Private Tuscany

Tuscany has long exerted a magnetic pull over visitors to this most romantic of Italy's provinces. From Lord Byron and Henry James to contemporary writers, designers, and artists, everyone is charmed by the rolling Tuscan landscape, its magical light, its rich artistic and visual culture, and above all, its highly sensuous way of life.

Private Tuscany reveals the interior style of some of the area's most charming homes--the pared-down beauty of a film director's farmhouse retreat; the refined elegance of an aristocrat's seventeenth-centry palazzo high in the hills; the Gothic mood of a winemaker's medieval fortress; the modern chic of a designer's country house; or the earthy character of an architect's villa, drenched with color and light.

Whether it is the ancient terra-cotta floors, gardens fragrant with herbs, or candlelit dinners on outdoor terraces, the spirit of living in Tuscany is alive in these pages in brilliant color.

Simon McBride has been photographing gardens and interiors for over two decades, working regularly for Architectural Digest, Country Living, and House & Garden, among many others. To date, he has completed commissions for more than thirty books.

Elizabeth Helman Minchilli is a seasoned arts and interiors writer, contributing to Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and House & Garden. She is the author of Private Rome.