Looking back at the episodes we released in the past year, we've come to realise with some horror that we've provided you with plenty of legends but not much practical info, the kind of local knowledge that might help anyone who finds himself landing in an airport miles and miles away from his final destination. If you're interested in a bit more than what you can find on the front page of your tourist guide, this land of ours has plenty to offer - probably too much to offer. That's why starting from this week, we will try to help you plan interesting day trips starting from the main tourist centres of Tuscany, giving you the chance to discover little known corners of this land that are able to offer a lot. Our first suggestion is the town of San Giuliano Terme, a few miles from the Pisa airport, a place that is overlooked by many despite having had quite a successful past in terms of tourism. The local spa had been active since the times of the Etruscans but was the third most visited in Europe in the 1700s, when it was the choice of royalty and aristocrats alike. All sorts of beauty treatments are available, including a vapour bath in the secret hammam of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, only recently rediscovered. A mile or something away you can find one of the most beautiful Renaissance villas in Tuscany, Corliano, owned since the 1550s by the same family, which has now turned it into a boutique hotel with a renowned restaurant. The main attraction, though, is the ghost of Teresa, a remarkably intelligent, progressive woman that in the second half of the 18th century was raising eyebrows in town by driving her own carriage and being an outstanding member of many cultural circles. The villa of Corliano hosted in the centuries many famous people, from kings to generals, artists and writers, including the very Mary Shelley, who spent several weeks there in the early 1800s. According to many, it was in Corliano that she knew a Pisan surgeon whose innovative experiments with natural electricity gave her the inspiration to write her most famous book. You'll know this and way more by listening to this week's full episode. Let us know if you liked this idea, if you find it interesting or if you'd like it to be different. You can reach us at the addresses below - any feedback is greatly appreciated!
Email: podcast@larno.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany

LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://solelunasmile.wordpress.com/alla-scoperta-della-toscana-insieme-a-noi/passeggiando-per-pisa-e-dintorni/
https://www.tuscanypeople.com/san-giuliano-terme-bagni-di-pisa/
http://guide.supereva.it/toscana_meravigliosa/interventi/2009/07/le-terme-di-san-giuliano-gli-antichi-bagni-di-pisa
http://www.lavocedelserchio.it/vediarticolo.php?id=30540&page=0&t_a=i-fantasmi-di-corliano
https://www.pisatoday.it/eventi/fantasmi-in-villa-visita-guidata-teatralizzata-e-cena-a-corliano-city-grand-tour-guide-turistiche-7891332.html
https://fotoenotizie.it/2020/05/15/viaggio-nel-mistero-alla-villa-di-corliano-tra-frankestein-e-il-fantasma-di-teresa/
https://www.lanazione.it/cultura/2012/11/18/804126-villa-corliano-fantasma-teresa-contessa-gaetana-san-giuliano-tv-americana.shtml
https://www.montepisano.travel/frankenstein-mary-shelley-e-il-fantasma-della-villa-di-corliano/
https://www.viaggiamo.it/villa-di-corliano-fantasma/?refresh_ce
https://www.citygrandtour.it/tour/ghost-tour-in-villa/?lang=en

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Pipe Choir - Bom Bom Breakthrough Instrumental
Pipe Choir - Almost Time (Instrumental)
Pipe Choir - earth2earth
Pipe Choir - The Opening Closing (Instrumental)
Wayne John Bradley - Blues Rock Original Instrumental
All released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-bom-bom-breakthrough-creative-commons-instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-almost-time-instrumental-creative-commons
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/p-c-iii-earth2earth-creative-commons-instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/p-c-iii-the-opening-closinginstrumentalcreative-commons
https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/blues-rock-original-instrumentalcreative-commons
http://www.pipechoir.com/