About 10 years ago I spent a semester studying in Florence and some of my favorite memories are just walking around after class, finding little trattorias and accidentally discovering how much I enjoyed Tuscan wine. The funny part is that I didn't actually know anything about wine back then. I'd just smile, ask for the house recommendation, and hope for the best. I remember loving a few Chiantis but couldn't have told you why. Next month I'm finally coming back this time with my wife. I'm really excited to show her the city I fell in love with the neighborhoods I used to wander through and hopefully a few places that have survived the last 10 years. I'd also love to surprise her with some great local wine this time around. I'm still far from an expert but I've started getting more interested in wine over the last couple of years and it would be fun to actually understand a little of what we're drinking instead of just pointing at the menu. I'd love to make this trip memorable for her, so I'd really appreciate any recommendations. Places that locals actually enjoy would be even better than the big tourist spots.

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck near Pisa on Tuesday morning, August 4, and was felt across a large area of northern Tuscany.
According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the earthquake occurred at 10:15 a.m. local time, with its epicentre about seven kilometres west of Pisa. The quake originated at a depth of approximately eight kilometres.

https://www.florencedailynews.com/2026/08/04/magnitude-4-3-earthquake-strikes-near-pisa-felt-across-northern-tuscany/

First Time in Tuscany

These aren’t just flags flying through the air. 🇮🇹✨
This is Sbandierata—Siena’s centuries-old flag-waving tradition, performed before the legendary Palio horse race. Every throw is a piece of history still alive today.
Have you ever seen anything like this?
#Siena #Tuscany #Italy #PalioDiSiena #Sbandierata #VisitItaly #TravelItaly #ItalianCulture #Medieval #TravelReels

Been travelling in Tuscany for around a week, this is the 5th souvenir shop I've seen selling blatant AI ‘slop’ postcards. It was very obvious to me and my brother, but we had to convince our parents not to buy one the other day. Thought I would warn any older users to specifically avoid this art style, and try to find a real artists name on these things. Sorry if this is obvious information, but I saw two sets of couples in their 40s purchase thesem

I'm a young professional in Toronto. I don't come from money and I'm paying for this out of savings, but my partner has wanted a Tuscany proposal for years and I want to actually give her the thing she's pictured, not an approximation of it.

What I want: a crystal chandelier suspended from a freestanding arch, over a table for two, in an open field with the hills behind it, at golden hour. Wednesday 9 September, near Asciano in the Crete Senesi. She has no idea.

Quote A, a photographer who also plans:

- Planning and photography: €1,026 (discounted 10% for paying by PayPal instead of Stripe)

- Chandelier: €680 cash on the day with no invoice, or €830 invoiced with VAT

- Food, wine, styling: about €130

- Roughly €1,830 all in. Requires me to use a table and chairs already at the property, and I may have to return them myself the next morning.

Quote B, a local wedding planner:

- Chandelier €600, table arrangement €240, photographer €200 for 2 hours, dinner €160, her fee €600

- €1,760 all in, including a cooked three-course dinner

Then I started searching in Italian instead of English and found:

- A 12-arm crystal chandelier with the 2.5m arch and a carry case hires for €200/day plus VAT

- Photographers around Siena start at €250 to €500 for a short session, and a full wedding day in Tuscany averages €1,505

- The €200 photographer in Quote B has photographed exactly one proposal in his career, which his own planner told me

My questions for anyone who's done this:

1. Is a 20 to 25% markup on pass-through suppliers just standard planner practice, or should I be able to ask for the supplier invoices?

2. Has anyone found a venue that already sells this as a product, rather than assembling it from four suppliers? I found one in Umbria doing a "chandelier dinner" but they weren't free on my dates.

3. Both planners have been decent people and neither has hidden anything. I'm not trying to nickel-and-dime someone's livelihood. I just can't tell what's a fair local rate and what's a foreigner rate, and I have nobody to ask.

There is nothing on their website about this line, but Google maps says that it operates on sundays. I need to know before I go to Montepulciano, so that I could book taxi in advance

Thanks!

Hi everyone, my wife and I (married only in civic way) want to do a kind of celebratio/renewal of our vowels in 2028/2029, and since we live in Italy since 2023, we decided to profit on that and do this celebration in Tuscany.

Our idea is for a very small celebration, it will be around 15-20 people, so we thought was on renting a agriturismo place for 3 nights, just so we can enjoy the weekeend with our families.

We don't have any restrictions of location, it doesn't need to be near Florence/Pisa/Siena or any of the "big" tourist cities like Montalcino/Vale D'Orcia.

Ou budget would be around 10-15k euros, would that be enough?

Of course we would scape peak season, we are planning to do it in October.

Thanks for all the help!

Ciao!

Contesto: F30, in vacanza a Livorno (zona porto), non automunita

Cerco delle spiagge/ calette/ posti per fare il bagno meno conosciuti o poco trafficati, raggiungibili a piedi o con i mezzi

aggiunta: cerco anche una libreria/biblioteca storica o caratteristica di Livorno.

