Tuscany and Umbria Updated

Tuscany and Umbria Updated has a new home

2009-01-28T17:34:00.003Z

Yes, we're moving, lock, stock and barrel, to a shiny new website of our own. For all your Tuscany and Umbria trip-planning needs, point your browsers at www.tuscanyumbria.info. It's stage one of my plan to build a useful online resource for travelling to Tuscany and Umbria, to work alongside the guidebooks.

See you there.

Todi pictures

2009-01-20T13:06:00.003Z

I've added a paltry 3 pictures I snapped in Todi to my flickr set. Each has a brief introduction to these essential sights of the serene little Umbrian town. Perfectly proportioned Piazza del Popolo, with its 12th-century Duomo, and Santa Maria della Consolazione just outside the town walls are worth the trip alone. But more than that, Todi is a great place to just be, not necessarily to see. Put your camera away and soak up the peace.

There's much more help with planning a visit to Todi on the comune tourism page (in English). The tourist office is on 075/8945416.

Vasari's Corridor reopens

2009-01-19T14:43:00.004Z

From Wednesday 21st January through April, it will once again be possible to visit the Corridoio Vasariano. The "Vasarian Corridor" was designed by Renaissance man Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I de' Medici: Cosimo didn't much like mixing with everyday folk when he was perusing his palazzi; Vasari built him a secret passageway so he didn't have to. The Corridoio now hosts one of the world's finest collections of artists' self-portraits.

The Corridoio, which runs from the Palazzo Vecchio through the Uffizi to the Pitti Palace in Oltrarno, including a clandestine crossing above the Ponte Vecchio, will be open twice daily for guided visits from Tuesday to Friday. Call 055/2654321 to book. Tickets are €10.50.

Mind the gap: Tuscan rail stations to avoid

2009-01-19T12:22:00.006Z

Like much of Italy, Tuscany is well served by the state railway system (Ferrovie dello Stato). One of the tours in my new guidebook shows you how to see the best of it by rail in a week or so. But there are a few stations where you definitely don't want to get off the train.

1 Pisa Centrale
Okay, that's a little unfair... Pisa Centrale is the place to alight if you're heading into central Pisa (and there's much to recommend it). But if you're planning a quick turismo tour of Piazza del Duomo—a.k.a. the Campo dei Miracoli—you'll find yourselves with a long, hot walk to reach first base. Get off at Pisa San Rossore instead and you're just a couple of minutes away.

2 Prato Centrale
Tuscany’s second city is a perfect day-trip from (or antidote to) Florence, but don't get off at Prato Centrale for the sights clustered round the Duomo. Alight at Prato Porta al Serraglio station, and the Lippi frescoes, the Virgin's Girdle and the rest of it are just a couple of minutes’ walk down Via Magnolfi.

3 Firenze Campo di Marte
Unless you're heading to a Fiorentina game, there probably isn't any reason for you to be at Florence's suburban station. Almost everything to see in the city is accessible from Firenze Santa Maria Novella. If you find yourself at Campo di Marte (say, off the night train from Paris), take any of the short rail interconnections, or city buses 12 or 33 from the street outside.

4 Montepulciano
Tuscany’s highest hill-town supposedly lies "on" the Siena–Chiusi secondary rail line, but the station is nowhere near Montepulciano (about 6 miles away). There's a local bus connection that theoretically hooks up with the train timetable, but, hey, this is Italy... If you're heading to Montepulciano (and you should), take the Tra.In bus.

5 Siena
The Gothic city of Siena is another that you're best visiting by bus, especially from Florence. Trains are regular, but long and slow, and sometimes require a change at Empoli. Then they dump you in Piazza Rosselli, 15 minutes by bus north of central Siena. Use the rapido bus operated jointly by Tra.In and SITA and alight at Piazza Gramsci, 5 minutes' walk north of the Campo.

There are, though, plenty of Tuscan towns that are ideal for rail-tripping. Aside from Florence, obviously, Lucca and Viareggio have good connections combined with stations just a short walk from the action. Arrive at Arezzo and you're just a short stroll downhill from the Piero della Francesca frescoes.

