Castiglion del Bosco: Ferragamo's Tuscan Retreat

Massimo Ferragamo has restored an ancient Tuscan estate in the heart of Brunello wine-making country. Castiglion del Bosco is a group of private villas for sale, all decorated with the finest materials. If purchasing an Italian villa is a little too rich for your blood, there are 26 suites and guestrooms available for short-term stays in the old estate owner's villa, called Il Borgo, along with a cooking school, restaurants and a spa (opening in 2010). Your own private Italy-in high style.

La Maremma-Tuscany's Mediterranean Coast

It's summer in Italy and the only place to truly cool off is the beach. The New York Times has an article on the Tyrrhenian coast of Tuscany, a.k.a. La Maremma. See Frank Bruni's suggestions for hotels, restaurants and things to do in this relatively unknown stretch of the Mediterranean. He even visits Elba, the site of Napolean's exile. If you love history, scenery, and delicious food, you will love La Maremma. It's just a short drive from Rome and Florence-perfect for a weekend trip.

Villas Villas Villas

Travel and Leisure highlights Tuscan villas this month-and how to enjoy them on a budget. T and L has five villas where doubles cost less than $300 a night. Locanda del Glicine in Campagnatico offers an inn in the village and a farmhouse (Pieve Vecchia, pictured) in the countryside. Choosing which one is the hardest part! Villa Bordoni in the Chianti region is owned by the very same proprieters of Trattoria Baldovino in Florence and there is a cooking school on-site. Villa il Poggiale in Val di Pesa is an historic estate with wood-beamed ceilings decorated in superb Renaissance style. There is also a small private two-bedroom cottage on the estate available for 300 Euros, complete with kitchen. Villa le Luci in Castagneto Carducci, not far from the Tyrrhenian Sea, has six bedrooms and one suite, all finished in luxuriously spare style. Villa Poggiano near Montepulciano (one of my favorite regions!) has a gorgeous pool, light and airy rooms, and a breakfast to die for. PS: The next Twilight movie is filmed in Montepulciano!

The Best Sandwiches in Florence

Students and locals alike adore l'Antico Noe, a sandwich shop just a short walk from the Duomo. Here you can have real Italian panini made with the best meats and cheeses (salami, prosciutto, bufala mozzarella!). The food is cheap and you can even order a glass of wine to wash it down. Next door is an osteria owned by the same proprietor serving slow-cooked steaks and Tuscan dishes. The owner, Massimo, makes the sandwiches and if you become a regular, he'll never forget you! Volta di San Piero 6r.

Antinori Estates-623 Years of Winemaking

60 Minutes aired a spot on the Antinori family vineyards of Italy last night. Since 1385, the Antinori family of Florence has been producing white and red wines according to traditional methods and using old-growth vines. They have estates all over Tuscany and Umbria, including Badia a Passignano where you can purchase wine and dine in the osteria (Italian wineries are not usually open to the public as they are in the USA). Their palazzo in Florence even has special wine-related art exhibitions from time to time (most recently on ancient Greek glassware). Their wines are distributed all over Italy and even the USA.

Cycling in Tuscany and Umbria

National Geographic Traveler's list of 50 Tours of a Lifetime includes a biking tour of the Italian countryside. The Tuscany and Umbria Insider tour will take you to Cortona, Todi, Assisi and Siena -cycling all the while. And you'll have cooking lessons, chocolate-making demonstrations, wine-tastings and picnics along the way. Backroads hosts the trip and offers 100 hiking, backpacking and cycling trips throughout Italy, many of them family-friendly.

Trattoria Garga in Florence

In a 14th century palazzo in the heart of Florence is Trattoria Garga. Colorful rooms, operatic atmosphere and a menu filled with fresh ingredients from Tuscany will inspire you to learn more about Florentine cooking-and you can spend a day at their cooking school (or enroll in an extended cooking tour of the region). It's a favorite of Gucci's Frida Giannini! Via del Moro 48.

