Italy Guide
Tuscany
The tourist brochure view of Tuscany as an idyll of olive groves, vineyards, hill-towns and frescoed churches may be distorted, but Tuscany is indeed the essence of Italy in many ways. The national language evolved here as did the era we know as the Renaissance. The city of Florence was the most active centre during this period with every eminent artistic figure from Giotto onwards – Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Alberti, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo represented here, along with an unrivalled gathering of churches, galleries and museums.
The problem is, of course, that the whole world knows about the attractions of Florence, with the result that the city is so busy in high season that many visitors find its commercialism offputting. Siena tends to provoke a less ambivalent response. This is one of the great medieval cities of Europe, and the scene of Tuscany's one unmissable festival, the Palio, which sees bareback horseriders careering around the central square. Other major cities, Pisa and Lucca, provide convenient entry points to the region, either by air (via Pisa's airport) or along the coastal rail route from Genoa. Arezzo and Cortona serve as fine introductions to Tuscany if you're approaching from the south (Rome) or east (Perugia).
Tucked away to the west and south of Siena are dozens of small hill-towns that, for many, epitomize the region. San Gimignano is the best known, while also worth seeking out are Montepulciano and Pienza among many others. The one area where Tuscany fails to impress is its over-developed coast, with horrible beach-umbrella compounds filling every last scrap of sand. Elba, the largest of several Tuscan islands, offers great beaches and good hiking, but is busy in summer
Highlights
1 The Duomo, Florence Climbing Brunelleschi's dome, the city's signature building, is a must.
2 Chianti The country's most famous vineyards.
3 The Leaning Tower, Pisa Still defying gravity and still continuing to amaze. Now saved from imminent collapse, the tower is once again open to visitors.
4 Lucca A stunning array of Romanesque churches in this most urbane of Tuscan towns.
5 The Palio Siena's historic horse race, run over three frenetic laps of the Campo.
6 Tuscan hill-towns Tuscany's hill-towns epitomize the region for many visitors, with San Gimignano the most popular.