Italia Mia

Towns in Tuscany Your Travel Agent Has Never Heard Of:

1. Pitigliano - Pitigliano is a medieval town with Etruscan heritage. It’s found in the southern Tuscan region of Maremma in the province of Grosseto. The earth under Pitigliano is riddled with tunnels, caves and tombs that you can explore – hook up with the local tourist office to arrange a tour. There’s also a Christian cave chapel said to be the oldest in Italy, from about 400 AD.
2. Capalbio - Capalbio is also located in the province of Grosseto, close to the Lazio border. The views from Capalbio give you an awesome picture of the entire Maremma region all the way to the sea. The old and lovely things that attract people to the town are the Renaissance Collacchioni Palace which houses the piano of Giacomo Puccini–Capalbio’s most famous vacationer.
3. Manciano - The town of Manciano is built on a hilltop with massive views of the surrounding valleys and the sea. Visit Manciano to enjoy the thermal hot springs. Many people don’t know that Italy has some amazing natural springs and the Saturnia hot springs just outside of Manciano are famous within Italy.
4. Montescudaio - Montescudaio is a miniature Tuscan town with a whopping 1800 residents. The village is a medieval borghi, a fortified town surrounded by protective walls. The town is located on a hill close to Pisa. This is a beautifully preserved town where you might want to plunk yourself at a restaurant with a terrace with stunning views of the ocean, the Islands of Elba, Capraia, Giglio and Montecristo. You’re just 12 km from the coast.
5. Montefioralle - If you dream of staying in a farmhouse in the famous hills of Chianti Classico then Montefioralle might be your golden ticket for under the radar Chianti living. It’s on the road between Florence and Sienna where vineyards, scattered peasant houses and beautiful villages are dotted between hill-top woods. Montefioralle has just 2 restaurants and is virtually car free, so if you have kids then this would be a great place to relax.
6. Monteriggioni - Monteriggioni conforms perfectly to the mental image of a walled castle village. The walls and towers are virtually intact and the streets are mostly traffic free. Check out their medieval festival on the first weekend of July every year. The locals dress in medieval costumes playing farmers, merchants, soldiers, cross-bowman friars, magicians, astrologists, ballad singers and jesters.