210 Best Sights in Tuscany, Italy

The large 1897 basilica was constructed over the foundation of a 13th-century church dedicated to the same saint. What makes the 10-minute uphill walk to it worthwhile is the richly decorated interior. The body of the 13th-century St. Margherita—clothed but with skull and bare feet clearly visible—is displayed in a case on the main altar.

Legend has it that an image of the Madonna appeared on a wall of a medieval calcinaio (lime pit used for curing leather), the site on which the church was then built between 1485 and 1513. The linear gray-and-white interior recalls Florence's Duomo. Sienese architect Francesco di Giorgio (1439–1502) most likely designed the sanctuary: the church is a terrific example of Renaissance architectural principles.

The curving, tiered apse on Piazza Grande belongs to a church that was originally an early Christian structure—itself constructed over the remains of a Roman temple. The church was rebuilt in Romanesque style in the 12th century. The splendid facade dates from the early 13th century but includes granite Roman columns. A magnificent polyptych, depicting the Madonna and Child with four saints, by Pietro Lorenzetti (circa 1290–1348), embellishes the high altar.

Originally an oratory dating from the 13th century, this delicate, tiny church is a fine example of Tuscan Gothic architecture. It has been restored several times, including in 1996–98, after having been damaged by a flood. The results of a recent face-lift are grand.

The church of Santa Maria delle Carceri was built by Giuliano Sangallo in the 1490s and is a landmark of Renaissance architecture.

This little 14th-century church on the main square has frescoes from the late-15th-century Sienese Umbrian school and a ciborium dating from the 8th century.

Originally founded by Augustinians in the 11th century, the church of Santo Stefano can be visited only by requesting a tour in the Collegiata di Sant'Andrea. It's worth the walk around the corner and down the street to see the sinopie (preparatory drawings) by Masolino depicting scenes from the Legend of the True Cross. He left without actually frescoing them; it may be that the Augustinian friars were late in making payment.

After a 40-day fast in 1224, St. Francis of Assisi had a vision of Christ crucified and received the stigmata, the signs of Christ's wounds, on his hands, feet, and chest. A stone in the floor of the 1263 Chapel of the Stigmata marks the spot.

A covered corridor through which the monks pass, chanting in a solemn procession each day at 3 pm on the way to Mass, is lined with simple frescoes of the Life of St. Francis by a late-17th-century Franciscan artist. The true artistic treasures of the place, though, are 15 della Robbia glazed terra-cottas. Most, like a heartbreakingly beautiful Annunciation, are in the 14th- to 15th-century basilica, which has a 5,000-pipe organ that sings out joyously at Masses.

Several chapels, each with its own story, can be visited, and some natural and spiritual wonders can also be seen. A walkway along the 230-foot-high cliff leads to an indentation where the rock is said to have miraculously melted away to protect St. Francis when the devil tried to push him off the edge. Most touching is the enormous Sasso Spicco (Projecting Rock), detached on three sides and surrounded with mossy rocks and trees, where St. Francis meditated. You can also view the Letto di San Francesco (St. Francis's Bed), a slab of rock in a cold, damp cave with an iron grate on which he prayed, did penance, and sometimes slept.

A 40-minute walk through the woods to the top of Mt. Penna passes some religious sites and ends in panoramic views of the Arno Valley, but those from the wide, cliff-edge terrace are equally impressive, including the tower of the castle in Poppi, the Prato Magno (great meadow), and the olive groves and vineyards on the lower slopes. Santuario della Verna's foresteria also has simple but comfortable rooms with or without bath. A restaurant with basic fare is open to the public, and a shop sells souvenirs and the handiwork of the monks.

As you leave La Verna, be glad you needn't do it as Edith Wharton (1862–1937) did on a 1912 visit during a drive across the Casentino. As she wrote, her car "had to be let down on ropes to a point about ¾ mile below the monastery, Cook [her chauffeur] steering down the vertical descent, and twenty men hanging on to a funa [rope] that, thank the Lord, didn't break."

Stop at the San Pellegrino in Alpe monastery en route from Abetone to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana to see the staggering view and the large wooden cross. The story goes that a 9th-century Scot, Pellegrino ("Little Pilgrim") by name, came to this spot to repent.

To the southeast of Chianciano, 10 km (6 miles) along SP19, lies this relatively unspoiled village that dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. The town's narrow streets, which wind slowly up toward an imposing fortress, now privately owned, make for very pleasant strolling.

Down a small street around the corner from Il Campo, this synagogue is worth a visit simply to view the two sobering plaques that adorn its facade. One commemorates June 28, 1799, when 13 Jews were taken from their homes by a fanatic mob and burned in the square. The other memorializes the Sienese Jews who were deported during World War II. Visits are permitted every half hour, and guided tours in English are available by prior arrangement.

The unusual element at this church is an archaeological site where five layers of Luccan history were revealed when it was discovered in 1969. Paths and catwalks suspended above the delicate sites in the grottoes under the church enable you to wander from one era to another—from the 2nd-century-BC site of a Roman temple through the 5th, 8th, 9th, and 11th centuries. After leaving the underground sights, the 12th-century church feels almost modern.

Just outside the walls, past Porta Fiorentina, are the ruins of the 1st-century-BC Roman theater, one of the best-preserved in Italy, with adjacent remains of the Roman terme (baths). You can enjoy an excellent bird's-eye view of the theater from Via Lungo le Mura.

This spa has two buildings with a large park in the middle and three types of water: Acqua Santa, Acqua Fucoli, and Acqua Sillene. Mud baths and other health or beauty treatments are available. The all-important mineral water is served at long counters, where the staff is always ready to refill your glass. Be warned: The water can have a cleansing effect on your system that may come on suddenly.

