Difference between revisions of "Tuscany" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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{{Infobox Region of Italy |
 
{{Infobox Region of Italy |
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   name              = Toscana|
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   name              = Tuscany|
 
   fullname          = Regione Toscana |
 
   fullname          = Regione Toscana |
 
   isocode          =   |
 
   isocode          =   |
 
   capital          = [[Florence]] |
 
   capital          = [[Florence]] |
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   governor          = Claudio Martini <br>(''[[Democrats of the Left|DS]]''-''[[The Union (political coalition)|Union]]'') |
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  status          = [[Regions of Italy|Region]]  |
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   governor          = [[Claudio Martini]]<br />(''[[Partito Democratico|Democratic Party]]'') |
 
   zone              = [[CNorthern Italy]] |
 
   zone              = [[CNorthern Italy]] |
 
   province          = 10 |
 
   province          = 10 |
 
   municipality      = 287 |
 
   municipality      = 287 |
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   arearank          = 4th |
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   arearank          = 5th |
 
   area              = 22,990 |
 
   area              = 22,990 |
 
   areapercent      = 7.6 |
 
   areapercent      = 7.6 |
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   population_as_of  = 2006 est. |
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   population_as_of  = 2007 est. |
 
   populationrank    = 9th |
 
   populationrank    = 9th |
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   population        = 3,619,872 |
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   population        = 3,677,048 |
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   populationpercent = 6.1 |
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   populationpercent = 6.2 |
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   populationdensity = 157 |
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   populationdensity = 160 |
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   coatofarms        = [[Image:Toscana-Bandiera2.png |200px]] |
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   coatofarms        = [[Image:Flag of Tuscany.svg|200px]] |
 
   map              = [[Image:Italy Regions Tuscany Map.png]] |
 
   map              = [[Image:Italy Regions Tuscany Map.png]] |
 
}}  
 
}}  
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'''Tuscany''' ({{lang-it|Toscana}}) is one of the 20 [[Regions of Italy]]. The capital is [[Florence]], and it has an area of 22,990 km² and about 3.6 million inhabitants. Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy. Six Tuscan localities have been made [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO protected sites]]: the historical center of Florence (1982), the historical center of [[Siena]] (1995), the square of the [[Cathedral of Pisa]] (1987), the historical center of [[San Gimignano]] (1990), the historical center of [[Pienza]] (1996) and the [[Val d'Orcia]] (2004).
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'''Tuscany''' ({{lang-it|Toscana}}) is a region in [[Italy]]. It has an area of {{convert|22990|km2|sqmi}} and a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is [[Florence]].
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Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy. Six Tuscan localities have been [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO protected sites]]: the historical center of [[Florence]] (1982), the historical center of [[Siena]] (1995), the square of the [[Cathedral of Pisa]] (1987), the historical center of [[San Gimignano]] (1990), the historical center of [[Pienza]] (1996) and the [[Val d'Orcia]] (2004).
 
== Geography ==
 
== Geography ==
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'''Tuscany''' is a region of Central [[Italy]], bordering [[Emilia-Romagna]] north, [[Liguria]] to the north-west, [[Tyrrhenian Sea]] to the west, [[Umbria]] and [[Marche]] to east, [[Lazio]] to the south-east. The territory is two thirds hilly and one fourth mountainous. The remainder is constituted by plains, that form the valley of the [[Arno River]].
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'''Tuscany''' is a region of Central [[Italy]], bordering [[Emilia-Romagna]] to the north, [[Liguria]] to the north-west, [[Tyrrhenian Sea]] to the west, [[Umbria]] and [[Marche]] to the east, [[Lazio]] to the south-east. The territory is two thirds hilly and one fourth mountainous. The remainder is constituted of the plains that form the valley of the [[Arno River]].
  
