known as the Piano di Montagliari after the big villa and formerly castle Montagliari nearby.

Part of the extensive lawns around Piano di Montagliari - Villa Vignamaggio
is visible on the ridge in the distance.

B&B Piano di Montagliari is part of an old mill and is surrounded by extensive lawns which are ideal for young people's games (soccer goal provided!) and there is almost no traffic on the adjoining road which accesses one or two houses further upstream. The location also means peace and tranquility for parents who can relax in the lovely gardens after a hard day of sightseeing. Rooms with private bathrooms as well as rooms with access to a common bathroom are available. Highly recommended!

More about B&B Piano di Montagliari.

Map of the main sights of Chianti.

Travellers Guide to Chianti.

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

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