If I said to you what’s the most romantic city in the world? Paris would surely be top of the list and Venice would be there too, but there’s one city that should also be on your list, Florence.

Often overlooked by those looking for a romantic weekend, Florence is without a doubt one of the most romantic and fascinating cities on earth.

Set in the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany, Florence is the home of Renaissance. There is quite simply some of the most beautiful medieval and renaissance architecture seen anywhere in the world, along with some of the finest hotels and restaurants.

Take a tour around the historic centre; declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1982. The glorious facade of the Cathedral “il Duomo” will take your breath away, it’s quite unlike anything you’ll find in America or Europe for that matter.

If you like history and art then you’re going to be spoilt for choice in Florence, the place is simply dripping with art treasures and every building tells a story.

You can’t visit Florence without crossing the Ponte Vecchio meaning “little bridge”. This medieval bridge crosses the Arno River, but it’s unlike any other bridge in that it’s lined with glorious little jewellery and art shops. Once most major bridges in Europe were constructed this way, but Ponte Vecchio is one of the last remaining.

If foods your thing, then I have to recommend Enoteca Pinchiorri, this 3 star Michelin restaurant is one of the top five restaurants in the world. The food and the surroundings are quite simply exceptional, but beware its very expensive and you’d better book before you leave because it gets very busy.

Now I could go on listing the places to visit in Florence, but I could literally write a book on it. The best thing to do is go there and experience this wonderful and exciting city yourself. It’s quite simply one of the greatest cities in the world.

Tuscany, or Tuscano as it is more properly called, is a region of Italy known both for its striking landscapes and its artistic legacy. Indeed, it’s artistic legacy goes back over a thousand years, and six Tuscan localities are UNESCO protected sites: the historical center of Florence, the historical center of Siena, the square of the Cathedral of Pisa, the historical center of San Gimignano, the historical center of Pienza and the Val d’Orcia.

That’s for its architecture. What about its Italian pottery and ceramics? What tourist to this region could resist acquiring some hand-crafted Italian pottery, such as dinnerware, pots, canisters and jars, coffee cups and mugs, and even wall decor. Not to mention the famous Roosters of Fortune.

Tuscany is crossed by several mountain ranges, which leaves little room for farming. (Fortunately for the inhabitants of the region throughout history, those little bits of farming land are extremely fertile.)

Tuscany is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and visitors to its ancient streets will be able to enjoy the architecture, painting and sculpture collected in dozens of museums in towns and cities across the region. Perhaps the best-known are the Uffizi, the Academia and the Bargello all of them located in Florence, the capital of the region.

Walk the streets and lands of Tuscany and you’ll walk back in time. Return to the present day with Italian pottery as a keepsake… not to mention thousands of photos and a post card or two!

Deruta is a small town in Italy of some 8,000 people. It’s also a town that was founded in the 11th century, making it well over nine hundred years old. Located in central Italy, in the province of Perugia, the town is justly famous for its ceramics — including its Biscotti jars– which are imported all over the world.

Visitors to Deruta will walk through fortifications that date from the 12th century. On the Piazza dei Consoli can be found the Gothic church of San Francesco, built in 1388, and the Palazzetto Municipale (Town Hall), which dates from about 1300.

Visitors to the municipal hall will find a Museum of Ceramics, an art gallery (the Pinacoteca), and an atrium in which houses a variety of archaeological finds, dating from Neolithic times onward.

But what visitors really come for is to see the ceramics… the Biscotti jars, serving platters, jugs, and so on.

Much of the ceramics in Deruta is made as a cottage industry. Artisans create clay plates, bowls and other objects, which they bring to central ovens to be baked. Once their material is baked, the artisans take them back to their workshops to hand paint them with their speciality designs. After decorating, the artisans bring their wares back to the ovens once again to be glazed.

Travellers through Italy can do no better than to pick up some hand-crafted ceramics in Deruta, but if travel plans aren’t in your future, order genuine Biscotti jars, imported from Italy, from Upside Living.

Tuscany is one of twenty regions of Italy and is easily one of the most famous. The capital of Tuscany is Florence and many people consider Tuscany the most beautiful region in Italy because of its geography, landscape and artistic history. It is located in central Italy and the geography is hilly, mountainous and almost ten percent of the region is considered “plains-lands.” Tuscany is divided into ten provinces.