 
Tuscany is divided into ten provinces:
 
Tuscany is divided into ten provinces:
  
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[[Image: Provinces of Tuscany map.png|350px]]
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[[Image:Provinces of Tuscany map.png|300px]]
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*[[Province of Arezzo|Arezzo]]
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*[[Province of Arezzo|Arezzo]] (AR)
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*[[Province of Florence|Florence (Firenze)]]
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*[[Province of Florence|Florence (Firenze)]] (FI)
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*[[Province of Grosseto|Grosseto]]
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*[[Province of Grosseto|Grosseto]] (GR)
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*[[Province of Livorno|Livorno]]
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*[[Province of Livorno]] (LI)
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*[[Province of Lucca|Lucca]]
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*[[Province of Lucca|Lucca]] (LU)
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*[[Province of Massa-Carrara|Massa-Carrara]]
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*[[Province of Massa-Carrara|Massa-Carrara]] (MS)
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*[[Province of Pisa|Pisa]]
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*[[Province of Pisa|Pisa]] (PI)
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*[[Province of Pistoia|Pistoia]]
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*[[Province of Pistoia|Pistoia]] (PT)
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*[[Province of Prato|Prato]]
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*[[Province of Prato|Prato]] (PO)
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*[[Province of Siena|Siena]]
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*[[Province of Siena|Siena]] (SI)
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
 
{{main|History of Tuscany}}
 
{{main|History of Tuscany}}
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[[Image:Chimera di Arezzo.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The ''[[Chimera of Arezzo]]'', Etruscan bronze, 400 B.C.E.]]
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[[Image:Firenze.PalVecchio05.JPG|thumb|right|200px|[[Palazzo Vecchio]] in Florence, .]]
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[[Image:Duomo Firenze.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Florence Cathedral]] in the evening sun.]]
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[[Image:Castiglioncello2.jpg|thumb|right|200px|View of [[Castiglioncello]]. An artistic movement of the 19th century, called [[Macchiaioli]], chose this village, because of its beauty, as an inspirational source for their work.]]
  
 
===Apennine and Villanovan cultures.===
 
===Apennine and Villanovan cultures.===
 
{{main|Apennine culture|Villanovan culture}}
 
{{main|Apennine culture|Villanovan culture}}
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The pre-Etruscan history of the area in the late [[Bronze age|Bronze]] and [[Iron age]]s parallels that of the early [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]].<ref name="Barker_5">{{Harvnb|Barker|2000|p=5}}</ref> The Tuscan area was inhabited by peoples of the so-called [[Apennine culture]] in the late [[second millennium B.C.E.]] (roughly [[1350 B.C.E.|1350]]–[[1150 BC]]) who had trading relationships with the [[Minoan]] and [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean]] civilisations in the [[Aegean Sea]].<ref name="Barker_5" /> Following this the [[Villanovan culture]] ([[1100 B.C.E.|1100]]–[[700 BC]]) came about which saw Tuscany, and the rest of Etruria, taken over by [[chiefdom]]s (as was also the case at this time in France and the Aegean after the collapse of Mycenae and Troy).<ref name="Barker_5" /> [[City-state]]s developed in the late Villanovan (again paralleling Greece and the Aegean) before "Orientalization" occurred and the Etruscan civilisation rose.<ref name="Barker_5" />
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The pre-Etruscan history of the area in the late [[Bronze Age|Bronze]] and [[Iron Age]]s parallels that of the early [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]].<ref name="Barker_5">{{Harvnb|Barker|2000|p=5}}</ref> The Tuscan area was inhabited by peoples of the so-called [[Apennine culture]] in the late [[second millennium B.C.E.]] (roughly 1350–1150 BC) who had trading relationships with the [[Minoan]] and [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean]] civilisations in the [[Aegean Sea]].<ref name="Barker_5" /> Following this the [[Villanovan culture]] (1100–700 BC) came about which saw Tuscany, and the rest of Etruria, taken over by [[chiefdom]]s (as was also the case at this time in France and the Aegean after the collapse of Mycenae and Troy).<ref name="Barker_5" /> [[City-state]]s developed in the late Villanovan (again paralleling Greece and the Aegean) before "Orientalization" occurred and the Etruscan civilisation rose.<ref name="Barker_5" />
  
