4Corners Images


Italy


Landscapes of Leonardo S


AY Tuscany, and most people will think of cypress-covered hilltops with a sprinkling of olive groves. But Italy' s fifth largest region has


nearly as many landscapes as it has contrade (neighbourhoods). Some 100 miles will take you from snowy mountains to soft golden beaches, from the art cities' urban wonderland to valleys where pine is more common than cypress. Each area has its own architecture and building styles, which don' t always match the stereotypical view of a Tuscan farmhouse.


50 Country Life International, Spring 2011


can confuse buyers looking for a second home in the land of Leonardo. But it can also work to their advantage, because, with a modicum of research, it nearly always allows people to find the perfect setting to suit their prefer- ences. ` We always tell people to decide which part of Tuscany they like best before they start looking for a property, because the areas are so different,' say Rupert Fawcett and Bill Thomson of Knight Frank. ` It' s better to look at the area first, then the house.'


There' s so much more to Tuscany than cypress trees and Chianti. Carla Passino tours the varied opportunities that make the region a beguiling choice for overseas buyers This diversity of landscapes and housing


Tuscany' s many countrysides


When faced with a choice of landscapes, most buyers are likely to say they want to purchase a house in the Tuscan countryside. But rural districts such as Chianti, Val D' Orcia or Val Di Chiana, although equally verdant, look and feel very different. The Tuscan countryside par excellence is Chianti, a historic district linking Florence to Siena and, eastwards, to the Valdarno. Traditionally, this was a favourite destination among international second-home owners and, after a couple of quiet years,


www.countrylife.co.uk/international


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