SAM Recording Studio

In the heart of Tuscany's world-famous countryside, SAM Recording Studio is located in the village of Lari, 45 minutes from Florence, 30 minutes from Pisa and 40 minutes from the sea. You can also conveniently reach some of the Tuscan art towns in less than an hour. 

Tuscany is known for its landscapes, rich traditions, history, artistic legacy and its influence on high culture. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art and science, such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Giacomo Puccini, Giotto, Filippo Brunelleschi, Dante Alighieri, Cimabue, Sandro Botticelli. Tuscany has many well-known museums such as the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace.

The region famously produces wines including Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello di Montalcino. Having a strong linguistic and cultural identity, it is sometime considered "a nation within a nation". Seven Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage Sites and it has over 120 protected nature reserves, making Tuscany and its capital Florence a popular tourist destination attracting millions every year. It is also known as "the garden of Europe".

Tuscany has an immense cultural and artistic heritage, expressed in the region's churches, palaces, art galleries, museums, villages and piazzas. Many of these artifacts are found in the main cities, such as Florence, Pisa, Volterra, Siena and Lucca, but also in smaller villages scattered around the region, such as San Gimignano.

• Walking through Florence historical centre you can admire fantastic masterpieces: Giotto's bell tower, Brunelleschi's dome, the famous Michelangelo's "David", the Franciscan church of Santa Croce, Piazza della Signoria and its majestic Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi where you can admire famous paintings of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Giotto, Cimabue and Masaccio.

• The historical university city of Pisa is famous for its architectonic beauties such as the famous Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli.

• Volterra is a jewel of the Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance art and it dominates from a height of 550mt the surrounding valleys to the sea. On a clear day you can see the Tuscan archipelago and Corsica.

• In the historical centre of Siena you can walk through narrow Medieval streets, admiring the fantastic buildings until you reach Piazza del Campo, one of the most beautiful in the world.

• In Lucca, inside the famous 16th century walls, you can visit the astonishing Piazza Anfiteatro, the Medieval church of San Frediano, the Guinigi Tower, San Martino cathedral, San Michele in Foro church and the typical "street of antic dealers".

• San Gimignano, a small town which has remained untouched throughout the centuries, is famous for its numerous towers, its frescos and other art treasures.
Tuscany has a Western coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea (40 minutes from Lari) with the Tuscan Archipelago of which the largest island is Elba. Surrounded and crossed by major mountain chains, such as the Apuan Alps with its famous white marble of Carrara, and with few plains, the region has an elevation that is dominated by hilly country used for agriculture.
The climate is fairly mild.