A Visit to Tuscany; Land of Renaissance Masterpieces
Claudia Bicego is one of the owners of Sovigliano, a wonderful farmhouse conversion in Chianti, Tuscany, which has four B&B rooms and four apartments. The farmhouse is set on a large piece of land with wonderful views, and guests share use of the swimming pool and grounds, and can get all their meals on site. A week in an apartment costs from 700 euros.
Have you ever noticed that the background of hundreds of Renaissance masterpieces is a Tuscan landscape? There are many reasons why this might be: the unique nature of Tuscan landscapes, maybe because they have always been considered picturesque, poetic and evocative; maybe because they remain in the heart of traveller, leaving special feelings and memories inside him. For all these reasons Tuscany deserves a visit anytime and at any age.
You can start your travel from Florence, the Italian Renaissance capital city, with its wonderful works of art, discovering the places where the history of the famous artists meets the small artisans' shops, still living and animated streets and alleys of the centre. The hills of Chianti cherish Florence and the city is more precious and richer with the natural products coming from the hills, especially wine and olive oil.
In these lands, nature and art blend together inspiring each other: the artist celebrates the green hills with olive fields and vineyards, painting them into his masterpieces and the nature shows and declaims its beauty and majesty in front of the traveller's eyes, with different fragrances, colours and fruit changing with every season. Tuscany hides breath-taking landscapes behind any corner and you can discover small natural treasures, travelling through a setting where man has learnt how to live in harmony with nature.
Wine, olive oil, cheeses, cold cuts, the most tasty and creative traditional recipes are all examples of Chianti men's initiative and creativity. The farmers living here with their efforts shaped this land as you can see it today. Man's work and effort together with a naturally mild and varying weather makes Chianti a wonderful and magnificent region, rich of good fruits.
In this beautiful framework, Sovigliano experience has started as a bet: in the 80’s a couple with 2 daughters and a son left their home in Northern Italy to come and live in Chianti totally in touch with nature. After few years as farmers, they decided to open their home to other people as farmhouse. In the last 25 years people from all over the world has come to Sovigliano for holiday and the most of them consider us their Italian family.
Sovigliano Farmhouse is a good starting point to discover Tuscany. Attending the Palio race in Siena, going up one of S. Gimignano towers, admiring the David by Michelangelo, reaching a marble quarry in Carrara, watching the Arno river from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, visiting Vinci, Leonardo's city, discovering artisans' shops are all possible experiences for a day trip, staying at Sovigliano.
During your Tuscan holiday you cannot miss the good cuisine! Everywhere in Chianti you can taste special recipes: simple and tasty cuisine and high quality food products will keep you company for the entire travel and they will become the main characters of all the stories about your Tuscan experience when you will be back home, telling your travel to your friends with a glass of Chianti wine in your hand.
