When someone says, “second home in Tuscany,” the image that springs to mind is worthy of a postcard: golden hills, medieval towns, and homes that look like they belong in a film. Ancient stone villas, sun-drenched terraces, marble staircases, a glinting swimming pool, acres of land – and perhaps even a vineyard, for good measure. Tuscany is the region many imagine when they dream of buying a home in Italy.
And in 2025, it’s still the most sought-after region in Europe for foreign buyers. But the data tells a less glossy story.
According to Gate-away.com, the leading property portal for international buyers in Italy, Tuscany accounts for 16.89% of all foreign second-home interest, ahead of Sicily and Lombardy. A majority of buyers come from the United States, followed by the UK, Spain, then Portugal. Nearly half (46.3%) are buying with retirement in mind, while 30.8% want a complete life change.
Most aren’t in the market for a sprawling estate. Sixty percent have a budget of €250,000 or less, with the single most common range being under €100,000. And the most sought-after property type? Apartments – chosen by nearly 20% of buyers, ahead of villas or detached houses.
The motivation, for purchasing property in Tuscany, is simple: la dolce vita.
It’s a phrase that conjures a romantic image: slow sunny afternoons, no rush, just presence. The sweet life. But its origins are darker. The saying comes from a 1960 Fellini film of the same name, which was a satirical portrait of post-war Rome: beautiful on the surface, hollow within.
Over time the satire has faded. Today, la dolce vita is shorthand for beauty in the everyday. Slow, paced, savoured. It’s about pleasure and balance as opposed to spectacle.
So, what does la dolce vita mean in Tuscany in 2025? For many second-home buyers, it’s not the champagne lifestyle of Fellini’s disillusioned partygoers. It’s something humbler: waking up to the sound of church bells, a morning cappuccino in the piazza, the scent of tomatoes ripening on a kitchen windowsill. In a way, the modest budgets make sense – the sweetness is in the rhythm of life, not the square footage.
Tuscany’s pull is in its balance: landscapes, food, art, a slower pace, and a more purposeful way of life. Its smaller towns offer all of this without the price tag of Florence or Siena. And while the dream comes with practical hurdles, for those who can adapt, Tuscany offers something rare in the modern age: the chance to live in a place where it is impossible to escape sweet, simple beauty.
Perhaps the modern la dolce vita isn’t about excess at all. The buyers who come to Tuscany in search of it aren’t chasing Fellini’s glittering parties; they’re buying into something quieter, more enduring – a sweetness best savoured from the balcony of a modest apartment, glass of local wine in hand, as the sun sets over the hills.
