Tuscany is a region in central Italy that is among the most beautiful parts of the country. Perhaps when you think of Italy, a view of its famous tall, narrow cypress trees comes to mind. It was the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Tuscany was where the Italian Renaissance began and even now people can see the artistic heritage of that era that has been collected in the many museums throughout the province. The most famous of them, the Uffizi and the Bargello, are located in Florence, but there are countless other museums in many other towns and cities in the region.

Tuscany has 120 protected nature reserves and is the main wine-producing region in Italy. The most famous of them is Chianti, a red wine sold in bottles that are often encased in straw baskets.

Pisa is home to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a building that is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This marble bell tower, with monsters and animals carved on its portal, was built over a period of 175 years. After the first three stories were completed the ground beneath the tower began to sink and the structure began to tip. It is still tipped to this day. You can climb up the stairs inside and step unto the terrace where the astronomer and physicist Gallileo conducted his famous experiments on gravity.

Siena is a peaceful, medieval Tuscan hill town famous for its Duomo (cathedral). Begun in the 12th century, it is a great example of Romanesque architecture. Also famous is the Palio, held twice each summer in the Piazza del Campo (town square). After a pageant and a parade with people wearing medieval costumes, a horserace with bareback riders circle the Campo, using tricks that might help them to win. The prize is a silk flag, the Palio.

By the time of the Renaissance, Florence succeeded in becoming the cultural capital of Tuscany and so it is to this day. The Arno River cuts through the old part of the city and is as much a character in Florentine history as anything else. The locals have always had a love-hate relationship with the Arno-sometimes it nourishes the city with commerce but then sometimes it destroys it with flooding. One of its bridges, the Ponte Vecchio, was first constructed by the Etruscans in ancient times, and is the only one in Florence that survived World War II. You can see the Arno in our videos of the kids we filmed there!