Camogli, a charming Italian borgo with a view on the breathless Golfo Paradiso on the Italian Rivera, is the ideal place for a romantic weekend or a family vacation or with friends, because it is an authentic place where the beautiful landscapes that embrace the pristine sea. This jewel borgo is famous for its pretty marina with bright multi-colored palazzi lining the water. A romantic seaside village that fascinates the view of a magnificent natural setting that has enchanted travelers from all over the world in search of relaxation, culture, sea and great food. The territory of Camogli also includes the widest part of the Portofino Regional Natural Park with the beautiful Fraction San Fruttuoso di Camogli. The town of Camogli has a splendid historic center made of tiny traditional houses strictly painted in pastel color, with the narrow green shutters, and the Dragonara Castle that hosts the Maritime Museum that houses 146 models of vessels, built almost exclusively by the seafaring people of Camogli.

From Camogli you can discover other wonders: Santa Margherita and Portofino, Cinque Terre onboard of a private boat to admire from the sea the astonishing villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza. Camogli is also the right place where you can enjoy the rich typical Ligurian gastronomy, fresh fish, the pesto, in one of the restaurants that overlook the marina of Camogli.

Tuscany is where Dante wrote parts of his Divine Comedy and it is also where Saint Francis of Assisi received his stigmata. In Tuscany you can  eat some of Italy’s best schiacciata and relax. The Hidden Tuscany is a gorgeous area and  if you like discovering the real Italy, non-touristy trattorias with local, fresh food where only Italian is spoken, off-the-beaten-track walks and fresh and clean air, then it is for you.

You can see wild boar, deer, porcini mushrooms and try the hiking trails. A land with food traditions and artisan culture, and ancient, of which today everyone can enjoy the products. The delicacies that you can taste in any part of Tuscany include chestnuts, truffle and wild meat, grey ham, wine, excellent home-made pasta, the local cheeses and the cold cuts, olive oil, chesnuts, chestnut honey, processing cloth, wool fabrics, wood art, serena stone, wrought iron, ceramics.

Florence, with its museums, palaces, and churches housing some of the greatest artistic treasures in the world. The most important sites in Florence include the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Accademia; the churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce are veritable art galleries, the library of San Lorenzo is a magnificent exhibition of Michelangelo’s architectural genius; the Ponte Vecchio; the oldest streets in the city; take your time to see the vast and varied art collection housed in the Pitti Palace; spend a day at the Boboli Gardens or climb the hill to the church of San Miniato al Monte to experience an enchanting view of Florence.

Siena, surrounded by olive groves and the vineyards of Chianti, has its heart is the Piazza del Campo, known worldwide for the famous Palio run here, a horse race run around the piazza two times every summer. It’s said to have been founded by Senius, son of Remus, one of the two legendary founders of Rome thus Siena’s emblem is the she-wolf who suckled Remus and Romulus. From the Piazza del Campo you can’t miss to see the Palazzo Pubblico and its tower, Torre del Mangia, and the Duomo of Siena. Not to miss a day in the Chianti area.

Arezzo, famous for gold and antiques, has plenty of monuments, churches and museums that offer visitors a chance to step back into history: the Church of San Francesco is probably the most famous in Arezzo, with the incredible Early Renaissance fresco cycle by Piero della Francesca depicting the Legend of the True Cross; the Medicean Fortress; the Cathedral dedicated to San Donato; the Roman Amphitheater and the Church of San Domenico with the wooden Crucifix by Cimabue; the House of Giorgio Vasari.

Cortona, a small charming town in the Valdichiana overlooking Lake Trasimeno. The most important sites include the Piazza della Repubblica, with the Palazzo Comunale; the Diocesan Museum, where you can admire a beautiful panel painting of the Annunciation by Beato Angelico; the Etruscan Academy Museum of the City of Cortona; the beautiful Santa Margherita Sanctuary; the Girifalco Fortress.

Bibbiena, the capital of Etruscan origin, has an old town center with monuments of great artistic value that include the Palazzo Dovizi; the Palazzo Mazzoleni; the Palazzo Niccolino; the Church of San Lorenzo, the Church of the Saints Ippolito and Donato;  the Church of Santa Maria del Sasso.

