From the village of Boccaccio to the wonders of Tuscany
La Bellavista is the ideal point for your discoveries
The accommodations at the apartments La Bellavista are already in themselves located in contexts of great landscape and cultural value, in fact Certaldo, where the apartments are located, is a characteristic Borgo Medioevale completely intact, with its alleys, its towers and reddish terracotta brick walls.
Certaldo is also the home of Giovanni Boccaccio, who, between 1313 and 1375, spent various periods of his life in the medieval village.
In addition to the obvious traces of Boccaccio (statue, museum, squares and streets dedicated to him), the medieval citadel features monuments and unique panoramic views. Here you can visit the Palazzo Pretorio, ancient
residence of the Vicars of Certaldo, with the adjacent one Chiesa dei Santi Tommaso e Prospero, inside which is located the Tabernacolo dei Giustiziati by Benozzo Gozzoli; there Church of the Saints Jacopo and Filippo, which preserves the remains of Giovanni Boccaccio and of Beata Giulia..
WE ARE IN THE CENTER OF UNESCO HERITAGES
But beyond the local offer of Certaldo, the apartments of La Bellavista are the ideal starting point to reach and discover the best places in Tuscany. Ancient cities where works of art and architecture unique in the world are preserved, but also small villages where time seems to have stopped, among rolling hills and rows of cypresses. There are 7 places in Tuscany which, starting from 1982, have been included in the list of declared sites World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
From La Bellavista you can leave comfortably by train or car to destinations such as Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca… Your stay at La Bellavista will offer you the wonderful opportunity to easily reach Florence and thus visit the capital of the Renaissance. Afterwards, you can set off to discover some of the most beautiful medieval villages in the world and UNESCO heritage sites such as San Gimignano, Pienza, Lucca, Siena and, not before having admired the famous Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa with the Tower pendant.
Florence
Fulcrum of Tuscan cultural identity
Cradle of the Renaissance, regional capital and birthplace of the flourishing Renaissance art, which gave life to one of the most fascinating historical centers rich in art, history and culture in the world, the historic center of Florence it was the first of the Tuscan sites to be included in the UNESCO list.
We are faced with a sort of open-air museum, a continuous gallery of works of art in perfect symbiosis with the landscape and urban architecture that characterizes its social fabric: the cultural identity of this city of infinite wonders lies precisely in its artistic soul, which over the centuries has forged the city that we all know today.
The majesty of the city is given by the grandeur of works such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Church of Santa Croce, the Palazzo degli Uffizi, works by artists such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo.
Pisa
A gem protected by mighty medieval walls
Piazza Duomo in Pisa it represents the architectural perfection of Pisan Romanesque style, a combination of classical, early Christian, Lombard and oriental motifs.
The monuments that overlook here, the Cathedral, the Bell Tower, the Baptistery and the Camposanto, are of a beauty that leaves spectators breathless. Although it is the singular slope of the Tower (due to a subsidence of the ground already found at the time of its construction, which began in 1277) that attracts and intrigues millions of visitors, this square of white splendor has aroused amazement and admiration for centuries. such as to deserve the nickname of Piazza dei Miracoli, coined by Gabriele d’Annunzio.
San Gimignano
The “Manhattan of the Middle Ages“
The historic center of San Gimignano has been a UNESCO heritage site since 1990. The village with its elegant and refined towers is called the Manhattan of the Middle Ages. Once upon a time there were 72 towers here: today 13 remain, which give the town in the heart of the Crete Senesi a truly unique profile.
The Duomo is splendid, with masterpieces by Benozzo Gozzoli, Ghirlandaio and Jacopo della Quercia, but also the Art Gallery, which collects the works of artists of the caliber of Pinturicchio and Filippino Lippi.
Siena
Example of Italian Gothic and medieval architecture
The city, with its monuments in medieval and gothic style, it is the greatest testimony to the very high expressive methods achieved by its artists.
Starting from the famous Piazza del Campo with its shell shape on which the Torre del Mangia and Palazzo Pubblico stand out, where you can admire masterpieces such as the Maestà by Simone Martini and the Effects of Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
And again the Duomo, with works of art by Michelangelo, Nicola Pisano, Donatello, and the Santa Maria della Scala, the oldest hospital in the world born on the ancient Via Francigena.
Pienza
The ideal city on a human scale
Pienza, nestled among the hills of Tuscany, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1996, represents the first example of ideal Renaissance city. The geometric perspectives, the impressive volumes of the Cathedral and the Piccolomini palace, the careful filling of the spaces in the center of the old medieval village are testimony to the architectural genius of the time.
It was precisely here that the first Italian Renaissance architecture projects came to life, including the beautiful Palazzo Piccolomini built in 1459 as the Pope’s summer residence; but it is its historic center that makes it a real labyrinth of charm and mystery, where getting lost to discover its most hidden sides is an exciting adventure to say the least.
Val d'Orcia
Nature in perfect harmony with man
The area of Val d’Orcia, in the Province of Siena, received UNESCO recognition in 2004 for the beauty of its landscapes and panoramas capable of generating very high inspirations for artists during the Middle Ages…
The territory, mainly made up of a hilly landscape with gentle shapes and slightly accentuated valley incisions, called crete, includes locations and monuments of historical and artistic importance such as the Rocca di Tintinnano in Castiglione d’Orcia, the Fortress of Montalcino, the Fortress of Radicofani, the thermal baths of Bagno Vignoni and Bagni di San Filippo and various museums, among which the Museum stands out Civic and Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, the Brunello Museum and the Glass Museum in Montalcino, the Diocesan Museum in Pienza.
Medici Villas and Gardens
Places of peace, fun and enjoyment
In chronological order, the Medici villas and gardens in Tuscany represent the last assignment that UNESCO reserved for Tuscany in 2013.
The Medici villas are rural architectural complexes that came into the possession of the Medici family in various ways between the 15th and 17th centuries in the surroundings of Florence. In addition to being places of pleasure and recreation, the villas represented the peripheral areas of the territory administered by the Medici, as well as the center of the agricultural economic activities of the area in which they were located.
In total there are 14 sites, including villas and gardens, to have been declared a UNESCO heritage site: Villa di Careggi, Villa di Castello, Villa di Poggio Imperiale and Villa La Petraia in Florence, Boboli Gardens in Florence and Pratolino Garden in Vaglia, Medici Villa in Fiesole, Villa di Cafaggiolo in Barberino di Mugello, Villa di Poggio a Caiano, and again the Villa del Trebbio in Scarperia and San Piero, Villa di Cerreto Guidi, Palazzo di Seravezza, Villa La Magia in Quarrata and Villa di Artimino in Carmignano.
WE ARE IN THE HEART OF THE VILLAGES OF TUSCANY
Monteriggioni
Semifonte
Barberino Val d’Elsa
Vinci
San Miniato
Volterra
Gambassi Terme
Castellina in chianti
