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The
medieval town Peccioli and the Estruscan
Museum
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One
peculiarity of Tuscany is its medieval towns
full of narrow crooked lanes, archways, irregular
stairways, stone buildings. Discover Peccioli,
formerly a castle and later turned into a
proper town, and visit its interesting
Etruscan museum, learning a lot about
the usages and the history of this original
Pre-Roman population through the recent
finds belonging to a rural sacred temple.
Tasting of typical pastry in a local
old fashion bar included. |
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The
medieval town Vicopisano and the ceramic
workshop
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Our tour guide
will take you to visit the little town of
Vicopisano, near Pisa, which is still
surrounded by its safety fortifications
and many ancient towers dating back
to the XII Century. Here you will visit
the Brunelleschi fortress located
on the top of the hill. We will enter also
a ceramic workshop, where the workers
will show you how they create a terracotta
vase and how they decorate it.
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| Only
a few people know that the Piaggio company,
the producer of the worldwide famous Vespa,
is right in Pontedera, near Pisa. Discover
the history of the company and the old models
of the famous moped and of the other vehicles
together with a lot of interesting stories
and legends in the Piaggio museum. Aperitif
in Pontedera, town
of fashion and shopping center, included |
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| The
most fascinating Etruscan city in Tuscany,
Volterra, is famous also for the handcrafted
production of the ancient stone given to the
city as a present by the sea… the
alabaster. Here, together with one of
our tour leader, you will visit a traditional
alabaster workshop, where you can see
how the expert hands of the workers produce
a nice and elegant vase from a piece of rough
stone. Tasting of excellent chocolate
locally produced in a elegant bar in the centre.
Free time for shopping in Volterra. |
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The
castle of the Vicars and the pasta factory
in Lari |
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castle of the Vicars of Lari is a perfectly
conserved example of medieval fortress.
It was built atop of a hill over a very strategic
territory and its possession caused many wars
between Pisa and Florence in the early Middle
Ages. Discover what happened in its gloomy
dungeons through the stories of our tour
leader. The castle is located very close to
a worldwide famous pasta factory. You
will visit it and learn how pasta is produced
using traditional methods and tools,
differently from industrial production. Tasting
of the locally produced cherry liquor
in an old-fashion bar included. |
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| The
San Rossore Natural Park
is a large protected area ranging from
Marina di Pisa, just 10 kms from Pisa, to
Torre del Lago, very near to Viareggio. Most
of its vast territory is covered by pinewood
hosting an enormous variety of wildlife, including
the wild bore, the deer and above all many
different species of bird. In the park the
two Tuscan main rivers Arno and Serchio
flow into the Thyrrhenian sea forming a unique
and highly protected sandy beach. You
can enjoy an unforgettable trip through the
forest on board a horse carriage and
get to know all the secrets of wild life of
the natural reserve. |
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| The
mining industry in the Upper Val di
Cecina has always been a major local activity.
The Museum in Montecatini Valdicecina shows
the history of mineral digging out from 1827
to 1907. Enjoy a trip into the misteries
of the underground, enter the narrow galleries,
discover the rusted original machinery
and learn how miners used to dig and
bring rock salt and alabaster above ground.
You can also admire a large collection of
original documents of the mining enterprise
such as working programmes, pay-rolls and
registers as well as outlines of the galleries
and plans of the mines. |
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The
Carhusian monastery in Calci
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The monumental monastery of Calci, just
10 kms from Pisa, was foundend in 1366
by Carthusian monks. Due to a Napoleonic
bill it was closed in 1808 but monks still
lived there till 1972. Its central nave and
its marble façade are marvellous
examples of local 17th century Baroque.
In the huge monumental building it is possible
to visit the church, the cloister and some
cells. One of the two wings of the monastery
is now hosting the Museum of Natural History
of the University of Pisa. |
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| If
you want to get to know all the historical
and artistic information about Tuscany's
major art cities, Arianna & Friends organizes
half-day guided sightseeings of Pisa, Lucca,
Florence, Siena and San Gimignano. An
experienced city guide will show you all main
monuments of each town and will give you some
detailled information not only about Tuscan
history and art but also about legends,
curiosities and usages of the local people.
The sightseeings last usually three hours
but your personal city guide can be available
also for a full day. |
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The
museum and the birth house of Leonardo da
Vinci
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| Visiting
Tuscany means to come into contact with
one of the most famous geniuses of all times:
Leonardo da Vinci. Vinci
is the name of his birthplace, here you will
visit the Museo Leonardiano, a museum
dedicated to him. There you will find Leonardo's
full-scale models of machines and
inventions together with many of his drawings
and manuscript notes. Don not forget
that Vinci is a typical example of medieval
village with a wonderful view on the valley
all around. From the town you can have a relaxing
walk on an ancient footpath running
amidst olive groves and get to the birth
house of Leonardo - a typical 15th
century Tuscan rural dwelling. |
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| Since
earliest times the valley of the river Arno
has been famous for its clayey ground
and the town Montelupo, close to Florence,
made an art out of this feature: the art
of ceramic. Arianna & Friends organizes
guided visits to the Museum of Ceramics,
where you will discover the history of pottery
from its origins to present production and
decoration. The wonderful majolicaware
of Montelupo has got always more famous
and has invaded the markets of the biggest
Mediterranean towns over the past centuries.
Since the discovery of America the Montelupo
production has taken even the Atlantic trade
routes. Still today this little medieval village
is the place where world famous hand-painted
terracottas, ceramics and majolicas are created. |
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Birdwatching
in the Marsh of Fucecchio
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Vinci there is one of the most important boggy
districts of the whole Tuscan territory called
the Padule di Fucecchio. It is a vast
wet area formed by some tributaries of the
river Arno and at present it is park of such
utmost beauty that a safeguard plan is being
worked out to turn it into a Natural Reserve.
The area is rich in rare plants and wildlife
such as several species of water-lilies,
small carnivorous plants, herons, cranes
and black storks. Foresters count more
than 150 species of birds. It is a downright
paradise for lovers of nature and bird
watching. Visiting the park with one of
our specialized naturalistic guides is an
amazing experience! |
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| Combined
tours |
You
can choose to combine two of the above listed
half-day tours and book a full-day excursion.
Combinations are possible also with our
wine
and food tours. Here you fine
some standard prices for these combinations:
Combined
wine and food + cultural tours
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2
people - € 110,00 - 130,00
per person
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4
people - €
75,00
- 95,00 per
person
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6
people - €
65,00
- 80,00
per person
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8
people -
€
55,00
- 70,00
per person
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Note that these
prices do not include any combination
with the guided sightseeings of Pisa, Lucca,
Florence, Siena or San Gimignano.
If you
wish a car
with personal chauffeur please
specify it in the booking
form.
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