From the Romans to the Renaissance, Tuscany is one of the greatest fountains of art in the world. From awe-inspiring paintings, majestic murals, architectural masterpieces to truly sublime sculptures, for centuries, travellers have been arriving in Tuscany in search of fine art and stimulating culture.

Because of its age-old affirmation in producing and displaying some of the finest art in the world, Tuscany plays host to vibrant year-round calendar of art exhibitions and events.

One such event being held in Tuscany is the D’apres Canova exhibition 2012. Until June 25 2012, the D’apres Canova exhibition will be displayed at the Palazzo Binelli in the Tuscan city of Carrara in the province of Massa Carrara.

The aim of the exhibition is, according to Tuscanypass.com, ‘to restore rightful critical consideration a sculptural tradition which ideally stems from the work of Antonio Canova, but which developed in original ways through the teaching of Lorenzo Bartolini and Thorvaldsen.’

If you are not completely ‘au fait’ on Italian art, Antonio Canova was an Italian sculpture from Venice who became best known for creating marble sculptures of nude human flesh in a neoclassical style.  Lorenzo Bartolini was one of Canova’s contemporaries, another Italian sculpture who permeated neoclassicism with naturalistic detail in his sculptures.

Spending most of his time in Italian in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, at the time when both Bartolini and Canova were thriving, was the Danish-Icelandic sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, who maintained a huge workshop in Rome where he worked in a heroic neoclassic style into his sculptures.

The  D’apres Canova exhibition is exhibiting the tastes and trends of Italian 19^th century sculpture, focussing particularly on a collection of plaster casts that held by the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence.

For more information on this mind-opening Italian art exhibition in Carrara visit fondazionecrcrrara.com.

Umbria, Tuscany, Le Marche and Lazio are some of the most popular regions in Italy among travellers, and like most well-visited places, these regions are popular for a reason.

Being blessed with a formidable climate, these captivating Italian districts are bursting with vineyards, aiding not only the nation’s insatiable love-affair with producing world-renowned quality wine and the many wine-tasting events that go hand-in-hand with being a top wine producing region, but the row upon row of vineyards enhances the natural beauty of these enthralling regions of Italy.

Exceptional local wine would not be complete without some exceptional local food to help wash it down, and the cuisine in Tuscany and Umbria is truly delectable.

Although to make sure that you don’t spend all your holiday in restaurants and bars experiencing Italian cuisine at its best, both Tuscany and Umbria vaunt numerable historical towns, villages and monuments, all set against a backdrop of classic Italian landscapes.

Being such naturally beautiful and culturally absorbing regions, Vintage Travel has felt compelled to increase the number of hand-selected villas we have on our books in these provinces of Italy to recommend to our clients.

One such luxury Tuscan villa is Madonna del Bagno, situated in the medieval town of Cortona in Tuscany. This 19^th century farmhouse has four bedrooms and three bathrooms and can accommodate up to eight guests. Snuggled in a hillside above the Val di Chiana, the views from this property are equally as divine as the villa itself.

Possessing a stone exterior, lush, natural and verdant gardens blend immaculately with Madonna del Bagno, a balance that superbly fusions with the surrounding landscape of diversity, fertility and natural splendour, terraced with olive groves on numerable levels.

On the inside, Madonna del Bagno boasts a tremendously Tuscan vibe, with terracotta tiles providing cool in the summer months, yet a pastel colour scheme and exposed wooden beams, providing a warm, cosy and almost cottage-like feel.

This truly Tuscan ambience can be found in the nearby town of Cortona, which, with its steep cobbled streets, almost unnerving passageways and exquisite galleries, bars and restaurants, means Cortona has remained a popular place for tourists and artists alike for decades.

If you desire a touch of Italy at its most awe-inspiring, then a stay at luxury Tuscan villa, Madonna del Bagno should definitely be on your holiday property shortlist.

Tuscany has some of the most spectacular scenery in the whole of Italy. With birds of prey soaring above hillside villages, woodpeckers pecking furiously in the dense yet sweet-smelling forests, rich with many species of truffles all year round, and the mist dawns casting a hypnotic haze over the fields and meadows, blanketed in spring flowers, it is no wonder photographers of all genres and abilities flock to this captivating Italian region.

Tuscany may be on your 2012 holiday shortlist, and if it isn’t, then it should be, particularly if you a partial to a touch of photography. So that’s your destination taken care of, now you’ll be wondering when to make your excursion to Tuscany. Well let us persuade you to make it in early May so that you can attend a six-night photographic experience in Tuscany in 2012.