 
===Etruscans===
 
===Etruscans===
 
{{main|Etruscan civilization}}
 
{{main|Etruscan civilization}}
  
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[[Image:Castiglioncello2.jpg|thumb|[[Castiglioncello]]  near Rosignano Marittimo, each little town owns an Etruscan Museum.]]
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The [[Etruscan civilisation|Etruscans]] were the first major [[civilization]] in this region of Italy; large enough to lay down a [[transport]] infrastructure, implement [[agriculture]] and [[mining]], and produce vivid art.<ref name="Jones_2">{{Harvnb|Jones|2005|p=2}}</ref> The people who formed the civilization lived in the area (called [[Etruria]]) well into prehistory.<ref name="Barker_5" /> The civilisation grew to fill the area between the rivers [[Arno River|Arno]] and [[Tiber River|Tiber]] from the eighth century, reaching their peak during the [[seventh century B.C.E.|seventh]] and [[sixth century B.C.E.|sixth centuries B.C.E.]], and finally ceded all power and territory to the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] by the first century.<ref name="Barker_1">{{Harvnb|Barker|2000|p=1}}</ref> Throughout their existence, they lost territory to the surrounding civilisations of [[Magna Graecia]], [[Carthage]] and [[Gaul]].<ref name="Jones_2" /> Despite being described as distinct in its manners and customs by contemporary Greeks,<ref name="Barker_4">{{Harvnb|Barker|2000|p=4}}</ref> the cultures of [[Ancient Greeks|Greece]], and later Rome, influenced the civilisation to a great extent. One of the reasons for its eventual demise<ref name="Barker_1" /> was this increasing lack of cultural distinction, including the adoption of the Etruscan upper class by the Romans.<ref name="Jones_2" />
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The [[Etruscan civilisation|Etruscans]] were the first major [[civilization]] in this region of Italy; large enough to lay down a [[transport]] infrastructure, implement [[agriculture]] and [[mining]], and produce vivid art.<ref name="Jones_2">{{Harvnb|Jones|2005|p=2}}</ref> The people who formed the civilisation lived in the area (called [[Etruria]]) well into prehistory.<ref name="Barker_5" /> The civilisation grew to fill the area between the rivers [[Arno River|Arno]] and [[Tiber River|Tiber]] from the [[eighth century BC]], reaching their peak during the [[seventh century B.C.E.|seventh]] and [[sixth century B.C.E.|sixth centuries B.C.E.]], and finally ceded all power and territory to the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] by the [[first century BC]].<ref name="Barker_1">{{Harvnb|Barker|2000|p=1}}</ref> Throughout their existence, they lost territory to the surrounding civilisations of Greece, [[Carthage]] and [[Gaul]].<ref name="Jones_2" /> Despite being described as distinct in its manners and customs by contemporary Greeks,<ref name="Barker_4">{{Harvnb|Barker|2000|p=4}}</ref> the cultures of [[Ancient Greeks|Greece]], and later Rome, influenced the civilisation to a great extent and this increasing lack of cultural distinction, including the adoption of the Etruscan upper class by the Romans,<ref name="Jones_2" /> was one of the reasons for its eventual demise.<ref name="Barker_1" />
 
  
 
=== Romans ===
 
=== Romans ===
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Soon after absorbing Etruria, Rome established the cities of [[Lucca]], [[Pisa]], [[Siena]], and [[Florence]], endowed the area with new technologies and development, and ensured peace.<ref name="Jones_2" /> These developments included extensions of the existing transport infrastructure, introduction of aqueducts and sewers, and the construction of many buildings, both public and private.<ref name="Jones_2" />. The Roman civilization in the West finally collapsed in the [[fifth century AD]] and the region was left by the [[Goths]], and others, without control. In the [[sixth century]], the [[Longobards]] arrived and designated [[Lucca]] the capital of their '''Duchy of Tuscia'''.<ref name="Jones_2" />
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Soon after absorbing Etruria, Rome established the cities of [[Lucca]], [[Pisa]], [[Siena]], and [[Florence]], endowed the area with new technologies and development, and ensured peace.<ref name="Jones_2" /> These developments included extensions of existing roads, introduction of aqueducts and sewers, and the construction of many buildings, both public and private.<ref name="Jones_2" /> The Roman civilization in the West finally collapsed in the fifth century and the region was left by the [[Goths]], and others. In the sixth century, the [[Longobards]] arrived and designated [[Lucca]] the capital of their [[Duchy of Tuscia]].<ref name="Jones_2" />
  
