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Heritage: Tuscany (from Retta Marconi-Dooley) |
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 TUSCANYThis fertile region lies between the northern Apennines and the Mediterranean Sea. The landscape of Tuscany is, typically, one of vine-covered hills, cypress woods, fields of sunflowers and remote hilltop villages. Chianti, the best-known Italian wine, is made in the area north of Siena, and several wine cellars are open to the public. FLORENCE: The principal Tuscan city, Florence (Firenze) is the world’s most celebrated storehouse of Renaissance art and architecture. Set on the banks of the Arno below the wooded foothills of the Apennines, this beautiful city has long been the focus of Italian arts and letters. Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Alberti, Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli, Vasari and Fra Angelico are among the many associated with establishing the pre-eminence of the city. Brunelleschi’s revolutionary design for the dome of the Duomo (Cathedral) is generally accepted as the first expression of Renaissance ideas in architecture. This dome still dominates the city’s roofscape, just as the great Piazza del Duomo at its feet dominates life at street level. The shop-lined Ponte Vecchio Bridge scans the river to arrive at Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. The Uffizi Gallery houses one of the world’s most celebrated art collections including masterpieces such as Botticelli’s Birth Of Venus, Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation, Michelangelo’s Holy Family, Titian’s Urbino Venus and Caravaggio’s Young Bacchus. Some of the country’s most important sculptures are found within the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, notably works by Michelangelo and Donatello. Michelangelo’s famous statue of David may be viewed at the Accademia di Belle Arti near the University.
SIENA:
Siena’s most prosperous
era pre-dated the Renaissance and consequently much of the fabric of the
city is in the older Gothic and Romanesque styles. While most buildings
are of reddish-brown brick (hence the color ‘burnt sienna’), the stunning
Cathedral is constructed of alternating stripes of black and white
marble, and is said to be one of the best examples of Italian Gothic
architecture. The labyrinths of narrow cobbled streets that make up the
historic centre converge at Piazza del Campo. Overlooked by the
giant campanile of the Palazzo Pubblico, this is possibly
the most complete medieval piazza in Italy. Twice a year, on 2 July and 16
August, a notorious bareback horserace known as the Palio is held
here. It has been a special event since the 13th century and attracts
crowds from all over the world. The 700-year-old university holds a summer
school in Italian.
LUCCA:
The peaceful walled town of Lucca is famed for its elaborate churches,
which include the Cathedral of San Martino with its asymmetric
façade and campanile, the striking San Frediano decorated
with colorful mosaics, and San Michele in Foro, built on the site
of the Roman forum.
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