Tuscany
Tuscany, shown on the map below, is located along the west coast of Italy bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea. First signs of inhabitance in the region can be traced back to 1000 BC. Tuscany reached the height of its power in the 7th and 6th century BC when it expanded both to the north and south, encompassing Rome. The region was conquered by the Goths, the Alemans, and then by the Longobards in the 6th century AD.
In the 12th and 13th century AD, the region was dominated by the city of Pisa. The Medici family gained power, Florence became the capital, and dominance shifted to Florence in the 15th century. Tuscany, specifically Florence, became an important cultural center that set the tone for the Renaissance period. Tuscany was home to many artists and geniuses such as: Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Boccaccio, Giotto, Galileo, and Puccini.
A large part of Italy, including Tuscany, was conquered by Napoleon's French empire at the end of the 18th century. Tuscany was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, and remains one of the most visited, beautiful regions of Italy due to its rolling hills, forests, Mediterranean climate, and beautiful waterfront. Some of the major cities in Tuscany include: Florence, Pisa, Livorno, Lucca, Volterra, Siena, Grosseto, Arezzo, Pistoia, Prato, Massa, and Viareggio.
image taken from: www.highonadventure.com/Hoa00feb/ Tuscany/tuscandt.htm