Property for sale in Tuscany Italy: apartments, villas, investments and where to buy

Where to buy in Italy?

For many Italian and foreigners, the answer to this question is easy: Tuscany. The majority of the people interviewed will immediately think about Tuscany as heaven on earth. Art, culture, wild nature, human landscapes, wonderful towns, lovely cities, and a quick and agile connection to Milan, Rome, Paris, Berlin, London. This is the most beloved Italian region for many reasons and the favorite destination for ex-pats and foreign investors.

Tuscany has one the highest standards of living in Italy and Europe. For this reason, life cannot always be so affordable as in the other areas in Italy. Still, here you will test the tangible value of your real estate investments.

In the recent past, many relocating British, Germans, Scandinavians, Dutches, North Americans, and, more recently, Australians have been looking for houses for sale in Tuscany, Italy. So now they settled and lived here. Today, Russians and Middle-Far East investors are increasingly discovering this part of Italy too.

When you think about buying a property in Italy, the vision of the Tuscan landscape comes to your mind. Here come stone farmhouses atop rolling green hills or pretty hill towns and country estates gazing down upon rows of vines and olive groves. Lines of cypresses breaking the azure sky, coastlines of incredibly clean seawater.

The Tuscan population has been living in hamlet towns since the early Middle Ages. Cities like Firenze, Lucca, Pisa, and Siena still conserve their magnificent Medieval walls while presenting stunning testimonies of other periods, like the Roman republic, the Renaissance, and Modernism.

No doubt Tuscany is the cradle of the Italian Renaissance, showing geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci and masters like Michelangelo, Raffaello, Botticelli, and Brunelleschi. Poets and novelists such as Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio, and scientists like Galileo and Antonio Meucci. Not to mention the inventor of modern political science, Machiavelli, who studied and wrote under the Tuscan sky.

Last but not least, Tuscany produces some of the world’s healthiest food and wine. This is possible thanks to fertile land and strong traditions, but also due to its mild climate and pleasant temperatures all through the year.
So, it is not just a matter of how houses in Tuscany are built. Quality of life here is at the top. Tuscany is the answer to the question: “where is the best place to buy property in Italy?”
Nowhere as in this region, history and culture go hand in hand with beauty and modern comforts. This place is the perfect middle way between the needs of modernity and a sustainable quality of life.

Suppose you are close to finding a good local real estate agent who will support you. In that case, the right property for sale in Tuscany will be available. Thus, you will finally live in this rich and pleasant region.

Please have a look at the Tuscany map. You will find out that this region is in central-northern Italy.

Being here means living in one of the wealthiest areas of Italy and the heart of the whole of Western Europe.
Here comes some data about.

Tuscany and its main features

• Population: 3.7 million people (6.2 % of the Italian population )
• Total Area: 22 994 km2
• Mountains: 5770,47 km2 (25%)
• Flat land: 1928,66 (9%)
• Hills: 15291,05 (66%)
• Sea Coast length: 633 km (397 km continental coast / 230 km islands coast)
• Population density: 162 inhabitants per km2
• Capital: Florence
• Provinces /Counties: Livorno, Pisa, Lucca, Massa-Carrara, Pistoia, Prato, Arezzo, Siena, Grosseto.

Other cities: Viareggio, Scandicci, Sesto Fiorentino, Empoli, Campi Bisenzio, Capannori, Cascina, Piombino

Economy: 104,001 million Euros (6.7 % GDP Italian)

Italian Companies > 400,000
12 Traditional Districts
Main Features: Culture & Education, Art & Fashion, Art, Made in Italy, Tourism, Olive oil, and wine production

10 Technological Districts (production areas)

1. Fashion
2. Interior Design
3. Marble and ornamental stone.
4. Life Sciences – New materials
5. Nautical Industry and Ports
6. Railways
7. Green Energy-Economy
8. Smart city-Tourism-Cultural heritage;
9. Paper Technology
10. Advanced Manufacturing

335 foreign companies (35,000 employees)

Tuscany provides the perfect balance between your wish to get away from it all and your need to live close to roads, airports, shops, etc.
You can live in perfect calm in your restored farmhouse in Chianti, yet still be a car ride from the supermarket, the beaches of Versilia and Maremma. Or indeed, living in the heart of Florence and reaching Forte Dei Marmi, Pietrasanta, Argentario, Cinque Terre in one or two hours.

The motorway network has both paid tolls and free-flow alternatives. The main airports are two (Pisa “Galilei” and Florence “Peretola”), allowing you to nip back home when you’re missing your country. Florence and Pisa are medium-small airports, both undergoing further expansion, bringing you to all European destinations (London, Paris, Monaco, Moscow Frankfurt, Barcelona, Brussels, Berlin, etc ) in a couple of hours.

