TUSCANY

Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy. Six Tuscan localities have been UNESCO protected sites: the historical center of Firenze (Florence) (1982), the historical center of Siena (1995), the square of the Cathedral of Pisa (1987), the historical center of San Gimignano (1990), the historical center of Pienza (1996) and the Val d'Orcia (2004). Tuscany is a region of Central Italy, bordering Emilia-Romagna to the north, Liguria to the north-west, Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, Umbria and Marche to the east, Lazio to the south-east.
The Etruscans were the first major civilization in this region of Italy; large enough to lay down a transport infrastructure, implement agriculture and mining, and produce vivid art. The civilisation grew to fill the area between the rivers Arno and Tevere (Tiber) from the eighth century, reaching their peak during the seventh and sixth centuries BC, and finally ceded all power and territory to the Romans by the first century. Soon after absorbing Etruria, Rome established the cities of Lucca, Pisa, Siena, and Florence, endowed the area with new technologies and development, and ensured peace. The Roman civilization in the West finally collapsed in the fifth century and the region was left by the Goths. In the sixth century, the Longobards arrived and designated Lucca the capital of their Duchy of Tuscia. With pilgrims travelling along the Via Francigena between Rome and France came wealth and development during the medieval period. The food and shelter needed by these travellers fuelled the growth of new communities around churches and taverns. The conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, factions supporting, respectively, the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire in central and northern Italy during the 12th and 13th centuries, split the Tuscan people. These two factors gave rise to several powerful and rich communes in Tuscany: Arezzo, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, and Siena. By the renaissance, however, Florence succeeded in becoming the cultural capital of Tuscany. Tuscany is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance movement, and its artistic heritage includes architecture, painting and sculpture, collected in dozens of museums in towns and cities across the region, the best-known being the Uffizi. Tuscany was the birthplace of Dante Alighieri ("the father of the Italian language"), Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Macchiavelli and Botticelli. In the 1400s, the rulers of Florence, the Medici, annexed surrounding lands to create modern-day Tuscany. The War of Polish Succession in the 1730s, however, ended in the transfer of Tuscany from the Medici to Francis, the Duke of Lorraine, who would become Holy Roman Emperor. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire by Napoleon, Tuscany was inherited by the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, namely, the Austrian Empire. With the Italian Wars of Independence in the 1850s, Tuscany was transferred from Austria to the newly unified nation of Italy.

1. Historic Centre of Florence. Built on the site of an Etruscan settlement, Florence, the symbol of the Renaissance, rose to economic and cultural pre-eminence under the Medici in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its 600 years of extraordinary artistic activity can be seen above all in the 13th-century cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), the Church of Santa Croce, the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace, the work of great masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo.
2. Historic Centre of San Gimignano. 'San Gimignano delle belle Torri' is in Tuscany, 56 km south of Florence. It served as an important relay point for pilgrims travelling to or from Rome on the Via Francigena. The patrician families who controlled the town built around 72 tower-houses (some as high as 50 m) as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 have survived, San Gimignano has retained its feudal atmosphere and appearance. The town also has several masterpieces of 14th- and 15th-century Italian art.
3. Historic Centre of Siena. Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city. Its inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right into the area of urban planning. Throughout the centuries, they preserved their city's Gothic appearance, acquired between the 12th and 15th centuries. During this period the work of Duccio, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini was to influence the course of Italian and, more broadly, European art. The whole city of Siena, built around the Piazza del Campo, was devised as a work of art that blends into the surrounding landscape.
4. Historic Centre of Pienza. It was in this Tuscan town that Renaissance town-planning concepts were first put into practice after Pope Pius II decided, in 1459, to transform the look of his birthplace. He chose the architect Bernardo Rossellino, who applied the principles of his mentor, Leon Battista Alberti. This new vision of urban space was realized in the superb square known as Piazza Pio II and the buildings around it: the Piccolomini Palace, the Borgia Palace and the cathedral with its pure Renaissance exterior and an interior in the late Gothic style of south German churches.
5. Piazza del Duomo, Pisa.  Standing in a large green expanse, Piazza del Duomo houses a group of monuments known the world over. These four masterpieces of medieval architecture – the cathedral, the baptistry, the campanile (the 'Leaning Tower') and the cemetery – had a great influence on monumental art in Italy from the 11th to the 14th century.
6. Val d’Orcia.  The landscape of Val d’Orcia is part of the agricultural hinterland of Siena, redrawn and developed when it was integrated in the territory of the city-state in the 14th and 15th centuries to reflect an idealized model of good governance and to create an aesthetically pleasing picture. The landscape’s distinctive aesthetics, flat chalk plains out of which rise almost conical hills with fortified settlements on top, inspired many artists. Their images have come to exemplify the beauty of well-managed Renaissance agricultural landscapes. The inscription covers: an agrarian and pastoral landscape reflecting innovative land-management systems; towns and villages; farmhouses; and the Roman Via Francigena and its associated abbeys, inns, shrines, bridges, etc.