If you're travelling by rail, remember to validate your ticket before boarding, by inserting it into the yellow machines marked "convalida" on every platform. Local trains are cheap: if you're touring just in Tuscany for most of your trip, you won't get value from a pre-paid rail pass. Ticket machines are (almost) idiot-proof, and trips are easily planned in advance on the superb Trenitalia website.

Enjoy.

Trip-planning feedback for Tuscany and Umbria

2009-01-16T09:30:00.006Z

It's always pleasing to hear that our book is filling the trip-planning holes we intended. Of course, it was very nice to be judged the Best Guidebook of 2008 by travel industry insiders. And it's equally nice to be written about by a real family planning an actual trip to Tuscany this summer:

They [the With Your Family series] have ... all of the family friendly travel information you require. They give star ratings for attractions plus recommended ages (and I’m impressed by the fact that they have suggestions right from babies through to teenagers). There are highlights and must-see attractions. There are accommodation options for families from ultra-expensive through to economical (for which they provide price guidelines not just $$$ or $). I love the special icons they have - find, moment, value, overrated and green. Plus they include reviews of playgrounds and parks which are very important to families!

That's all true. There are some great books in the series. I've found Rhonda Carrier's companion guides to Brittany and Normandy especially handy. For Frommer's Tuscany and Umbria With Your Family, we considered every single one of those factors when researching and writing the book. Much of my (grown-up) research was then road-tested by unforgiving under-5s. It's gratifying that family travellers are finding it a useful tool in planning a trip to Tuscany and Umbria. I'm always pleased to hear from readers. Your feedback can help make any future new edition, of this and my other books, even better. Thanks.

Bargello Treats for 2009

2009-01-09T17:29:00.005Z

Visitors to Florence's Bargello Museum in early 2009 can look forward to a couple of extra treats on top of the usual world-class permanent sculpture collection. Restoration work has finished on Donatello's bronze David, the first free-standing nude since Roman times when it was completed sometime in the 1440s. It will take centre-stage alongside the sculptor's other Bargello works, and earlier (1401) bronze panels by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi, in the Salone del Quattrocento.

Meanwhile, April sees the opening of an important exhibition of works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, charting the links between his sculpture and the birth of Baroque portraiture. It follows a major Bernini exhibition at California's Getty Center in 2008.

The Bargello Museum, housed inside a magnificent Gothic fortress on Via del Proconsolo, is worth €4 of your entrance money anytime. It's one Florence stop I recommend highly in the new book, due out in May.

Dante's "Inferno", coming soon to an XBOX near you

2008-12-19T10:23:00.008Z

Ever felt the urge to tackle the classic of Tuscan literature, the book that (partly) defined the Italian language? We do recommend it in the holiday reading section of our book. It's a thoroughly modern tale of lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. But at three volumes, 1600+ pages in total, you'd better pack your toothbrush: Dante's Divine Comedy is a long old ride.

There may, however, be a shortcut in 2009. Videogame publisher Electronic Arts have just announced Dante's Inferno: the game, a third-person action adaptation of the first book of the Comedy. They've launched a short teaser trailer. According to Executive Producer Jonathan Knight:

The time is right for the world of interactive entertainment to adapt this literary masterpiece, and to re-introduce Dante to an audience who, until now, may have been unfamiliar with the remarkable details of this great work of art. It's the perfect opportunity to fuse great game play with great story.

Variety report that EA are also hawking the game round the major film studios. Of course, I wouldn't bet the mortgage on EA's version sticking too close to the 14th-century original.

The book wins an award

2008-12-07T21:24:00.005Z

It was announced this week that the book has been judged Best Guidebook 2008 at the ENIT Travel Writing Awards. Obviously, we're chuffed to bits to have impressed the panel of Italian tourism experts, and to have beaten so many other fantastic new guidebooks. The new goal is for my next book, due out early next year, to win the 2009 prize.

To celebrate, time-permitting, more new material and updates on Tuscany will appear here soon. I promise.

