Introducing tuscany

It is impossible to divorce Tuscany from our preconceptions. Rows of cypress trees breaking the blue sky on a rolling hilltop. Olive groves and grapevines marching tidily down the side of a slope.  Little medieval-hill towns gazing down upon a country that has been carefully cultivated since the time of the Romans.

Tuscany is known for its landscapes and artistic legacy. Six Tuscan localities have been designated world heritage sites: the historical center of Florence in 1982, the historical center of Siena in 1995, the square of the Cathedral of Pisa in 1987, the historical center of San Gimignano in 1990, the historical center of Pienza in 1996 and the Val d’Orcia in 2004.

Tuscany is a region in Central Italy, north of Rome and south of Genoa, covering an area of 22,990 square kilometres and a population of 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence and the spoken language is Italian, although English is also spoken.

History

Tuscany was the home land of the Etruscans, which was annexed by Rome in 351 BC. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the region, which became known as Tuscany, came under the rule of a succession of rulers and emerged as a political entity with its own rulers. By the twelfth century, the Tuscan cities were gradually gaining their independence as republics and forcing the nobility to live in the cities. By the high Middle Ages, the cities of Pisa, Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia, Lucca, and especially Florence had become wealthy because of textile manufacture, trade, banking, and agriculture. There were many wars between the city states to conquer territory and power. Gradually, Florence came to overshadow and conquer all other cities in the region.
 

Economy

Tuscany is relatively rich in mineral resources, with iron ore, copper, mercury and lignite mines. Although its share is falling all the time, agriculture still contributes to the region's economy. In the region's inland areas cereals, potatoes, olives and grapes are grown. The swamplands, which used to be marshy, now produce vegetables, rice, tobacco, beets and sunflowers.

The industrial sector is dominated by mining, given the abundance of underground resources. Also of some note are the textiles, chemicals/pharmaceuticals, metalworking and steel, glass and ceramics, clothing and printing/publishing sectors. Smaller areas specialising in manufacturing and craft industries are found in the hinterland: the leather and footwear area in the south-west part of the province of Florence, the hot-house plant area in Pistoia, the ceramics and textile industries in the Prato area, scooters and motorcycles in Pontedera, and the processing of timber for the manufacture of wooden furniture in the Cascina area. The heavy industries (mining, steel and mechanical engineering) are concentrated along the coastal strip, where there are also important chemical industries.

Almost without exception, every town and city in Tuscany has considerable natural and architectural beauty. There is a continuous stream of visitors throughout the year. As a result, the services and distributive activities that are so important to the region's economy are particularly wide-ranging and highly organised.