Firenze Airport: Peretola Airport

Distance from Florence city center: 20 minutes by tramway, 15 minutes by taxi or bus service

Pisa Airport: Galileo Galilei

Distance from Pisa city center: 4 km, trains, and buses to the city every 15 minutes

In addition, Tuscany boasts an efficient multi-modal integrated network of means of transport including railways with high-speed trains, ports, motorway, and highways:

High-speed trains:

30 trains a day Florence – Rome (90 minutes)
15 trains a day Florence – Milan (145 minutes)

Highways ( A1)

Florence – Rome (2 hrs 30 minutes)
Florence – Milan (3 hrs 15 minutes)
Florence – Genoa (2 hrs)

Motorways

Florence – Versilia (50 min)
Florence – Grosseto (2 hrs )
Florence – Pisa (40 min)
Florence – Livorno (60 min)
Florence – Siena (40 min)
Florence – Arezzo (45 min)

.3 ports (Livorno, Piombino, Carrara )

All the main economical and environmental sustainability indexes confirm this region boasts a top-quality standard of living. Some main features:

• A dynamic economy based on culture, art, and tourism, along with a strong tradition in manufacturing, design, and all the goods related to Made in Italy.
• One of the highest concentrations of universities and research centers in Italy.
• An economy connected with the world: 16 multinational companies operate here in the high-tech, innovation, sustainability sectors.
• Big companies work here in deep connection with small and medium-sized local businesses, including start-ups and university spin-offs.
• Tuscany is one of the main cultural and tourist destinations in the whole world, hosting 7 UNESCO-protected world heritage sites.
• Tuscany has got a central position in Italy with a well-integrated transport system and efficient connections to the prominent Italian and European destinations.
• Tuscany has got one of the highest levels of healthcare with its Public Health System.
• Tuscany can rely on a high level of security and social cohesion.

Besides these values, the most intuitive perceptions of living in Tuscany come from some special features.

The Tuscan territory is modeled and regulated by principles of harmony, order, and the proportion between its different components. Tuscany is a region on a human scale with the perfect mix of a well-kept landscape, a favorable climate, and the way of living of its inhabitants. The current settlements maintain the exact distribution of the past centuries. The Tuscan territory does not suffer from any oversized concentration of large metropolises, but benefits instead from well-organized cities and small towns, connected one by an efficient logistic, discreet, and wisely camouflaged in the landscape.

The distance among these small towns is not covered by lonely abandoned lands. Here you’ll find a territory dotted with ancient villages, rolling hills, rivers, and mountains. The main part of Tuscan landscape is wild, and a large part of it is cultivated, often dense with small chapels, big abbeys, castles, fortresses, and watchtowers.

Expatriates o retirees who want to relocate in Italy can find excellent houses for sale in Tuscany, such as:

• Apartments in the main cities.
• Cottages with garden in the affluent suburbs.
• Rural buildings ready to be restored and converted into farmhouses or countryside apartments.
• Villas to convert into charming boutique hotels or holiday houses with private swimming pools.
• A Country estate where you can start activities linked to the local economy.

What’s about the Tuscany real-estate market? You need to be guided by a good and local real estate agent. In this way, you could even discover authentic and unique gems hidden amidst the hills, such as old deconsecrated chapels and ruins of old mills to be restored.

Need more land to start your own wine-making business? It is an excellent way to combine profit with pleasure. Tuscany can show you delightful corners with huge portions of arable and fertile land, ready to host fruit trees, vineyards, and olive trees. Entrepreneurs who want to develop a quality business in the food sector will find here many possibilities to make their dreams come true. You will need to stay in your country estate during late summer/autumn, to supervise the wine harvest and the olive groves pressing!

The Tuscans feed mainly on what they produce locally – fruits and vegetables coming from local farms, Chianina and other local excellent cattles of breed, and deep-sea fishes taken from the sparkling waters of the Tuscan coast. In recent years, the culture of the so-called Zero Kilometer diet has spread widely. It is a new habit consisting in consuming only what is produced locally.
The cause-effect relationships derived from this trend are evident here. The genuineness of the products means better nutrition, while less environmental impact means less pollution. The result is that the life expectancy of the population in Tuscany is one of the highest in Italy and the world.

A deep historical heritage has made Tuscany a unique place. Here you’ll find not only a widespread open-air museum, but also a modern region.
While many cities keep their Medieval / Renaissance characteristics intact, their inhabitants wisely exploit their history to make it an excellent resource for the local economy. Tuscany is a special land, where the past goes hand in hand with the present and creates a special union impossible to find anywhere else.

For this reasons, UNESCO has included seven wonders of Tuscany in the World Heritage list:

• Florence old town
• Siena old town
• the village of Pienza
• San Gimignano borough
• Duomo Square in Pisa
• Val d’Orcia with its landscape
• 12 Medici Villas and 2 Family Gardens

It is not a surprise – this region has emerged as such an attractive place for people who want to relocate and for foreign investors to make money while enjoying living under the Tuscan sun.
Tuscany lets you live inside old towns, places where history is still something alive, while giving you services and infrastructures of the modern age. For this reason it has a superior value for money ratio. Real Estate Investments in Tuscany rise correspondingly to the value of such precious places.

