Away from the Crowds in Rural Tuscany.

I’m lucky enough to be no stranger to Tuscany.

Over the past few years I’ve been able to enjoy a few visits to the region, mainly to Florence itself.

This time, however, I was looking to escape the mad(ding) crowds of Renaissance masterpiece seekers in Florence, as the heat, humidity and sheer volume of people got the better of my patience.

Rural Tuscany

The rolling hills of rural Tuscany called to me. Memories of plane and poplar trees lining the curving roads, highlighting the cerulean sky above came rushing into my head.  Most of all, what called to me was a few days of peace and quiet.

The quiet life was what I got, but as usual, not quite in the way that I expected.

Over the coming days my taste of rural Tuscan life included simple, rustic food made from the produce of vegetable gardens, a village fete where I was the only non Italian, and a visit to an Agriturismo that arguably embodied more of the standards of responsible tourism than many hotels with ‘eco labels’.

Rural tuscany
Tuscan vineyards at their finest.

The advantage of being in the countryside is space.  Although rural Tuscany is challenging (though not impossible) to explore without your own set of wheels. And unless you’re a practised mountain biker, that means four wheels rather than two.  I’d made it to within 20 kilometres of the village where I was staying by train, but resigned myself to car for the last part.

On my second day in rural Tuscany, I visited a local Agriturismo.  Agriturismi are farm-stays, and used to be one of Italy’s best kept secrets when it comes to accommodation.  These days Agriturismi are plentiful in Italy, and range from offering simple, basic accommodation to a boutique luxury experience complete with pool.

I visited Agriturismo Arte Natura Le Caselle near Terranuova Bracciolini, in southern Tuscany.  Run by a local family, Arte Natura is typical of Agriturismi, being a self-sufficient as possible.  Vegetables, herbs, olive oil and eggs are all grown and produced on site. Guests can enjoy one or more home cooked meals a day, prepared with produce from the farm and vegetable gardens.  The agriturismo is set amongst acres of open fields and olive groves, and is set on the borders of a vineyard.

Aside from farm animals, Arte Natura also has a menagerie of domestic animals (including, at the time of my visit, baby kittens).  But the star of the show, without doubt, is their gorgeous Pyrenean Mountain Dog, ‘Golia’ (literally – ‘Goliath’) who is a true gentle giant and guaranteed to steal even the steeliest of hearts.

Rural Tuscany
With Golia at Arte Natura Le Caselle.

After visiting the Agriturismo, it dawned on me, that more than anything else, this is the type of place that embodies most of the principles of responsible tourism.  Most agrituismi don’t have eco labels or market themselves as sustainable, yet they offer an experience that prides itself on being offered by local people, on a small scale, enjoying local produce, and being able to relax and unwind in the beautiful Italian countryside. If this sounds like just your thing, you can book Arte Natura Le Caselle (and other Agriturismi) online.

Rural Tuscany
Arte Natura Le Caselle Agriturismo.

The second experience that stood out from my time in rural Tuscany, was my experience of a local village fete.  The village I was staying in, Campogialli, was holding it’s annual august celebration, called ‘Calici di Stelle’: an opportunity for some ‘walking and tasting’ under the stars.

For the ticket price of 18 euros, an evening of tasting local wines, food, to a background soundtrack of different bands, music and theatre was mine.  Local restaurants had stands where they were each serving up their best dishes in taste-friendly size portions, and sommeliers advised on local wines.  Feeling full of good food and wine (pappardelle with wild boar was simply incredible), I felt privileged to be part of an event that clearly many tourists do not get to see.  The whole village and neighbouring area had come together: young, old, and everyone in between.  This was a chance to see the heart of an Italian village community at its most active.

Agriturismo Tuscany

Next time I go to Italy, I do know that I will seek out more experiences like this.  Tourist boards can be great sources of information when planning your trips.  Look out for posters in villages, especially at local bars or at churches about local events.  Many festivities happen in the summer months of July and August, when tourism to Italy is also at its peak.

My main take away from my trip was that going forward, I will try and stay in Agriturismi as much as possible.  They’ve definitely found a fan in me!

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Do you love travel in Italy? Tuscany is one of my favourite parts of Italy with great food, wine, and beautiful Tuscan countryside. But the crowds of Tuscany get a little much at times! Here are some ideas for travel in Tuscany and sustainable travel in Tuscany without the crowds! Save this post to one of your boards for later!

Have you travelled around tuscany recently or stayed in an agriturismo? How did you find your experience?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. 

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3 thoughts on “Away from the Crowds in Rural Tuscany.”

  1. Hey Ellie,

    Another great post! I lived in Italy for three years and was able to stay in several different agriturismi. As a matter of fact, it was the agriturismo concept that initiated my interested in sustainable tourism and convinced me to get a masters degree in sustainable tourism development. I was working for a study abroad program in Rome and couldn’t help but recognize how tourism was taking a toll on the bigger cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice. When I visited the smaller towns and stayed in agriturismi, however, it was a much different story. Not only did they offer amazing experiences for travelers, but they were good for the local communities as well. I agree 100% percent that they embody several sustainable tourism principles but are never in your face about it. Personally, I think the reason they work so well is because they are in such remote areas and don’t run the risk over occupancy. So it’s kind of a catch-22 because I would prefer that more and more tourists opt to stay at an agriturismo, but I don’t want them to be overrun! They are a great example of what sustainable tourism should look like at the very least.

    P.S. LOVE your blog! Always addressing the big issues and complicated questions. Great job!

    Reply
    • Hi Kelly, thanks for reading and your kind words! I agree with you that sheer volume of tourist numbers exacerbates the problems, and definitely that the small scale nature of agriturismi are a big part of their success. What struck me about Florence and Venice when i’ve been to those places (and Rome too probably) is that they seem to have acquired such cult status, that it’s now very difficult for them to reduce tourist numbers. Trying to ‘spread out the load’ that some of the cities you mention receive is also an interesting discussion. I know that many residents of these cities feel it is preferable to contain the tourism to the city centre so they can easily avoid them, whereas others think it is better to encourage tourists to spread out of the city centres to ease congestion. No short/easy answers for now on this it seems, but I will definitely be writing about Venice! Thanks again for your contribution! Ellie

      Reply

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