Italia magazine

Italia! is the award-winning magazine for everyone who has a passion for Italy. Each month, you¹ll find a wide variety of beautifully photographed and intelligently written articles to inspire and inform you. Covering every aspect of Italian life, from travel, holidays and property to food, wine and culture, we bring Italy closer to English-speaking readers across the world.

TUSCANY & FLORENCE 2023

WELCOME!

CALENDAR OF FESTIVALS • Whenever you choose to visit Tuscany, you’ll find plenty of enthralling events and festivals taking place. Here are some of the best…

Top10 BEAUTY SPOTS • Tuscany is rightly recognised as being one of the world’s most beautiful regions – here we highlight ten of our favourite destinations that justify this claim…

Tuscany’s TOP 10 GARDENS • If you’re ready for some fresh air, why not step outside into nature’s green room and take in the splendour and beauty of Tuscany’s most fragrant gardens…

THE NORTH • Discover the remote corners, iconic hotspots and rural beauty of northern Tuscany, its carnivals and musical heritage

48 HOURS IN… Lunigiana • Mario Matassa stays in Pontremoli to explore the intriguing area that sits between Liguria and Tuscany – a land of panoramic vistas, ancient castles and fabulous food

48 HOURS IN… Viareggio • The resort of Viareggio is the seaside destination of choice for Tuscans – and the carnival capital of Europe. Heather Crombie discovers the city and its surroundings…

48 HOURS IN… Lucca • Marina Spironetti visits this increasingly popular Tuscan city, and climbs its ancient walls and multitude of towers in search of the perfect landscape view

48 HOURS IN… Pisa • This former Maritime Republic is packed with hidden gems. Heather Crombie pops to Pisa and discovers there’s far more to the city than a leaning tower

A date with the BEES • Amy McPherson takes a tour of the apiary of Borgo Pignano and finds a heaven not only for the guests enjoying the luxury surrounds of this Tuscan retreat, but also a sustainable paradise for the estate’s bees as well

FLORENCE • Discover the hidden corners of Florence and nearby Fiesole, the Duomo and the city’s literary, cultural and artistic heritage

48 HOURS IN… Florence • Freya Middleton explores the heart of Florence while following in the footsteps of some of the Renaissance city’s most illustrious and influential families

Florence’s TOP 10 MUSEUMS

NEW FLORENCE • On a visit to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, the pristine Baptistery and the bounteous Mercato Centrale, Chris Allsop discovers the delights of off-season Florence…

Casa Guidi Windows • “I heard last night a little child go singing ’Neath Casa Guidi windows, by the church, O bell a libertà, O bella!”

Finding Fiesole • Fiesole offers a day away from the bustle of Florence and is well worth exploring when you get there, writes Florence tour guide Freya Middleton

THE SOUTH • Travel south of Florence to discover hill-top towns, wide open spaces, national parks and Elba, Tuscany’s historic island

Tuscany’s TOP 10 VAL D’ORCIA • Of the many appealing corners of Tuscany, Val d’Orcia offers a myriad of riches to explore. We highlight a selection of Tuscan treasures from this gilded valley

THE GENIUS OF A PLACE • Rachael Martin visits Cortona to meet Sarah Marder, a film-maker whose documentary explores the changed life of this Tuscan hilltop town

ITALIA! HERITAGE • The historical centre of San Gimignano and how its downfall became its architectural saviour

THE ABBEY OF SAN GALGANO • Step off the beaten track in Tuscany and pay a visit to the brooding Abbey of San Galgano, which could hold the secret to the origins of the Arthurian legend

Head for the Hills •...