Many opportunities are at hand! Take your time and find the right property in Italy to make good profitable investments in the short/ medium term. Here are some examples:

• an apartment in the old town center of Cortona to refurbish and then rented tourists 12 months a year,
• a farmhouse to be restored in the rural Chianti area between Siena and Florence – you will be able to relocate or to transform it into an Agriturismo;
• a small Bed & Breakfast in the center of Pisa to work in the for short-period accommodation business;
• a villa with a private pool just outside the ancient walls of San Miniato or San Gimignano – two of the cutest Tuscan hamlets to spend your fantastic holidays in with your family and friends.

Shall we go on? Maybe you are dreaming about:

• A restored 3,000 square foot farmhouse with enough space to arrange your petting zoo in the Chianti hills close to Florence,
• An unconverted luxury villa that you can renovate turning it into a restaurant devoted to organic food lovers,
• A cozy cottage overlooks the piazza of a small town in Val D’Orcia, close to a Spa center.

Whatever your dream is, Tuscany can make it true.

Are you looking for a property for sale in Tuscany, Italy?
Make a gift to your family and yourself and buy a house in Tuscany. That is a landing point to relocate with ease or a way for long-lasting and safe investments. Living in Tuscany can be a solid investment for your future. Have a look at the Tuscany map, and you will see where the main cities are.

Following you’ll find a short profile of the major cities to help you understand their main features and decide which one is suitable for any of your potential investments.

Florence (380,000 inhabitants): the capital city of Tuscany

Cradle of the Renaissance, this great moment in the story of human and technological progress that started in the 16th century.
Florence is one of the most beautiful cities and one of the most visited cities in the world. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.
In addition, it is an important research and university center both on a local national level and on an international stage.

Siena (55,000 inhabitants): Palio race and Medieval allure

In the heart of central Tuscany, in the Chianti region, Siena is a stunning place.
Its magnificent old town center, included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, hosts
the Palio, the historical horse race dating back to the 14th century.
Siena is home to universities, agricultural enterprises, and cutting-edge research centers.

• Economy: tourism, wine, and food production
• A network of micro-enterprises working in the tertiary sector, especially in medical research, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals.
• World-famous wines and olive oil production
• Thermal baths, rural and slow tourism
• Monte Dei Paschi, the oldest bank in the world, founded in 1472, supports the local activities

Pisa (90,000 inhabitants): the city of the Leaning Tower

Home to prestigious Italian and European Universities: Scuola Normale Superiore, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, National Research Council (CNR)

• Economy: the tertiary sector includes tourism, finance, and commerce.
• Research in new technologies and advanced services sector.
• Manufacturing companies: chemical products, synthetic fibers, paper and cardboard, electronic and optical machinery.
• The shipbuilding industry with mega-yacht construction (alongside Viareggio’s nautical district).
• Pisa airport – the largest Tuscan airplanes hub with national, intercontinental, and low-cost flights.

Arezzo (100,000 inhabitants): Archeology and Genuine Food

Such a great city for everyone who is fascinated by history.
Home to many archeological sites, like the Etruscan Cortona, Chiusi, and Orvieto.
Home of the oldest university in Tuscany and one of the first in Europe.

• Economy: tourism, food production, artisanry
• Once renowned for its animal market, Arezzo is famous for the Chianina cattle breed.
• Today Arezzo is better known as the city of gold, with handicraft activities such as gold and silver work, the art of ceramics, old furniture, and renaissance-style objects.

Livorno (156,000 inhabitants): a Link between Tuscany and the Mediterranean Sea

It is a city with notable multiethnic and multicultural characters.

• Home of one of the most important industrial and commercial ports in the Mediterranean area, developed from the second half of the 16th century by the Medici Family.
• Today it is also a busy passenger port, hosting even the largest ocean liners in the world.
• Home to the Inter-University Center of Marine Biology and Applied Ecology
• Research Center on Technologies for the Sea and Marine BioRobotics.
• Hosting the Naval Academy, a military institution devoted to learning.
• Historical and architectural testimonies come from the late Baroque  (Quartiere Venezia) and Neoclassical periods.

Lucca (89,000 inhabitants): a tiny well-preserved jewel

Lucca can show a pretty old town center all enclosed within its massive sixteenth-century walls.

• It is the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini.
• Lucca is known as the city of a hundred churches for its large amount of historical religious evidence.
• Economy: manufacturing, tourism.
• The highest concentration of paper and paper industries in Italy.
• This district produces 75% of the national paper product for hygienic and sanitary uses and 45% paper for cardboard.
• The manufacturing footwear, metalworking (for paper mills ), extraction, and processing of stone materials are other primary sources.
• Tourist activity linked to Versilia and Garfagnana areas.
• Lucca Comics: an annual international event dedicated to comics, video games, playful art, cosplay.

Massa (70,000 inhabitants): Marble and summer Tourism

The history of Massa comes together with the history of Carrara. This city is known for the processing of marble extracted from the nearby quarries in the Apuan Alps.

• The Apuan Alps have given us the finest marbles in the world since Roman times.
• Here Michelangelo chose the finest piece of marble from which he sculpted the majestic David, still preserved in Florence.
• Economy: industrial activities are related to the extraction, processing, and export of marble.
• The tertiary sector counts on summer tourism, excursions on the Apuan Alps, rich in water sources.