‘Stunning Tuscany’ is a photographic workshop that is being held from 3 – 9 May, 2012. Guests will stay on the outskirts of the small town of San Quirico d’Orcia, overlooking a landscape that has been described as being a ‘photographer’s dream location.’

Led by British photographer Ian Bradley, ‘Stunning Tuscany’ includes group trips to the hilltop town of Pienza at dawn to capture the mystifying dawn mist on camera, various other dawn-made photo shoots, including one of the beautiful Montefollonico region as well as Tuscany’s famous Cypress trees, which never fail to make a fabulous photo.

Tutorials and workshops will take place in which guests will be given tips and advice by Ian Bradley who will be joined by fellow professional photographer, Jim Pascoe, who will offer guests a new dimension to the tutorials besides Ian’s.

To really capture the essence of ‘Stunning Tuscany’, guests will be required to walk along rough and sometimes demanding terrain, although walking in Tuscany is almost as imperative as going there with your camera.

For more information on Stunning Tuscany and how to experience Tuscany in a unique and exceptional way, visit Ian Bradley’s website at ianbradley.com.

If you are lucky enough to be spending time in the beautiful Italian region of Tuscany in Spring 2012, try and incorporate visiting the following three Tuscan treasures into your holiday itinerary to make your adventure in Tuscany in springtime 2012 even more memorable.

Meleto Castle, Chianti

Meleto Castle really epitomises the natural beauty of Tuscany, particularly during springtime. Standing mightily imposing at the end of a long driveway paved with junipers, cypresses, vineyards and orchids, with the first buds of the year twinkling in the springtime sun, we can safely say a visit to Meleto Castle is imperative during this time of year. This magnificent castle, set amongst an oasis of nature and tranquillity, boasts a pulsating and tempestuous history, making it a ‘must-see’ attraction for history and nature enthusiasts alike.

Castle Road in Chianti

Possibly the most picturesque road Europe, Castle Road in Chianti is especially beautiful if you witness it in the springtime. Stretching from Gaiole in Chianti to Pianella, this 25-km road provides the most spectacular views, dotted with ancient sights, a landscape that is home to an immensely diverse range of flora and fauna. Although be warned, make sure that you make your visit to Castle Road towards the end of your stay in Tuscany, otherwise the compulsion to return there may result in visits to other sights in Tuscany being forsaken!

Massa Marittima

Massa Marittima is a quintessentially Tuscan town that is out of the standard tourist trail. This hillside town, with its quant church perched at its pinnacle, its red-bricked rooftops, cobbled streets, gardens blossoming with colour, life and fragrance, really is a traveller’s paradise, once again, particularly in the springtime

You have until June 30, 2011 to visit possibly one of the most incredible exhibitions taking place in Florence in recent years, aptly titled – “Crystals – world’s most dazzling exhibition.”

Being held at “La Specola” Museum in the city of Florence, this spectacularly impressive exhibition displays more than 500 pieces from arguably the most famous and important crystal collections in the world – the Giazotto collection.

This remarkable display of crystals consist of gems from all over the world, all extraordinary unique in their aesthetics, richness and colour. The display includes crystals of topaz, aquamarine, quartz and tourmaline, all unique yet equally eccentric in the shape, colour and size.

The founder of the “crystals – world’s most dazzling exhibition” is Adalberto Giazotto, who, since he was a young boy, has been fascinated and enthralled by the seduction of crystals.  Since 2003, Giazotto has dedicated most of his time to acquiring crystals from all over the world, adding gems from Brazil, China, Russia, Afghanistan and Pakistan to his phenomenal collection.

This hobby for finding the rarest and most beautiful crystals to grace the world with their presence is reflected in the La Specola Museum exhibition, as the collection includes the crystal of gypsum of Niccioleta, Tuscany, the elbaite of Coronel Murta, Brazil and the piece of cuprite of Onganja, Namibia, amongst many, many more deeply alluring crystals.

Situated in the heart of Florence next door to the Pitti Palace, “La Specola” museum, in hosting “Crystals – world’s most dazzling exhibition”, does the exhibition the justice it deserves.

“La Specola” was officially inaugurated in 1775 and is the oldest public museum in Europe.

This hugely popular and internationally-acclaimed museum is part of Florence’s Museum of Natural History and houses specimens that are now extinct. Asides its comprehensive display of some incredible wildlife and natural artefacts, the museum is best-known for its wax anatomical collection.

One collection that particularly stands out in “La Specola” are the wax anatomical Venuses, wax models of naked women posed in semi-erotic poses.

