Tuscany (region), Italy

Tuscany, known as Toscana in Italian, is a region of central Italy. The historic home of the ancient Etruscan civilization, Tuscany went on to become a hotbed of European high culture during the Renaissance, which began during the fourteenth century. Its principal city and capital, Florence, remains one of Europe's most important artistic and cultural centers and contains many major museums and galleries, architectural treasures, and artistic masterpieces.

In 1861, Tuscany's residents voted in favor of joining a unified Italy, and the region was incorporated into the emergent Italian nation. Tuscany has since emerged as one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations. Beyond Florence, Tuscany's major cities include Pisa—the site of the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa—Arezzo, Lucca, Pistoia, and Siena.

Brief History

The famous Etruscan civilization of ancient Tuscany is rooted in the culture of the Villanovans, an Iron Age–era people who made advanced use of locally available natural resources to develop highly evolved forms of agriculture, manufacturing, and metalworking. Historians generally regard the Villanovans as the direct ancestors of the Etruscans, who emerged as a distinct civilization during the eighth century BCE and went on to amass great wealth and regional influence through their innovative approach to trade and commerce. After a succession of wars, the Etruscans were eventually annexed by the Roman Empire in 351 BCE, at which point their distinct culture was effectively amalgamated into that of the dominant Romans.

In the centuries following the decline of the Roman Empire, Tuscany came under the control of a progression of ruling dynasties, which had the effect of establishing the region as a distinct European polity. Several Tuscan cities, including Arezzo, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia, and Siena, amassed significant wealth through agriculture and trade during the High Middle Ages. Florence eventually became the region's dominant city and flourished as a peerless center of European art and culture during the Renaissance under the rule of the Medici family. Famous literary and artistic figures, including Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Petrarch (1304–1374), Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446), Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510), Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527), and Michelangelo (1475–1564) called Florence home during this storied era of European history.

Florence and the rest of Tuscany went into a period of decline beginning in the late fifteenth century, only to experience a dramatic revival in the sixteenth century, when it reemerged as one of the region's leading centers of learning and scholarship. The last of the Medici rulers died without an heir in 1737, after which Tuscany came under the control of the Dukes of Lorraine, an Austrian-based royal dynasty. Tuscany's Lorraine rulers modernized the region's administrative and agricultural infrastructure, but the rising tide of Italian nationalism inspired Tuscan citizens to vote in favor of joining a unified Italy in 1861. Tuscany was then annexed into the newly established Kingdom of Italy, with Florence having a brief stint as Italy's capital between 1865 and 1871.

Topic Today

Modern Tuscany is one of Italy's twenty administrative regions and ranks among the country's largest, with a total area of 8,877 square miles (22,992 square kilometers). Its landscape is dominated by rolling hills that descend from the Apennine Mountains, an alpine chain that extends along Tuscany's northern and eastern borders. Valleys, plateaus, and coastal plains also mark the Tuscan interior. Tuscany extends west to the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the region includes the scenic Tuscan Archipelago, an island chain that includes Elba and Montecristo, among others. In 2024, Tuscany had a population of approximately 3.74 million people. Tuscany's five largest cities are Florence (1.01 million), Pisa (418,093), Lucca (381,659), Arezzo (333,741), and Livorno (325,978). Other major cities include Pistoia (260,972), Siena (260,623), and Prato (260,972).

Tourism is a major driver of the Tuscan economy, and the region attracts tens of millions of domestic and international visitors each year. Tuscany is one of Italy's most popular domestic vacation destinations, with market research indicating that about 25 million people vacationed there in 2023. Many domestic visitors travel to the region for its renowned beaches and coastal resorts, while international visitors tend to favor Tuscan cities, with Florence and Pisa ranking atop the list of its most visited urban locales.

Agriculture is another major economic activity. Tuscany is among Italy's top producers of cereal grains, olives, olive oil, and wine. The region is internationally renowned for its Chianti wines, which are produced in the eponymous winemaking region based near the city of Siena. Poultry, livestock, and fruit and vegetable production are also significant aspects of the contemporary Tuscan agricultural economy. Historically, Tuscany followed the mezzadria agricultural system, in which owner-landlords provided capital investments and tenants provided labor, with both parties sharing the proceeds generated by the annual harvest. This system declined during the twentieth century and was subsequently replaced by the cooperative model of today.

A leading regional center of metalworking in ancient times, Tuscany still counts metallurgy as one of its major industries. Chemical and industrial manufacturing are other important economic activities, as is textile production. Tuscany enjoys a reputation as one of the world's leading producers of textiles and artisan crafts. It is also a favored retirement destination, particularly for wealthy individuals.

The European Commission identifies the growing presence of technology enterprises along with well-developed institutional research infrastructure as significant innovation assets in Tuscany's economy. However, the European Commission also notes that ongoing reliance on traditional economic activities and a high concentration of small businesses represent barriers to Tuscany's continued economic modernization.

Bibliography

Bell, Sinclair, and Alexandra A. Carpino. A Companion to the Etruscans. John Wiley & Sons, 2016.

Bloom, Laura Begley. "Want to Live in Italy? Tuscany Will Pay You $32,000 to Move There." Forbes, 27 June 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2024/06/26/want-to-live-in-italy-tuscany-will-pay-you-32000-to-move-there/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

"Brief Overview of Tuscany's History." Discover Tuscany, www.discovertuscany.com/tuscany-history-and-culture/brief-history-tuscany.html. Accessed 13 June 2017.

Cartwright, Mark. "Etruscan Civilization." Ancient History Encyclopedia, 24 Feb. 2017, www.ancient.eu/Etruscan‗Civilization/. Accessed 13 June 2017.

Gaggio, Dario. The Shaping of Tuscany: Landscape and Society between History and Modernity. Cambridge UP, 2016.

Goldthwaite, Richard A. Private Wealth in Renaissance Florence. Princeton UP, 2015.

Harper, Rachael. "14.4% of Italians Holiday in Tuscany." The Florentine, 6 July 2016, www.theflorentine.net/news/2016/07/14-4-italians-holiday-tuscany/. Accessed 13 June 2017.

Strathern, Paul. The Medici: Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance. Pegasus Books, 2016.

"Tuscany." European Commission, 6 Mar. 2017, ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/regional-innovation-monitor/base-profile/tuscany. Accessed 13 June 2017.