By Sara on July 31, 2012
Tuscany is a land rich in landscapes to discover and splendid cities to savor. In some of them, you might get away with stopping for just a few hours but, in others, we definitely recommend staying longer to more completely enjoy their beauty.
If you are planning your first experience in Tuscany, we offer a short list of the top cities and areas of the region you should include in your visit… and if you can’t make it to all of them, we are sure you’ll be back for another trip soon! 
Without further ado, here are the ones we recommend you should absolutely see!
Continue reading “First time to Tuscany? Top 5 Destinations You Shouldn’t Miss!”
Posted in Destinations | Tagged chianti, florence, pisa, san gimignano, siena, tuscany |
By Lourdes on July 10, 2012
San Quirico d'Orcia, one of the towns that started collecting a tourism tax this past spring
In July 2011, Florence was the first Tuscan city to implement a tourism tax on all lodgings within the city of Florence. Since then, the rest of the province and towns across the region have been quietly implementing the tax as well. I say quietly because we were recently in San Quirico in Val d’Orcia (several great options here) and only discovered the tax upon checkout! So if we didn’t know about it, it’s likely many of our visitors also don’t know.
While it is not uncommon for tourists to have to pay a service tax in many cities across the world, this is a recent addition to the cost of visiting Tuscany and Italy you have to factor into your budget. The tax is generally completely separate from your hotel or accommodation per room/per night cost so we’re sharing what we know so you can at least know about it ahead of your check-out.
Continue reading “Tourism Tax being implemented across all of Tuscany”
Posted in News |
By admin on June 22, 2012
On June 17 the grand opening of a new agriturismo occurred near Serravalle Pistoiese in Tuscany. The fact is newsworthy because the farmhouse is the site of a very special social project where 12 homeless will have the opportunity over the next 12 months to work and pick up the necessary skills as well as confidence to start a new life off the streets of Milan and Pistoia.
The farm actually belongs to a couple from northern Italy who have dedicated their time in the past to social and volunteer projects. They have opened up their over 500m2 rural home from the 1400s to the Association “Clochard alla Riscossa” (Homeless to the Rescue) to be the site of this very interesting social project. The farmhouse offers accommodation in 5 rooms in the green hills of Serravale Pistoiese near Pistoia and just 3km from Montecatini Terme: just off the beaten track of most Tuscan itineraries but very close to Florence and Pisa making it perfect for visiting the region.
Double rooms are 40 euro per night with buffet breakfast included. During summer, full board per room (lunch and dinner included) costs 60 euros, a very good deal in Tuscany!
In this next year, the twelve chosen will be responsible for taking care of the farmhouse also called Clochard alla Riscossa, its orchard, garden and the farm animals. They will receive room and board as well as monthly pay for their work, with the aim that within the year they will be financially independent and in the condition of reintegrating themselves into society.
The association was founded by Wainer Molteni, a sociologist that up until last winter lived as as a homeless man himself and who now works as a consultant to the city of Milan in projects to help socially reintegrate the homeless of the city. The farmhouse project in particular is being funded by an anonymous benefactor from Milan, who will sustain the project until it becomes financially independent.
After the year ends, the 12 will be substituted by another group of homeless which will continue the project of giving today’s “invisible” members of society the chance to re enter it through their own hard work and will.
We believe it to be a beautiful, praiseworthy initiative! What do you think?
For additional information, see the Association’s Facebook page or website Clochard alla Riscossa.
The farmhouse is located at:
Clochard Alla Riscossa
via Marlianese, 210
51030 Serravalle Pistoiese (PT)
Mobile: 340.569.8217
Email: info[AT]clochardallariscossa.org
Posted in News | Tagged clochard, homeless, serravalle pistoiese |
