Guide to Artimino

"Crowned by one of Tuscany's finest Medici villas, this enchanting medieval village is a peaceful delight and comes with one great bonus – Florence is right on your doorstep."

The first words on most people's tongues on sight when they see Artimino is 'oooh'. A walled hill hamlet set above undulating vineyards and olive groves, it captures the very visual essence of Tuscany. Inside the old centre, haphazard cobbled lanes squeeze between shuttered houses and under a quaint clock tower. A restaurant and wine shop jostle for space with the quaint clock tower and white-washed houses, all attempting to divert your eyes from the scintillating vistas over the Florentine hills. And as if that wasn't enough, follow the serene road leading down from the village. Here, standing in velvet-green gardens is one of Tuscany's finest villas. Built by the Medici family in the 16th century, the Villa Ferdinanda is an imperious cream mansion that thinks it's a castle. Raise your eyes to see its eccentric chimney-covered roof. These miniature towers have earned it the nickname the 'Villa of the Hundred Chimneys'. It's a bit of exaggeration - there are actually only 40. Ferdinanda is a clue to what lies in the landscapes beyond. You're in classic Medici villa country: a world sprinkled with grandiose mansions commissioned by the all-powerful Florentine family. Take a tour around them if history's your thing. And interrupt your odyssey with a visit to a winery where you can sample lovely local vintages, helped down by titbits of Tuscan cheese and ham. When you're ready, Florence is just 30 minutes away. No trip to Artimino is complete without a visit to this staggeringly beautiful City.

Find the cheapest late deals to Artimino leaving in the next six weeks.