Choosing Tuscany as your next holiday destination offers you a great array of things to do and see. With its sunny weather and renowned hospitality, this central part of Italy is a mandatory destination for someone seeking a mix of culture, history and good cuisine.
Home of the Italian Renaissance, Tuscany will offer you a dive inside the world of culture and arts, like no other place in Europe. Florence, the capital of the region, is in itself a jewel of architecture, and the good news is that Tuscany has many other small scale replicas of Florence all over its territory. Just to name a few of the artists which lived and created in Tuscany, and which are now on display, will be enough to stir your appetite for good art. Tuscany will bring you face to face with works signed by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticelli or Andrea Pisano. Florence was for a couple of centuries the spearhead of Europe in terms of arts and construction.
San Gimignano, Tuscany
For those passionate about history, it is interesting to know that Tuscany was the birthplace of one of Europe’s first big civilization – the Etruscans. On this base, Roman culture and later Italian culture added more and more layers, resulting in a very complex socio-cultural landscape. Because Tuscany lies next to Rome, it was an important connection point between the French and Italian spheres of influence during the medieval period, resulting in a rich flow of goods and traditions. Literature will bring readers in Tuscany, chasing the steps of Dante Alighieri or Michel de Montaigne.
Florence, Pisa and Siena are all great for exploring the man-made beauty of Tuscany. Buildings like Florence’s Dome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti are world renowned monuments and shouldn’t be missed during your trip to Tuscany. But the natural landscape of this part of the world is able to provide an equal counterpart to the man-made beauties. Tuscany’s backroads are famous for the unique scenery they offer. With a mild climate, Tuscany is the place to go if you enjoy good wines, and Chianti region is famous worldwide.
Tuscany, especially Florence, is regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance. The region contains numerous museums and art galleries, many housing some of the world’s most precious works of art. Such museums include the Uffizi, which keeps Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, the Pitti Palace, and the Bargello, to name a few. Most of the frescos, sculptures, and paintings in Tuscany are held in the region’s abundant churches and cathedrals, such as Florence Cathedral, Siena Cathedral, Pisa Cathedral, and the Collegiata di San Gimignano.
The climate is fairly mild in the coastal areas, and is harsher and rainy in the interior, with considerable fluctuations in temperature between winter and summer. Therefore the best time to visit is in the spring and summer.
Tuscany is waiting for you!. Whether it’s your first time in Europe or not, the high density of cultural and historical high points will certainly amaze you.