Grosseto (about 80,000 inhabitants): a unique Countryside

• It is the main city of the Tuscan Maremma.
• An ancient medieval town, 12 km from the sea.
• Famous in the world for its archaeological sites, parks, and natural reserves​​ (the famous Sanctuary of Marine Mammals)
• Thermal centers with springs offering beneficial sulfurous waters.
• Reference area for healthy nutrition linked to biological agriculture and ​​environmental sustainability.
• Economy: tertiary sector linked to tourism, agriculture, and livestock.

Prato (about 195,000 inhabitants): the finest Yarns and Textiles

• The second-largest city in Tuscany by population.
• Prato is located 15 kilometers away from Florence.
• Important historical and artistic attractions, starting from the Etruscans to the Renaissance.
• Today Prato is hosting the Pecci Museum, one of the most important Contemporary Art Museums in Italy, and the Textile Museum, strongly linked to the historical roots of the local economy.
• Economy: the largest textile district in Europe today.
• Ongoing textile production since the Renaissance era.
• Seven thousand companies are operating in the fashion sector in Prato, producing fabrics for emerging and trusted brands such as Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo.

Pistoia (about 90,000 inhabitants): Art, History and Music

• Rich in valuable Romanesque and Renaissance monuments.
• Home to classic, modern, and contemporary art museums.
• Home to important annual cultural events like the Pistoia Blues Festival.
• Economy: forestry and nursery.
• Two thousand companies in Pistoia today grow plants for public green spaces and private gardens all over Europe.
• Pistoia produces about 25% of the entire production of ornamental plants in Italy.
• Shipbuilding emerges in the mechanical sector and the production of rolling stock, especially for railways.
• High-quality Mechanical workshops: the flagships of this sector, attracting foreign investors, are here. Such as Hitachi Rail, which has made it an international level industry.

There will always be a nice spot to stay in Tuscany. Art cities showing past and contemporary beauties are everywhere – on the hills, in the countryside or by the seaside. Now let’s proceed with a short study of the best areas of Tuscany. The most famous or the most suitable areas to relocate and the most profitable for the business you are planning.

The landscape offers hilly terrains made of vineyards, olive groves, chestnut woods, and oaks. The typical white roads dotted with cypresses often lead you to an abbey, farm, or small church.

Today Chianti is like an oasis where peace goes hand in hand with sustainability and respect for the landscape. Those values are strictly monitored in order to preserve beauty and biodiversity.

Inside Chianti nature marks and human fatigues seem to have merged together over the centuries. The cultivation of this land started with the Etruscan and continued with the Romans. Then the Lombards and, in the golden periods, the Medici and Lorraine families gave a further impulse to this area. It generated true miracles, such as the cultivation of vines and olives. The results are the finest qualities of wines and extra virgin olive oils. The name “Chianti” has always been synonymous with excellent red wines that meet rigorous production regulations and are recognizable by specific quality labels (DOC + DOCG).
Every autumn the new harvests are celebrated inside local events. The rites of the ancient manual grape pressing” perpetuate. Evidence is available in permanent exhibitions and museums, such as the Wine Museum of Greve in Chianti.

In addition, olive trees and oil production cultivation have roots in remote times, dating back to the Etruscans and Romans. Today, the ritual and tradition of harvesting and pressing olives are celebrated with festivals in many Chiantigian small towns. Moreover, the famous extra virgin olive oil has also become the subject of scientific studies for its nutritional and even cosmetic properties! Chianti extra virgin olive oil is coveted by everyone – you can find it in any farmhouse in the area.

Typical Made in Chianti products are not only oil and wine. Meats, cheeses, bread, vegetables, mushrooms, truffles and game are easy to find in restaurants, small inns, and tourist farms. All these products reach the table directly from the nearest forests, fields, and gardens.

Chianti is the ideal place to plan a balanced lifestyle – find contact with nature, and a healthy diet. Over time it has become a favorite place for special people from all over the world. Like members of the Royal Families, personalities from the political scene, and artists.
They have bought properties here to treat themselves to periodic stays or invest in profitable wine-making activities.

Many interesting places in Chianti can be reached easily by car and public transport from the main Tuscan cities.
The Via Chiantigiana SR 222 is the typical road designed on the Chianti hills. It runs between Florence and Siena through Greve in Chianti. Traveling here you can savor the beauty of the landscape and make a stop in your favorite villages. This path is also perfect for cycling and, even better, for tours with your Vespa!

Things to do in Chianti Tuscany are many. Activities here can be different depending on your taste – you can practice diverse itineraries to discover the territory and its village. Or follow the trail to become a testimony of the ancient Etruscan and Roman civilizations that inhabited these areas. Then the story continues inside medieval castles and fortresses built during the years of the great dispute between Florence and Siena.

Suppose you have only one day to visit Chianti. In that case, you can take the Chiantigiana road and visit Greve in Chianti. It is considered to be the gate of the Chianti, with its famous Piazza del Mercatale, the market square devoted to commerce since ancient times, and the Wine Museum.

