In volume II I want to show you two regions: Toscana (Tuscany) and Lombardia (Lombardy)


Toscana (Tuscany)

Tuscany is a region of Central Italy, bordering Emilia-Romagna north, Liguria to the north-west, Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, Umbria and Marche to east, Latium to the south-east. The territory is hilly for its two thirds and mountainous for one fourth. Only the remaining 8.4% is constituted by plains, that form the valley of Arno River. The capital is Florence. It's divided into ten provinces: Arezzo, Florence (Firenze), Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Massa-Carrara, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, Siena.
For its landscapes and its artistic legacy, Tuscany is considered the most beautiful region in Italy.

Tuscany is known for its wines (most famous of which are Chianti, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello di Montalcino) and has 120 protected regions (nature reserves). Other agricultural products include Chianina cattle (particularly the famous "Fiorentina" steak) and the production of olive oil, principally in Lucca and the surrounding hills.
Tourism is the economic backbone of the so-called "Cities of Art" (Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano), as well as on the coast and in the isles (Elba).

More: [link]


-Firenze (Florence)

Florence is the capital city of Tuscany. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
Florence lies on the Arno River and has a population of around 400,000 people, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000 persons. The greater area has some 956,000 people.
A center of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was long ruled by the Medici family. Florence is also famous for its magnificent art and architecture. The city has also been called the Athens of the Middle Ages.
The historic Centre of Florence was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1982.

The best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city, Santa Maria del Fiore, known as "The Duomo". The magnificent dome was built by Filippo Brunelleschi. The nearby Campanile tower (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery buildings are also highlights. Both the dome itself and the campanile are open to tourists and offer excellent views.
At the heart of the city in Piazza della Signoria is Bartolommeo Ammanati's Fountain of Neptune, which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a still functioning Roman aqueduct.
The Arno river, which cuts through the old part of the city, is as much a character in Florentine history as many of the men who lived there. Historically, the locals have had a love-hate relationship with the Arno — which alternated from nourishing the city with commerce, and destroying it by flood.
One of the bridges in particular stands out as being unique — The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts. The bridge also carried Vasari's elevated corridor linking the Uffizi to the Medici palace (Palazzo Pitti). First constructed by the Etruscans in ancient times, this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived World War II intact.
The San Lorenzo contains the Medici Chapel, a private chapel owned by the Medici family who were one of the most powerful families in Florence during the 15th century.
Nearby is the Uffizi Gallery, one of the finest art galleries in the world. The Uffizi ("offices") itself is located on the corner of Piazza della Signoria, a site important for three main reasons:

* In 1301, Dante was sent into Exile from here (a plaque on one of the walls of the Uffizi commemorates the event).
* In 1497, it was the location of the Bonfire of the Vanities (a plaque in the middle of the plaza commemorates that event), followed in 1498 by the execution of its instigator, Girolamo Savonarola
* In 1504, it was the original location of Michelangelo's David (now replaced by a reproduction as the original was moved indoors to the Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno), in front of the Palazzo della Signoria (also known as Palazzo Vecchio).
Across the Arno is the huge Pitti Palace lavishly decorated with the Medici family's former private collection. The art gallery contained a large number of Renaissance works, including several by Raphael. Adjoining the Palace are the Boboli Gardens, elaborately landscaped and with many interesting sculptures.
The elaborate Santa Croce church contains the monumental tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante (actually a cenotaph), and many other notables.
Other important basilicas in Florence include Santa Maria Novella, San Lorenzo, Santo Spirito and the Orsanmichele.

More (much more, indeed): [link]








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Lombardia (Lombardy)

The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fourth of Italy's GDP is produced in this Region.
Lombardy is divided into twelve provinces: Milan, Pavia, Lodi, Lecco, Como, Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Mantova, Monza, Sondrio, Varese.
The region is one of the three richest in Europe, with a per capita gross domestic product that is 50 percent higher than the rest of Italy. In fact, the latest Eurostat figures shows that Lombardy in 2003 had the highest GDP for a region in the whole of the EU. Many foreign and national companies have their headquarters in Milan.

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-Milan (Milano)

Milan is the main city of northern Italy. The city proper has about 1,308,500 inhabitants (2004). The population of the urban area, comprising the core of Lombardy, is estimated, as of 2006, to be about 4,280,820 people. Finally, the official population of Milan Metro Area counts around 7,400,000 residents (2006). Milan has become one of the most highly developed urban centers in Europe.
The city is one of the world's major commercial and financial centers, and one of the wealthiest cities in the European Union. Milan is one of the world capitals of fashion—along with New York City, Paris, London, Tokyo—and design. Indeed the English word milliner is derived from the name of the city. The Lombard metropolis is famous for fashion firms and shops (via Montenapoleone) and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in the Piazza Duomo, reputed to be the world's oldest shopping mall. Another famed Milanese product is the traditional Christmas sweet cake, called Panettone. It is also famous for the Alfa Romeo motorcar.

Milan is one of the major artistical centres of northern Italy. An incomplete list of landmarks include:

* The Duomo, the second largest cathedral of the world and the world's largest collection of marble statues.
* The Castello Sforzesco
* The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio
* The Palaeo-Christian Basilica of San Lorenzo
* The Biblioteca Ambrosiana, containing drawings and notebooks by Leonardo da Vinci among its vast holdings of books, manuscripts, and drawings, and is one of the main repositories of European culture. The city is also the home of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts.
* The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, housing one of the most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper
* The Pinacoteca di Brera, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Poldi Pezzoli, the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum and the Musei del Castello galleries, which host a great number of pictorial masterpieces

Milan is also one of the most important centres in the world for Opera lirica, with its famous Teatro alla Scala (La Scala).

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I hope you liked this article, and maybe discovered some unknown places!
There's a lot of other cities, villages and monuments to see, this is just a small selection...
Keep in touch for volume III

Volume I: [link]