 
===The medieval period===
 
===The medieval period===
 
{{seealso|March of Tuscany}}
 
{{seealso|March of Tuscany}}
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With [[pilgrim]]s travelling along the [[Via Francigena]] between [[Rome]] and [[France]] came wealth and development during the [[mediæval period]].<ref name="Jones_2" /> The food and shelter needed by these travellers fuelled the growth of new communities around churches and taverns.<ref name="Jones_2" /> The conflict between the [[Guelphs and Ghibellines]], factions supporting, respectively, the [[Papacy]] and the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in central and northern [[Italy]] during the [[12th century|12th]] and [[13th century|13th]] centuries, split the Tuscan people.<ref name="Jones_2" />
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With [[pilgrim]]s travelling along the [[Via Francigena]] between [[Rome]] and [[France]] came wealth and development during the [[mediæval period]].<ref name="Jones_2" /> The food and shelter needed by these travellers fuelled the growth of new communities around churches and taverns.<ref name="Jones_2" /> The conflict between the [[Guelphs and Ghibellines]], factions supporting, respectively, the [[Papacy]] and the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in central and northern [[Italy]] during the 12th and 13th centuries, split the Tuscan people.<ref name="Jones_2" />
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These two factors gave rise to several powerful and rich [[medieval commune|commune]]s in Tuscany: [[Arezzo]], [[Florence]], [[Lucca]], [[Pisa]], and [[Siena]].<ref name="Jones_2" /> The balance between these communes were ensured by the assets they held; Pisa, a port; Siena, banking; and Lucca, banking and silk.<ref name="Jones_3">{{Harvnb|Jones|2005|p=3}}</ref> By the [[renaissance]], however, Florence succeeded in becoming the cultural capital of Tuscany and ensured a bright, and peaceful, future for the region.<ref name="Jones_3" />
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These two factors gave rise to several powerful and rich [[medieval commune|commune]]s in Tuscany: [[Arezzo]], [[Florence]], [[Lucca]], [[Pisa]], and [[Siena]].<ref name="Jones_2" /> The balance between these communes were ensured by the assets they held; Pisa, a port; Siena, banking; and Lucca, banking and silk.<ref name="Jones_3">{{Harvnb|Jones|2005|p=3}}</ref> By the [[renaissance]], however, Florence succeeded in becoming the cultural capital of Tuscany.<ref name="Jones_3" />
  
 
===The Renaissance===
 
===The Renaissance===
 
{{seealso|Italian Renaissance}}
 
{{seealso|Italian Renaissance}}
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Tuscany is considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and its artistic heritage includes [[architecture]], [[painting]] and [[sculpture]], collected in dozens of [[museum]]s in towns and cities across the region. Perhaps the best-known are the [[Uffizi]] and the [[Bargello]] in [[Florence, Italy|Florence]]. Tuscany was the birthplace of [[Leonardo da Vinci]], [[Michelangelo]] and [[Dante Alighieri]] ("the father of the [[Italian language]]").
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Tuscany is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance movement, and its artistic heritage includes [[architecture]], [[painting]] and [[sculpture]], collected in dozens of [[museum]]s in towns and cities across the region. Perhaps the best-known are the [[Uffizi]], the [[Accademia]] and the [[Bargello]] in [[Florence, Italy|Florence]]. Tuscany was the birthplace of [[Dante Alighieri]] ("the father of the [[Italian language]]"), [[Leonardo da Vinci]], [[Michelangelo]] and [[Botticelli]].
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===Modern Era===
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In the 1400s, the rulers of Florence, the Medicis, annexed surrounding lands to create modern-day Tuscany. The [[War of Polish Succession]] in the 1730s, however, ended in the transfer of Tuscany from the Medicis to Francis, the [[Duke of Lorraine]], who would become [[Holy Roman Emperor]]. With the dissolution of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] by Napoleon, Tuscany was inherited by the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, namely, the Austrian Empire. With the Italian Wars of Independence in the 1850s, Tuscany was transferred from Austria to the newly unified nation of Italy.
  