More on the announcement here:

The winning Frommer’s title written by authors Donald Strachan and Stephen Keeling was singled out for the quality of its research, writing and opening up a new area in Italian tourism.

Taking You Back to Tuscany

2008-05-16T16:15:00.007+01:00

Just back from Tuscany? Pining for the place? Not even a little? I know I am.

This website combines Google Maps and 360 degree panoramic photography to give you a real sense of being in 15 different spots across the region. There's even a bit of Umbria – Perugia and Assisi – thrown in for good measure.

I especially love this internal panorama of the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte, in Florence. The Romanesque basilica, just uphill from Piazzale Michelangelo (see the book, p. 61), is one of the few city spots you can find a bit of peace, even in high season. On p. 63 of the book we recommend a family Oltrarno walk, from the Giardino di Boboli, that'll guide you all there.

Okay, so a bit of surfing doesn't quite match basking under a Tuscan sun for yourself. But, from my desk in East London, it's as close as I'm getting for now. Alas.

Florentine Genius Festival

2008-05-14T14:12:00.005+01:00

If you're planning to be in Florence over the next couple of weeks be sure to check this website for details of over 100 events taking place as part of the city's Genio Fiorentino festival. The festival was attended by almost 400,000 visitors last year.

Genio Fiorentino runs from 15th to 25th May, opening tomorrow with a musical event celebrating Benvenuto Cellini, whose bronze Perseus Holding the Head of Medusa, pictured, graces the Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza della Signoria.

Other artistic highlights include an exhibition of drawings by Leonardo and Raphael inside the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (see the book, p. 56). The exhibition's opening coincides with the festival ending, on 25th May.

The Genio sees the annual opening of the Corridoio Vasariano, a covered passageway that links the Ponte Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti, crossing the Arno inside the Ponte Vecchio. See the book, p. 59, for more details.

Florence's Istituto degli Innocenti is also hosting children's workshops, the Bottega dei Ragazzi, throughout the Genio. Contact them direct for advice on what events best suit your child's spoken Italian skills: local tel. 055 2478386 (Mon–Sat 9am–1pm and 4–7pm),email labottegadeiragazzi@istitutodeglinnocenti.it.

Florence's tourist office, local tel. 055 290832, will be able to direct you towards other events suited to visiting families. For comprehensive visitor information for Florence, see the book, p. 38–47.

Oops – Livorno Relegated

2008-05-12T12:07:00.006+01:00

Here's a lesson for guidebook writers: never, ever make predictions about football.

What we wrote in the book, p. 142:

They might not be a household name, but AS Livorno are a team on the up. In 2004 the team returned to Italy's elite Serie A after a 55-year wait...

It was the kiss of death, clearly. Yesterday, the team were relegated after a 1-0 home defeat by Torino. Bah. In what's proving a tricky season for Tuscan teams, Empoli look likely to follow them into Serie B; ironically, the two meet in a local derby next week.

That's not to say you shouldn't pay Livorno's friendly little stadium a visit on matchday – see the book, p. 142. But if you're set on a Serie A game, try nearby Siena instead. They will finish comfortably away from trouble this season (unlike last), with former Middlesborough striker Massimo Maccarone banging in the goals that have ensured another year in the top flight.

So, by way of apology for our sporting prediction gone wrong, here's some help getting to a Siena game, that space dictated we had to cut from the final version:

Since 2003 AC Siena (Via Peruzzi 18. [tel] 0577 281084) has been playing in Italy’s Serie A, the nation’s premier football league. The team plays at the small Stadio Comunale Artemio Franchi (Via Mille 3, [tel] 0577 280937) just across from the bus station, close to the Fortezza parking.
Tickets cost €18-32 for adults, €12-28 for children 12-18 and €5-10 for under 12s. Italian families attend the games, but it’s rare to see children under 8. Siena has a good reputation when it comes to safety, though opposing fans might not be as friendly – it’s worth asking at the tourist office first. Buy tickets under the bus station at the Siena Calcio office (open 8.30am-noon, 3.30-7pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-noon Sat).

