Fiesole is actually an older settlement than Florence but was long ago overtaken by its former rival in the Val d’Arno below. For centuries Fiesole has been the favoured retreat of Florentines during the hot summer months and it still provides cool summer air and magnificent views.

Panzano is located at the highest point and almost exactly midway along thescenic Via Chiantigiana road from Florence to Siena. Parts of the original castle remain, incorporated into the church and also as an independent tower.

Greve in Chianti is a small town situated in the valley of the Greve stream, half-way along the scenic Chiantigiana highway (SS 222) that runs from Florence to Sienna. Greve has an attractive, arcaded, triangular piazza with several ceramics and wine shops

Pontassieve is a small town located about 14 km east of Florence at the point where the River Sieve joins the Arno. Pontassieve was severely bombed during WW II but the small historical centre has been well-restored

Lamole is a small village high up in the Chianti hills, accessed from a turnoff between Greve and Panzano. While Lamole is a charming little place in itself, the main reason for a visit is the beautiful drive up, passing by the famous renaissance Villa Vignamaggio and the Castello di Lamole along a road lined by cypresses and offering spectacular views.

Florence, the art and architecture capital of Tuscany and one of the most important art cities in the world. Probably the best months to visit Florence are May, June, September and October. July is very pleasant in terms of weather but is already crowded with tourists. August can be very hot and humid because Florence is located in a valley that traps heat.

One of the finest sights in the Province of Pistoia outside of Pistoia itself is a baroque library, the Biblioteca Capitolare di Pescia, located in the little town of Pescia.The Biblioteca Capitolare di Pescia was designated a canonical library in July 1666 by Pope Alexander VII (Chigi) and traces its origins to the bequest of the Canon Romualdo Cecchi, a famous treasurer of the Prepositura nullius of Santa Maria at the pieve (parish church) of Santa Maria.

Vinci is located in northern of Tuscany near Florence, on the slopes of Montalbano, an area of classic Tuscan hills carpeted in vineyards and olive groves on terraces supported by dry stone walls. Top view, suggests a boat with two masts (where the two trees would be the tower of the fortress of the Guidi and the bell tower of the church of Santa Croce). The historic center of the village of Leonardo is known, for this reason, as the “Castle of the ship.”

San Donato in Poggio is a mediaeval village of great charm located near the Via Cassia, the highway that runs along the western boundary of the Chianti Classico wine zone from Florence to Sienna. In modern times, the Via Cassia has been superceded by the Florence-Sienna motorway

Montelupo Fiorentino is historically and also today one of the most famous centres of painted majolica and ceramics production in Tuscany, and is within easy reach of Florence.

Here’s an interactive map of Tuscany with links to the best websites for many of the most interesting cities, towns, villages and sights of Tuscany.