Sublime renaissance architecture, exquisite art collections, romantic medieval towns and picturesque rolling hills covered in vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees - Florence and Tuscany has all this and much more to delight every traveller. Your DK Eyewitness Top 10 travel guide ensures you'll find your way around Florence and Tuscany with absolute ease. Our newly updated Top 10 travel guide breaks down the best of Florence and Tuscany into helpful lists of ten - from our own selected highlights to the best museums, places to eat and shops. You'll discover: - Ten easy-to-follow itineraries, perfect for a day-trip, a weekend, or a week - Detailed Top 10 lists of Florence and Tuscany's must-sees, including detailed breakdowns of the Uffizi, the Duomo, Pitti Palace, San Gimignano, Campo dei Miracoli, Siena's Duomo, Siena's Campo and Palazzo Pubblico, Chianti, Cortona and Lucca - Florence and Tuscany's most interesting areas, with the best places for shopping, dining, and sightseeing - Inspiration for different things to enjoy during your trip - including children's activities and things to do for free - A free laminated pull-out map of Florence and Tuscany, plus eight color city and neighborhood maps - Streetsmart advice: get ready, get around, and stay safe - A lightweight format perfect for your pocket or bag when you're on the move DK Eyewitness Top 10s have been helping travellers to make the most of their breaks since 2002. Staying for longer and looking for a more comprehensive guide? Try our DK Eyewitness Florence and Tuscany or DK Eyewitness Italy.

The magical landscapes and rich culture of Tuscany have fostered the inspiration and settings for literature since the works of the great Florentine poets Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio in the 14th century and has been a magnet for expatriate writers since the arrival in Florence of the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in 1372. With its historic cities and villages; its verdant countryside and crepuscular coastline; its treasury of art covering five millennia and, above all, its long heritage of authorship, Tuscany one of the most celebrated and well-travelled regions in the world. As the source of the Italian language and birthplace of the Renaissance, Tuscany lies at the historic and cultural heart of Italy, and has remained an irresistible attraction to writers for six centuries. This book is a journey that follows in their footsteps; from John Milton and Thomas Gray to the Brownings, the Shelleys, Charles Dickens, D. H. Lawrence, Thomas Hardy, E. M. Forster, Mark Twain, Muriel Spark and many others. _x000D__x000D_Florence and Tuscany: A Literary Guide for Travellers takes the literary-minded traveller (either in person or in an armchair) on a vivid and illuminating journey, retracing the footsteps of writers who have lived and worked in, or been inspired by, the history and landscape of Tuscany from John Milton and Thomas Gray to the Brownings, the Shelleys, Charles Dickens, D.H. Lawrence, Thomas Hardy, E.M. Forster, Mark Twain Muriel Spark and many others. For anyone who has fallen under a Tuscan spell, as so many have before, this book - the first of its kind - will prove enthralling reading._x000D_

A witty and warm-hearted memoir of abandoning fast-paced American days in favor of discovering the Italian secrets of food, community, and life. Moving across the globe meant Michelle Damiani soon found herself untangling Italian customs, delighting in glorious regional cuisine (recipes included), and creating lasting friendships. From grandmothers eager to teach the ancient art of pasta making, to bakers tossing bread into fiery ovens with a song, to butchers extolling the benefits of pork fat, Il Bel Centro is rich with captivating characters and cultural insights. Throw in clinking glasses of Umbrian red with the local communists and a village all-nighter decorating the cobblestone streets with flower petals; as well as embarrassing language minefields and a serious summons to the mayor’s office, and you have all the ingredients for a spellbinding travel tale. Exquisitely observed, Il Bel Centro is an intimate celebration of small town Italy, as well as a thoughtful look at raising a family in a new culture and a fascinating story of finding a home. Ultimately though, this is a story about how travel can change you when you’re ready to let it. With laugh-out-loud situations and wanderlust-inspiring storytelling, Il Bel Centro is a joyous and life-affirming read that will have readers rushing to renew their passports. “This is one of the most beautiful book I’ve ever read.” “I absolutely couldn’t get enough of this book.” “This book made me want to pack my bags.” “I loved, loved this book. Fabulously written, engaging, and entertaining.” “A magical read.”

Nestled in the Apennines, cradle of the Renaissance, home of Dante, Michelangelo, and the Medici, Florence is unlike any other city in its extraordinary mingling of great art and literature, natural splendor, and remarkable history. Intimate and grand, learned and engaging, Michael Levey's Florence renders the city in all of its madness and magnificence.