From Greve you can reach Montefioralle, a medieval castle with a small village. Continuing, you can visit Castellina in Chianti, on the border between the Florentine and Sienese Chianti. Here is the Archaeological Museum of Chianti. Finally, the path can continue to Barberino Val d’Elsa, a fortified medieval village, and then the borough of Tavarnelle. The tour concludes in San Casciano Val di Pesa, the last pretty village of Chianti where Machiavelli lived.

Whatever your destination in Chianti is, it is impossible not to stop and taste its wine. From Florence and Siena, you can organize half-day tours in Chianti even without taking the car.

Sport and outdoor activities lovers will find their paradise in Chianti too. This is the place to indulge in cycling, hiking, horseback, and more informal activities such as engaging in wellness at the Baths in Siena and Florence.

Nothing is better than a cottage or an apartment in a villa, a bed & breakfast, or a vacation home nestled in the green.

Here are the main towns in Chianti:

• Castellina in Chianti
• Gaiole in Chianti
• Castello di Brolio
• Radda in Chianti
• Volpaia
• Barberino Val d’Elsa
• Tignano
• Castelnuovo Berardenga
• San Gusme
• Vagliagli
• Greve in Chianti
• Montefioralle di Greve in Chianti
• Montegonzi di Greve in Chianti
• Dudda in Chianti di Greve in Chianti
• Convertoie di Greve in Chianti
• Poggibonsi
• San Casciano in Val di Pesa
• Faltignano di San Casciano in Val di Pesa
• Campoli di San Casciano in Val di Pesa
• Montefiridolfi di San Casciano in Val di Pesa
• Tavarnelle Val di Pesa
• Sambuca di Val di Pesa
• San Donato in Poggio di Val di Pesa

The Coastline, Beaches, and Seaside Resorts. Pure water, Pristine Nature, Natural Parks.
From North to South, the coast runs for almost 400 kilometers with various landscapes and places with countless possibilities to find out where to buy houses in Tuscany. Here is a brief outline of the main areas.

In front of you, the views of the Mar Ligure and, behind you, the surrounding Apuan Alps. This scenario awaits you in the splendid area of Versilia, a strip of coastline in the northern part of Toscana, within the province of Lucca. It’s a relatively small area (about 165 square km) close to Pisa and Lucca.

In Versilia the natural environment is incredibly varied: 20 kilometers of sandy beaches, extensive pinewoods along the coast, tiny hills and gorgeous mountains called the Apuan Alps, natural parks like the one containing the Massaciuccoli Lake, where Maestro Giacomo Puccini created his inspired Operas.

Versilia includes lovely places, like Forte Dei Marmi, Viareggio, Marina di Pietrasanta, where VIPs and international stars live. Medium and high-level real estate investments in Tuscany have been relevant in Versilia for the past few years.

Living here allows you to enjoy cultural events, a lively night-life all year round, shopping opportunities in Viareggio and Forte Dei Marmi stores.
Besides enjoying a very favorable mild climate, Versilia has an excellent level of logistics and communications: it’s less than a one-hour drive from Florence and half an hour from Lucca and Pisa. In Florence and Pisa, two international airports will take you to any of your favorite destinations. Versilia is also well-connected with railways and highways. Parma is just 1,15 hours distant while Milan can be reached in 2,30 hours by car.

A Tuscany villa with a private pool located in Versilia is definitely an upper stage. Many independent Luxury Villas come with a modern posh style and lavish Liberty style palaces wonderfully restored.

The coast around Livorno is the central area of Tuscany. Here you’ll find a short rocky stretch of beach with some cute and precious places like Castiglioncello and Quercianella. Going further to the south, you will meet with the beautiful sandy resorts of Vada, Marina di Cecina, Marina di Castagneto, San Vincenzo, and Golfo di Baratti, where you will also meet Populonia, rich in Etruscans archaeological finds.

The Etruscan coast was also the favorite subject of the Macchiaioli, the Tuscan painters who studied the importance of light decades before impressionists.
Today, these locations are ideal for families with children, thanks to the sand, their clean sea, pine forests, and the relaxed and calm atmosphere.

A family Villa for holidays near the sea on the coast between Livorno and Grosseto is a good investment. You can have it close to the coast or just above the nearest hills. Here Tuscan villas are sometimes available at affordable prices. In addition, apartments for sale are available in residences or townhouses and semi-detached houses.

Pisa International Airport is just 20 miles away, and the Florence International Airport about 90 km.

Convenient railway lines connect these locations to Florence, Rome, Genoa, Milan.

There are many opportunities in this part of the Tuscan southern coastline for those looking for real estate investments. Just move from the Gulf of Follonica to the coast of Capalbio, passing by Monte Argentario and Castiglione Della Pescaia sandy beaches, and you can choose.

The extinct volcano of Monte Amiata dominates in this territory, offering a view of the entire Maremma. This mountain peak is rich in exciting specimens of flora, fauna, and a multitude of significant historical remains.

Maremma has many thermal springs, from the heights of Monte Amiata to the Maremma plain. The Etruscans and the Romans knew and prized the curative properties of the waters that flow from underground, as attested by the ancient thermal springs of Roselle, Saturnia, Osa, Bagnolo, Sassetta and Petriolo. We are in a zone presenting a particular geological asset, where the volcanic nature of Monte Amiata has influenced the landscape.

