Category: tuscany

Real ‘Sword in the Stone’ and Knight Believed Inspired King Arthur Legend—But Plots Quite Contrary

The ruthless knight Galgano Guidotti was done fighting. The son of a noble lord during the time of the Crusades, in his early 30s he experienced a vision of Saint Michael that changed his life. Galgano was called upon to renounce worldly trappings and submit himself to God, so he relinquished station and arms to become…


Archeologists Unearth Ancient Roman Statues From Bath Site Dating Back 2,300 Years in Tuscany

Archaeologists in Italy have uncovered more than two dozen beautifully preserved bronze statues dating back to ancient Roman times in thermal baths in Tuscany, in what experts are hailing as a sensational find. “From the bottom of the pool at the lowest point of its monumental construction, 24 masterpieces of bronze statues between the 2nd…


A Day in the Life: The Marble Quarries With Michelangelo

Michelangelo Buonarroti was one of the greatest Italian Renaissance artists to ever live. He was great not only because of the artworks he produced but also because of what he was willing to endure to produce them. One of the things he endured was the dangers of the marble quarries in the mountains of Italy,…


Medieval Moments in the Perfect Tuscan Town

Twice a year, the Piazza del Campo thunders. Normally a picturesque place and rather serene, the square is lined with tables where al fresco dinners end and diners tarry with their last drops of espresso, or limoncello. The irregular, shell-shaped, sloping oval of the square spreads out under medieval buttresses and Torre del Mangia, a…


Sipping Vino and Savoring Vistas in Tuscany

Wandering the hilly, narrow cobblestone streets in our home base of Montalcino, Italy, a medieval city of interlocking passageways, steps, and alleyways curving around and through and behind and beyond the main square, I reminded myself I was walking through history that spanned 800 years. When my husband and I stopped for lunch and I…