Dictionary:
Tus·ca·ny (tŭs'kə-nē')  |
A region of northwest Italy between the northern Apennines and the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas. Inhabited in ancient times by the Etruscans, it fell to Rome in the mid-fourth century B.C. Tuscany was a grand duchy under the Medicis (1569–1860) and subsequently became united with the kingdom of Sardinia.
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Tuscany |
For more information on Tuscany, visit Britannica.com.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Tuscany |
In the late Middle Ages and throughout the Renaissance, Tuscany was a center of the arts and of learning. The Tuscan spoken language became the literary language of Italy after Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, and Boccaccio used it. Notable schools of architecture, sculpture, and painting developed from the 11th cent. in many cities, particularly Florence, Pisa, Siena, and Arezzo. From the 16th cent., however, intellectual and artistic life was almost wholly concentrated in Florence. There are universities at Florence, Pisa, and Siena.
Physical Geography and Economy
This prosperous economic region is mostly hilly and mountainous. There is much fertile soil, especially in the Arno River valley and in the Maremma, a coastal strip. The Apennines are in northern and eastern Tuscany; in the northwest are the Alpi Apuane, where the famous Carrara marble is quarried; and there are also mountains in the south, where iron, magnesium, and quicksilver are produced. In addition, borax is produced in the Maremma, and iron is mined on Elba island. Along the northern coast, which is low and sandy, are fine pine woods. Farm products of the region include cereals, olives, tobacco, and grapes; sheep, goats, and hogs are widely raised. The wine produced in the Chianti district near Siena is world famous.
Tuscany has considerable industry, although farming is still an important chief occupation. Manufactures include cotton and woolen textiles, metal products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, precision instruments, glass, refined petroleum, and fertilizer. The region is also well-known for its artisans, especially those in Florence, and tourism is an important industry.
History
Modern Tuscany corresponds to the larger part of ancient Etruria, and most of our knowledge of Etruscan civilization is derived from findings there. The Romans conquered the region in the mid-4th cent. B.C. After the fall of Rome, it was a Lombard duchy (6th-8th cent. A.D.), with Lucca as its capital, and later a powerful march under the Franks (8th–12th cent.). Matilda (d.1115), the last Frankish ruler, bequeathed her lands to the papacy, an act which long caused strife between popes and emperors.
In spite of the dual claims, most cities became (11th–12th cent.) free communes; some of them (Pisa, Lucca, Siena, and Florence) developed into strong republics. Commerce, industry, and the arts flourished. Guelph (pro-papal) and Ghibelline (pro-imperial) strife, however, was particularly violent in Tuscany, and there were strong rivalries both within and among cities. After a period of Pisan hegemony (12th–13th cent.), Florence gained control over most Tuscan cities in the 14th–15th cent.; Siena (1559) was the last city to fall under Florence's influence.
Under the Medici, the ruling family of Florence, Tuscany became (1569) a grand duchy, and thus again a political entity; only the republic of Lucca and the duchy of Massa and Carrara remained independent. After the extinction of the Medici line, Tuscany passed (1737) to ex-duke Francis of Lorraine (later Holy Roman Emperor Francis I), who was succeeded by Grand Duke Leopold I (1765–90; later Emperor Leopold II) and then by Ferdinand III (1790–1801; 1814–24). The French Revolutionary armies invaded Tuscany in 1799, and it was briefly included in the kingdom of Etruria (1801–7) and was ruled under the duchy of Parma, before it was annexed to France by Napoleon I.
In 1814, Tuscany again became a grand duchy, under the returning Ferdinand III and then under Leopold II (1824–59) and briefly under Ferdinand IV (1859–60). In 1848, Leopold was forced to grant a constitution, and in 1849 he had to leave Tuscany briefly when it was for a short time a republic. However, in 1852 he was able, with the help of Austria, to rescind the constitution. In 1860, Tuscany voted to unite with the kingdom of Sardinia.
