Tour Operator Il Casolare
If you are searching for an unforgettableholiday in Tuscany and Italy
, the italian Tour Operator Il Casolare offersvillas in rental, apartments and exclusive farmhouses in rental
, for short and long stays, personally and carefully selected, located in beautiful countryside landscapes.Our Tour Operator Il Casolare offers, with professionalism, qualified selected structures in Tuscany to guarantee you a delightful and memorable stay in Italy.
The wonderful Tuscany attracts many visitors with the beauty of its cities, the pleasure of the table and the tranquility of the countrysides .
It is a perfect mixture between landscape and culture, history and deep traditions. It is possibly the greatest repository of art in Italy and in the world of extraordinary paintings,sculpture to frescoes and architectural masterpieces. A perfect holiday for every taste.
What to savor in Tuscany?
Gourmets and wine buffs come to visit Tuscany to enjoy the simple yet wonderful cuisine and Chianti wine. In fact, the Tuscany boasts a gastronomic heritage, absolutely excellent, with its quality wines; in particular Chianti wine, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Vernaccia San Gimignano, Morellino di Scansano and traditional Tuscan products such as acquacotta, vegetables soups and eggs, the ribollita essentially made of black cabbage, beans and bread, the pici, a type of traditional hand-rolled pasta, like a fat spaghetti, the strozzapreti and the pappardelle, often served with wild game sauces: hare, boar, goslings and/or mushrooms.
Also known around the world is the Florentine steak with its unique taste which is excellence with italian cheese of Crete Senesi, dry and intense, and that of Pienza, soft. Lastly, for lovers of dessert, Tuscany is known for its famous Panforte di Siena, with almonds, honey, cinnamon and cloves, and dry Cantucci biscuits good for dunking in Tuscan Vin Santo.
Walkers can enjoy the mountain paths (Pratomagno, Amiata, Abetone, ...) and cyclists the rolling hills (Crete Senesi, Montagnola, Val d’Orcia). A very famous bike race is l’Eroica where the route covers some of the most beautiful roads in the area of chianti, Val d’Arbia and Val d’Orcia; stretches of white roads that still exist, that allow you to experience the atmosphere of cycling in another era.
At last, summer vacationers can enjoy the sea coast (Etruscan Coast, Argentario, Versilia, Forte dei Marmi, Lido di Camaiore, Nature Reserve Cala Violina, …) and islands (Gorgona, Capraia, Elba, Pianosa, Montecristo, Giglio, Giannutri, …).
What to visit in Tuscany?
Some of the most beautiful cities to see during your stay in Tuscany are Florence, Siena, Pisa, Arezzo and Cortona, but also the small towns like San Gimignano, Volterra, Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino.
These cities and places of Tuscany are easily reached by car or public transportation, during your vacation at our facilities.
Florence
In Florence we find museums, palaces, and churches with some of the greatest artistic treasures in the world. The most popular are the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Bargello, the Accademia and the Uffizi. The latter houses lots of other works, including some from the early Masters Cimabue and Giotto, Early Rennaisance pioneers Fra Angelico and Masaccio, Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
The Accademia Gallery is the second most popular museum in Florence and the magnificent marble giants sculptures created by Michelangelo, and, above all, the glorious David.
Walking along some of the oldest streets of the city you will reach the Old Bridge, which crosses the river Arno.
Siena
Siena is Italy's loveliest medieval city, perfect for vacation as a couple or family. Siena's heart is its central piazza known as Piazza del Campo, known worldwide for the famous Palio run here, a horse race run around the piazza twice.
Piazza del Campo is dominated by a red Public Palace and its tower, Torre del Mangia, from where you can admire a splendid view over the roofs of the city after climbing up 400 steps.
The Civic Museum offers some of the greatest of Sienese paintings.The Hall of the Nine, conserves the main attraction of the museum, the fresco cycle of Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
The biggest hall is the Hall of the Globe with, on the upper part of the wall, a famous fresco of a knight on his horse, Guidoriccio da Fogliano.
At the end of the visit, do not miss the panoramic terrace much loved especially by children.
San Gimignano
A small walled village about halfway between Florence and Siena, is San Gimignano, famous for its medieval architecture and towers that rise above all the surrounding buildings offering an impressive view of the city from the surrounding valley.
Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990, San Gimignano offers visitors the chance to step back in time while enjoying its local products including saffron and its white wine, the Vernaccia di San Gimignano. The two main piazzas Piazza Duomo and Piazza della Cisterna.
This city is a precious jewel in Tuscany.
Volterra
Volterra is located at the center of Tuscany, a little south of San Gimignano and west of Siena Volterra is one of Tuscany's most evocative hill towns with medieval and Renaissance buildings, a Roman theater, and Etruscan sites.
One of the things not to miss is The Guarnacci Etruscan Museum in Volterra, one of the most important Etruscan museums in Italy.
Also The Piazza dei Priori is wonderful, surrounded by tower houses and austere palazzi, including the massive Palazzo dei Priori. Stupendous the Romanesque cathedral and the octagonal Baptistery in front of it.
Around the Medicean Fortress, used as a prison in Renaissance times, you will find a huge garden suitable for picnics in the family.
The Church of San Giusto is located on a hill just outside Volterra.
Pienza
Pienza is a tiny village in southern Tuscany. It enjoys a strategic position standing high atop a hill, dominating all the Orcia Valley with extraordinary views.
This charming village is widely known as the "ideal city of the Renaissance", the creation of the great humanist Enea Silvio Piccolomini who later became Pope Pius II.
While you're in Pienza, you can follow the signs and take the short walk down the side of the hill Pienza is located on to arrive to the Pieve di Corsignano. A romanesque church with three naves with ancient origins in the 7th century.
Pienza is also the city of cacio. The Pecorino of Pienza is a tasty cheese made from sheep's milk, renowned worldwide and delicious, which can range from a delicate flavor to a decisive one based on how aged it is.
Cortona
Cortona is a small charming town in the Valdichiana, or Chiana Valley, in the province of Arezzo in southern Tuscany.
The city, enclosed by stone walls dating back to Etruscan and Roman times, sits on the top of a hill about 600 meters above sea level. This dominant position over the valley offers a spectacular view of all the towns of the surrounding valley and even Lake Trasimeno.
The heart of Cortona is the Piazza della Repubblica, with the Palazzo Comunale or town hall building overlooking the square.
The city is small but offers many interesting places to visit, among these the Diocesan Museum and The Etruscan Academy Museum.
You should not miss a visit to the beautiful Santa Margherita Sanctuary, patron of the city, and to the Girifalco Fortress. Both are on the highest point on the hill and you can also enjoy a beautiful view over the surrounding countryside.
Just outside of Cortona's walls you'll find the Franciscan hermitage Le Celle, the first monastery built by Saint Francis of Assisi.
