Destination Deep Dive: Tuscany (Notes & Resources)
Comprehensive notes on where to go, what to eat, and what nobody tells you about this very romanticized region in Italy
Reminder, June 11th (tonight) at 8 pm ET is the monthly Ask Me Anything About Italy. If you can’t join live, send your questions to danielle@danielleoteri.com
June 25 at 8 pm ET is the next Destination Deep Dive, which will visit Ischia.
The Honest Take: Why I Have Mixed Feelings About Tuscany
Tuscany is picture-perfect, and that’s why the region has become the postcard of Italy and of Italian tourism itself. And Tuscans do the business of tourism well. When I send clients there, I know they are in capable hands. The roads are extremely well managed, and the guides and drivers all speak excellent English. You find pretty good mattresses and a wide variety of accommodations. But sometimes I have mixed feelings about Tuscany because it has done so well in business, in marketing itself, in figuring out how to give tourists exactly what they want, and especially well at the high-end level, that I feel like it has given up too much of its soul.
Let me give you an example of what I mean: Pienza, a gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage site, was rebuilt in the 15th century by Pope Pius II to emulate the highest ideals of Renaissance architecture. And today, they no longer ring the bells in their historic bell tower because of complaints from the tourists in their hotels in the morning.
We’re not talking about leaf blowers, folks. I think Pienza should ring its own bells.
If you feel discouraged, I assure you that there’s plenty of soul in Tuscany, but maybe not in the places you’ve heard about. As such, I put together this Deep Dive to give you a good sense of the places that will satisfy your eyes and the ones that will also satisfy your heart.
