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Places in Tuscany linked to famous people

In an unprecedented itinerary full of surprises, the figures who have made Tuscany famous worldwide

A journey into the heart of Tuscany, where the stories of the great figures of the past are interwoven with the rich cultural heritage of the places where they lived.
An immersive itinerary in the villages that inspired these brilliant minds and still jealously guards the traces of the great artists who lived there.

Contents
  • 1.
    Castagneto Carducci
  • 2.
    Torre del Lago Puccini
  • 3.
    Certaldo
  • 4.
    Caprese Michelangelo
  • 5.
    Vinci
  • 6.
    Castelvecchio Pascoli

Castagneto Carducci

Castagneto Carducci
Castagneto Carducci

In the heart of the Costa degli Etruschi, Castagneto Carducci attracts tourists and travelers for its territory's beauty and proximity to the sea. Here, history lives on in the winding streets, picturesque squares and natural terraces overlooking the coast, as well as in the most famous verses of Giosuè Carducci.
The house where the young Giosuè stayed with his family is, indeed, in Castagneto and is now transformed into a museum, marking the link between the poet and the village.
A plaque on the façade of the building commemorates the young Carducci's stay in the house.
The interior and the furnishings are reminiscent of bygone years, an ancient era that seems to have never passed.

Torre del Lago Puccini

Opera in Torre del Lago
Opera in Torre del Lago

In Torre del Lago, a few kilometers from Viareggio, the famous composer Giacomo Puccini lived for 30 years. He created his most famous operas in his house overlooking the lake.
Not far from the house is the imposing open-air Teatro Grande, which every year, during the Puccini Festival, welcomes the most famous names of the opera world.
Today, the villa where the composer lived is home to the Villa Puccini Museum: the two-story Art Nouveau building also has a small garden with Japanese inspiration, given Puccini's passion for Oriental culture.
On the ground floor, you can visit the chapel where the musician is buried.

Certaldo

Certaldo
Certaldo - Credit: Franz Venhaus

Certaldo, one of the most picturesque towns in Tuscany, preserves an enchanted and timeless atmosphere: it has been inhabited since Etruscan times, and its development took off in the Middle Ages. What makes this town even more interesting is that it was the birthplace of Giovanni Boccaccio - one of the fathers of Italian language and literature, the author of the Decameron, among other works. Boccaccio’s House is a museum dedicated to spreading knowledge about the work and figure of this famous poet: inside, there are furniture, furnishings, and panels documenting his life and writings.
The house museum also houses the National Center for Boccaccio Studies and a Boccaccio library with some precious illustrated editions of the “Decameron”.

Caprese Michelangelo

Michelangelo House Museum
Michelangelo House Museum - Credit: Marta Mancini

In the heart of Tuscan Valtiberina, a place rich in history, art, and beautiful landscapes, Caprese Michelangelo owes its name to Michelangelo Buonarroti, born here on March 6, 1475.
The town boasts a vibrant artistic heritage, such as the House Museum of Michelangelo Buonarroti, which houses, among other things, Michelangelo's statues - plaster casts of statues made from the originals kept in the Academy Gallery in Florence.

Vinci

The Strada Verde leading to the Birthplace of Leonardo
The Strada Verde leading to the Birthplace of Leonardo

Nestled on the slopes of Montalbano, Vinci is a medieval village known worldwide as the birthplace of the great genius of the Italian Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci.
Even today, the life in the town revolves around the artist's figure, and the village itself has become an extensive museum.
The Leonardo Museum, located inside the Counts Guidi Castle and the Palazzina Uzielli of Vinci, is one of the most important and original collections dedicated to Leonardo, inventor, technologist, and engineer: several models of Leonardo's machines, reproduced from the artist's sketches, can be admired.
In addition, just a few kilometers from the city, along the Strada Verde (the Green Way), is the Birthplace of Leonardo, a museum itinerary that tells the story of the artist's relationship with the territory of Vinci and Montalbano and presents Leonardo's pictorial and graphic work through the interactive multimedia application “Leonardo Touch”.

Castelvecchio Pascoli

Pascoli House Museum
Pascoli House Museum - Credit: Fondazione Giovanni Pascoli

Castelvecchio Pascoli - a few kilometers from Barga - was the home of Giovanni Pascoli, who was looking for a place that would provide tranquility during periods of rest from his teaching activities.
The so-called Bicocca di Caprona was the center of one of the most productive periods of literary creation: the surrounding nature and the local people inspired Pascoli's most famous poetic collections, including the one that took the name of the village itself: the Canti di Castelvecchio.
Since the poet's death, his sister Maria has cared for the house, faithfully preserving the rooms' structure, furnishings, and layout.
Today, the museum is accessed through a green area overlooking the Apuan Alps: the first floor is organized around a central room that was Giovanni Pascoli's study. Adjacent to the house is the chapel where Pascoli and his sister are buried.

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