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Toscana Tuscany is known for its landscapes and artistic legacy, encompassing an area of 14,290 sq. miles with a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. From its regional capital in Florence to the historical centers of Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano and Lucca. Tuscany is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance movement and its heritage includes architecture, painting and sculpture, collected in dozens of museums in towns and cities across the region.
The cities of Florence, Pisa and Siena with their galleries, museums, devotional buildings and architecture could swallow your entire vacation. Days could be spent in Pisa and its Campo dei Miracoli around the Leaning Tower and Baptistery. Then there is the perfect medieval city of Lucca inside its unbreached walls. But there are other highlights without which no tour of Tuscany would be complete.
Florence is one of the most beautiful and ancient cities in Italy. You can wander the streets, museums, galleries and cathedrals for days and only scratch the surface. Siena, a superb medieval city, nearly devastated several hundred years ago by the Black Death. Cobbled streets spiral toward the central 'Campo' site of the twice yearly Palio horse race. There are dozens of hill towns south and west of Siena. San Gimignano, founded in the 3rd century, a little town that became a powerful republic, although briefly. Monteriggioni, sitting on a small natural hillock, this completely walled medieval town was built in the 13th century. Montepulciano, at 600 metres above the sea it's the highest hill town in Tuscany. Cortona, a small but fascinating city situated on a commanding hill, and overlooking Lake Trasimeno. Its cyclopean walls, still in great part preserved, are said to be 3000 years old. Pienza, a Renaissance town created from scratch by Pope Pius II in 1459. Between Florence and Siena is the area known as Chianti, superb wine country and a popular retreat for British and American expats. The main towns of 'Chiantishire' are Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti. The towns of Prato and Pistoia, with their well preserved medieval cores. Pisa, Lucca and the coastal resort community of Viareggio, a fashionable resort in Victorian times.
Tuscany is one of the most loved Italian provinces with its cities, towns and countryside are indescribably impressive. From the northern mountains to the rolling plains in the South, the variety of natural beauty is stunning. Home to medieval farming villages, olive groves and vineyards, Tuscany is famous for its rich foods and fine wines. Rows of cypress trees breaking the blue sky on a rolling hilltop, Olive groves and grapevines marching tidily down the side of a slope. Small medieval hill towns gazing down upon a country that has been carefully cultivated since the time of the Romans. It has been said, that rather than take a photo of the modern landscape, you can gaze into a painting by Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael or Piero della Francesca. Much of the scenery is unchanged in over 500 years.
Join us for a photo tour and workshop of the best that Tuscany has to offer.
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