1) Thermal itineraries in Tuscany

This is certainly not meant to be the ultimate guide to spas in Tuscany, but only a small but useful guide, based on personal experience, which can help you choose the spas that are right for you.
Tuscany is full of spas and there are really all kinds of them, hot, natural, cold, smelly (those with sulfur which is good for your health but not for your nose!) near, far, large, small, in short, of all tastes, here I will consider only some of the most important and beautiful that exist. The first is undoubtedly that of Petriolo which are located between Siena and Grosseto, close to the Basso Merse nature reserve.

The Petriolo spas are on the Forma stream which flows into the Merse which in turn is a tributary of the Lombrone river. The Petriolo spas can be paid for through the resorts or accommodations that you can also find on the Petriolo spa website. The thermal baths of Petriolo extend over a vast territory where you can discover the Bagni di Petriolo, the paths around which will make you discover sources of ferruginous water such as the Sorgente del Guinzanone, also known as Molino del Tufo or about 800 meters from the thermal baths in a southerly direction you will find a characteristic Travertine formation that looks like a large white mushroom.

The latter, not for beauty but for practicality of arrival, are the Calidario di Venturina also known as the source of the Etruscans is a place where you can relax in peace, you can get there comfortably by car, you will find a restaurant, a bar, deck chairs and sunbeds for sunbathing and if you want you can also stay there given the rooms the complex is equipped with. The water of the Calidario lake, covered with small pebbles on the bottom, arrives there from a natural spring that makes the water gush out at about 36 degrees centigrade, the calidarium is located in Venturina on the road that goes from Grosseto to Livorno.

The last one I want to tell you about in this article is the Terme di Saturnia.
The Terme di Saturnia are another Tuscan natural paradise, they are located south of Grosseto, between Grosseto and Lake Bolsena, in the direction of Montefiascone.
Like the thermal baths of Petriolo, the thermal baths of Saturnia can be in double capacity, either with the resort and the spa, therefore with all the necessary comforts, or free and free by going to the Saturnia waterfalls which are always open even at night. The waterfalls are located about 3 km from the small medieval village of Saturnia.
The source of Saturnia was born in a volcanic crater, flows along a stream called Gorello, crosses an old mill, and forms the famous natural pools carved into the rock on several levels, the show you will find will be amazing, they are truly something not to be missed.
For any information on how to reach these places with us, write to us here.

2) Florence

To talk about Florence in detail, 8 volumes by Treccani are not enough.
Having said that, through this guide I want to show you 3 places not to be missed if you visit this famous city.
The first is Boboli, the famous garden of the King, given to the citizens by Caterina De ‘Medici, the last of the dynasty to die in Florence who thus wanted to thank her city by giving her her beloved garden.
Boboli is famous for its beautiful gardens, for Palazzo Pitti which contains permanent exhibitions such as that of the King’s rooms and the Costume Gallery and temporary exhibitions of internationally famous artists.
The Boboli Gardens extend from Porta Romana to Forte Belvedere, passing from Piazza Pitti as we said, inside we find important works such as the Buontalenti grotto with the naked Venus by Gianbologna, or the Fountain of Neptune again by Gianbologna renamed by the Florentines the fork fountain. Boboli is sciuraemtne a place of peace and one of the most beautiful open-air museums in Europe

Another place to visit is certainly the Central Market, which in recent years has become a place where you can meet dozens and dozens of different cultures, from the classic Florentine butcher, where you can buy Florentine steaks and lamprey, couscous and basmati rice, all in a single place, on the ground floor.
The Florentine central market has undergone an incredible transformation over the years, but it has certainly been rejuvenated and reorganized in the best possible way to accommodate any type of request.
Upstairs you can find a wide range of restaurants and pizzerias, certainly not all typical Florentine, but certainly a place where you can enjoy excellent dishes at affordable prices.

The last place I suggest is the Basilica of Santa Croce, which began to be built in 1296 and was opened in 1442. There have been many artists, architects and personalities who have collaborated on its beauty over the years, from Brunelleschi for the Pazzi Chapel, to Arnolfo di Cambio, from the decorations by Luca della Robbia to Faccio Bandinelli.
Ugo Foscolo, with the verses of his Dei Sepolcri « but more blessed than in a temple welcome Italian glories, » gave birth to the name by which the basilica is also known, Tempio dell’Itale glorie given the many buried personalities, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Gioacchino Rossini and many others.
The basilica of Santa Croce is one of the most important places in Italy, its style is one of the greatest Gothic-style creations in Italy and it is one of the largest Franciscan churches in our area. It is located in the heart of the city and can be easily reached by booking a car using this form.

3) Monteriggioni

The last of the three points of this guide is Chianti, also of Chianti I will tell you some unmissable places which we will then deepen later with other things to do and to say about Chianti.
It goes without saying that Chianti in all the collective imagination is red wine, farms, vineyards, olive oil, but not only that, it is also medieval villages and Renaissance towns that you can easily reach by booking from here too.
The first is certainly Monteriggioni also described by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy in canto XXXI of the Inferno

« […] however that, as on the round circle
Monteriggion is crowned with towers,
so is the shore which surrounds the well
they towered half the person
the horrible giants, which threatens
Jupiter of heaven again when he thunders »

And this is how we already discover in Dante Alighieri’s verses the particularity of this village, which counts with all the surrounding hamlets (about ten) has 9000 inhabitants, that is, that Monteriggioni is crowned with towers.
The 14 towers space out a wall of about 500 metres, the two gates made Monteriggioni a secure and difficult to penetrate circle, the Sienese built it between 1213 and 1219 on this hillock which is located between Florence and Siena, this hillock allowed the surveillance of the Via Cassia and the Francigena, and of the Elsa and Staggia valleys in the direction of Florence, notorious enemies of the time.
There is no historical agreement as to whether or not Monteriggioni had drawbridges like the classic film castles, but everyone is sure of one thing the gates were gates, i.e. huge wooden gates covered in iron which were operated by means of pulleys which quickly facilitated the closure.
The hill where Monteriggioni is born is a natural hill and one of the most visited fortifications during tours of Tuscany, recently part of the walkway has been made accessible and therefore open to visitors.
Easy to reach, about 1 hour by car from Florence, and also excellent as a stopover for a complete tour that can include a visit to Siena which is only 17 km away. To organize this tour with us, write here.