Welcoming, authentic and proud, Tuscany has always been feminine and emancipated, just like its Etruscan ancestors: the travelers of the Grand Tour understood this well who, in the 18th and 19th centuries, chose it as one of the privileged destinations to undertake solitary journeys. of discoveries in southern Europe.
It is for this reason that todayThe Women’s Grand Tour it is a new opportunity to discover the region in a different way, from contemporary female talents who know how to value it. And if, in the first part of this routewe said with Or feminine excellences – from hotels to gastronomy and wine, from crafts to culture, including thermal baths – touching the ten Tuscan provinces, it is now time to rediscover the centuries-old appeal of this hospitality, in a journey made of flavors and knowledge, art and philanthropy.
A journey between past and present, following in the footsteps of the female icons who have marked the history of Tuscany and meeting the women who contribute to its greatness today. Always in continuity with To welcomethe project of the Regional Tourism Promotion Agency intended to promote female entrepreneurship in the sector and, at the same time, to encourage meetings between travelers and local women.
The routes of Or in the coming months (on newsstands and on the web), they will tell the full value of a renewed Grand Tour, to remind us that Tuscany has always been a land of discovery and creativity.
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In Versilia with style
We will start from the coast and, crossing the cities of art, we will enter the salons, cross the halls of the museums and discover new hotels and restaurants, enjoying all the pleasures.
First stop at Versiliahas Viareggioin the Carnival Citadel, the forge where the papier-mâché floats that have invaded the city's waterfront for 150 years are continuously manufactured.
We accompany the president of the carnival, Marialina Marcuccienergetic and passionate, leading multiple activities in Lucca. Clairvoyant and determined like the woman of the past chosen to represent the territory: Elisa Baciocchi Bonaparte, Princess of Lucca and Piombino then Grand Duchess of Tuscany, cultured and visionary, who in the 19th century financed the experimentation with new crops and exotic plants and embellished and built palaces and places intended for culture.
Here, with our exceptional guide, we will travel between pictorial decorations and ceramics, balustrades and portals, discovering the Art Nouveau style which characterizes the city, in a timeless atmosphere.
Florence, between philanthropy, fashion and art
In this ideal dialogue between contemporary entrepreneurs and icons of the past, the stage is essential Florenceturning between ancient and modern, the undisputed cradle of beauty, thanks to the artists, philosophers and patrons whose talent is still reflected today in their immortal works.
An interpreter of style and good taste, the capital is also a place of philanthropy, which we will tell through the great women of the international scene who were born here and continue to work.
An excellent historical reference, in this case, will be the Belgian noble Louise of Stolberg-Gederncosmopolitan intellectual who spent a long period in Florence at the dawn of the 19th century and created the first artistic and literary meeting room for women, laying the foundations of sharing as an essential value in relationships.
We will take you to discover the city's fashion and the precious fabrics still made today by skilled weavers. At the Uffizi Galleries, you will discover the Tuscan female faces represented by the Swiss painter Angelika Kauffmannamong the most innovative artists of the 18th century, undisputed protagonist of the Grand Tour, in continuous search for an ideal beauty, which he found, among others, opposite Fortunata Sulgher Fantastici, considered one of the first improvising poets of Europe.
From Livorno to Pistoia, in the footsteps of beauty
Fortunata Sulgher Fantasy is born in Livorno and we will talk about the cosmopolitan vocation of this city. Land of sea and landing stages, renamed City of Nations, we will discover it in all its wonders from the Mascagni terrace, almost nine thousand square meters wide, a superb platform which proudly looks out over the coastal horizon.
Here too, of course, meetings with important women from yesterday and today are planned.
The same common thread will characterize the Maremma stage, which will surprise once again with its authenticity and the beauty of the territory, the aromas and flavors: “A lifestyle, more than a destination”, was defined by New York Times.
We will meet women who have decided to remain anchored to their land, linked by a bond that is felt here more than anywhere else in Tuscany. And then, wandering between the islands and inland, we will reach Pistoiaqueen of the embroidery tradition, under the leadership of women witnesses of ancient knowledge, proudly transmitted to future generations.
Do you want to stay up to date on the world of travel?
You will be able to follow these new journeys in the footsteps of female excellence in Tuscany in the coming months on the pages of Or and on the site.
