Tuscany

Top 10 of Tuscany

tuscany Tuscany

Tuscany is known for its storybook landscapes, fabled wines, and its artistic legacy creating an unrivalled collection of artistic masterpieces. From The Uffizi, The Duomo, or Pitti Palace in Florence; to the Chianti landscape of hills clad in grape vines topped by castles, the region of Tuscany is the best known Italian province and the name alone evokes an image of sun, la dolce vita and picturesque hill-side villages.

Location

Tuscany Location

Located on the west coast of central Italy bordering Marche and Umbria to the east,Liguria to the north-west, Emilia-Romagna to the north and Lazio to the south-east. The Tyrrhenian Sea constitutes the entire western border.

Geography

8% Lowland – 25% Mountain – 67% Hill

Hills and mountains make up the majority of the beautiful Tuscan landscape, while coastal zones, valleys and plains comprise the remaining areas. The Apennines cover the northern and eastern zones while the Alpi Apuane is situated in the northwest. Throughout Tuscany, picturesque farms are spotted over the prosperous landscape. Rugged shorelines and soft-sandy beaches characterize the coastline. Located off the western coast of the Livorno province, the islands of Elba, Capraia and Giglio are beautiful vacations spots despite being immensely populated.

Climate

The average temperatures during the months of January and August are 43°F and 77°F respectively. Characterized by a generally mild climate, Tuscany features the perfect climate favoring agriculture.

In general the climate in Tuscany is very mild. There are little differences between the regions, though. Rule of thumb: at the coast and in the valleys the summers are hotter than in the hilly areas, where the climate is very continental – rain falls are more often. Usually the summers in Tuscany are without rain and very hot, especially in the valleys. Spring (april and may) and autumn (october and november) might be rainy but there are still dry, sunny days. In the winter there are sunny, mild days but at night it sometimes gets very cold. July ist he hottest month with temperatures from 23°C up to 30°C. Especially in the valleys the teperatures sometimes rise up high. In the coldest month, January- the average on the coast is around 7°C and about 3,5°C to 5,5°C inside the country. Of course the temperature in the mountainious areas is below.

Major Cities

Populations

+100,000	+70,000	+50,000
Florence	Arezzo	Massa
Prato	Pisa	Carrara
Livorno	Pistoia	Viareggio
	Lucca	Siena
	Grosseto	Scandicci

Distances:

Florence:

· to Agrigento: 1,375
· to Arezzo: 87
· to Bari: 784
· to Bologna: 105
· to Bolzano: 396
· to Caserta: 513
· to Catania: 1,182
· to Como: 371
· to Genoa: 269
· to Lucca: 71
· to Milan: 323
· to Naples: 535
· to Padua: 229
· to Palermo: 1,344
· to Perugia: 164
· to Pisa: 91
· to Rome: 301
· to Salerno: 586
· to Siena: 69
· to Siracusa: 1,258
· to Taormina: 1,136
· to Turin: 441
· to Trieste: 414
· to Venice: 264
· to Verona: 247

What to See

· The Uffizi:

o With over 1,700 works on display featuring some of the world’s finest pieces of art and text, this museum includes the likes of Leonardo Di Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael and many others.

· The Duomo:

Il Duomo - Florence

o Arguably Florence’s most beautiful attraction, this cathedral is located in the world renowned Piazza del Duomo. While this amazing 12th century achievement offers amazing views inside and out, the ascent to top of the Dome is by far the most breathtaking. Note the last tour of the Dome beings 40 minutes before closing.

· Pitti Palace:

o The marvelous Medici palace with a fantastic painting collection, rivaling that of the Uffizi. Included in the paint collection are arguably Raphael’s best portraits of Madonna and the first of many paintings of Mary Magdalene by the world-famous Titan which was created in 1535.

· Ponte Vecchio:

o The œOld Bridge constructed in 1354, has received a worldwide reputation as being one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. Crammed with small shops of silver and goldsmiths, Ponte Vecchio offers a beautiful view down the Arno River.

· San Marco:

o San Marco is Florence’s religious complex consisting of a church and a convent. The church houses many paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries and an amazing alter built by Angelico between 1425 and 1428. The convent built by Michelozzo for Cosimo de’ Medici is home to the Museo Nazionale di San Marco, and the major collection of works by Fra Angelico.

· Galleria dell’Accademia:

o This famous corridor is the home of Michelangelo’s famous David statue (1501-1504).

Siena

· Siena’s Duomo:

o One of the best examples of Gothic architecture throughout Italy, Siena’s Duomo (1220-1265) is a cathedral containing many fascinating works of art and history. It houses the Piccolomini Library, which is filled with the documents of Pope Pius II, the buildings surrounding the Duomo are also points of interest. The outbuildings include the Santa Maria della Scala hospital, the Baptistry and the Museo Metropolitana.