Florence. The city is so rich in art that some time visitors experience the Sthendal syndrome (a giddy faintness) as they encounter its treasures for the first time. It is the most populous city in Tuscany and has a population of 364,779. The city lies on the Arno River and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. Florence was originally established by Julius Caesar in 59 BC as a settlement for his veteran soldiers. It was named Florentia. A centre of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The historic centre of Florence (UNESCO World Heritage Site) continues to attract millions of tourists each year. The best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city, Santa Maria del Fiore, known as The Duomo. The magnificent dome was built by Filippo Brunelleschi. The nearby Campanile (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery buildings are also highlights. The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world. Ponte Vecchio is a famous bridge over the river Arno, whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts. Historically, the locals have had a love-hate relationship with the Arno — which alternated from nourishing the city with commerce, and destroying it by flood. In November 1966, the Arno flooded parts of the center, damaging many art treasures. There was no warning from the authorities who knew the flood was coming, except a phone call to the jewelers on the Ponte Vecchio. Around the city there are tiny placards on the walls noting where the flood waters reached at their highest point. At the heart of the city in Piazza della Signoria is Bartolomeo Ammanati's Fountain of Neptune (1563-1565), which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a still functioning Roman aqueduct. The church of San Lorenzo contains the mausoleum of the Medici family, the most powerful family in Florence from the 15th to the 18th century. Nearby is the Uffizi Gallery, one of the finest art museums in the world, founded on a large bequest from the last member of the Medici family. The Uffizi  itself is located at the corner of Piazza della Signoria, a site important for being the centre of Florence civil life and government for centuries (Signoria Palace is still home of the community government). The Loggia dei Lanzi was the set of all the public ceremonies of the republican government. Many well known episodes of history of art and political changes were staged here. In 1301, Dante was sent into Exile from here (a plaque on one of the walls of the Uffizi commemorates the event). In 1478 Jacopo de'Pazzi and his retainers try to raise the city against the Medici after the plot known as The congiura dei Pazzi (The Pazzi conspiracy) who murdered Giuliano di Piero de' Medici and wounded his brother Lorenzo; the Florentines seized and hanged all the members of the plot that could be apprehended from the windows of the Palace. In 1497, it was the location of the Bonfire of the Vanities instigated by the Dominican friar and preacher Girolamo Savonarola. In 1498 the same Savonarola and two followers were hanged and burnt at the stake (a round plate in the ground commemorates the very spot were he was hanged). In 1504, Michelangelo's David (now replaced by a reproduction as the original was moved indoors to the Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno), was installed in front of the Palazzo della Signoria (also known as Palazzo Vecchio). It is still the setting for a number of statues by other sculptors such as Donatello, Giambologna, Ammannati and Cellini. In addition to the Uffizi, Florence has other world-class museums. The Bargello concentrates on sculpture, containing many priceless works of art created by such sculptors as Donatello, Giambologna, and Cellini. The Accademia collection's highlights are Michelangelo's David and his unfinished Slaves. Across the Arno is the huge Pitti Palace containing part of the Medici family's former private collection. Adjoining the Palace are the Boboli Gardens, elaborately landscaped and with many interesting sculptures. The Santa Croce basilica, originally a Franciscan foundation, contains the monumental tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante (actually a cenotaph), and many other notables. Other important basilicas and churches in Florence include Santa Maria Novella, San Miniato, Santo Spirito and the Orsanmichele.

