Valentine's Day in Tuscany :: Romantic holidays in Tuscany

Valentine's Day in Tuscany

Valentine's Day is the most romantic day of the year, the day of lovers.

The feast has its origins in the ancient pagan ritual dedicated to the god Lupercus and practised by the Romans until the 4th century before Christ.

With the advent of Christianity, the feast was transformed into a day dedicated to Bishop Valentine of Interamma, patron saint of young lovers, martyred under Emperor Claudius II. Tradition has it that his remains can be found in Terni in the basilica that carries his name.

Valentine's Day

Today, Valentine's Day is a day to dedicate to the person you love, away from everything and everyone, a special day to declare or to remind them of your love for them.

The feast in its present form dates back to England of the 15th century and to this day, the exchange of cards is still very widespread. Even in Italy, lovers exchange gifts and cards, flowers, or books and often take off for a short vacation or a romantic weekend getaway.

Say it with flowers

Those who choose to give flowers on Valentine's Day would do well to learn the significance associated with each flower.

Valentine's Day

In addition to the traditional (and always appreciated) red roses, you can give cyclamens which represent unconditional love, or ivy which symbolizes attachment to the loved one, white carnations for pure love, a branch of myrtle, symbol of love and sacred plant of Venus, orchids, said to possess aphrodisiacal properties, or even tulips: red for a declaration of love, white to tell her that her eyes are beautiful, or yellow for love without hope.

Some ideas for a very special Valentine's Day in Tuscany

One way to spend Valentine's Day is to head off to a quiet location and enjoy a peaceful, romantic vacation with the one you love.
The Upper Maremma, nestled between the hills of Siena, and the plains of the Maremma, is a wonderful choice for that romantic getaway in the relaxing surroundings of a Tuscan hilltop village.

Casina di Rosa is a perfect choice for your Valentine's Day holiday in Tuscany and we currently have a special offer for our guests. Visit our special offers page to find out more.

Here are a few ideas for how to spend your Valentine's Day vacation while staying at Casina di Rosa.

Valentine's Day in the Maremma

If what you're looking for is the tranquillity of open spaces then there is nothing better than the Maremma Grossetana. The Maremma is the least populated area of Italy, free of heavy industry and densely populated cities.

Valentine's Day

You can choose a romantic walk in one of the coastal towns like Castiglione della Pescaia, Talamone, Porto Santo Stefano, Marina di Grosseto or a nature walk along one of the many trails in the Maremma Natural Park. The park also has many trails for biking and horseback riding.

Visit the Etruscan ruins around Pitigliano, Sorano, Sovana, Magliano in Toscana and the surrounding areas.

If you like good food, this itinerary for Valentine's Day in Tuscany offers you the chance to enjoy a meal of fresh seafood or, if you prefer, the more traditional specialities of the region like wild boar, hare, pheasant and deer, wild mushrooms, truffles, and aged cheeses.

Don't forget to ask for a glass of Morellino di Scansano or Bianco di Pitigliano to accompany your meal.

Valentine's Day at the Spa in Tuscany

For spa lovers, we highly recommend a relaxing bath in the natural thermal hot springs at the Petriolo, if it's not too cold of course! Hidden in the woods with free access to the public, the baths are only 15 minutes from Casina di Rosa. It's worth stopping for a walk around the nearby village of Pari, a perfectly preserved medieval hilltop village which offers a spectacular view across the valley of the river Merse.

In just over an hour you can reach the more famous thermal baths of Saturnia in the heart of the Maremma.
If you wish to enjoy hot springs against the backdrop of rolling Sienese hills, try the thermal baths at Chianciano Terme, Montepulciano or the spa at the beautiful village of Bagno Vignoni.

Valentine's Day on Location in Tuscany

For a vacation a bit out of the ordinary, from Casina di Rosa you can visit, each day, the locations where famous films were shot. Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty, Benigni's Pinocchio, or Sturridge's Monteriano, taken from a book by Forster and filmed in San Gimignano are just some of the many famous films made nearby. Other sites worth a visit include the abbey of San Galgano, Val d'Elsa and, naturally, Florence and Siena.

Valentine's Day in the mountains

For a change of scenery without ever leaving the heart of Tuscany, another interesting choice for Valentine's Day is a trip to Monte Amiata.
For outdoor enthusiasts, the peak of the mountain offers skiing.

Valentine's Day

You can explore the many small villages that make up this mountain community, such as Radicofani, Abbadia San Salvatore, Piancastagnaio, Arcidosso, Castel del Piano and Seggiano. Don't miss the many varieties of local dishes made with chestnuts.

San Valentino all'insegna dell'acqua

Un'altra idea originale per trascorrere un San Valentino in Toscana "a tema" è andare a scoprire il mondo segreto delle antiche acque toscane.
Potete per esempio decidere di seguire un itinerario alla scoperta degli antichi mulini, alcuni funzionanti e resi famosi da spot pubblicitari.
Oppure potete costruire un itinerario che si snoda tra le fonti di Siena e paesi limitrofi.
Un'escursione poco conosciuta ma molto bella è la visita ai Bottini di Siena, l'acquedotto sotterraneo scavato nel tufo. Oppure per restare in tema, potete visitare il Labirinto di Porsenna a Chiusi, un reticolo di cunicoli dell'età etrusca che culminano in una cisterna romana intatta e sormontata da una torre. La Chiusi sotterranea racchiude molti altri misteri e luoghi interessanti che possono offrire un'occasione per trascorrere un San Valentino davvero diverso. Si consiglia anche una visita al lago di Chiusi e Montepulciano.

There are many different possibilities for an unforgettable Valentine's Day in Tuscany.

We would be happy to recommend and guide you to the best restaurants where you can dine by candlelight while sipping a glass of fine Tuscan wine.

Travel deals for your romantic Valentine's Day in Tuscnay by Casina di Rosa

Casina di Rosa has several travel deals for your romantic Valentine's Day in Tuscany.

On the Links page a list of Valentine's Day related links is available.