In the last decades, the new frontier for real estate investments and new business activities is called agriturismo. B&B and Agriturismi have flourished in this area due to its natural propensity to host this kind of accommodation. Many studies have pointed out that this sector is constantly growing.

Italian middle class people, increasing numbers of ex-pats, and international investors are looking for real estate properties at reasonable prices. The houses here offer a typical Mediterranean look, mixing marine elements with countryside charme and style. Just a few kilometers inland, they present pleasant characters familiar with the rustic and rural architecture.

Elba has approximately 30.000 inhabitants. It has an asphalt road network of 160 km and 80 km of panoramic roads. The climate is always mild with an average annual temperature of ca. 16°; the average in winter is about 10°, 14° in spring, 23° in summer, and 17° in autumn.

Because of its strategic position and the abundance of mineral resources, it was often the object of conquest for the various powers along the Mediterranean. For the Etruscans and the Romans.

Napoleon spent a brief exile here that lasted for ten months before his 100 days adventure, which ended at Waterloo. Bonaparte left significant traces of his short reign: essential reforms and buildings like his Townhouse “Villa Dei Mulini” in Portoferraio and his impressive summer residence “San Martino” ― now museums open for visits. Famous wines and excellent cuisine, along with the beauty of the sea and the mild climate, make Elba one of the ideal places to live and settle in Italy. The island is connected to the mainland by an excellent ferry service, active all year round from 4 different ports of the island, and by an airport, the Marina di Campo Airport, with flights to the main Italian airports and Germany and Switzerland.

Tuscany has very diversified real estate assets. The majestic palaces of the art cities and the rustic charm of the country houses of the farmers. From the tall Tower Houses in Siena and Lucca, to the luxurious Liberty Villas of the early 1900s in Florence and Versilia. Up to modern and contemporary house design in many affluent suburbs. In Tuscany, it isn’t easy to find something that is not surprising.
Let’s discover the main types of real estate opportunities that ex-pats could buy for themselves. Or properties that international investors could convert into holiday and hospitality structures to make a profitable income.

Each primary Tuscan city owns a precious old town center that you can visit on foot. In the centres houses are attached and rarely higher than 3-4 floors. The surroundings still stand watch towers and steeples, cathedrals, and municipal buildings that once belonged to noble families.

Old and gracious pastel-colored apartments, many of them a few centuries old, line narrow streets and overlook lively squares. The narrow streets may seem uncomfortable and, above all, strange to those accustomed to the wide-open spaces in the northern European cities.

However, they had an essential purpose in the past and still have it. Living in apartments inside attached buildings meant being warmer in winter and ensured shade and coolness in summer. It is a form of natural air conditioning.

Often apartment windows overlook a busy pedestrian and bike street. Hearing the sounds of the city – and smelling the delicious scent from the café coming out of the ground floor bar, is part of the charm of these parts.

Living in one, two or even three-bedroom apartments in cities is still common today for over half of the Italian population. It is much more common than in the U.K. or Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia.
In the neighborhoods of old town centers, Italian apartments may seem small and narrow when viewed from the street. Still, in reality, they will extend in length towards the interior. If you buy a top-floor apartment, you will have to climb many stairs, as most buildings don’t have lifts. The reward for this will sometimes be a balcony or a roof terrace and, much more often, large windows with stunning glimpses and views.

These are the most iconic properties found in the urban landscape of Tuscany.
Walking around the centers, you will spend a lot of time looking upwards, attracted by domes, battlements, loggias, decorative iron-works, and large overhanging eaves.
Imaginative, majestic, powerful – the architecture of ancient buildings surprises and involves visitors. Thanks to foreign investors and expatriate owners, the proud city palaces of Cortona and Siena and the large villas of Lucca and Florence have experienced a new lease of life in recent years.

Today, many noble palaces in Pisa and Florence still preserve original features. They were homes for noble families and families of bankers, so now they conserve such beauty as ceiling frescoes, stuccos, and engravings. Restoring and discovering these ancient features is part of the fun. Making them the centerpiece of your new luxury apartment or your boutique hotel will be the next step.

From the 13th to the 19th century, historical stratification has meant that buildings offering great value have become more prosperous in every era.
Many properties for sale in Tuscany are listed today by the Italian Fine Arts Office (Sovrintendenza Alle Belle Arti)! In this case, well, open your eyes and your ears wide! You are dealing with properties that have historical value. If you sign the purchase agreement, you will become the owner of valuable pieces of history. These are investments that are safer than a gold bar kept in a safe deposit box of your bank or an investment fund traded on the London and New York Stock Exchanges!
Owning one of them is not an unattainable, expensive dream!
It takes a bit of patience and an excellent real estate agent who can tell how to buy properties in Italy.

