Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches (Cadogan Guides) - Softcover

Facaros, Dana; Pauls, Michael

9781860118111: Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches (Cadogan Guides)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1860118119 ISBN 13: 9781860118111

Publisher: Cadogan Guides, 2001

The most extraordinarily comprehensive guide to the region with an unsurpassed section on architecture and history of art – as invaluable for those who go back year after year as it is for the first time visitor. Delves into Tuscany’s lavish natural beauty and dense concentration of Renaissance art, taking in Siena’s frenzied Palio and the sumptuous vineyards of Chianti, plus exploring the medieval hill towns of green Umbria — historic Perugia, the newly restored monuments and architecture of Assisi, and the famous cathedral of Orvieto.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

Cadogan Guides' Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches is a good example of these always-reliable guides' friendly format. The book acknowledges that the travellers have moved beyond the golden hills of Tuscany west to the Bolgheri and Maremma seasides and east into the regions of equally stunning Umbria and the Marches. Its insider focus on food and wine based on a healthy appreciation of the culture gives it a mix that other guidebooks can miss.

The drawback to this approach, when coupled with detailed tours, is its weight. At two lbs it rivals a slim laptop. Of course, when a guide tackles the rich and complicated history of Tuscany--there's even an ancestral chart called "Know Your Medicis"--it is bound to take more than a few words. The briefs on "Getting Around, Where to Eat, Stay and Shop" are handy and many of the restaurants sound to be worth noting.

Most of the book is dedicated to Tuscany so a solo visit to either of the other regions might be better served by ripping out the chapters needed (never a bad idea) or opting for another guide, though admittedly neither region is well-represented here.

This is the 7th edition by authors Facaros and Pauls and includes current information on post-earthquake restoration at Assisi. Their snapshot insight about central Italy is dead on: "Things have stayed the same not by accident, or economic reason, or by decree of some Tuscan National Trust but because that's the way people like them." That alone keeps travellers coming back for more. --Kathleen Buckley

Review:

'The balance of infectious enthusiasm and solid practicality should appeal to first-timers and experienced travellers alike’ -- Michael Palin

‘Bursting with practical information and in-depth knowledge, Cadogan Guides also make a cracking good read.’ -- The Times

‘Cadogan are the pick of the bunch’ -- Daily Telegraph

‘Classy but colourful with it...and offers advice on everything from walks to restaurants’ -- The Scotsman

‘Overall the top marks go to Cadogan’ -- BBC Radio 4

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.