I don't think any region has shaped our idea of beauty quite like Tuscany. From the frescoes of Florence to the vine-striped hills of Chianti, from the medieval towers of San Gimignano to the thermal springs of the Val d'Orcia — every visit deepens my love for it.

I always tell clients Florence alone could occupy weeks. The Uffizi holds one of the world's great art collections, the Duomo's dome still takes my breath away every time, and the leather markets of the Oltrarno reward slow, curious wandering. But I always encourage clients to get beyond Florence, into the countryside.

I love the Val d'Orcia — a UNESCO landscape of soft waves of wheat, poppy, and vine. I send wine lovers to Montalcino, which many consider Italy's finest red, or its elegant rival Montepulciano. And Siena's Piazza del Campo is, in my opinion, the most beautiful public space in Europe.

I design my Tuscan itineraries around private villa stays, behind-the-scenes access to family wineries and olive oil estates, cooking classes with nonne, and journeys through hill towns where time has moved beautifully slowly for seven centuries.