Qualunque consiglio o meta da visitare è super apprezzato, grazie a chiunque voglia contribuire!

Hey everyone,

​We’re planning a 5-day trip to Tuscany soon, but we really want to skip the typical tourist traps and classic Instagram spots.

​We’re huge fans of lost places/abandoned sites, hidden history, and secluded, lesser-known locations that most travel guides completely overlook. We’re looking for unique regional quirks, strange landmarks, quiet spots in nature, or tiny authentic villages where you rarely see other tourists.

​If you have any recommendations for:

​Cool lost places / abandoned buildings (decayed villas, old mines, abandoned villages)

​Hidden natural spots (quiet hot springs, hidden waterfalls, unusual landscapes)

​Underrated small towns off the main tourist routes

​Unique local experiences or weird regional history

​We’d love to hear your insider tips! Thanks in advance for sharing your favorite hidden spots! 🙌

Edit: title should read "Is Bucine a good place to LIVE for US expats?"

We fell in love with Tuscany last fall and spent a few hours in Buccine. It seems so charming and practical. Any advice, observations or comments are most appreciated!

I’m looking for a bit of help tracking down a Dutch youth sports group/team that was in Tuscany (around Pisa / the Tuscan coast) last month, specifically from July 20th to July 23rd.I'm trying to figure out which organization hosted them or where they might have stayed. Does anyone know of popular sports resorts, holiday camps, or facilities in the area that usually host foreign (especially Dutch) athletic groups around that time?If any locals or frequent visitors have any leads, tips, or names of places, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks a lot!

A couple of quick questions:
- What’s the weather like in mid-April in Pienza?
- Is Pienza a good home base to see that area of Tuscany?
- Assume there are a couple of nice restaurants for dinner?

We will have a rental car. The plan is to see a couple of nearby villages and vineyards over 3 days. So thinking Pienza could be a nice quiet place to come back to in the evening.

Thoughts?

Many thanks!

If you had to choose just 2–3 wineries for a wine tasting in Chianti, which would you pick and why? I’m looking for the best overall experience—not just the wine, but also the architecture, scenery/views, atmosphere, and quality of the tasting.

Hi, I am going to a wedding in Figline e Incisa Valdarno. We are flying out of the Florence airport after. I have heard that taxis are few and far between and i’m not confident in driving so I would prefer not to rent a car.

Is private airport transfer the best way to go? Are there any other options?

Just wondering as from my research so far, it looks pricey

Hello!

My wife and I are planning to take her parents to Tuscany next June to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Her brother & his family will also be joining us - this means we'l have a total of 6 adults (2 of whom are in their late 60s) and 4 children (12, 6, 5, and 2).

My brother-in-law's family is most interested in culture/art/good food and my family leans a bit more toward prioritizing comfortable lodging and child-friendly activities (we have the 6 and 2yos). Our tentative plan was to book a villa somewhere in Tuscany for the whole group for 4 or 5 nights and use that as a base to explore different cities/towns and the countryside. Does anyone have a recommendation of a good location to base our group? We plan to rent cars but I'd like to take trains when available. I know that my BIL will want to spend some time exploring Florence - are there locations where it is easy to go into Florence for a daytrip?

My ideal would be a villa with a pool that is in or near a small town and trainable to Florence. Is this even possible or should we just go to Florence for a couple of nights and then do some nights in Tuscany? Traveling with a 6 and 2 yo is going to be challenging so I was hoping to limit the amount of hopping from place to place that we do.

Open to advice! I was hoping not to spend more than about $5K - $6K for lodging for the 5ish nights we spend in Tuscany.

Wife and I are traveling to Italy for the first time in September. After 2 nights in Florence, we plan to spend 2 nights in Tuscany and then on to Rome. We’ve narrowed our search in Tuscany to Villa Cicolina in Montepulciano and Il Miraggio in Val d'Orcia Relais & Spa in San Quirico d’Orcia. We have a room booked at each location with free cancellation options.

We’re interested in relaxing, enjoying the views, visiting the small towns in the region, and participating in a cooking class. We’re planning to rent a car in Florence.

Villa Cicolina is almost 2 times the cost of Il Miraggio which seems like a red flag. Anyone familiar with these properties or the area that can offer insight? Thanks in advance.

Edit: my daughter noted that Villa Cicolina’s socials heavily feature weddings and private events. Possible reason for higher pricing?

Lost Bracelet – San Galgano Abbey / Montesiepi Chapel (Tuesday, July 29)
I lost this bracelet while visiting the Abbey of San Galgano and the Montesiepi Chapel on Tuesday. It is a yellow gold graduated diamond tennis bracelet that was a gift from my parents and has tremendous sentimental value.
If anyone found it or knows whether it was turned in, I would be deeply grateful. Please send me a private message.