In 1452, in the little hamlet  Anchiano, in the Tuscan hills, on the outskirts of the village of Vinci  a little boy was born. He was named Leonardo.

When Leonardo was baptised in the church of Santa Croce, in the village of Vinci, he became known as Leonardo of Vinci, or in Italian, Leonardo da Vinci. This is a Renaissance Florentine name. The name da Vinci is an indicator of birthplace, not a family name.

Today, Leonardo is widely considered one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived.

Vinci is a small town  located in Tuscany, in the province of Firenze.  Vinci is located more or less mid way between Pisa and Florence and right in the heart of rural wine growing Tuscany and is about 35 kilometres west of Florence.  We travelled there by coach from Lucca which took about 45 minutes

Vinci is surrounded by the Tuscan hills with vineyards and olive groves and amazing views

I really enjoyed our time in Vinci and wish we had more time there. In a Tuscany that has been taken over by a lot of tourism this little town still has the right mix of “real Italy” and convenience for visitors.

If you have the chance to visit Vinci be sure to take time to walk around Vinci’s small historic centre. It provides plenty of quantities of culture, scenic beauty and a taste of Tuscany.

Vinci is a very small town so moving around is fairly easy. There are only a few places to visit in Vinci which can all be covered on foot. The historic centre of the town is very compact and is not suitable for driving around in a car because of its many winding narrow streets and lanes. Around the centre there are restaurants and bars, shops, tourist information, public restrooms, parking lots, and a park with picnic area. You can also visit the small Museo Ideale Leonardo da Vinci (open 10:00 to 1:00 and 3:00 to 7:00 in the old castle cellars that has a private collection of documents and reconstructions).

The economy of Vinci is based on agriculture, production of wine and olive oil, pottery and items like paper, clothes and furniture.

Vinci is a great place to browse the shops, stroll the streets, enjoy a gelato or buy some  local hand-made pottery and take in the wonderful experience of being in the Tuscan Hills