Siena
Water first bubbled forth from the Fonte Gaia in the upper part of the Campo in 1346. The fountain's panels are reproductions; the severely weathered…
Must-see attractions in Tuscany
Central Coast & Elba
A stroll from the main street, Via Giacomo Matteotti, uphill along Via del Crocifisso, brings you to these cloisters, all that remains of the 13th-century…
Eastern Tuscany
Sansepolcro's most famous son, Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca, lived and worked at this modest 15th-century house in central Sansepolcro…
Boboli & San Miniato al Monte
Housed in the 18th-century Palazzina del Cavaliere in the Boboli Gardens, this small museum houses an exquisite collection of European porcelain. Many…
Central Coast & Elba
Suvereto's crowning glory is this part-15th-century rocca (castle), abandoned in the 1600s and slowly being restored. The climb to it up winding village…
Museo Archeologico del Chianti Senese
Chianti
Etruscan archaeological finds from the local area are on display at this museum in the town's medieval rocca (fortress). Room 4 showcases artefacts found…
Eastern Tuscany
Find this well-put-together archaeological museum at the top of the picturesque walled town, inside Castiglion Fiorentino's medieval fortress. The museum…
Cortona
Lap up the stupendous view over the Val di Chiana to Lago Trasimeno in Umbria from the remains of this Medici fortress, atop the highest point in town –…
Cortona
Built in the 13th century, this was the second church dedicated to St Francis after the basilica in Assisi and is a popular stop for pilgrims following…
Montalcino
This imposing 14th-century structure was expanded under the Medici dukes and now dominates Montalcino's skyline. You can sample and purchase local wines…
Oltrarno
Looming large above Ponte Vecchio is this rectangular, five-storey stone tower, built by the Marsili family as a status symbol in the 12th century. The…
Museo dell'Arte della Lana - Lanificio di Stia
Eastern Tuscany
For centuries the attractive town of Stia on the banks of the Staggia river (a tributary of the Arno), was the centre of the Casentino's famous wool…
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Cortona
The views of the Val di Chiana from the terrace in front of Cortona's 15th-century duomo (cathedral) are spectacular, but the church itself is…
Livorno
This Franciscan church, with notably plain and stark facade, was built in the 17th century by foreign communities of the Catholic faith living in Livorno…
Casa-Studio di Fernando Melani
Pistoia
The house studio where Pistoia-born abstract artist Fernando Melandi lived and worked can be visited – a perfect opportunity to view works by the artist…
Volterra
The 14th-century Fortezza Medicea, later altered by Lorenzo Il Magnifico, is nowadays a prison (admission: one felony), but the 'Nuova Fortezza' within…
Montepulciano
At the upper end of Piazza Savonarola is the Colonna del Marzocca, erected in 1511 to confirm Montepulciano's allegiance to Florence. The stone lion atop…
Museo d'Arte Sacra di San Francesco di Greve in Chianti
Chianti
Located on a steep street off Via Roma, this former convent has a modest collection of art and an exterior terrace overlooking the surrounding countryside…
Chiesa Abbaziale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo
Northwestern Tuscany
Castelnuovo's small duomo (cathedral) was rebuilt in the 15th century on the ruins of an 11th-century Romanesque church. Its baroque interior safeguards a…
San Gimignano
The crumbling shell of the town's 14th-century fortress commands views across the valley and has a small playground and plenty of space to picnic in. It's…
Siena
Built between 1417 and 1428, this arched loggia with its distinctive sculptures is located on the Croce del Travaglio, from which the three main roads of…
Pistoia
Break between sights with a frolic in this whimsical city park designed by local artists where contemporary works of art mingle with playful slides,…
Cortona
For an effective cardiovascular workout, hike up to this largely 19th-century church through Cortona's warren of steep cobbled lanes. Inside, the remains…
San Gimignano
Youngsters love this handmade ceramic re-creation of the medieval city, complete with houses, streets, towers and people as they would have looked in 1300…
Northwestern Tuscany
Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister and short-lived ruler of Tuscany, once lived in handsome Villa Reale, 7km north of Lucca in Marlia. The house isn't…
Livorno
This Greek Orthodox church was built in 1607, acquired its magnificent baroque facade in the 18th century and became a Catholic church after WWII. The…
Arezzo
Up high to the southeast of Duomo di Arezzo, across the peaceful gardens of the Passeggio del Prato, rears the Fortezza Medicea, built between 1538 and…
Northwestern Tuscany
Tucked between shops on Via Mazzini is this precious chapel, frescoed with the Gate of Paradise and Gate of Hell by Fernando Botero (b 1932). Spot the…
Eastern Tuscany
The lower part of Castiglion Fiorentino's fortress is home to a small collection of art including a Madonna and Child from the school of Taddeo Gaddi and…
Livorno
Livorno's huge concrete synagogue, built between 1958 and 1962, occupies the site of a 17th-century predecessor that was badly damaged by Allied bombs in…
Concattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
Southern Tuscany
It may be modest as far as many Tuscan churches go, but Orbetello's duomo is still attractive, retaining its 14th-century Gothic facade despite being…
Eastern Tuscany
This dedicated exhibition and studio space for contemporary art is housed in a decaying palazzo that was formerly the headquarters of the Sansepolcro…
Montepulciano
Several mansions line Via di Gracciano nel Corso, including this palace, which has recycled Etruscan and Latin inscriptions and reliefs incorporated into…
Fiesole
The collection of early Tuscan Renaissance works inside this tiny art museum includes fine medallions by Giovanni della Robbia (c 1505–20) and Taddeo…
Northwestern Tuscany
Visit this lovely ethnographic museum, in San Pellegrino's former hospital, to learn just how little traditional mountain life has changed over the…
Siena
Dedicated to the patron saint of travellers and a popular stop on the medieval Via Francigena pilgrims' route, this church dates from the 11th century but…
Fiesole
Fiesole's cathedral, begun in the 11th century, stands sentry over the central square. Look out for the glazed terracotta statue of San Romolo by Giovanni…
Northwestern Tuscany
The far end of Piazza del Duomo is dominated by the 13th-century stone hulk of this deconsecrated church. Once dedicated to St Augustine, today the…
Siena
This handsome Renaissance style structure next to the Chiesa di San Martino was commissioned by Pope Pius II (Enea Silvio Piccolomini) and built in 1462.
Southern Tuscany
Porto Ercole's centro storico stretches up the hillside, past the sandwiched-in Chiesa di Sant'Erasmo and up towards the largest of the three Spanish…