| Wine Lover's Companion: Tuscany |
[TUHS-kuh-nee] A region in central Italy, east of the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea; its capital city is Florence. Tuscany (Toscana in Italian) has almost 160,000 vineyard acres and six docgs: brunello di montalcino, carmignano, chianti, chianti classico, vino nobile di montepulciano and vernaccia di san gimignano all of which are red-wine areas. The area also comprises numerous docs including cortona, elba, montecarlo, monteregio di mass marittima, morellino di scansano, moscadello di montalcino, pomino, rosso di montalcino rosso di montepulciano and val di cornia. For centuries, Tuscany has been producing its famous chianti wine; it's also well known for its vin santo. And this area is also at the vanguard of producing superlative wines that break the rules by using unapproved winemaking methods, grape varieties, or percentage of varieties. These exceptional wines-known as super tuscans-haven't been given Italy's approved wine categories of DOC or DOCG, so must be labled vino da tavola (table wine). Thanks to the success of these super Tuscan wines, Italy's wine laws are changing, and grapes like cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot are now being approved for some DOC areas. The dominant red grape grown in Tuscany is sangiovese but Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are also important. canaiolo which historically played a meaningful role in Chianti production, is diminishing in importance. Tuscany's most important white grape is trebbiano. Other white grapes include malvasia, vernaccia di san gimignano, chardonnay grechetto, Pinot Gigio (pinot gris), Pinot Bianco (pinot blanc), sauvignon blanc and vermentino.
| Wikipedia: Tuscany |
| Toscana Tuscany |
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| Flag | Coat of arms | ||
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| Location | |||
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| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | ||
| Administration | |||
| Country | Italy | ||
| NUTS Region | ITC | ||
| Capital | Florence | ||
| President | Claudio Martini (Democratic Party) | ||
| Basic statistics | |||
| Area | 22,990 km² (8,876 sq mi) (Ranked 5th, 7.6 %) |
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| Population | 3,701,243 (09/2008) (Ranked 9th, 6.2 %) |
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| - Density | 161 /km² (417 /sq mi) | ||
| Other information | |||
| GDP/ Nominal | € 99.1 billion (2006) | ||
| Website | www.regione.toscana.it | ||
Tuscany (Italian: Toscana) is a region in Italy. It has an area of 22,990 square kilometres (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).
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Roughly triangular in shape and situated between the northern part of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the central Apennines, Tuscany has an area of approximately 22,993 square kilometers (8,877.6 sq mi). Surrounded and crossed by major mountain chains, and with few (but very fertile) plains, the region has a relief that is dominated by hilly country.
Whereas mountains cover 25% of the total area — 5,770 square kilometers (2,227.8 sq mi), and plains a mere 8.4% of the total area, almost all coinciding with the valley of the
The climate, which is fairly mild in the coastal areas, is harsher and rainy in the interior, with considerable fluctuations in temperature between winter and summer[1] giving the region a soil building active freeze-thaw cycle in part accounting for the region once having served as a key breadbasket of ancient Rome[2]
The pre-Etruscan history of the area in the late Bronze and Iron Ages parallels that of the early Greeks.[3] The Tuscan area was inhabited by peoples of the so-called Apennine culture in the late second millennium BC (roughly 1350–1150 BC) who had trading relationships with the Minoan and Mycenaean civilisations in the Aegean Sea.[3] Following this, the Villanovan culture (1100–700 BC) saw Tuscany, and the rest of Etruria, taken over by chiefdoms.[3] City-states developed in the late Villanovan (paralleling Greece and the Aegean) before "Orientalization" occurred and the Etruscan civilisation rose.[3]
The Etruscans were the first major civilization in this region; large enough to lay down a transport infrastructure, implement agriculture and mining, and produce vibrant art.[4] The Etruscans lived in Etruria well into prehistory.[3] The civilisation grew to fill the area between the
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.[4] These developments included extensions of existing roads, introduction of aqueducts and sewers, and the construction of many buildings, both public and private.[4] The Roman civilization in the West collapsed in the fifth century and the region was left to the Goths, and others. In the sixth century, the Longobards arrived and designated Lucca the capital of their Duchy of Tuscia.[4]
Pilgrims travelling along the Via Francigena between Rome and France brought wealth and development during the mediæval period.[4] The food and shelter required by these travellers fuelled the growth of communities around churches and taverns.[4] The conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, factions supporting the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire in central and northern Italy during the 12th and 13th centuries, split the Tuscan people.[4] These two factors gave rise to several powerful and rich medieval communes in Tuscany: Arezzo, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, and Siena.[4] Balance between these communes were ensured by the assets they held; Pisa, a port; Siena, banking; and Lucca, banking and silk.[7] By the renaissance, however, Florence had become the cultural capital of Tuscany.[7]
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, Galileo Galilei and Botticelli.
In the 1400s, the Medicis, who ruled Florence, annexed surrounding land to create modern Tuscany. The War of Polish Succession in the 1730s meant the transfer of Tuscany from the Medicis to Francis, Duke of Lorraine and Holy Roman Emperor. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire by Napoleon, Tuscany was inherited by the Austrian Empire as successor to the Holy Roman Empire. In the Italian Wars of Independence in the 1850s, Tuscany was transferred from Austria to the newly unified nation of Italy.