The swimming pools and treatments at Terme di Saturnia spa and resort are open to the public. You might make an appointment for a thermal mud therapy or rent a lounge chair and umbrella to sit by the pools. On weekends, the day price jumps a wee bit.

The waters here are said to help with kidney and urinary-tract ailments and all manner of digestive disorders; there are bocce courts and a pretty park to stroll in while you sip. On summer afternoons you can dance to live orchestra music in the park.

The most attractive art nouveau structure in town, Terme Tettuccio, has lovely colonnades. Here fountains set up on marble counters dispense mineral water, bucolic scenes painted on tiles decorate walls, and an orchestra plays under a frescoed dome.

Built to both defend and control their new possession after the Sienese conquered Massa Marittima in 1335, the Fortezza dei Senesi crowns the upper part of town. Just inside the imposing Sienese gate is the so-called Tower of the Candle Holder, a massive bastion that is connected to the outer walls by the Arco Senese, a high-arched bridge. A visit to the tower gives access to the arch and to the upper city walls, where commanding views open before you.

The highest spot in Lucca is the top of this tower, which had its first mechanical clock in 1390. It's since contained several clocks over the centuries; the current timepiece was installed in 1754. The reward for climbing 207 steps to the top is a panoramic view of the town.

Dating from the time of Frederick II (1194–1250), the Torre di Federico II was destroyed during World War II. A point of civic pride for San Miniatans and visible for miles, the tower was rebuilt and reopened in 1958. The hapless, ill-fated Pier della Vigna, chancellor and minister to Frederick II, leaped to his death from the tower, earning a mention in Dante's Inferno. The hill on which the tower stands—a surprisingly large oval of green grass—is one of the loveliest places in the area to have a picnic, enjoy the 360-degree view, and perhaps join local children in a pickup game of calcio (soccer).

The tower of the medieval Palazzo Guinigi contains one of the city's most curious sights: a grove of holm oaks. It is said that they were planted by the Guinigi family at the top of the tower as a symbol of renewal, and their roots have pushed their way into the room below. From the top you have a magnificent view of the city and the surrounding countryside. (Only the tower is open to the public, not the palazzo.)

Street/graffiti artist Keith Haring (1958–90) created this joyous work of art shortly before he died. It's on the southern wall of the church of Sant'Antonio Abate (originally dating from the mid-14th century but largely destroyed and rebuilt after World War II). "Tuttomondo" literally means "All World," and you can see figures dancing in harmony.

Dating from the 10th century, this walled town is oval in shape and has a tall watchtower guarding the entrance gate. A walk along the unspoiled streets gives you a glimpse of life in a Tuscan hill town as it once was, and the views of the undulating countryside from the occasional opening in the walls are simply spectacular.

A steep gravel road leads north out of Bagno Vignoni for 2 km (1 mile) to the town's upper village, a tiny grouping of buildings huddled at the base of a 13th-century tower. The tower, now a private home, was built to watch over the Via Francigena. A spectacular view of the entire Val d'Orcia opens up from the eastern gate.

Peek at the gardens of Villa Chigi, a 19th-century estate built on the site of a 14th-century castle (actually the "new castle" from which Castelnuovo got its name). The villa is closed to the public, but its manicured gardens are open on weekends and holidays from April to October.

On the night of July 15, 1576, Isabella de' Medici, daughter of the all-powerful Cosimo I, grand duke of Tuscany, was murdered by her husband in the Villa Medicea in the town of Cerreto Guidi for "reasons of honor"—that is, she was suspected of adultery. These days, although the villa's formal garden is in somewhat imperfect condition, the vast halls and chambers within remain majestic. Copies of portraits of various Medici, including Isabella, cover the walls. The villa sits atop the highest point in Cerreto Guidi, encircled by two narrow streets where the daily business of the town goes on. As you stand on the wide, flat front lawn, high above the streets of the town, with the villa behind you and terraced hillsides of olive groves and vineyards stretching into the distance, you can imagine what it was like to be a Medici. To see the villa, ring the bell for the custodian.

In the small town of Artimino, next door to Carmignano, is the Villa Medicea La Ferdinanda di Artimino. Built by Ferdinando I de' Medici (1549–1609) in the 1590s, it was originally used as a hunting lodge. Though it's closed to the public (except for special occasions or by prior arrangement), it's simply a stunning villa to look at.

Eight kilometers (5 miles) north of Lucca in Marlia, this villa was once the home of Napoléon's sister, Princess Elisa. Restored by the Counts Pecci-Blunt, the estate is celebrated for its spectacular gardens, laid out in the 16th century and redone in the middle of the 17th. Gardening buffs adore the legendary teatro di verdura, a theater carved out of hedges and topiaries; concerts are occasionally held here. In summer, performances are held in the gardens of other famous Lucca villas as well. Contact the Lucca tourist office for details.

A couple of miles outside Portoferraio, this splendid villa was Napoléon's summer home during his 10-month exile on Elba. Temporary exhibitions are held in a gallery attached to the main building. The Egyptian Room, decorated with idealized scenes of the Egyptian campaign, may have provided Napoléon the consolation of glories past. The villa's classical facade was added by a Russian prince, Anatolio Demidoff, after he bought the house in 1852.

This tiny town, with a population of roughly 40, is perched on a hill 10 km (6 miles) north of Radda. During the wars between Florence and Siena, it served as a key castle and military outpost, but it lost its importance when the Florentines defeated Siena in 1555. Approximately three-quarters of the town is now given over to the production of wine and olive oil.