4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to See While Staying in the Villas in Tuscany

Staying in any of the delightful villas in Tuscany invites visitors to set out and explore this splendid region of Italy. The independence of this kind of accommodation, whether rurally based or in a town or city, makes it a natural base for excursions. There is no finer region in the country for sightseeing, with seven localities designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are the historic centres of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Pienza, the square of the Cathedral of Pisa, the Val d’Orcia and the Medici Villas and Gardens. A visit to any of these sites while staying in one of the villas in Tuscany is sure to make a holiday even more enjoyable. Here are four that are particularly recommended.

The historic centre of Florence

Anyone staying in villas in Tuscany will probably want to visit Florence, the regional capital and one of the finest cities in Italy. Its history is long and rich, as a centre of trade and culture in medieval Europe and then as the birthplace of the Renaissance in Europe. The city’s architecture and monuments bear witness to this history, as do its many art galleries and museums. Its historic centre — contained within its 14th century walls — has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, and includes the Piazza della Signoria, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Duomo, and the Medici Chapel, among many other landmarks.

The Piazza dei Miracoli

The Piazza dei Miracoli — the square of the Cathedral of Pisa — is an important architectural complex in the city of Pisa. It is perhaps most renowned around the world for the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is one of four religious edifices. The other three are the Pisa Cathedral, the Pisa Baptistry and the Camposanto Monumentale. The complex is another of the region's iconic destinations; the architecture and its interior art — frescoes, mosaics, stonework, and relics — are an important body of medieval artwork.

The Val d’Orcia

The Val d’Orcia takes visitors from their villas in Tuscany to an area of gently rolling, carefully cultivated hills often depicted in Renaissance paintings. It was this depiction that gained it its UNESCO status: the Val d’Orcia typifies the way that landscape was re-conceptualised during the Renaissance to reflect good governance, aesthetics and harmony with nature. To this day it remains beautiful, its rural contours only interrupted by picturesque villages and towns. It is a wine-producing region, home to the Sangiovese and Trebbiano wines.

The Medici Villas and Gardens

The Medici Villas and Gardens are among the most famous sites in the region, as former homes of the Medici family from the 15th to the 17th century. The villas served as country palaces and recreational centres for the Medici family, as well as centres of local agricultural activities.

Jonathan Magoni is Senior Manager of Cottages to Castles, a family owned company specialising in high quality holiday villas, apartments and cottages in Italy. For spectacular villas in Tuscany or accommodation in the Italian lakes, ski resorts or city centres, we offer only the very best. Discover Italy at your own pace and without time restrictions in our hand picked villas and cottages.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.