Poppi, of the most beautiful villages of Italy (Borghi d’Italia), has a historic center with elegant arcades and narrow alleys, the Medieval castle of the Guidi Counts situated on the hilltop of Poppi, it dominates the surrounding countryside with its façade with double-arched windows and a tall tower rising from the centre, and it is considered a prototype of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, housing the Rilliana Library, full of hundreds of medieval manuscripts. Also, the Arte della Lana Museum houses a rich collection of industrial archeology, including an important selection of textile machines.

Montalcino, in the Brunello land to visit the famous wineries, have lunch or dinner among the rows of the Brunello di Montalcino vineyards with typical Tuscan courses based on artisanal products;  search for truffles in the Crete Senesi or see it from the saddle of a vintage Vespa. Gently-rolling hills covered in the dense vegetation of vineyards, olive groves, cypresses, beech and chestnut trees alternate with Medieval habitations, rural villas and castles boasting impervious towers – all of which is diffused in a tranquilly-isolated nature.

San Gimignano, with its splendorous Medieval atmosphere enwrapped by its 13th-Century wall, earned its place on the UNESCO Word Heritage List,  is the Tuscany that tourists love most, set amidst fields of golden grain, vineyards and ancient borgoes, of beloved culinary traditions and singular tastes. The city is one of the best representatives of the feudal system from the Middle Ages, and still mostly intact today, The overriding characteristic of San Gimignano that you will notice from a distance are its spectacular and unmistakable towers, each one has its own history, that watch over the scene.

In the green heart of Italy, among bell towers and vineyards, immersed in greenery, on top of a little hill that slopes down gently to the valley. Olive trees and vineyards, Umbria produces excellent red and white wines and is crossed by the “Strada dei vini del Cantico” wine route. All around the belltowers and towers of medieval villages, such as Assisi, Spello and Corciano, Perugia, Assisi, Orvieto, Urbino, Norcia, or  the evocative towns like Gubbio, Foligno and Spoleto. Not to forget Lake Trasimeno, giving a touch af blue to the region, and the spectacular Marmore waterfall, both natural beauties that will enchant you at a glance. Perugia is considered the Umbria’s jewel and amazes with its medieval beauty, narrow uphill streets and characteristic arches that lead to the most beautiful of Italy’s many plazas, where the artistic and monumental treasures surround it alongside the other historical gems. Assisi, the medieval city of St. Francis is rich in artistic monuments and located in the heart of the Natural Park, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Gubbio, the “city of lunatics”, is one of Umbria’s oldest towns. A Roman settlement, it was excellently preserved through the centuries and is full of monuments which testify to its glorious past. Don’t miss to the “Fountain of Lunatics” (from the 1500s), located in Bargello square, and get a “lunatic license. Orvieto**, with its famous Duomo, one of the masterpieces of Italian Gothic art, and St. Patrick’s Well, by two spiral staircases that wind around the well, with 248 steps down to the water. Spoleto, a picturesque town that boasts a thousand-year-old history, still preserves images from the past in its Medieval and Renaissance architecture. Its stone lanes and its most famous monuments are the setting for international cultural events, in a high-quality artistic atmosphere. Urbino, the city in the shape of a palace: the Palazzo Ducale is the symbol of the Renaissance state.  Corciano is one of the 281 Italian borghi*, located at the top of a hill overlooking a valley. It was built in the Middle Ages with a concentric street system of defense walls. Do not miss a visit of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta to admire two masterpieces: the Assumption by Perugino, and the Gonfalon by Benedetto Bonfigli. Norcia is not the typical touristic village where nature, mysticism, food, art and quiet life are melted. There are other two natural beauties that worth to be seen: the Trasimeno lake is the largest lake of centre Italy and the 4th biggest in Italy, and the Marmore waterfall abreathtaking beauty with a huge water pillar, 165 meters high,  with three leaps. Not to forget the culinary delights of this region made of refined and typical dishes. A vast choice of local wines, olive oil and other products of excellent quality, fantastic landscapes and unique views: vineyards, hilltops, and medieval cities in the backdrop.

* The borgo: is a fascinating small Italian town, generally fortified and dating back to the period from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Across Italy there are 281 selected and certified Borghi, whose distinctive trait is beauty and uniqueness, representing the concept of Made in Italy as an expression of the Italian excellence.

** 2023 is the year of the 500^th anniversary of Luca Signorelli’s and Perugino’s (Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci) death. It is the occasion to launch the celebrations of this anniversary that started in September 2021, will continue in 2022, to end in 2023, with lots of artistic and gastronomic events held all over Umbria but mostly concentrated in Orvieto.