Siena. Surrounded by olive groves and the vineyards of Chianti, the city is considered the Italy’s best preserved medieval and one of the most beautiful cities in all over the world. Set on three hills, the city (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is drawn together by winding alleyways and steep steps, whilst the Gothic Piazza del Campo stands at its heart. This magnificent, shell-shaped, slanting square, is also famed for the "Palio", the annual historic horse-races that take place on 2 July and 16 August. This spectacular event dates to the Middle Age and features a series of colourful pageants, a wild horse race around the Campo and much eating, drinking and celebrating in the streets. Ten of Siena’s 17 town districts, or contrade, compete for the coveted palio, a silk banner. The local rivalries which explode with each palio date back centuries. The Duomo is one of Italy’s great Gothic churches, completed by 1215. Siena is also home to one of the oldest Universities in Europe, which ensures a vibrant Italian student atmosphere throughout the academic year. Few geographical areas in the world can boast of the variety of environment that surrounds Siena. To the north, we have the richness of the Chianti landscape, woven with vines and olive-trees throughout the hills.

Here also are beautiful towns like San Gimignano (UNESCO World Heritage Site) with its 13 medieval towers and Monteriggioni with old walls, winding streets and incredible views. South of Siena, the Arbia valley leads to the hill-top town of Montalcino, home to the famous Brunello wine. And the area La Crete stretches out, amazing visitors with its harsh rock formations and unique landscape. Westwards we head towards the coast, to captivitating coastline towns like Castiglione della Pescaia, and nature reserves like the area called Maremma.

Pisa. Once a maritime power to rival Genoa and Venice, the city now draws its fame from an architectural project gone terribly wrong: its leaning tower. But the bell tower with its graceful arcaded galleries is only one element of the fabolous trio of Romanesque buildings in the city’s beautiful Campo dei Miracoli, one of Italy’s most memorable squares (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The other monuments are the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Camposanto (the monumental cemetery). For centuries Pisa is the site of one of Italy’s major university. The city’s most famous son, Galileo Galilei, was later a teacher at the university.

Pienza is a rare example of Renaissance town design (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Often described as the "ideal city" or the "utopian city", it represents one of the best planned of Renaissance towns, where a model of ideal living and government was attempted, based on the concept of a town able to satisfy the needs of a peaceful and hardworking populace. It represented the so-called utopia of the "civitas" cherished by utopian thinkers for centuries.

Pienza's location in the centre of the Val d’Orcia (UNESCO World Heritage Site) , a wonderful and untouched valley, helps the town to embody the fundamental principle that humanistic architecture attempted to encorporate - the balanced relationship between Man and Nature. The Val d'Orcia refers, strictly speaking, to the valley of the river Orcia but in general it refers to the area extending from the hills south of Siena as far as the Monte Amiata. Nothing could differ more from Chianti, for example. The landscape in and around the Val d'Orcia is characterised by open vistas of ploughed and sown land that stretch over low hills to the horizon, punctuated here and there by clusters or rows of cypresses and umbrella pines, and isolated farmhouses.

Lucca. Ramparts built in the 16th century enclose this charming town filled with 99 churches, terra-cotta-roof buildings, and narrow cobblestone streets, along which local ladies maneuver bikes to do their daily shopping. The famous composer Giacomo Puccini was born here. The walls circling the center city are the perfect place to take a stroll, ride a bicycle, kick a ball, or just stand and look down upon town. The main attractions are the Duomo, an example of the ordered Pisan Romanesque style with inside the tomb of Ilaria del Carretto made by the famous sculptor Jacopo della Quercia, San Michele whose façade is even more fanciful than the Duomo’s, and Piazza dell’Anfiteatro Romano, once stood on this place with medieval buildings constructed over the amphiteater retaining its original oval shape.

Strada del Chianti. The beautiful hill country between Florence and Siena is the area called as Chianti, or Strada (road) del Chianti. The main centers are Greve and Castellina with their charming square. The region is famous for its internationally known red wines, first the Chianti Classico, recognisable by the Gallo Nero (Black Cock) symbol. The production of this wine started more than one century ago by the Baron Bettino Ricasoli, in his castle. The stunning landscape, a patchwork of forests, vineyards and olive groves dotted with old villas, castles, harmonius villages, has attracted for centuries many foreigners, so much so that they call the area Chiantishire. Along the road many wineries, especially smaller producers, offer free tastings without appointment. Larger producers charge a fee according to the number and quality of tasting, and usually require a reservation for a visiting tour. 