With some of the world’s rarest and most breath-taking crystals on display here alongside wax women stood in semi-erotic poses, what more reasons do you need to visit Florence’s “La Specola” museum?

Until March 12, 2012, the ‘Salvatore Ferragamo: Inspirations and Visions’ exhibition will be held in the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in Florence. The show explores the visions and inspirations that influenced the famous designer when he arrived in California in the mid-1910s to his phenomenal success as a designer of footwear for the grand dames of Hollywood.

The Salvatore Ferragamo Museum was opened to the public in the basement of Palazzo Spini Feroni  in 1955 by the Ferragamo family.

The museum was intended to provide the public with insight into Ferragamo’s unique artistic talents and the vital role he played in evolving shoe design and fashion on the worldwide stage.

Salvatore Ferragamo died in 1960 and right up until his death was influencing shoe and fashion designers throughout the world. The museum boasts a sublime collection of more than 10,000 pairs of shoes designed by Ferragamo.

Besides this extensive collection of shoes, visitors to the museum can look at photographs, sketches, magazines and books all dedicated to the famous Italian artist.

Salvatore Ferragamo was renowned for possessing an uncanny ability to capture the cultural mood of any given time through the shoes he designed. The shoes displayed at the museum are set on a biennial rotation and are deliberately chosen to reflect the different themes and issues being focused on by the museum.

There could not be a more spectacular location to show off such an outstanding collection of shoes. The Palazzo Spini Feroni is a medieval palace situated in the heart of Florence. This dazzling palace was built by Geri Spini, a wealthy merchant to Pope Boniface VIII in 1289.

The Inspirations and Visions exhibition includes almost 100 of Salvatore Ferragamo’s shoe samples from the 1920s until the 1950s, as well as over 150 works of art from his Florentine and international collections.

If you are a fan of Salvatore Ferragamo, a fan of Florence, or perhaps just have a partiality for being drawn towards shoes and a footwear collection to prove it, be sure to get to this artistically inspiring city before 12 March, 2012.

Why not have a look at Vintage Travel’s portfolio of luxury villas in Tuscany?

If you are deliberating where to go this New Year, let us draw your attention to Lucca. This unspoilt Tuscan town provides a refreshingly more ‘relaxing’ New Year break and one that you may be particularly interested in if you are a lover of opera music.

In the Theatre del Giglio – the smallest public theatre in the world – a New Year concert is taking place dedicated to great Italian composer, Giacomo Puccini. Puccini was born in 1858 and was a native of Lucca and has been cited as being ‘one of the greatest exponents of operatic realism, who virtually brought the history of Italian opera to an end.’

With this New Years Eve opera in Tuscany, not only will guests attend a private concert dedicated to Giacomo Puccini’s music, but on New Year’s Day, they will visit the places where the great composer grew up and found inspiration for his famous work.

The walled city of Lucca, is situated in a lush and fertile plain near the Tyrrhenian Sea, close to the mighty and beautiful River Serchio has been numerously dubbed as being a ‘jewel of a Tuscan town’. This fascinating town is particularly appealing if you are a fan of opera music, as Lucca is so vividly rich in this musical tradition.

Composers such as Francesco Barsanti, Luigi Boccherini, Cristoforo Malvezzi and Nicolao Dorati, all found musical inspiration here. But is is Giocomo Puccini, who has had more than 1000 events devoted to his musical genius put on in Lucca already, that the Tuscan town really celebrates.

So if you are a lover of Puccini, why not head to his native city and experience New Year with a difference?

If you are lucky to find yourself misplaced in one of Florence’s inspiring cobbled streets, we have located three of just many of the great landscapes this magnificent city boasts to help you orientate yourself. Enjoy our three historic landmarks in Florence:

Piazza della Signoria

With its bronze statue of Perseus holding aloft the head of Medusa and other huge statues of Greek heroes and legends, the Piazza della Signoria, in central Florence, is a fantastic meeting place to re-orientate yourself and soak in the general feeling and hustle of this captivating city.

Piazza della Signoria is a popular starting point for guided tours of Florence, or for anyone wanting to relax with a cold beer or perhaps a gelato!

Duomo

Described as being the “heart and soul of Florence”, the domed cathedral, originally called the Duomo, is a sight in Florence not to be missed. Originally built in 1296 in a Gothic style, the Duomo was completed in 1436 with its magnificent dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.

The cathedral complex, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located inside the Piazza del Duomo, which includes the Baptistery and Giotto’s Campanile.

