A Bit of History: Tuscany is the 5th largest region in Italy, known for its cheese, olive oil and wine producers. Tuscany is also known for its exceptional beauty and fine restaurants. One visit to Tuscany and you are sure to fall in love with its scenery of rolling green hills with the occasional medieval fortress or monastery rising from the top of a remote hill.
Tuscany’s origins go back to the Etruscans who lived in this region from the 7th to the 3rd century BC..Julius Caesar mentions them in his writings in 50 BC. Today, Tuscany is a living testament to many influences on its architectural style: Roman, Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance while the region produces some of the finest silverwork, goldsmithing, ornamental furnishings, alabaster, and wrought-iron.
Florence, the City of Flowers, is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance movement. Everywhere you go in the city, you will see expressions of beauty. Save time for visits to some of the plentiful museums in Florence and see the works of some of the greatest artists of all time! A lively city, by day or by night, Florence is a great place to stroll, shop or sightsee.
In each tour, our licensed, expert Italian tour guides will fill you in on little – known interesting bits of history and lore that will bring out the meaning of each landmark you see and answer any questions you may have.
Florence and Tuscany One-day Private Wine Tours
This tour will take you to some of the best regional wineries in the famous Chianti region where you will learn from a licensed, Italian wine expert about this region’s fascinating history, art, cuisine and winemaking. Tour participants travel in comfort in a private, chauffeured minivan and have ample opportunities to sightsee. At each winery, they will be presented with wine tastings and the “authentic” experience of seeing where the wine originates from the grapes drying on racks to the barrels where it is aging. This tour also offers participants the opportunity to make special requests if they have a favorite winery or restaurant they would like to visit in this famous wine producing region.
Wining in Florence – Private Tours
For those who would like to explore Florence’s historical winemaking district, this Walking Tour will provide elaborate insight and color in the history of Florence’s winemaking. You will be introduced to its most famous noble, founding families: Antinori and Frescobaldi and learn what their relationship was with the City. The tour also includes a sensorial analysis of five wines followed by a tasting session with regional food specialties – an unforgettable experience!
Lucca, Art, History and Wine – Private Tours
This tour introduces you to a fine example of military–inspired Renaissance architecture notable both for the purpose it served in protecting its inhabitants as for its artistic value. Once inside the walls, you come face-to-face with the Duomo, a sight that dominates the entire area: Throughout history, the Duomo served at the central gathering place for Lucca. Built in a Romanesque style during the 11th and 12th centuries, its asymmetrical façade dates back to 1204 while its Bell tower is a masterpiece in itself. Within the church is a collection of world famous 13th century religious sculptures, 15th century windows and the famous tomb of Illaria del Carretto as well as Quercia’s famous Funerary Monument and St. Martin on Horseback and the Beggar. Other buildings in Lucca include the church of S. Michele in Foro, the 17th century Palazzo Mansi, the 15th century Villa Guinigi, and the Basilica di S. Frediano. Where the fortified walls once served as protection, there is now a charming, tree-lined walkway for visitors to enjoy decorated with medieval and Renaissance porticoes.
The Tower and Wine Tour in Pisa – Private Tours
Once a flourishing maritime Republic in Roman times, built on the bend of the River Arno, Pisa is now best known for its swaying tower and city of architectural masterpieces. On this tour, your expert guide will acquaint you with Pisa’s interesting military history going back to the 12th century, when it gave its support to the First Crusade, waged war against the Saracens and defeated Amalfi. Ongoing rivalries with Lucca, Florence and Genoa led to defeats on land and at sea and in 1406, it fell to Florence. Since that time, the port has silted up creating a marshland of unstable soil – thus, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Along this tour you’ll visit its Piazza del Duomo known for with four, unequalled architectural masterpieces: its cathedral, Baptistery, Leaning Tower and monumental cemetery. The Duomo, houses one of the greatest masterpieces of Italian Gothic art: a marble pulpit by Giovanni Pisano. The “Leaning Tower” is the bell tower, one of the most beautiful in the world. From its heights, Galileo experimented in the force of gravity. Over its 800 year history, the tower has swayed three meters to the side. For that reason, it is secured by steel cables and with the exception of very windy days, visitors are permitted to ascend the tower’s 22 stories every 15 minutes.
Tavarnelle & Impruneta Olive Oil – Private Tours
This tour will take you on an unforgettable sightseeing trip from Florence to the olive groves and vineyards of Tuscany past farmhouses that now serve as small hotels to cheese, olive oil and wine producers. Follow the Road to Impruneta and you will pass into the famous Chianti region. Here you will learn from your licensed local guide how Extra Virgin olive oil is made and how the process has changed over the past 100+ years. Your tour will include sampling the current crop of olive oil where you will taste hints of fruits and vegetables grown alongside the trees. You will then stop in one of the many local villages dating back 700 – 800 years to enjoy regional cuisine and shop for gifts produced in Chianti. After lunch, your tour proceeds to an area winery where you will be enchanted by the patchwork colors of the fields that surround it. Here you will sample different vintages made here while you learn about the winemaking that has made the Chianti region so famous. Tuscany has long been the subject of many famous artists’ landscapes. Its multicolored buildings, fragrant and serene countryside of cypress, olive groves and vineyards, and the occasional sight of a medieval fortress or monastery on a hillside all add to the charm of this special tour.
Siena and San Gimignano Wine – Private Tours
On this tour, you will take a step back to the medieval ages as you sample wines from San Gimignano and Siena wineries traveling in the comfort of a private car or minivan with a food, art and wine historian. The tour includes wine cellar visits, wine tasting and lunch. This very popular tour takes you to the last two Medieval towns in existence: Siena, known worldwide for its annual IL PALIO race complete with its medieval pageantry and San Gimignano where the world famous Vernaccia (white) wines have been produced for at least 800 years. Both towns were at one time walled cities built on high hilltops in the 12th century. Before the Black Plague devastated their inhabitants the cities were constantly under attack and the locked gates and walls provided protection to its inhabitants. (Florence conquered San Gimignano in 1353 and Siena in 1555 unifying its territories). Each city had 74 towers rising 100’ – 150’ into the sky as a show of wealth and power by the noble families that built them. Today, only one tower remains in Siena and 14 in San Gimignano. You’ll see what remains of the city’s’ walls and gates, view the beautiful Gothic churches and get a glimpse of the oldest example of medieval architecture in Italy in San Gimignano’s Tower House. In addition to tasting the wine produced here, you will be able to purchase other unique food products from this region, such as truffles, saphron, local biscuits, and artwork depicting the wild boar that still roam freely in the forests around these two towns.