History and Culture

The history of the region is both rich and ancient. The first culture to settle in the region was the Etruscans who were prehistoric and were known for their agricultural, mining and infrastructure as well as their artwork. The territory was ceded to the Romans in the first century, BC and was frequently routed by the armies of Greece, Carthage and Gaul. All of these influences held great sway in forming Tuscan culture and in influencing much of the artwork and architecture that later made the region famous. Ultimately, the Roman civilization collapsed in the fifth century AD and the region was occupied for a short time by the Goths and ultimately by the Longobards, a Germanic people from northern Europe who entered the Roman empire late in its history.

Understanding the different ancient cultures that called the region home is critical to understanding its present day reputation as the culture and beauty epicenter in modern Italy. Each ancient culture played a role in shaping their approaches to art and architectures as well as added to its rich culinary and cultural traditions. It was not, however, until the Medieval period that the Tuscany region ironically began to flourish in both trade and art, fueled in large part by a “pilgrim” industry of peoples traveling through the region from France and Rome. During this time, relying on trade, Florence became the cultural center of the region.

This set the stage for Tuscany to serve as the birthplace of the Renaissance. During this period, architecture, painting and sculpture flourished as did the building of museums to house these treasures. Many of those museums are still in existence today and are a must-see. The Uffizi and Bargello in Florence are two of many museums any traveler should see. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Dante Alighieri all were born in the Tuscany region.

Where to Visit

Tuscany is also known for its famous wines and wine country and has 120 nature reserves. It also is renowned for its production of olive oil. Culturally, Tuscany is still known for its “Cities of Art,” Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano. Each of these cities has enough to keep a traveler busy for individual trips in and of themselves. The region also has many sea resorts that are worth visiting and a series of islands that are world famous for marble quarries.

As you plan your trip to Tuscany, make sure you use a professional travel service. By doing this you can ensure that your trip will be professionally managed and that your decisions as to where to visit, stay and eat will be stellar throughout your stay. Once there, you will likely find that your plans will never allow you to see all Tuscany has to offer in just one trip. You will, without question, fall in love with Tuscany and want to return time and time again. Tuscany is the ultimate in luxury travel!

While traveling in Italy, take a look at the arcades that dot many Italian streets and visit the many stores that sell artwork crafted with care by local artisans. These shops are often chocked full of merchandise that you can only get in the United States if they are mass produced. However, while in Italy, most of these wares are hand crafted or made with a minimum of machinery and almost no mass production, such as how most Italian pottery is still crafted.

Some of the hottest spots to visit include Rome, Venice, Naples, Milan and Florence. In these cities, you will find a mixture of old and new. Most everywhere you turn you will see history that dates back centuries. The great part is that in these same cities you will also be able to enjoy modernity, as Italy has made a concerted effort in the past twenty years to update many of its cities with modern facilities, transportation and infrastructure.

There are many web sites that will give you the ability to map out your route to Italy and also allow you to calculate the time you will need, money and hotels to stay in during your visit. Like most European countries, Italy makes a point of attracting tourists from all over the world so your visit will be warmly welcomed by a community of helpful and genuinely friendly people.

Visiting Italy ranks on the “to do” lists of many throughout the world, and it should. The country is a very enjoyable mixture of old and new, merging history with a rich tradition of culture. By planning your trip to hit the hotspots, you can get a strong feel for the diversity of the country and still be able to figure out which version is “your Italy.”

Of all the “romantic” countries, Italy is the one country that most of us want to visit, have an affinity for and frankly, gets the most press. Italy is fully Mediterranean, which adds to its allure and Italy’s history is rich in very high profile events and culture. It serves as the center of the Catholic Church, home to one of the five greatest empires and has all the cultural trappings of dozens of centuries to make a rich cornucopia of old and new.

Mention hot destination places in Italy and you are likely to get as many answers as the people you ask. Part of this is because the country is so diverse. It ranges from the aura of Sicily, to the majesty of Rome to the canals of Venice and the northern beauty of the Southern Alps. Its cities range from “Old World,” Rome, cosmopolitan-modern Perugia, ultra-rich Milan, seaport Genoa, romantic Venice and virtually everything in between.

Depending where you choose to visit, you can see a mixture of university culture as in the city of Padova, u modern chic that can be found in Naples or renaissance-historical history in Florence. You should not, however forget the countryside. Italy has some of the most beautiful rural areas in Europe, rivaling the countryside of France or Spain in its mixture of modern amenities and old world culture. In each region the food is different, ranging from heavier and more traditional dishes in the south to lighter fish and meat based fare in the north.