 
==Economy==  
 
==Economy==  
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Tuscany is known for its [[wine]]s (most famous of which are [[Chianti]], [[Morellino di Scansano]] and [[Brunello di Montalcino]]) and has 120 protected regions ([[nature reserve]]s). Other agricultural products include [[Chianina]] cattle (particularly the famous "Fiorentina" steak) and the production of olive oil, principally in [[Lucca]] and the surrounding hills. The industry comprises factories producing [[Piaggio]] cars, motorcycles, scooters and aeroplanes, the texile industrial district of Prato, the petrochemical plants of [[Leghorn]] and the steel factories of Piombino.
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Tuscany is known for its [[wine]]s (most famous of which are [[Chianti]], [[Brunello di Montalcino]], and [[Vino Nobile di Montepulciano]]), and has 120 protected [[nature reserve]]s. Other agricultural products include [[Chianina]] cattle (origin of the famous "Fiorentina" steak) and the production of olive oil, principally in [[Lucca]] and the surrounding hills. The industry comprises factories producing [[Piaggio]] cars, motorcycles, scooters and aeroplanes, the texile industrial district of Prato, the petrochemical plants of [[Leghorn]] and the steel factories of Piombino.
  
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Tourism is the economic backbone of the so-called "Cities of Art" ([[Florence]], [[Lucca]], [[Pisa]], [[Siena]], [[San Gimignano]]), as well as on the coast and in the isles ([[Elba]]). [[Marble]] is quarried in [[Versilia]] ([[Massa]] and [[Carrara]]), [[Garfagnana]] and in the [[Alpi Apuane]].
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Tourism is the economic backbone of the so-called "Cities of Art" ([[Florence]], [[Lucca]], [[Pisa]], [[Siena]], [[San Gimignano]], [[Cortona]], [[Pienza]]), as well as on the coast and in the isles ([[Elba]]). [[Marble]] is quarried in the [[Alpi Apuane]] ([[Carrara]], [[Versilia]] and [[Massa]]), in  [[Garfagnana]] and in [[Lunigiana]].
  
 
==Politics==
 
==Politics==
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| [[Siena]]
 
| [[Siena]]
 
| 54,147
 
| 54,147
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|-
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| [[Scandicci]]
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| 50,003
 
|}
 
|}
  
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== See also ==
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==Notes==
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*[[:Category:Cities and towns in Tuscany|Cities and Towns in Tuscany]]
 
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*[[:Category:People from Tuscany|People from Tuscany]]
 
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*[[Tuscan dialect]]
 
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==Citations==
 
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<div class="references-small">
 
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
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</div>
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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<div class="references-small">
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*{{Harvard reference|Surname1=Barker|Given1=Graeme|Surname2=Rasmussen|Given2=Tom|Year=2000|Title=The Etruscans|Place=Malden, MA|Publisher=Blackwell|ID=ISBN 0-631-22038-0|URL=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0631220380&id=00WT_S6r9OkC}}
 
*{{Harvard reference|Surname1=Barker|Given1=Graeme|Surname2=Rasmussen|Given2=Tom|Year=2000|Title=The Etruscans|Place=Malden, MA|Publisher=Blackwell|ID=ISBN 0-631-22038-0|URL=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0631220380&id=00WT_S6r9OkC}}
 
*{{Harvard reference|Surname=Jones|Given=Emma|Year=2005|Title=Adventure Guide Tuscany & Umbria|Place=Edison, NJ|Publisher=Hunter|ID=ISBN 1-58843-399-4|URL=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1588433994&id=8tKUyygkvjsC}}
 
*{{Harvard reference|Surname=Jones|Given=Emma|Year=2005|Title=Adventure Guide Tuscany & Umbria|Place=Edison, NJ|Publisher=Hunter|ID=ISBN 1-58843-399-4|URL=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1588433994&id=8tKUyygkvjsC}}
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</div>
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== External links ==
 
== External links ==
 
{{sisterlinks|Tuscany}}
 
{{sisterlinks|Tuscany}}
 
* {{wikitravel}}
 
* {{wikitravel}}
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* [http://www.regione.toscana.it/ Regione Toscana (Official page)]
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* [http://www.regione.toscana.it/ Regione Toscana (Official page)] (in Italian)
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* [http://www.intoscana.it/intoscana/lang/home.jsp?language=en inToscana.it - Tuscany Official Portal]
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* [http://www.toscanaechiantinews.com/EN/default.aspx Toscana & Chianti news - the official guide for the best hospitality in Tuscany.]
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* [http://goitaly.about.com/library/bl_tuscany_rail_maps.htm Tuscany Map - Italy for Visitors]
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* [http://www.experienceplus.com/reading_room/travel_stories/tuscany_an_introduction_to_the_history_and_geogra.html History and Geography of Tuscany - essay by Rick Price]
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===Photo galleries===
 
