About

Some of Italy’s most famous sons hail from here, Leonardo da Vinci, Giacomo Puccini and  Carlo Collodi (famous for the Pinocchio stories) are just a few examples of the creative and artistic blood that runs through this historical landscape.

Italians are known for their spirit and extraordinary quality of life and there is no better way to experience ‘La Dolce Vita’ than in smaller villages and towns of Tuscany, where warmth and hospitality are a given – as is exceptional cuisine.

The fact that they are off the beaten path makes these villages rare gems that few foreigners ever get to see – perfect for those who can’t resist succumbing to their charms again and again. And again.

OUR HISTORY, YOUR STORY  

Imagine a place full of history with hundreds of stories still to be told – welcome to the TuscanyVillages people’s collection. This is a place for all of us to share and build a picture of the region’s past and present.

Periodically we shall be adding our own stories to our colourful blog and you’re welcome to join in by sharing your history or story about Tuscan life, vacation travels, restoration project, a new way of life, reasons for choosing Tuscany, or tales of wine, pesto and late summers evenings.

Help us save the past for the future by sharing your stories, photos, videos, etc.  Submit here.

STAY IN TOUCH

We also have a thriving Facebook group for Tuscan lovers, and everyone is welcome to join in, find out, and fall in love www.facebook.com/tuscanyvillages

If tweeting is more your thing, follow Susan Heslington, founder of TuscanyVillages.com in her daily Tuscan life on www.twitter.com/tuscanyvillages

THE OWNER’S STORY

My journey to Tuscany began during another adventure in Saudi Arabia, where I worked for nine years.
As I am a woman from the green north of England, those drab, desert colours, not to mention the highly artificial life of a foreign compound, left me aching for an oasis of verdure and something of the ‘dolce vita’ for which Italians are famous. I therefore began to scan websites of Tuscany, solely to drink in its beauty, and sustain the dream of buying a property there, and one day transferring myself and the four-poster bed in which I slept, (plus hundreds of useless high heels in which to break my neck on the steep cobbles) from the middle east to that more genteel terrain of old Etrusca.  Of course, there were a few hitches along the way. As a Sagittarian, I am a great one for ideas, creativity and faith in the eventual unfolding of all things pleasurable to me, but time and patience are required for any undertaking in Italy, where one must learn to pace one’s quick brain with the piano-piano (slowly slowly) approach of the Italians. Not always easy! And so I bought a shell of a house, perched atop a medieval village in the Valdievole, overlooking the magnificent valley and beyond. It was love. But, as with any overseas project, especially when one does not yet speak a word of  the language, nor understand the manner in which Italians operate, the journey from shell to shelter was met with considerable effort.  Indeed, obtaining my residency and receiving my shipment was stress enough to inspire drinking dry a Tuscan vineyard. After all of this, however, I was very happy to find myself with a finished home, and the prospect of a new livelihood by which to look after the young life which was now growing inside of me! And to this end, in part while pouring over the internet in Arabia, or taking many photos and videos whilst on holiday in Italy, I became impassioned by social & multimedia and its endless possibilities for being creative, promoting Tuscany, being my own boss, and sharing in the Tuscan adventure with my beautiful daughter, Lily.

I’m sure fellow property owners like myself can relate when I say that I’m still overwhelmed by the beautiful spirits, camaraderie and warmth of my neighbours, and feel truly blessed by my surroundings.

A little video I made of Lily wandering around a local village – some nice shots of the quaint cobbled streets in there too!