Moving away from the cities towards the rural areas of Tuscany, you can find houses for sale where the spaces expand. Now you can breathe deeply. The wonder of the rural landscape unfolds before you, especially if you let yourself be lulled by the ups and downs of the soft hills on board a Vespa or riding your bicycle. What waits for you are small villages on which only the steeple of the parish church or the tower of the Town Hall dominate, with central squares and semi-independent houses grouped all around. Finding tiny detached or semi-detached houses with small gardens and at affordable prices, it is not difficult.

A property to buy in Tuscany can be a treasure hunt. If you are lucky, you can even find some rare details, such as frescoes, the remains of old fortification walls, tiny private chapels, the remains of a mill. You could even discover unique outbuildings, such as chestnut dryers and iceboxes, which were used to keep the winter ice and then sell it in the city.

Buildings that survived from the Middle Ages are today amongst the most wanted palaces. So it is what happens with the original Tower Houses, which characterize San Miniato near Pisa and San Gimignano between Florence and Siena. Here the Tower Houses rose to almost 60 meters, an unbelievable height in that period! After a strong renovation, some of those towers can host you today with all comforts. These buildings still silhouette in the middle of the countryside and create surreal profiles that significantly remind today’s New York, Chicago, and Hong Kong skylines! That’s a unique sensation.

You will find many farmhouses in the Tuscan countryside. They are the most evident sign that has characterized the landscape since the 15^ century. Built-in stone, with giant walls, developed on two levels, well camouflaged in the surrounding area. Typically these are rural properties structured around courtyards and large plots of arable land. Some are single-family properties. Others have a large main manor house in the center with other smaller homes with agricultural outbuildings and barns. Once owned by landowners, they are farmhouses where entire peasant families worked as sharecroppers.

In 1700 this type of house spread with a precise architectural style. One could say this is a totally “Made in Tuscany” style. They were called Leopoldine Houses, named after its creator, the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo I of Tuscany, who became Emperor with Leopoldo II Habsburg-Lorraine 1790.

Today the Dovecotes are transformed into private studios, comfortable bedrooms, reading rooms, ateliers for painters or sculptors.

These farmhouses, which significantly improved the peasants’ living conditions and the yield of agricultural production, are still solid nowadays. They are examples of a helpful building technique, well integrated into the landscape. Thus, many Leopoldine buildings are often found in a state of abandonment. Such an excellent opportunity to invest in one of the most known rural housing typologies in Tuscany and get them ready for restoration. Local and foreign investors are looking for these houses for sale because they are very suitable to become:

• typical Chianti holiday accommodation properties,
• Agriturismo, B&B, or other high profile buildings to be converted into delightful Boutique Hotels, wine and oil production activities, offering catering made with local products (chilometro 0).
• a private country estate enriched with a swimming pool and gardens for exclusive use. It will be perfect for short and midterms luxury holidays with high profitability.

The villa is one of the most recognizable Tuscan homes and one of the most sought after by investors and expatriates. You will find different types of villas in every corner of the region, from the ancient and very original ones in the cities’ suburbs to the more typically “Mediterranean” kind along the coasts. It is increasingly common to find villas with private parks surrounded by typical Tuscan cypresses and olive trees.There are also villas in Tuscany with pool, garden, and other amenities.
Then, when we speak of “Villette”, we are referring to smaller villas.

The first prestigious Tuscan villas date back in the 15th-16th century. This tradition continued until the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. You can easily find villas for sale in Tuscany, starting from the hills around Florence, Arezzo, and Siena. Then, in Lucca and Pisa counties these types of buildings became more widespread, historically stratified, and exceptionally original. These are for sure the best villas to stay in Tuscany.

In these areas, a few kilometers from the sea and the sandy beaches of Versilia, many villas and historical palaces can be found with a little help from the real estate experts in Victoria House. Wonderful small cities and towns like Camaiore, Pietrasanta, Seravezza, Montignoso, Cinquale, Forte dei Marmi, Vittoria Apuana have all you can need: located in the hills, close to the seaside, relying at the foot of the mountains, well-connected with Lucca, Pisa, Viareggio, Florence, La Spezia and Genoa… What else?

A villa in Versilia or in the Apuan coast can be used for many types of investments: private use, renovations and subsequent splits into luxury apartments, or transformation into high-end accommodation facilities.
All located in the surrounding countryside within a radius of 30-35 from Lucca or Pisa, these properties boast architectural styles ranging from the Late Classicism of the late 19th century up to the Liberty (Modernism – Art Decò), and Rationalism styles of the 30s of the 20th century. These villas are adorned with splendid Italian gardens and very reminiscent of Versailles’s much more famous ones.

These Tuscany villas with private pools are located near the sea and in the immediate hinterland, rich in natural parks and scattered with cute villages.
Nothing could be more gratifying. In compliance with the guidelines for renovations established by the Italian Institute for Conservation and Restoration of the Artistic Heritage, they can become incredibly comfortable and spacious, with contemporary features that make them real dream homes.

Prices are much more competitive compared to those of the Villas in Florence or and the Chiantishire. Furthermore, in Versilia logistics are excellent, thanks to a good road network and Pisa airport just 35 km away.

