What to see in Tuscany

Tuscany is famous for its delicious food, top-quality wines, and charming towns. Here are some cities and villages that you can’t miss during your trip to the heart of Italy.

Volterra

Volterra was one of the main city-states of ancient Etruria and during the Middle Ages was home to an important episcopal lordship. The village has been known for centuries for the processing of alabaster whose artefacts today constitute one of the most important products of Italian craftsmanship. The village is full of artistic testimonies, to be admired walking through the streets of the historic center and visiting the city museums, such as the Etruscan, the Pinacoteca, the Museum of Sacred Art and the Ecomuseum of Alabaster. The walk continues towards the artistic and religious heart of the city: Piazza San Giovanni with the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the Baptistery of San Giovanni, important examples of the medieval architecture of the place. Adjacent to the cathedral, the Palazzo dei Priori rises in the square that bears its own name. The building, begun in 1208, is the oldest municipal building in Tuscany.

San Gimignano

With its jungle of towers rising from the horizon, San Gimignano is one of the most iconic and recognizable destinations in Tuscany. From all over the world, there is someone who dreams of reaching this ancient village in Val d 'Elsa to experience the perfect medieval postcard. It is a Unesco Heritage Site since 1990, San Gimignano, also known as the "Manhattan of the Middle Ages" and owes its fame to the incredible amount of towers that stood on the country's rooftops, in fact, it has 72 towers whose most important called Torre Rognosa serves as the clock of the city, in addition, very nice to visit is the Civic Museum and the Pinacoteca, where you can admire works by artists such as Pinturicchio, Benozzo Gozzoli, Filippino Lippi, Domenico di Michelino and Pier Francesco Fiorentino.

Pisa

A fundamental stop of a vacation in Tuscany has always been Pisa. Its famous Piazza dei Miracoli is one of the most beautiful in the world and since 1987 it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Millions of people come here from every corner of the world every year to try, with the help of perspective, to keep the tower hanging on their feet. The city boasts a millenary history: the name would even go back to the Etruscan era and would allude to the nearby "mouth" of the Arno. It reached the climax of the Maritime Republics, a period that made the city center a treasure trove of artistic treasures, where Romanesque and Gothic churches stand out. But in addition to its beloved Piazza, Pisa offers several very interesting museums and attractions. From the spectacular Lungarni that, over the years, have made poets like Giacomo Leopardi, Percy Bysshe Shelley and George Gordon Byron fall in love. The museums of San Matteo, Royal Palace or a visit to the Medici Arsenals are also worth it.

Florence

Anyone who wants to visit Tuscany can only pass through Florence: the city of the lily is a treasure trove of artistic gems and a center of fervent vitality. In addition to the exceptional art heritage, a testament to its centuries-old civilization, you can enjoy the city walking at sunset along the enchanting promenades, entering the bohemian alleys of Oltrarno or getting lost in the streets of San Niccolò, where walking along the ancient walls will seem to end as if by enchanting in another era. The extraordinary collection of the Uffizi Gallery, for example, offers the opportunity to admire some of the most beloved masterpieces ever, such as the Birth of Venus and the Spring of Botticelli, the Tondo Doni di Michelangelo or the Shield with the head of Caravaggio's Medusa. Moving through the fortunate handkerchief of the historic center means immersing oneself not only in the world of art but also in the world of fashion: in fact, the historic center of Florence is dotted with an extraordinary array of boutiques of all the most important brands, the city being an international landmark of high fashion.

Lucca

Lucca is one of the most beautiful and beloved art cities in Tuscany, a stop that really cannot be missed on a classic itinerary to discover the region. Nicknamed the City of 100 Churches because of its incredible collection of places of worship, it is the only one among the region's city-states to have retained its independence until 1847.

Historical circumstances have made it a splendid fortified island, preserving within its walls a true artistic and architectural heritage.

Marina di Cecina

Marina di Cecina is a seaside town on the Etruscan Coast surrounded by vast centuries-old maritime pine forests overlooking the sand for fifteen kilometers, making up the Biogenic Natural Reserve of the Tomboli di Cecina. The clear, bright blue sea bathes a long wide sandy beach, lined with greenery in the Mediterranean scrub. Along the coast, you will find a wide range of restaurants and bars. 

Montescudaio PI

Montescudaio is a small village in the hinterland of the Etruscan Coast and has been included in the most beautiful villages in Italy. From the old castle walls you can see the Tyrrhenian Sea and its islands. Famous for the production of oil and wine, in addition to the typical products of Tuscan artisanal culture.

Casale Marittimo

Casale Marittimo stands on a hill overlooking the Cecina River Valley, on the Etruscan Coast. The sea is just 12 kilometers away and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are clearly visible from the coast. The first settlements date back to around the year one thousand; the history and vicissitudes of this town have left a trace on the walls of the historic center, whose stone and baked buildings have remained almost intact.

Guardistallo

Guardistallo is beautifully situated between the sea and the green hills. The village is located on a soft hill to which it also owes its name, attested for the first time in 1144 and which is supposed to derive from the German words Warda ("guard") and stall ("place"), perfectly cut for this small "guard place". The territory of Guardistallo is particularly appreciated for the production of olive oil.