National Geographic Traveler: Florence and Tuscany offers the best of Florence and Tuscany. Illustrations, history, and practical information allow you to learn much about the monuments of Florence, from the Duomo to Piazza della Signoria, museums and galleries, Renaissance palaces, and churches. After Florence, you can move toward Siena and San Gimignano, visit the Chianti region if you are a wine lover or the Apuan Alps for some excursions, or head to the south of the region to learn about the history and culture of the Etruscans on a beach holiday. In central-southern Tuscany, you can appreciate the abbeys, historic villages, and the sublime countryside, stopping in Pienza or Montalcino for excursions. Witness historical re-enactments and events and enjoy the pleasure of cooking, including wines are an inseparable part of the trip. Indulge in shopping for fashion, art, and antiques.

Change the world one trip at a time. In this illuminating collection of stories and lessons from the road, acclaimed travel writer Rick Steves shares a powerful message that resonates now more than ever. With the world facing divisive and often frightening events, from Trump, Brexit, and Erdogan, to climate change, nativism, and populism, there's never been a more important time to travel. Rick believes the risks of travel are widely exaggerated, and that fear is for people who don't get out much. After years of living out of a suitcase, he still marvels at how different cultures find different truths to be self-evident. By sharing his experiences from Europe, Central America, Asia, and the Middle East, Rick shows how we can learn more about own country by viewing it from afar. With gripping stories from Rick's decades of exploration, this fully revised edition of Travel as a Political Act is an antidote to the current climate of xenophobia. When we travel thoughtfully, we bring back the most beautiful souvenir of all: a broader perspective on the world that we all call home. All royalties from the sale of Travel as a Political Act are donated to support the work of Bread for the World, a non-partisan organization working to end hunger at home and abroad.

In this delicious book, noted food scholar Carole M. Counihan presents a compelling and artfully told narrative about family and food in late 20th-century Florence. Based on solid research, Counihan examines how family, and especially gender have changed in Florence since the end of World War II to the present, giving us a portrait of the changing nature of modern life as exemplified through food and foodways.

Completely revised and updated guidebooks from the award-winning, internationally acclaimed series. Profusely illustrated with full-color maps, photographs, and specially commissioned artwork, packed with detailed information, savvy advice, and much more, they're a favorite with travelers everywhere--and the critics love them as well. "Sensational photos, superb maps, and prose that's authoritative." --San Francisco Chronicle "It's like reading and looking at a really in-depth National Geographic essay." --Seattle Times "All the glossy thoroughness you would expect from the brand name, with an impressive list of contributors."--The Times (London) "Some of the handsomest volumes you'll ever find on a shelf of travel books." --Toronto Star "Filled with beautiful photography, and excellent color maps; after all, this is National Geographic, a publisher that's had about a hundred years experience in doing this kind of thing." --The Tennessean

Now available in ePub format. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Florence & Tuscany will lead you straight to the very best this region has to offer. Whether you're looking for the things not to miss at the Top 10 sights or want to find the best nightspots, this guide is the perfect pocket-sized companion. Rely on dozens of Top 10 lists--from the Top 10 museums to the Top 10 events, festivals, and more. There's even a list of the Top 10 things to avoid. The guide is divided by area with restaurant reviews for each, as well as recommendations for hotels, bars, and places to shop. You'll find the insider knowledge every visitor needs to explore this cities with DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Florence & Tuscany and its free pull-out map. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Florence & Tuscany--showing you what others only tell you.

Walk in the footsteps of the Medici, sip aperitivi, and discover the cultural heart of Italy: with Rick Steves on your side, Florence and Tuscany can be yours! Inside Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Florence and Tuscany Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo to a 600-year-old perfumery How to connect with local culture: Let a street musician serenade you on the Ponte Vecchio, stroll through a morning market sampling freshly-made pasta, and sip full-bodied wines with Montalcino locals at a corner enoteca Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a glass of wine Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums Detailed maps for exploring on the go, including driving tours through the heart of Tuscany and Brunello wine country Useful resources including a packing list, an Italian phrase book, a historical overview, and recommended reading Over 400 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Complete, up-to-date information on Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Volterra, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino, Cortona, and more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany. Spending less than a week exploring Florence? Try Rick Steves Pocket Florence.