Now let’s have a closer look at the possibilities regarding real estate investments near the coastline. As we have just said, Versilia is a wonderful gem merging wild nature, history, strong traditions, amenities and facilities. Here you have villas, buildings, city apartments, and properties located in the countryside. But the blue sea of ​​Tuscany consists of almost 400 kilometers of coastline (not to include islands’ coasts) that stretch from the north of Versilia to the South of Argentario.
From the border with the Liguria Region, you pass through the Val di Cornia. Then you can get to the Maremma up to Capalbio, the last municipality and seaside resort in Tuscany, on the border with the coasts of the Lazio Region.

The coastal areas do not seem to be particularly attractive for real estate investments for Anglo-Saxon ex-pats and international investors, traditionally more fascinated by historic and calm cities of the hinterland. But please remember that the Tuscan seaside resorts are true treasures in terms of valuable art and culture offers, combined with the beauty of nature and one of the cleanest seas in Italy.
From the upper-class areas of Forte Dei Marmi and Pietrasanta, passing through the elegant Etruscan Coast and the poignant landscape of Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci, you reach the Maremma coast.
Here nature explodes in its beauty with rocky coasts, unspoiled sandy beaches and protected natural parks. Here is the rich and exclusive Punta Ala and, not far away, the delightful town of Castiglione Della Pescaia. Further south, we arrive near Grosseto at the Argentario Promontory and the Archipelago Islands.

Real estate investments in the seaside of Tuscany are confirmed to be very attractive. Valuable villas surrounded by gardens and fields, with swimming pools. Huge flats in penthouses to live the dream of a functional contemporary design residency. Comfortable farmhouses on the hills with a sea view. There are also available small apartments in semi-detached homes or two-room apartments in residential properties. Sometimes, they are lovely, perched on the nearby promontories that will give you unforgettable sunrises and sunsets.

People choose Tuscany for something more than a summer holiday. That’s the reason why Victoria House real estate agency is born.

If, for instance, you are ready to challenge your future and plan a business activity in Tuscany, the possibilities can be many. In this Region, the catering sector combined with hospitality or the organic wine and oil production sector are constantly growing. The export of Tuscan products can offer really interesting prospects.

An example of a widespread business that combines all these activities is Agriturismo.

Let’s start with the definition of Agriturismo, an Italian term whose proper literal translation in English does not exist. That’s why agriturismo is nowadays used by anglophones too. The Italian term comes from the combination of the words “agriculture” and “tourism”. It defines a different kind of holidays, combining farm houses and rural life, with the typical amenities of resorts. The first agriturismi started in the ‘70s and a specific Italian Law that gave rules for this sector was published in 1985.

An Agriturismo vacation is suitable for the whole family. Tourists are hosted in large houses and farms in the countryside, surrounded by nature, often in a good and peaceful scenario.

Agriturismi are strategically located in the outskirts of beautiful art cities and Spas, immersed in the green countryside, among vineyards and olive groves.

A typical Agriturismo in Tuscany offers all the amenities and the useful services in order to make your holidays unforgettable. The food served is prepared from raw materials produced inside the farm or locally. Some will allow the guest to participate in the activities of the farm, some others are accommodations in wonderful scenarios.

For example, some Agriturismos in Tuscany feature rather luxurious accommodation as well as swimming pools. Many of them offer their guests a range of services related to recreation and leisure: from guided tours to wine and oil tasting tours, cooking lessons, riding lessons, golf tournaments, bicycle rental spaces equipped for children, mountain biking or hiking, not to mention the possibility of organizing weddings and special events. Guests can also expect to dine nicely at the same table of the family that welcomes you and together with the other guests. Agriturismos offer excellent opportunities for affordable accommodation, which can be rustic, yet elegant villas, country houses, castles, farms ( often run by the owners’ families).

The accommodation range goes from bed & breakfast rooms to large apartments and facilities, including separate living rooms, kitchens, and private bathrooms.
Initially, Agriturismo interested only a niche of enthusiast people looking for country-related traditions and culinary specialties. Today, rural tourism involves large groups of tourists, looking for nature, good food, tranquility, generally affordable prices (ranging between 50 and 100 euro per night for each guest).

This type of accommodation interests ex-pats and visitors, mainly British, American Germans, Dutch, Scandinavians. When they try this they are so excited about the lifestyle it promotes that many of them invest and become owners and managers of these sites.

Indeed, if you are looking for a final relocation in Italy, taking over the management of a farmhouse, buying a farmhouse, or Villa to convert into an Agriturismo can be a project that combines business with pleasure.

Agriturismi are usually active all-year-round, welcoming guests for weekends and extended periods during the summer holidays. The Tuscan provinces where these activities are most popular are Siena, Grosseto, Florence, and Arezzo. But you can find Agriturismo everywhere in the Tuscan countryside, from Val d’Orcia to Casentino, from Garfagnana to Maremma, and up to the Mugelloʼs area.

Some rural accommodations are often located near the Thermal Baths spread throughout the Region, leading to the busy Fashion Outlets and not far from the art cities.

It’s a new way to invest your capital or enjoy a holiday, combining the pleasure and tranquility of a stay in nature with the possibility of easy and quick excursions to other beautiful places of this fantastic Region.