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Discover the Tuscany region

Latoscane.net accompanies your exploration of the famous Italian region, from its immense cultural, architectural and agricultural heritage to the less travelled trails in search of its hidden treasures and all nature …

Tuscany offers a whole range of charms: from art cities to medieval towns, from the countryside to the sea, from castles to abbeys, from thermal baths to wine cellars, and whose gastronomy is world-renowned.

It was the historical heart of the Renaissance, artistic and cultural movement started in the fourteenth century in Florence which then radiated throughout Europe. Its cities are rich in testimonies of this era, with the incomparable Florence and then Lucca, Arezzo, Pistoia, or the small “ideal town” of Pienza.
The Middle Ages also have beautiful remains in Tuscany, such as Volterra, San Gimignano, Pisa of course with its famous leaning tower, and especially Siena. This was a critical time for the region, when cities organized as independent municipalities flourished.

Outside the cities, by car, bike or on foot, the Tuscan countryside is a charming and vast garden, from the rolling hills covered with crops of Val d’Orcia to the vineyards of the Chianti valleys, with its hedges of olive trees or characteristic alleys of cypresses.
The coastline of the region is pleasant with seaside resorts and large sandy beaches, the preserved coast of the Maremma or the charming Elba Island its beautiful coves and paths.
Ancient remains are common in Tuscany. Before the Romans, the region was the territory of the Etruscans, a highly developed civilization that dominated this part of Italy, linked to the Greek and Italic world of the south, and to the Celts of the north. The Romans then founded beautiful settlements that developed into cities.

Tuscany also has an important gastronomic and wine culture, one of the most renowned in Italy and appreciated all over the world.
The other side of its abundant generosity is the sometimes excessive tourist traffic during sunny days.

Latoscane.net takes you through the whole region, from the marble quarries of Carrara in the north to the green Maremma in the south; from the Island of Elba to the mountains of the Apennines and the heights of the backcountry; from its generous valleys to the rolling hills to its valleys of vineyards; from its castles to its great art cities rich in museums; from natural spas to Roman and Etruscan sites.

Mount Amiata

Panorama from the panoramic walk of Pienza
The Mount Amiata is an extinct volcano in the Apennines, which culminates in southern Tuscany at 1,733 metres, between the Maremma to the west and the valleys the Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana to the east, close to […]

Val d’Elsa in Tuscany

Landscape of the lower valley of Elsa in Tuscany

The Val d’Elsa, more simply called Valdelsa, runs along the river Elsa between Florence and Siena, a tributary of the Arno. It is divided between its upper part, called “Alta Valdelsa” in the Siena province, and by its lower […]

Montagnola Senese in Tuscany

Photo of the San Giovanni church

The Montagnola Senese is a hilly region located west of Siena, up to the Val d’Elsa, on the municipalities of Casole d’Elsa, Monteriggioni, Siena and Sovicille. They are very wooded, with oaks, maple, chestnut. Its highest relief is the […]

Certaldo in Tuscany

Historic Village of Certaldo Alto

Certaldo is one of the most characteristic villages in Valdelsa, located along the Via Francigena, also known as the village of Boccaccio, Italian writer of the fourteenth century considered as one of the fathers of the Italian language.
Its interest […]

Castle of Sammezzano

Castle of Sammezzano

Presentation
30 kilometres from Florence, the Castle of Sammezzano is an unexpected place, created by an original marquis, Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d’Aragona, from a noble Florentine family that modeled the building in the nineteenth century.

It has become an amazing oriental […]

Visits and guided tours in Tuscany

Visits and guided tours in Tuscany

This is a selection of guided tours, coupons or commodes in Tuscany. Consult the sections dedicated to each destination to have a more precise offer on each city or destination.

Map with main sights in Tuscany

Tourist map of Tuscany, with towns, villages and places to discover.
The major or most popular destinations are bright colours, the other sites are more dull colours, for example in villages: