Are You wondering what to do for Valentine’s Day this year? Does the usual romantic candlelight dinner seem obvious and you want to impress your sweetheart with something new? Come and spend an unforgettable St. Valentine’s Day in the heart of Tuscany!
The enchanted landscapes of our hills, immortalized by Leonardo di Vinci in his paintings, and the delightful medieval villages of the Empolese Valdelsa and Montalbano region, are the perfect places for all lovers.
Here are five suggestions to celebrate your St. Valentine’s Day in the heart of Tuscany, where beauty and history create the perfect romantic atmosphere!
5: At the feet of Eloisa, witness of timeless love
In a small square inside the historic Parco Corsini in Fucecchio, Eloisa is waiting for you. A sculpture created in 2007 by the artist Arturo Carmassi (1926-2015). Its soft curves rise towards the sky next to the medieval tower, in an exciting contrast between past, present and future.
Carved from a single block of white Carrara marble, Eloisa bears the name of Abelard’s historic lover and is a symbol of an impossible love that nevertheless transcends the centuries.
At the foot of this extraordinary work, thanks to the soft light of the sunset, romanticism is guaranteed!
4: Sant’Amato, a Romanesque church on the roof of the world
Do You know those enchanted places often seen in films?
Where nature and man’s works seem to marry perfectly, creating the perfect backdrop for a love declaration.
Well, in Sant’Amato, a very small village in Montalbano, a few kilometres from Vinci, it really seems to be in a postcard.
You have to walk along a winding road until you reach the Pieve di San Pietro, it will really be worth it. Here, a small Romanesque church, built according the tradition by Countess Matilde di Canossa in 1100, awaits you for a breathtaking panoramic view.
Seated on a low wall you can listen the silence and admire hills and valleys as far as the eye can see.
The panorama is there, the church is there too… Just find the right words!
3: From Montespertoli to Lucardo, a few kilometres to fall in love
From Montespertoli, renewed for its wine production, take the road leading you to the village of Lucardo, one of the most scenic in the Empolese Valdelsa and Montalbano area.
Travelling along it by car or motorbike (weather permitting!) you will live the sensation to be inside a painting.
Around every corner you will be amazed by the rolling hills of Valdelsa district and vineyards that produces grapes for the extraordinary Chianti Montespertoli.
Then if you combine the right soundtrack and a romantic aperitif in a local shop, you have everything you need to toast to love!
2: Keep close your eyes in Gambassi Terme dreaming love stories and wellness rituals
Not many know that Giovanni Gonnelli (1603-1664), known as the Cieco di Gambassi (blind man), came from Gambassi Terme. 
What does it have to do with St. Valentine’s Day? Not much but…we would like to share with you a romantic anecdote you can tell to your sweetheart while you enjoy the thermal waters and treatments at the thermal baths of Via Francigena.
Giovanni was not born blind and since his childhood he showed an extraordinary artistic talent becoming a court sculptor in Mantua. You should know that he was the pupil of Pietro Tacca in his workshop in Florence. Due to an accident he lost his sight but not his ability; he was still able to create such perfect sculptures by modelling the figures first with wax and then with clay, so many doubted that he was really blind. He worked first for the Medici family and then for Pope Urban VII in Rome. During his roman period the Cardinal Pallotta saw the artist making a bust of his beloved wife Elisabetta Sesti, who remained in Gambassi, just using images of his memories. It is easy to image the amazement and the surprise which sized the cardinal, who composed this motto: “Giovan, who is blind, loved Lisabetta and carved in the Idea that formed his love ”
… It is or not a beautiful story to tell for lovers day?
1: St. Valentine’s Day in Certaldo, in the heart of the village … and maybe a little bit far away
The medieval village of Certaldo, in the heart of Tuscany, with its narrow streets and walls, historic buildings and breathtaking views, is on the top of our 5 romantic places for St. Valentine’s Day. Visit first Certaldo Alto with the funicular and enjoy the magic of this day, travelling back in time once you reach the ancient village. Take your time and taste a good glass of wine while one of the most beautiful sunset with its thousand shades of red, pink and orange lights the village.
Then, for those who really want to swear eternal love, visit the Chapel of San Michele Arcangelo in Semifonte, less than 10 km far from Certaldo. This small chapel was built at the end of ‘500 on a design by Santi di Tito; with an octagonal plan and crowned by a dome, the church reproduces in scale 1:8 the Duomo of Florence. According to a legend if you turn around the chapel three times hand in hand with your partner you will live an eternal love. Do you feel up to it?
And now it’s up to you to make your Valentine’s Day truly unique in the heart of Tuscany!