===Photo galleries===
 
* [http://www.borghiditoscana.net/eng/index.html Borghi di Toscana]
 
* [http://www.borghiditoscana.net/eng/index.html Borghi di Toscana]
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* [http://www.photoglobe.info/db_tuscany/ PhotoGlobe - Tuscany] offers geo-referenced photos
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* [http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/Montages/AA%20Image%20Directory.htm Paradoxplace Tuscany Pages]
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*[http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/Montages/AA%20Image%20Directory.htm Paradoxplace Tuscany Photo Pages]
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* [http://www.lodgephoto.com/galleries/italy-tuscany/ Photographs of Tuscany]
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* [http://www.flickr.com/groups/tuscany-landscapes/ Photos of Tuscany Landscapes]
  
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[[Category:Gepgraphy]]
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[[Category:Europe]]
  
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Revision as of 17:23, 14 November 2008

Tuscany
Flag of Tuscany.svg
Italy Regions Tuscany Map.png
Geography
Status Region
Capital Florence
President Claudio Martini
(Democratic Party)
Provinces 10
Area 22,990 km²
 - Ranked 5th (7.6 %)
Population (2007 est.)
 - Total 3,677,048
 - Ranked 9th (6.2 %)
 - Density 160/km²

Tuscany (Italian: Toscana) is a region in Italy. It has an area of 22,990 square kilometers (8,880 sq mi) and a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence.

Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy. Six Tuscan localities have been UNESCO protected sites: the historical center of Florence (1982), the historical center of Siena (1995), the square of the Cathedral of Pisa (1987), the historical center of San Gimignano (1990), the historical center of Pienza (1996) and the Val d'Orcia (2004).

Geography

Tuscany is a region of Central Italy, bordering Emilia-Romagna to the north, Liguria to the north-west, Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, Umbria and Marche to the east, Lazio to the south-east. The territory is two thirds hilly and one fourth mountainous. The remainder is constituted of the plains that form the valley of the Arno River.

Tuscany is divided into ten provinces:

Provinces of Tuscany map.png

  • Arezzo (AR)
  • Florence (Firenze) (FI)
  • Grosseto (GR)
  • Province of Livorno (LI)
  • Lucca (LU)
  • Massa-Carrara (MS)
  • Pisa (PI)
  • Pistoia (PT)
  • Prato (PO)
  • Siena (SI)

History

The Chimera of Arezzo, Etruscan bronze, 400 B.C.E.
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, .
The Florence Cathedral in the evening sun.
View of Castiglioncello. An artistic movement of the 19th century, called Macchiaioli, chose this village, because of its beauty, as an inspirational source for their work.

Apennine and Villanovan cultures.

The pre-Etruscan history of the area in the late Bronze and Iron Ages parallels that of the early Greeks.[1] The Tuscan area was inhabited by peoples of the so-called Apennine culture in the late second millennium B.C.E. (roughly 1350–1150 B.C.E.) who had trading relationships with the Minoan and Mycenaean civilisations in the Aegean Sea.[1] Following this the Villanovan culture (1100–700 B.C.E.) came about which saw Tuscany, and the rest of Etruria, taken over by chiefdoms (as was also the case at this time in France and the Aegean after the collapse of Mycenae and Troy).[1] City-states developed in the late Villanovan (again paralleling Greece and the Aegean) before "Orientalization" occurred and the Etruscan civilisation rose.[1]

Etruscans

The Etruscans were the first major civilization in this region of Italy; large enough to lay down a transport infrastructure, implement agriculture and mining, and produce vivid art.[2] The people who formed the civilization lived in the area (called Etruria) well into prehistory.[1] The civilisation grew to fill the area between the rivers Arno and Tiber from the eighth century, reaching their peak during the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E., and finally ceded all power and territory to the Romans by the first century.[3] Throughout their existence, they lost territory to the surrounding civilisations of Magna Graecia, Carthage and Gaul.[2] Despite being described as distinct in its manners and customs by contemporary Greeks,[4] the cultures of Greece, and later Rome, influenced the civilisation to a great extent. One of the reasons for its eventual demise[3] was this increasing lack of cultural distinction, including the adoption of the Etruscan upper class by the Romans.[2]

