Casa Marginetta  

• The cosmopolitan city of Lucca with its ancient oval amphitheatre, exquisite architecture and fully intact 'Walls' can be reached in under 30 minutes. 
• This beautiful city may be easily explored on foot, bicycle or even by hiring a tandem!

• Why not climb the inspirational "Torre Guinigi" - the tower with a tree on top - for fabulous rooftop views over Lucca, or visit the beautiful gardens of the "Palazzo Pfanner?  
• The serene "Duomo San Michele" is also worth a visit before stopping to relax and enjoy a drink or a meal at one of the many open-air cafés in the historic "Piazza Anfiteatro".
  

• Famous Pisa is less than an hour away. See the 'leaning tower' before it falls down! 
• Now re-opened and with the scaffolding removed at last, it makes an interesting climb, and the panoramic view from the top is wonderful!
  

• Access to the tower is by 'timed tickets'.
• This keeps groups small, avoids any queuing and gives you a chance to try the excellent café opposite whilst you are waiting for your turn!  
• Don't miss the beautiful "Duomo di Pisa", next door to the tower.
  

• Fabulous Florence, one of the finest cultural centres in Europe, is only an hour and a half away. Ranked 21st in 2011 and now rising to 12th in 2012 on Trip Advisor's Travellers' Choice Top 25 Destinations in the World list.  
• If it's your first visit to the city don't miss the "Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore", the "Ponte Vecchio" and the "Galleria degli Uffizi", home of "Michaelangelo's David", amongst other famous works. 

• You can also book a guided tour of the "Corridoio Vasariano", a secret passage between the Uffizi and "Palazzo Pitti" that runs along the "Ponte Vecchio". 
• Over a kilometre long, and lined with paintings, this was built so that the Medici family didn't have to mingle with the 'common folk' in the street going between their palaces! 
• You may also wish to visit one of their many Villas outside Florence at Castello - "Villa la Petraia", has terraced gardens and a glass covered courtyard with 17th century frescoes.  
• If you are tired of the usual tourist stops try the Salvatore Ferragamo Shoe Museum above their store in Via Tornabuoni, which has shoes and lasts of Hollywood's most famous feet and the story of Ferragamo. 
• There are also several other designer shops in the area.

• Another nearby attraction, the "Ponte della Maddalena" - better known as "Ponte del Diavolo" or "Devil's Bridge" - is less than 20 minutes away.