Hotel Albani in Florence

Reasonable hotels in Italy abound. Nice hotels in Italy are also numerous. But finding a reasonably priced nice hotel in Italy is pretty rare, especially when you are in Florence. The Hotel Albani is one of those uncommon finds-an elegantly decorated, spacious hotel with excellent service at a great price. It's located just steps from Florence's open-air market and Piazza Santa Maria Novella. It even has its own courtyards and gardens for strolling and relaxing. The proprietors are very accommodating and the European breakfast is fantastic. And if walking all day in Florence isn't enough, there's also a fitness room. Doubles start at 110 Euros in April, a real bargain for Florence. Via Fiume, 12.

WalksInsideRome.com

Travel and Leisure recently featured a walking tour website that will customize a day of sightseeing and eating in Rome for you. WalksInsideRome.com will take you to the open-air markets, bakeries, pizzerias and wine bars to sample the culinary delights of Rome-and see how the Romans make them. WalksInsideRome has dozens of customizable private and semi-private tours for art and antiquities connoisseurs, fans of opera, Angels and Demons and La Dolce Vita, and special itineraries designed for kids. The tours are not cheap, but take it from me-having a guided tour of Rome is always worth it. You will never regret a penny spent on your own private Rome. If you like the tours of Rome, they also offer guided walks in Venice, Florence, Trieste and Friuli.

Your Own Private Tuscany

Want to rent a vacation villa in Tuscany? What about an apartment in Rome? The logistics can be overwhelming and the choices are too numerous to count. But there's no question that when you are traveling with family or a group, private residences are the more affordable and authentic way to travel. Your Own Private Tuscany can help you figure out where to go, agencies to use, how to rent a car and shop in family-run stores for your superb home-cooked Italian meals. See the website for more details on how this book can help you plan your perfect vacation.

GettingMarriedInItaly.com

Admit it-you have always dreamed of getting married in a villa in Tuscany. Who hasn't? Well, you can make that dream come true. Go to GettingMarriedInItaly.com and the Italian wedding of a lifetime can be yours. The website will take care of the Italian bureaucracy, the venue, the flowers, the music, the food (yum) and will help your guests with accommodations. They have resources for every region in Italy, so if you want a vineyard in Umbria or an ancient chapel on the Amalfi Coast, you can have it. The website has tons of great ideas and photos to inspire you. It makes me want to get married all over again!

Travel and Leisure is All About Italy

This month's Travel and Leisure magazine is full of information about several Italian cities, including Milan, Venice, Rome, Florence, Amalfi and even a few out of the way spots. Find out about American Ballet Theatre's newest star, Robert Bolle, and his favorite spots in his hometown, Milan. Travel and Leisure's Italy expert, Valerie Waterhouse, shares some secrets about Venice. Affordable and stylish hotels in Rome and Florence are featured, and an authentic family restaurant in San Cesareo, near Rome, is recommended.

Trattoria Baldovino in Florence

You’ve been walking all day. The line at the Duomo was brutal. You finally made it to Piazza Santa Croce where the sun is shining and the crowds have thinned. But you’re hungry. Starving. Where should you go? There are a million choices-but how do you know the difference between what’s good what’s a tourist trap? Baldovino to the rescue! Located just a few steps to the left of Santa Croce at Via Giuseppe 22 (and 22r), you will find a restaurant and wine bar that’s refreshing in attitude, decor and cuisine. At the trattoria they have traditional Tuscan dishes like ribolitta (vegetable and bread soup) and the enoteca/caffe serves countless salads-perfect for lunch. The restaurant is light and airy, the wine selection is unique, and you can’t beat the location. Baldovino is actually owned by Scottish expatriates, which explains the departure from the typical Tuscan trattoria menu and decor. Buon gusto!

Santa Maria Novella Profumeria

Established in the 17th century in Florence, Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest perfumeries in the world. Its signature scent was created for Catherine de Medici. Located on Corso del Rinascimento #47 near Piazza Navona in Rome (and just off the Piazza Santa Maria Novella in Florence) the shop is filled with the most delicious, beautifully-packaged scents. The women who work in the store are adorable and so helpful in both Italian and English. Try the violetta and mughetto (lily) perfumes (the two are even better together) and the pomegranate soap.