Ponte Vecchio

Another great place to come and contemplate the city of Florence is the Ponte Vecchio. From this imposing bridge you are provided with superb views of Florence and the beautiful Tuscan countryside surrounding it. Ponte Vecchio was originally built in Roman times but it was rebuilt in 1345 after it was washed away in a flood.

For years a tradition in Florence meant that young lovers would come to the bridge and lock padlocks to it before throwing away the keys in order to symbolise their love. But the gesture got so out of hand that the local police now hand out fines for anyone found practising it! Nonetheless the Ponte Vecchio remains a popular spot for those seeking a romantic setting, especially during sunset.

Although because many of the castles in Tuscany and ancient relics are not situated at the most popular and well-known tourist destinations, they often remain relatively quiet and free of tourists.

Here are three of the best castles Tuscany has to offer.

Ripa d’Orcia

In the beautiful Orcia Valley surrounded by profound natural beauty lies the Ripa d’Orcia, one of Tuscany’s oldest and grandest castles. The castle has been renovated to an immaculate standard and provides accommodation in the form of apartments. Ripa d’Orcia spans across a vast area of 320 hectares that include a vineyard and an excess of olive trees.

Part of the Republic of Siena’s territorial organisation from the 13^th century, this magnificent Italian castle built within the most spectacular of surroundings is definitely worthy of a visit.

For more information on one of Tuscany’s most spectacular castles visit castelloripadorcia.com.

The Castle of Tornano

Located in the heart of the region of Chianti, the Castle of Tornano is encircled by a parameter of woods, vineyards and immense natural beauty. The castle itself dates back to 1100 A.D and features the Tornano, a national monument.

For more information about this gem set amongst the undulating hills of classic Chianti, visit castellitoscani.com/tornano.

The Castle of Bibbione

The Castle of Bibbione was built by the Cadolingi of Montecasioli in 997. This mighty and ancient castle is surrounded by stone walls and lies at the pinnacle of one of the highest hills in the Chianti Classico region and is just 15 kilometres from the city of Florence. Naturally the view from the Castle de Bibbione is superb, spanning past ancient buildings, medieval villages, valleys carpeted with trees and vineyards and all the way down to the mighty and rambling Pisa River.

Visit castellodibibbione.com for further information.

You never need an excuse to visit Tuscany. With its stunning and deeply varied countryside, landscapes brimming with Renaissance masterpieces, whilst possessing a style and affluence typical of Italy, Tuscany blends tradition and history with modern European culture, making it one of Italy’s most popular regions.

Having said this, if you are lucky enough to be travelling to Tuscany this July, you may be interested in hearing about the Summer Music Festival, held in the beautiful and medieval town of Lucca, which has regularly been referred to as a “jewel of a Tuscan town”.

This annual musical event covers a wide range of musical genres, catering for diverse musical tastes and never fails to attract only the most talented and globally-recognised of artists, who always manage to pull in a huge crowd of visitors from across Italy, Europe and beyond.

This year’s line-up is exceptional, with the likes of Elton John, Amy Winehouse, Liza Minnelli, Joe Cocker and B.B. King, James Blunt and Jamiroquai, rocking Lucca’s cobbled medieval streets and ancient walls.

Tuscany’s Summer Music Festival is being held between the 1 and 24 July 2011 in the Piazza Napoleone in the heart of this captivating Italian town.

If we’ve managed to convince you of your 2011 summer holiday destination you may now be wanting to find a place to stay. You may therefore be excited to hear about Ripiano, a magnificent Tuscany five bedroom villa (pictured) that is just a 30 minute drive from Lucca.

This beautifully restored property is situated on the edge of a tiny hamlet known as Le Croce. Ripiano and Le Croce are blessed with the most sensational views of the verdurous, rolling hillsides of the Serchio and Val di Lima valleys.

In July we can be safe to assume that Tuscany will be blessed with continual days of azure skies and temperatures soaring into the thirties. Because of Tuscany’s enviable climate, there is an obvious emphasis on ‘outdoor living’ at Ripiano.

In addition to a gorgeous private pool surrounded by a vast stretch of woodland and all the flora and wildlife delights that accompany such a densely wooded area, there is a barbeque area with a built-in wood oven and extensive terrace gardens.

If you manage to pull yourself away from the luxurious comforts of Ripiano and its grounds, the picturesque spa town of Bagni di Lucca is well worth a visit. As is the medieval hilltop town of Barga, and for an invigorating day out, a visit to the Garfagnan Natural Park to witness some of Italy’s most outstanding natural beauty is imperative.