The subsoil in Tuscany is relatively rich in mineral resources, with iron ore, copper, mercury and lignite mines, the famous soffioni (fumarole) at Larderello and the vast marble mines in Versilia. Although its share is falling all the time, agriculture still contributes to the region's economy. In the region's inland areas cereals, potatoes, olives and grapes (for the world-famous Chianti wines) are grown. The swamplands, which used to be marshy, now produce vegetables, rice, tobacco, beets and sunflowers[1]
The industrial sector is dominated by mining, given the abundance of underground resources. Also of some note are the textiles, chemicals/pharmaceuticals, metalworking and steel, glass and ceramics, clothing and printing/publishing sectors. Smaller areas specialising in manufacturing and craft industries are found in the hinterland: the leather and footwear area in the south-west part of the province of Florence, the hot-house plant area in Pistoia, the ceramics and textile industries in the Prato area, scooters and motorcycles in Pontedera, and the processing of timber for the manufacture of wooden furniture in the Cascina area. The heavy industries (mining, steel and mechanical engineering) are concentrated along the coastal strip (Livorno and Pisa areas), where there are also important chemical industries. Also of note are the marble (Carrara area) and paper industries (Lucca area)[1].
Almost without exception, every town and city in Tuscany has considerable natural and architectural beauty. There is a continuous stream of visitors throughout the year. As a result, the services and distributive activities that are so important to the region's economy are particularly wide-ranging and highly organised[1].
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | %± |
| 1861 | 1,920,000 | — |
| 1871 | 2,124,000 | 10.6% |
| 1881 | 2,187,000 | 3.0% |
| 1901 | 2,503,000 | 14.4% |
| 1911 | 2,670,000 | 6.7% |
| 1921 | 2,810,000 | 5.2% |
| 1931 | 2,914,000 | 3.7% |
| 1936 | 2,978,000 | 2.2% |
| 1951 | 3,159,000 | 6.1% |
| 1961 | 3,286,000 | 4.0% |
| 1971 | 3,473,000 | 5.7% |
| 1981 | 3,581,000 | 3.1% |
| 1991 | 3,530,000 | −1.4% |
| 2001 | 3,498,000 | −0.9% |
| 2008 (Est.) | 3,701,000 | 5.8% |
| Source: ISTAT 2001 | ||
The population density of Tuscany, with 161 inhabitants per km2 in 2008, is below the national average (198.8 inhabitants per km2). This is due mainly to the low population density of the provinces of Arezzo, Siena and, above all, Grosseto (50 inhabitants per km2). The highest density is found in the province of Prato (675 inhabitants per km2) followed by the provinces of Pistoia, Livorno, Florence and Lucca, peaking in the cities of Florence (more than 3,500 per km2), Livorno, Prato, Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi and Montecatini Terme (all with a population density of more than 1,000 inhabitants per km2). The territorial distribution of the population is closely linked to the socio-cultural and, more recently, economic and industrial development of Tuscany[1].
Accordingly, the least densely populated areas are those where the main activity is agriculture, unlike the others where, despite the presence of a number of large industrial complexes, the main activities are connected with tourism and associated services, alongside a plethora of small firms in the leather, glass, paper and clothing sectors[1].
Starting from the 1980s, the region attracted an intense flux of immigrants, in particular from China. There is also a significant community of British and Americans residents. As of 2008, the Italian national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that 275,149 foreign-born immigrants live in Tuscany, equal to 7.4% of the total regional population.
Tuscany is a stronghold of the center-left Democratic Party, forming with Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and Marche the famous Italian political "Red Quadrilateral". At the April 2008 elections, Tuscany gave more than 50% of its votes to Walter Veltroni, and only 33.6% to Silvio Berlusconi.[citation needed]
Tuscany is divided into ten provinces:
| Province | Area (km²) | Population | Density (inh./km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Province of Arezzo | 3,232 | 345,547 | 106.9 |
| Province of Florence | 3,514 | 983,073 | 279.8 |
| Province of Grosseto | 4,504 | 225,142 | 50.0 |
| Province of Livorno | 1,218 | 340.387 | 279.5 |
| Province of Lucca | 1,773 | 389,495 | 219.7 |
| Province of Massa-Carrara | 1,157 | 203.449 | 175.8 |
| Province of Pisa | 2,448 | 409,251 | 167.2 |
| Province of Pistoia | 965 | 289,886 | 300.4 |
| Province of Prato | 365 | 246,307 | 674.8 |
| Province of Siena | 3,281 | 268,706 | 81.9 |
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more |
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| Wine Lover's Companion. Wine Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2003 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tuscany". Read more |
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