Romans

Soon after absorbing Etruria, Rome established the cities of Lucca, Pisa, Siena, and Florence, endowed the area with new technologies and development, and ensured peace.[2] These developments included extensions of existing roads, introduction of aqueducts and sewers, and the construction of many buildings, both public and private.[2] The Roman civilization in the West finally collapsed in the fifth century and the region was left by the Goths, and others. In the sixth century, the Longobards arrived and designated Lucca the capital of their Duchy of Tuscia.[2]

The medieval period

With pilgrims travelling along the Via Francigena between Rome and France came wealth and development during the mediæval period.[2] The food and shelter needed by these travellers fuelled the growth of new communities around churches and taverns.[2] The conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, factions supporting, respectively, the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire in central and northern Italy during the 12th and 13th centuries, split the Tuscan people.[2] These two factors gave rise to several powerful and rich communes in Tuscany: Arezzo, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, and Siena.[2] The balance between these communes were ensured by the assets they held; Pisa, a port; Siena, banking; and Lucca, banking and silk.[5] By the renaissance, however, Florence succeeded in becoming the cultural capital of Tuscany.[5]

The Renaissance

See also: Italian Renaissance

Tuscany is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance movement, and its artistic heritage includes architecture, painting and sculpture, collected in dozens of museums in towns and cities across the region. Perhaps the best-known are the Uffizi, the Accademia and the Bargello in Florence. Tuscany was the birthplace of Dante Alighieri ("the father of the Italian language"), Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli.

Modern Era

In the 1400s, the rulers of Florence, the Medicis, annexed surrounding lands to create modern-day Tuscany. The War of Polish Succession in the 1730s, however, ended in the transfer of Tuscany from the Medicis to Francis, the Duke of Lorraine, who would become Holy Roman Emperor. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire by Napoleon, Tuscany was inherited by the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, namely, the Austrian Empire. With the Italian Wars of Independence in the 1850s, Tuscany was transferred from Austria to the newly unified nation of Italy.

Economy

Tuscany is known for its wines (most famous of which are Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano), and has 120 protected nature reserves. Other agricultural products include Chianina cattle (origin of the famous "Fiorentina" steak) and the production of olive oil, principally in Lucca and the surrounding hills. The industry comprises factories producing Piaggio cars, motorcycles, scooters and aeroplanes, the texile industrial district of Prato, the petrochemical plants of Leghorn and the steel factories of Piombino.

Tourism is the economic backbone of the so-called "Cities of Art" (Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, Cortona, Pienza), as well as on the coast and in the isles (Elba). Marble is quarried in the Alpi Apuane (Carrara, Versilia and Massa), in Garfagnana and in Lunigiana.

Politics

Tuscany is a stronghold of the center-left coalition The Union, forming with Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and Marche the famous Italian political "Red Quadrilateral". At the April 2006 elections, Tuscany gave more than 61% of its votes to Romano Prodi.

Demographics

In the '80s and '90s the region attracted an intense influx of immigrants, in particular from China and Northern Africa. There is also a significant community of British and Americans. As of 2006, the Italian national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that 215,490 foreign-born immigrants live in Tuscany, equal to 5.9% of the total regional population.

Towns of Tuscany with a population of 50,000 or more:

Comune Population (2006 est.)
Florence 366,901
Prato 183,823
Livorno 160,534
Arezzo 95,229
Pisa 87,737
Pistoia 85,947
Lucca 84,422
Grosseto 76,330
Massa 69,399
Carrara 65,125
Viareggio 63,389
Siena 54,147
Scandicci 50,003

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Barker 2000, p. 5
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Jones 2005, p. 2
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Barker 2000, p. 1
  4. ↑ Barker 2000, p. 4
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jones 2005, p. 3

References
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External links

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Regions of Italy
Abruzzo · Aosta Valley · Apulia · Basilicata · Calabria · Campania · Emilia-Romagna · Friuli-Venezia Giulia · Lazio · Liguria · Lombardy · Marche · Molise · Piedmont · Sardinia · Sicily · Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol · Tuscany · Umbria · Veneto
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Coordinates: 43°24′36″N 11°00′00″E / 43.41, 11

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