Villa Casagrande, Tuscany, Italy

The town of Figline Valdarno straddles the Arno River, about 40 kilometres south-east of Florence, Tuscany’s most famous Renaissance city. The charming town is surrounded by truly Tuscan scenery – think towering cypress trees, rolling hills, pockets of vines making famously full-bodied wines, and charming tumbledown villages of honey-coloured stone.

It’s a great base for exploring, with the cities of Florence, Arezzo, Pisa and Siena all within easy reach, and iconic sights such as San Gimignano’s 14 towers and Chianti’s excellent vineyards and tasting rooms. In Florence, the narrow streets serve as an open-air museum: this city overflows with historic monuments, famous statues and incredible museums stuffed to the brim with masterpieces. History buffs will relish staring up at the towering ‘real’ David, in the Galleria dell’Accademia (and his many copies, dotted throughout the city), rubbing the bronze nose of Il Porcellino and crossing the Ponte Vecchio in search of gold.

Hire a car to explore and the whole region opens up – make a trip down to the Val d’Orcia to complete your Tuscan adventure.