Tuscany Info:
Territory:
The region stretches over the slope of the Apennines, in front
of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Tuscan landscape is mainly mountainous
and hilly, with a flat area besides the sea (the Maremma). The
coastline presents different aspects, offering both long sandy
expances and headlands. In front of the coast there are the small
enchanting islands of the Tuscan archipelago.
Cities:
Florence is the capital of Tuscany. Other important cities are
Siena, Pisa, Arezzo, Pistoia, Lucca, Livorno, Grosseto, Massa
Carrara.
Art:
Tuscany is unrivaled as a cradle of all-time art. One can find
examples of every age and style: from the Etruscan civilization
(Fiesole, Chiusi, Volterra, Populonia) to Roman monuments and
ruins; from the Romanesque architecture to the impressive Gothic
cathedrals, to the exceptional artistic explosion of the Renaissance.
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Museums:
Florence has preserved its masterpieces and great works of architecture
over the centuries. The most important collection of paintings
in the world is offered by the Uffizi Gallery; visitors can enter
the very interesting Designs and Print Room; the collection of
self-portraits. Great paintings can be seen in the Gallery of
Palazzo Pitti, with Tiziano's and Raffaello's masterpieces. Florence
also has the Museum of the Costume and the Museum of the Carriages;
the beautiful Italian gardens can be admired in the Giardino
di Boboli. In the Museum of the Opera del Duomo the famous "Pietà"
by Michelangelo can be admired. Then, there are the Museum of
the Bargello, St. Mark's Museum, the Academy Gallery and the
Ethnologic Museum Stibbert.
Pisa, an ancient Roman naval base and maritime republic, has
the Museum of the Sinopie, which holds the preparatory drawings
for the frescoes, and the National Museum of St. Matteo.
Siena is a well-preserved medieval city; here there are the Civic
Museum, which houses the Histories of Alexander III, the Museum
of the Opera Metropolitana and the Pinacoteca Nazionale, with
Senese painting.
Tradition and art are strong everywhere: in Arezzo the Gallery
and the Medieval and Modern Museum can be visited.
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To be visited:
In addition to art, Tuscany offers outstanding nature sceneries,
such as the National Park of the Argentario and the Isola of
Elba. In Siena there is the beautiful Piazza del Campo. In Florence
there are the fifteenth-century shops on the Ponte Vecchio. Pisa
has the Campo dei Miracoli, with the famous Leaning Tower.
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