Positano, Italy immediately exerts its fascination the first time you see from afar its colorful cascade of houses and villas perched above the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. And the fascination only deepens as you arrive in the town and begin to […]
Dominating the Amalfi Coast from an altitude of 350m, Ravello sits atop a rocky spur dividing two deep valleys. Situated thus, the town serves as a terrace perched high over the sea, from which you can enjoy a stupendous panorama of the entire coastline as far as Calabria in the south and Capri to the north. From early in its history, Ravello became a symbol of the ideal place to live, work, and play, with famous artists, writers, musicians, and the idle rich choosing it as their preferred haunts.
Taking advantage of the rich Tuscan soil and its favorable climate, Etruscans first established a settlement high on a limestone ridge around the third century B.C. as evidenced by the tombs that have been excavated in the region ine which numerous remains of the Etruscans’ typical black […]
Of all the many villages in the Chianti Classico region, Castellina-in-Chianti probably offers the most abundant evidence of Etruscan presence going back to the 7th century B.C. Important archaeological excavations have uncovered an entire series of Etruscan villages and hamlets along an ancient road […]
Although situated midway between the two important cultural centers of Florence and Siena, Greve-in-Chianti has retained its own unique character and architecture. A wide variety of historic residences, churches and castles built between the 5th and the 15th centuries remain in the town and […]
The ancient Etruscan settlement of Montalcino, Tuscany is perched high on a hill with a commanding view of the valleys of the rivers Orcia, Asso and Ombrone. During its more than two millenniums of recorded history, the town has experienced much turmoil and strife. […]
Pienza started out as a modest village surrounding the Castello di Corsignano, a castle built around the middle of the 8th century. But soon after Eneo Silvio de Piccolomini became Pope Pius II in 1458, he began to realize his ambitious plans for the place of his birth.
The first historical records of Radda date to 1003 (mention was made in an edict issued by Emperor Otto III), but human settlement in the region goes back to Etruscan times. Pottery shards and remains of stone houses found in the area attest to an original 6th century B.C. settlement. By the 1st century AD, Romans had taken over the area, and they in turn succumbed to Barbarian invasions during the 5th century.