· Campo & Palazzo Pubblico:

o Considered one of the most beautiful squares throughout Europe, this area is the center of life for the public of Siena. Since being built in the city’s Roman Forum in 1100, Siena’s citizens known, collectively as the Sienese, has continued to be known for it’s crowds of lively strollers and it’s furious 90 second bareback Palio horse race.

Pisa

· Campo dei Miracoli:

o Recognized as one of the loveliest squares in Italy, the œField of Miracles is highlighted by it’s infamous Leaning Tower (of Pisa), Baptistry and Camposanto. TheLeaning Tower, built in 1173, began it’s famous lean only two thirds of the way through completion. The Baptistry is Italy’s largest and includes a fantastic Gothic Dome and the Gothic Pulpit, built by Niccola Pisano between 1255-1260. The Camposanto, although suffering extensive damage throughout World War II, is home to terrific frescos.

Chianti

· Wine Vineyards:

o Distinguished by a landscape of hills containing a vast collection of grape vineyards and olive groves, is located between Florence and Siena. Famous with tourists because of the wine which boasts it’s same name, the Chianti Region is packed with lively marketplaces and beautiful castles. Castello di Brolio is the heart of the Chianti Region and is the home of the Chianti Classico wine blueprint, perfected in the 1800′s. The other top vineyards of the region include Fonterutoli, Castello di Volpaia,Castello di Ama, and the vineyard of Monsanto. Monsanto is the home of Sangiovese Chianti, and Castello di Volpaia is a village built in the 13th century encircling a central tower which the ultimate spot for sampling local specialties including olive oils, wines and vinegars.

Beach Towns

· Viareggio:

o A mix of old buildings and tourist hotels, this city populates around 63,000 and is considered the centre of the northern Tuscan Riviera. This seaside resort town is home of the famous carnival of Viareggio, and boasts a landscape lined with restaurants, cafes, shops and a sandy, golden beach.

· Forte dei Marmi:

o Defined by it’s incredible beaches, this tourism inspired sea town is a popular location for wealthy Italians and their remarkable villas. Located in the province of Lucca, in northern Tuscany, Forte dei Marmi continues to be the ideal destination for many Europeans.

· Elba:

o Water sports, sandy beaches, fishing towns, vineyards and resorts comprise Italy’s third largest island, Elba. Famed for it’s wine and renowned tourist resorts, Elba’s Hilltop Capoliveri is known throughout Europe for it’s extravagant nightlife.

· Isola del Giglio:

o Looking for a low key beach resort? This hilly isle is home to the beautiful beach on the bay at Compese.

Besides wandering in beautiful cities and looking at Renaissance art, there are many other things you can do in Tuscany. For example, you can learn to cook or just taste Tuscan food, do trekking, golf or go to a health spa.
Most of the important traditional wine producers are located along the axis formed by Florence and Siena. The most famous region is Chianti along with neighboring Montalcino andMontepulciano. The white wines are less famous than the reds, but as an exception the Vernaccia of San Gimignano is recognized as a DOCG wine. The Tuscan wine industry has evolved a lot during the last 30-40 years, and the result is what is called Super Tuscan wine, famously produced in Bolgheri but also in Maremma and many other parts of Tuscany.

Typical Drinks

The question about what to drink in Tuscany is easy to answer. The region is famed for its wines, most notably the sangiovese reds Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Of these, Chianti can be anything from inexpensive, drinkable plonk to, when it comes to the best examples of Chianti Classico, a world class wine. The wines of Montalcino and Montepulciano are generally of a high standard, and in particular Brunello regularly receives lots of awards (something reflected on the price as well). If you are not prepared to pay a fortune for your wine but would still like something a bit nicer, both Montalcino and Montepulciano have the common mans version of their wines, Rosso di Montalcino and Rosso di Montepulciano. Of these traditional wines perhaps only Brunello has the power to accompany a big Florentine steak, bistecca alla fiorentina. For something fleshier, you have to turn to the Super Tuscan wines. These commonly use cabernet sauvignon to complement or to completely replace the traditional grapes. Famous examples are Sassicaia and Tignanello.

Travel Links

Local Government

Tuscany is divided into ten provinces

The Politics of Tuscany, Italy takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democracy, whereby the President of Regional Government is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Regional Council.

Tuscany is a stronghold of the center-left Democratic Party, forming with Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and Marche the famous Italian political Red Quadrilateral. At the April 2008 elections, Tuscany gave more than 50% of its votes to Walter Veltroni, and only 33.6% to Silvio Berlusconi