Tuscany, a region to be discovered

A bit of geography ...

Tuscany is located in central Italy: a border with Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, the Marches, Umbria and Lazio.
The coastal part of the region is bathed by the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Tuscany also administers the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, including the Island of Elba, the largest of the archipelago.
Tuscany is one of the largest Italian regions for cultural heritage and landscape.

... and a bit of history ...

We do not know what were the first men to walk on Tuscan soil, the first traces occupied the second millennium BC
Around the 'eighth century BC were found the first evidence of the presence of the Etruscans from the region took the name of Etruria, Tuscia for the Romans, and then finally Tuscania Tuscany.
It is believed that the Etruscans originated Asia Minor: to the sixth century BC, built roads, reclaimed swamps and built large cities such as Tarquinia, Chiusi and Volterra.
From the twelfth century began the period of Free Municipalities, and Lucca became the first town in Italy.

The first forms of democracy and the associations of arts and crafts made Tuscany an important example of cultural autonomy, social and economic.
Thanks to great artists and personalities such as Dante and Giotto, Florence became one of the most important cities of the region, and during the Renaissance family de 'Medici took control them.

Tuscany, except Lucca remained an Autonomous Republic and was governed by the de 'Medici until 1757.
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany passed under the dominion of Lorraine, which ruled until 1859.
The transition between the Grand and the unified Italian state came after a popular plebiscite Sanzio, March 15 1860, the meeting of the Piedmont region, and then the Kingdom of Italy.
Florence was the capital of Italy for five years until, in 1870, the scepter passed to Rome.