There's plenty more on Siena's more conventional sights, p. 78–87 in the book.

Livorno - Extras

2008-05-09T13:50:00.004+01:00

Nip over here to my new Flickr site and you'll find the first of what I hope will be a regular series of slideshows with photos and background information we didn't have space for in the book.

This week: Livorno (p. 139-142) in brief, port city, home of cacciucco, and untypical Tuscany hangout.

New Discount Museum Ticket for Siena

2008-05-06T15:55:00.001+01:00

Anyone who enjoyed the Renaissance Siena: Art for a City exhibition at London's National Gallery last winter should make straight for Siena's tourist office in the Campo (see p. 80).

For €13.50, the new "Percorsi del Rinascimento Senese" ticket gets you into the heart of all that art. It covers the Museo Civico (p. 83), Pinacoteca Nazionale, the former hospital of Santa Maria della Scala (p. 84), the Duomo and Pinturicchio's frescoed Libreria Piccolomini (p. 83), and the Archivio di Stato with its Museo delle Tavolette di Biccherna. Tickets represent a substantial saving on full-price individual admissions, and are valid through to the end of 2008.

More here.

Various other discount tickets for Siena are listed in the book, p. 85.

If you missed the London exhibition, the excellent catalogue is on sale here for £34.95. There's also a DVD (£15) about the city and its artistic heritage.

Maremma Cowboy Shows

2008-05-06T10:24:00.000+01:00

Equinus (p. 155) have announced the dates of their butteri cowboy shows for 2008. These family equestrian spectaculars, rooted in the history and traditions of the coastal Maremma, last about an hour and a half. Local organic produce is offered for sale after the show.

Confirmed dates for this summer and autumn are:

May 9th, 31st at 17.00
June 18th, 25th at 18.00
July 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th at 18.00
August 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th at 18.00
September 3rd, 10th at 18.00
October 5th at 17.00

The booking line is local tel. 333 9579733. Always call ahead to reserve and check shows are going ahead as planned. Driving directions are here.

Ragani - Umbria's Best Olive Oil

2008-05-05T09:40:00.001+01:00

Here's a couple of shots sent to me by the folks that run the Ragani family olive oil business. If you're anywhere near Assisi or Spello, be sure to stop in on their frantoio (p. 206), for trying and buying. Their first cold-pressed Colli Assisi Spoleto DOP Umbria was the best we tasted in Umbria.

Driving directions are here.

Chianti's Sculpture Park

2008-05-04T13:04:00.004+01:00

Here's another family attraction we just came across, close to the heart of Chianti. It's an outdoor contemporary sculpture park, with permanent exhibits and installations set in woodland north of Siena: the Chianti Sculpture Park.

There's also a contemporary art and sculpture shop on-site. Curator Dr. Piero Giadrossi explains:

Your readers might also be interested to know that in front of the entrance to the Park there is a sculpture gallery, located in an ancient renovated pottery, a fine example of industrial archeology. It is probably the largest in Italy and displays sculptures not to be found elsewhere in Europe.

We haven't inspected the park yet ourselves, but will be heading there as and when a new edition enters production.

It's open 10am until sunset April to October; entrance is €7.50, €5 for under 16s. Local tel. 0577 357151.

Driving directions are here.

Italia Wave 2008 Festival Lineup

2008-05-02T14:28:00.000+01:00

The line-up for this year's Italia Wave music festival has been announced. Headlining are The Chemical Brothers and The Verve.

This year the festival is in the port city of Livorno (p. 139–42), between the 16th and 19th July. The main stage is inside the city's delightful football stadium. Up to 100 other acts play in free spaces around town, including the Old Fort.

The festival's promotional and information video is here.

The Insider - Italian Tour Operators

2008-05-02T10:04:00.004+01:00

Here's one we missed from the Appendix. Hoseasons Villas 2008 brochure lists a selection of reasonably priced villas suitable as car-touring bases in northern or central Tuscany. Telephone: 0844 847 1222.