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This week, the International Living Podcast swoops down to the rolling hills of Tuscany, Italy. Host, Jim Santos, talks to International Living Lifestyle Editor, SeĂĄn Keenan. SeĂĄn joins the podcast fresh from a trip to the heart of the Italian region best known for its olive groves, vineyard-covered hills, centuries-old farmhouses, and art-filled cities.
Florence and Pisa, where SeĂĄn spent much of his time in Italy, are among the worldâs most-visited destinations. Florence, famous worldwide for its architecture and the long-lived opulence of the cityâs Medici founders, has been a fixture of European tourism since the 17th century. Europeâs educated elite made the city a stopping-off point on their âGrand Tourâ to the antiquities of ancient Greece. Tourists are everywhere in the historic center, there to view artworks as infamous as Michelangeloâs David, or Bottecelliâs Birth of Venus.
Pisa, too, groans under the weight of mass tourism. With a globally recognized icon of the modern tourism industryâthe Leaning Towerânestled in the cityâs northwest corner, the footfall of international visitors is enormous. Most come to take a photo of themselves with the tower, and leave soon afterwards.
Itâs a missed opportunity because, overlooked by the majority of its visitors, Pisa is one of Europeâs most attractive, liveable, and pleasant cities. Florence, too, away from the crush of the tourists, is an energetic and attractive civic space, with food, wine, conviviality, and charm that rewards a deeper dive than the tourist trudge from the Duomo to the Pitti Palace.
It's this âuntouristâ experience that brought International Living to Tuscany; to search for the overlooked piazzas, cafĂŠs, bars, villages, and undiscovered corners of the region, as well as the flavors, customs, and charm that lies under the surface. Itâs surprising just how easy it is to become an âuntouristâ. And itâs infinitely more rewarding than the package tour approach. Tune in for inspiration and ideas on how to make Untourist Tuscany yours.
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