Visiting Tuscany On Your Italian Vacation

If you prefer the countryside and don't mind the beautiful scenery, you should go to Tuscany for your Italy vacation. You should also go to Tuscany for your Italian vacation if you are interested in art and architecture because this region boasts some of the best in those categories.

There are twenty regions in Italy and Tuscany is a region found in central Italy. It has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world and many famous artists have achieved some spectacular pieces of art using the Tuscan landscape for a backdrop during the Italian Renaissance. The capital of this region is Florence. In fact 350 out of a 1000 of Europe's most important artists of the 2nd millennium lived in Florence. Six places in Tuscany are UNESCO protected sites. That means that they have been placed on a list maintained by the international World Heritage Program that aims to name, catalogue and protect sites that are deemed to be of outstanding cultural value for humanity. There are 851 such sites worldwide and you can see 6 of them on your Tuscan Italian vacation. These include the historical centers of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Pienza. They also include the Val d'Orcia and the square of the Cathedral of Pisa which is famous for its leaning tower.

The historic centers of the cities you may visit on your Tuscan Italian vacation are protected sites mainly for their magnificent architecture. The Duomo is a cathedral in Siena that represents great Italian Romanesque culture. In Florence you must visit Santa Maria del Flore which is another cathedral with beautiful architecture. The Ponto Vecchio Bridge in Florence is an amazing old bridge held up by stilts but has dozens of shops built along its edge.

San Gimignano is a small town on a hilltop. It is a walled town and is known for its medieval architecture. Its fourteen towers may be seen from several miles around. Through wars and disasters, San Gimignano has been able to keep its beautiful fourteen towers and you will be able to see these works of art on your Tuscan Italy vacation.

The Val d'Orcia gained its place on the list of protected sites because it truly exemplifies beautiful landscape. With rolling hills and small quaint villages you must make sure you see this area when you go on your Italian vacation.

Another reason why you may want to visit Tuscany and specifically Florence is that this was the place where Leonardo da Vinci was born and spent his youth working in the studio of a well known Florentine painter. Most known for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper it is said that his landscapes and artistic style came from growing up in this region. You will be able to visit the hamlet near the hill town of Vinci where Leonardo da Vinci was born on your Tuscan Italian Vacation.