Day one
It’s night-time when we arrive at our Tuscan villa, Il Grande Prato, an hour’s drive from Florence. The courtyard and converted farm buildings are lit by candlelight and the air is scented with rosemary. Surrounded by stars and silence, we’ve stepped into a real-life fairytale. A world away from fast-paced London, this place is just what we need to unwind together as a family.
Our Airbnb host Giulia greets us warmly, leading us into a large but cosy kitchen where she has prepared a feast of freshly baked focaccia and pizzas, a carafe of local chianti and a homemade tiramisu. It’s a lovely gesture – the sort of open-armed friendliness Italy’s famed for.
Day two
Opening the shutters in the morning is a real wow moment. The kids run out in pyjamas to explore the grounds – there’s a swimming pool, tennis court and football pitch – while Laurie and I make plans over a leisurely breakfast on our terrace.
Soon, we’re in our hire car driving to medieval Lucca, a picturesque walled town that really stirs the imagination. We climb the Torre delle Ore, admiring the mustard buildings and red rooftops below. Afterwards, we hire a fun four-seater bike and pedal around the tree-lined ramparts – a great way to work up an appetite.
Pizza and ice-cream in the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro follows (Italian cuisine is a big hit with the kids), then we explore the Basilica of San Frediano, where we learn about the legend of Saint Zita, Lucca’s patron saint. After studying the paintings of Zita giving bread to starving children, we head home, where the kids are inspired to help Giulia’s mother make focaccia using the villa’s outdoor bread oven. We never make time to bake together, so it’s lovely to see them kneading and decorating the bread under her expert guidance.
Day three
Part of the appeal of coming to Tuscany was a chance for the children to experience living history – and, today, Florence is top of our to-do list. Giulia calls the Accademia Gallery to book advance tickets, so the kids are able to giggle at Michelangelo’s naked David without having to queue. Then we walk through Piazza del Duomo to admire the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral and pose for photos on the Ponte Vecchio.
After another delicious pizza lunch, we make an extra stop to see Galileo’s severed middle finger in a bell jar at the history of science museum, then wander back to the station eating gelato, the kids excitedly exchanging gruesome facts from the Horrible Histories stories they’re reading.
Day four
With both children studying the Romans at school, the amphitheatre at Volterra is a must. This small site, on a sunny hillside, is a perfect spot to enjoy a picnic, and get an impromptu history lesson from the kids. An hour’s drive from our Airbnb, a morning visit means we can still spend a lazy afternoon in the garden.
For our final evening, Giulia gives us theatre tickets to see a performance by traditional mime artists. Essentially a “clown show”, the kids aren’t convinced at first. But, like all of our wonderful host Giulia’s ideas, it’s brilliant. The perfect way to end our Italian adventure – full of history, culture, love and laughter.
Vera’s verdict on Saint Zita in Lucca
The church in Lucca was very dark inside, except for the candles. The roof looked about 10 times higher than my house! There were lots of rooms, but one of them was hiding a big surprise. One minute I was looking at paintings of Saint Zita giving bread to the poor, and the next I was looking at her actual body in a tomb! It was grey and wrinkly and very dead. At first I was quite nervous, but then I was OK.
Later, back at Giulia’s, her mum showed us how to make bread just like Saint Zita. It reminded me of when I was little and me and Mum used to bake together. When the bread was baked we had fun dipping it into local olive oil and herbs. It was very tasty!
Travel folktales for kids
Discover the fairytales and folklore of Cornwall, Croatia, Mallorca, Tuscany and the Algarve. Stream or download a series of podcasts read by Sherlock’s Andrew Scott on Guardian books
