Bed and Breakfast Italy - Villa Oliveto - Holiday accommodation near the Versilian Coast, Tuscany

[ local map | map of Tuscany ]

In half an hour you'll reach the marvellous mediaeval city of Lucca. This most graceful of Tuscany's provincial capitals sits within a complete ring of fifteenth century walls. Around these lie peaceful grassed gardens; within lies a delightful labyrinth of a town, with its mediaeval buildings still holding to the Roman street plan laid out two millennia ago.

Nearby you can visit the marble quarries which provided the rock for Michelangelo's sculptures. There are the old towns of Pietrasanta and Camaiore, and you can head up the coast to the extraordinary run of coastal mountain villages of the Cinque Terre. The 'five lands' are wedged into a series of coves between precipitous cliffs. Remote, yet dramatically situated on a stunning coastline they are well worth a trip.

The magnificent Golfo dei Poeti sweeps up to the north, a lovely panorama of islands and rocky headlands and the villa is just 90km from Florence. The home of Michelangelo, Botticelli and the Medici, of the Ponte Vecchio and the Neptune Fountain; the birthplace of modern art, sculpture and commerce, and the centre of the Renaissance, Florence is a holiday in itself.

Siena is 140km away. Here, within mediaeval walls, pedestrianised streets wind maze-like towards the spectacular Piazza del Campo, venue for the annual Palio horse race. San Gimignano, meanwhile, is probably the most famous small town in Italy - there are few places that evoke the atmosphere of mediaeval Tuscany so powerfully. Its 15 towers soar into the sky, making this little hilltop town a spectacular place to visit. It lies 80km from your door.

North, south, east or west, into the hills, to the coast, or exploring the marvellous towns and cities of Tuscany, this is a vacation with a wealth of opportunities. Please click here for an additional selection of photographs, and click below to discover more.