Step into some of the most beautiful havens of Tuscany. Grand patrician homes and rural hermitages alike open their doors to reveal Medici pottery, sun-kissed drawing rooms, and colorful tiled floors. With detailed captions and crisp photography, this portfolio presents each home and its interior to paint a gorgeous picture of Tuscan living. Under the burning Tuscan sun roll marvelous hills, vineyards, and olive groves—all postcard-perfect landscapes nestling centuries-old towns, rural villas, and contadino farmhouses. We’ve tracked down the best examples of such havens to paint a warm-hued picture of the look and feel of Tuscan living. Follow in Michelangelo’s footsteps to the Eremo Santa Maria Maddalena, a medieval hermitage nestled in the steep Arezzo hillside. Take a dip in the California-style pool of Roberto Budini Gattai, the architect who turned a modest winegrower’s house into a dazzling homage to David Hockney. Cool down in the tiled bedrooms of the Villa Villoresi, where, legend has it, Dante’s wife took refuge during the poet’s exile in the early 14th century. This collection gathers the region’s most remarkable homes and interiors, complete with insightful captions and enthralling double spreads. Across contemporary architecture and traditional craftsmanship, minimal earthenware and decadent furniture, we discover all the natural tones and sun-kissed textures of Tuscany. The editor Angelika Taschen studied art history and German literature in Heidelberg, gaining her doctorate in 1986. Working for TASCHEN from 1987 to 2010, she has published numerous titles on art, architecture, photography, design, travel, and lifestyle. The authors Barbara & René Stoeltie both began their careers as artists and gallery owners. With René as photographer and Barbara as writer, they have been collaborating on interior design articles since 1984, contributing to such in?uential magazines as Vogue, The World of Interiors, AD, Elle, House and Garden, Country Living, and House Beautiful. Bibliotheca Universalis—Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together more than 100 of our all-time favorite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.Bookworm’s delight—never bore, always excite!