A look at the Tuscan countryside reveals some of the key ingredients in local cooking: olive groves with their silvery sheen, fairytale forests of chestnut trees, hillsides blanketed in grape vines, angelic sheep lolling among ruins, fragrant rosemary and sage bushes lining gardens.Tuscan cooking is simple and seasonal, without the heavy sauces found in other regions. Eschewing butter, Tuscans use olive oil generously for cooking, dressing salad, dipping bread, and flavoring soups. Indeed, olive oil is often the star of the gastronomic show, and Tuscan oils are highly prized. The Tuscan extravergine olive oil presents a maximum acidity of 0,6%; a colour which goes from green to gold yellow, and changes during the time; a fruity smell, full of almond, artichoke and other seasoned fruit: a particular and hard fruity smell. In addition to olive oil, no Tuscan pantry is complete without the following staples: sage, rosemary, thyme, chestnuts, pecorino cheese, beans, prosciutto, and bread. Many dishes center on vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, fennel, peas, and wild mushrooms, so vegetarians will feel right at home. Nonetheless, Tuscany is known for its bistecca alla fiorentina, a thickly cut steak cooked over coals and flavored with only olive oil, salt, and pepper. Most of the meat dishes on a Tuscan menu contain wild game. Duck, rabbit, and wild boar are popular, as is tripe. While Tuscans enjoy many cheeses, pecorino, made from sheep's milk, is king. The Tuscan sheep breeding dates back to the Etruscan period. In XV century, the Tuscan Pecorino cheese, which used to be called "Cacio Marzolino" since its production started in March and was carried on till the end of spring, was particularly loved and appreciated also by famous personalities, such as Lorenzo The Magnificient. This cheese has a cylindrical shape and a yellow crust, which can differ and become bright yellow for the softer type, while the paste is solid and hard when cut, and its colour changes from white-pale yellow (for the soft and young type), to yellowish (for the semihard and older type). The taste is fragrant, deep and changes according to the rennet (frequently vegetable) used and the herbs eaten.

TIPICAL MENU
Antipasti (appetizers): fettunta (a slab of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil), panzanella  (bread salad with tomatoes, onions and basil), crostini di fegato (minced chicken liver canapés), prosciutto crudo (cured ham thinly sliced), finocchiona (salami seasoned with fennel), salame di cinghiale (wild boar salami), pinzimonio (fresh fennels, celeries, artichokes, spring onions and other vegetables dipped in extra-vergin olive oil with salt and pepper). 

Primi piatti (first courses): ribollita, which translates to "reboiled" (hearty, slowly cooked soup with stale bread, cabbage, Tuscan white beans called cannelini, and topped with extra-vergin olive oil), pappa al pomodoro (deeply flavored tomato soup thickened with bread), pici con sugo d’anatra (thick and fresh  spaghetti-like pasta with duck sauce),  pappardelle alla lepre (wide, flat and fresh pasta with a sauce made of braised hare), taglierini con porcini ( long, thin, flat and fresh pasta with wild mushrooms), zuppa di farro (a thick soup made with emmer, a grain that resembles marley), zuppa di cavolo nero (a thick soup with Tuscan black kale topped with extra-vergin olive oil), zuppa di funghi (a thick puree of wild mushrooms served with slabs of grilled bread), penne sul gallo (short maccheroni-like pasta with cock’s combs and wattles in tomato sauce).

Secondi piatti (main courses): bistecca alla fiorentina (thick, juicy, high quality slab of local Chianina beef, grilled over charcoal, big enough for two people, served with olive oil, salt  and pepper), arista (roast loin of pork seasoned with rosemay), costolette di agnello fritto (fried lamb ribs), spezzatino di cinghiale (wild boar stew with herbs), coniglio con le olive (rabbit stew with olives and herbs), tagliata (thin slivers of rara beef), polpettine al ragù (meatballs with a tomato sauce), trippa alla fiorentina (tripe with tomatoes, onions and bay leaves), salsiccia con fagioli (stew of sausage and beans), costoliccio (pork ribs grilled over charcoal), baccalà in umido coi porri (stew of dried cod with leeks), peposo (piquant beef’s stew).

Formaggi (cheese):  pecorino, marzolino, pecorino di Pienza, pecorino del Casentino.

Dolci (dessert): Siena's panforte (round, dense cake flavored with almonds, candied fruit, honey, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves), cantuccini di Prato (biscuits flavoured with nuts and served with a glass of Vin Santo, a famous sweet white wine) usually served with fagioli all'uccelletto (small white beans seasoned with tomatoes, garlic, and sage), panna cotta (cooked cream), castagnaccio (chestnut cake).

Tuscany's winemaking industry counts on one of the most noble and ancient traditions that predates the universally known Chianti wine that often springs to mind when this region is discussed. Long before the first Etruscans made their appearance, wild vines grew in abundance all over the sunny rolling hills of Tuscany. The Etruscans are believed to have domesticated and bred the forbearers of such grapes as the Sangiovese (in Tuscany) and the Lambrusco (in Emilia) from those early feral grapes. No matter where or how the first vines originated, grapes and the much sought after wines they were made into have been celebrated in local literature throughout all historic times of the region, and even farther back to the paintings and pottery decorations of those original ancient Etruscans. The hilly soil and the weather conditions of Tuscany are ideal for grape growing and, with the passing centuries, the numerous types of grapes grown gave rise to some rare and much loved varieties. Nowadays, the most grown variety is the noble Sangiovese, which is often combined with small amounts of locally grown Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and other grapes into wonderful blends such as the Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino di Scansano, Carmignano and, of course, the signature Tuscan wines, the Chianti. Excluding the Chianti Classico area, there are six subregions producing regular Chianti, everyone with its own peculiarities, but the most noticeable difference is between  normal production and the riserva stock, aged at least four years. Other grapes grown here are the Mammolo, Malvasia, Colorino, Raspirosso, Gamay, Grand Noir, Barbera, Moscatello, Aleatico and Vernaccia, among others. Tuscany accounts for over thirty DOC and half a dozen of DOCG wines (The main difference between a DOC and a DOCG is that the latter must pass a blind taste test for quality in addition to conforming to the strict legal requirements to be designated as a wine from the area in question. Presently, in Italy there are 311 DOC and 36 DOCG appellations): Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (in 1669, England’s William III sent a delegation to procure this highly regarded wine) .
The term "Super Tuscan" (a name coined by American jounalists) describes any Tuscan red wine that does not adhere to traditional blending laws for the region. For example, Chianti Classico wines are made from a blend of grapes with Sangiovese as the dominant varietal in the blend. Super Tuscans often use other not autochthonous grapes, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, making them ineligible for DOC(G) classification under the traditional rules. In 1968 Azienda Agricola San Felice produced the first ever "Super Tuscan" called Vigorello, and in the 1970s Piero Antinori, whose family had been making wine for more than 600 years, also decided to make a richer wine by eliminating the white grapes from the Chianti blend, and instead adding Bordeaux varietals (namely, cabernet Sauvignon and merlot). He was inspired by a little-known (at the time) Cabernet Sauvignon made by relatives called Sassicaia, which openly flouted the rules set down for traditional wines in Tuscany. The result was one of the first Super Tuscans, which he named Tignanello, after the vineyard where the grapes were grown. Other winemakers started experimenting with Super Tuscan blends of their own shortly thereafter. Because these wines did not conform to strict DOC(G) classifications, they were initially labeled as vino da tavola, meaning "table wine," a term ordinarily reserved for lower quality wines. The creation of the Indicazione Geografica Tipica category (technically indicating a level of quality between vino da tavola and DOCG) helped bring Super Tuscans "back into the fold" from a regulatory standpoint.
Fortunately, it is becoming clear to many that Tuscany is not only the land of the great Brunello and the award winning Super Tuscan, often available only to wine collectors. It is a region that has a great many interesting wines (pure and blends) made with indigenous grape varieties particular and unique to one little area that has its own specific soil composition and microclimate.
In addition to the great, well-known and appreciated reds, the local production includes a few distinguishable whites, the most notable among them being, without doubt, the Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Other delicious whites include the Bianco d'Elba, from the Elba Island, Bianco di Bolgheri, Vermentino, Bianco di Pitigliano and Bianco di Val di Nievole. (Bianco in Italian means, "white"). Last but not least, we can't forget the famous Vin Santo, or “Holy Wine”, a dessert delicacy usually made from Trebbiano grapes that have been left to dry in an airy place until the start of Holy Week before being made into wine.
The "Wine Trails of Tuscany" run through magnificent wine-growing areas which, apart from the obvious vineyards and wineries, offer an integrated tourist package of cultural, historical and natural attractions. These trails are also a means of fostering rural development and of promoting so-called "Enotourism", that is, setting wine production in a cultural, environmental, historical and social context.