Florence is the capital of Tuscany and one of the pearls of Italy, its wonderful masterpieces and great works of architecture enriching the everyday life of what is now also a vibrant modern city. One of the most important collections of paintings in the world can be found in the Uffizi Gallery and other magnificent paintings can be seen in the Gallery of Palazzo Pitti, hosting among others Tiziano’s and Raffaello’s masterpieces. The city is famous for its Duomo, the Baptistry and many other wonderful churches, for Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and Ponte Vecchio, where you can still find fifteenth-century shops. Other important cities in the region are Siena, Pisa, Arezzo, Pistoia, Lucca, Livorno, Grosseto, Massa Carrara.

In addition to art, Tuscany offers outstanding natural settings, such as the National Park of the Argentario and the Isola d’ Elba. In the countryside, among the vineyards and olive groves, are wonderful villages and castles, a reminder of Tuscan life in the Middle Ages.

The northern area of Tuscany is heavily populated and dominated by industry and intensive agriculture. There around Pisa and Livorno lies the heart of the region’s economy.

Cooking in this region is regarded as an art form. With an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients and straightforward preparations, it is no wonder that Tuscan food has become popular around the world. Beef, pork and poultry are regarded as being of the highest quality. Tuscan olive oil is excellent for cooking and also simply drizzled on delicious bread to prepare bruschetta, which is a regional speciality. Other famous dishes are bean-based preparations, like Minestra di Fagioli, a simple vegetable and bread soup, La Ribollita, and a two-inch-thick slab of beef cooked on a wood fire called the Bistecca alla Fiorentina.