Cypress Hills and Renaissance Cities
Tuscany is a region of central Italy, with Florence as its capital, known for Renaissance art, rolling vineyards, cypress-lined roads and medieval hill towns. About 3.7 million people live here, and the region holds a remarkable concentration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of Florence, inscribed in 1982, Siena in 1995, Pisa's Piazza dei Miracoli in 1987, San Gimignano in 1990 and the Val d'Orcia landscape in 2004. Few places combine art, architecture and countryside so closely, with a landscape that appears as though painted.
Florence is the cultural heart: the Duomo with Brunelleschi's dome, the Uffizi Gallery, the Ponte Vecchio and the Accademia, home to Michelangelo's David. Siena, a rival in the medieval era, keeps its shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and holds the Palio horse race twice each summer. Pisa's Leaning Tower stands in a green square beside its cathedral and baptistery, while Lucca's intact Renaissance walls now form a tree-lined promenade for walking and cycling.
Chianti, Brunello and the Tuscan Table
Tuscany's landscapes reward slow travel. The Chianti hills between Florence and Siena are dotted with wine estates, and the Val d'Orcia, with its rolling fields and hilltop towns such as Pienza and Montalcino, produces Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy's best-known red wines. San Gimignano's medieval towers rise over the vines, and Montepulciano holds Vino Nobile. Many visitors base themselves in a restored farmhouse or villa, with days of tastings, cookery classes and drives along cypress-lined roads.
The cuisine is honest and seasonal: bistecca alla fiorentina, ribollita, a bread and vegetable soup, pici pasta, pecorino from Pienza, crostini and olive oil. Beyond the interior, the Tuscan coast and islands offer a different mood. Elba, reached by ferry from Piombino, is a landscape of beaches and hills, with Elba and Portoferraio its main hub, and spa towns such as Montecatini Terme bring Belle Epoque thermal elegance. A tourist board could build many separate campaigns from these threads.
Read the full Tuscany guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitTuscany.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.