Andiamo a.... Toscana!

The Toscana region of Italy (anglicized as Tuscany) is a cultural juggernaut, making it a popular tourist destination. The region is located just above Lazio and below Emilia-Romagna in central Italy and has a long western coastline with many rolling hills. 

The Siena countryside

The flag and coat of arms for the region features an image of Pegasus that originally appeared on a coin designed by Benvenuto Cellini, a Florence native best known for his bronze statue Perseus with the Head of Medusa. In mythology, Pegasus was born from the Gorgon Medusa’s blood when the hero Perseus slayed her. The Pegasus is featured on the Tuscan flag and coat of arms in recognition of the Comitato Toscano di Liberazione Nazionale (CTLN), an anti-fascist resistance group formed during World War II who used Pegasus as their symbol. 

Marble Pegasus statue in the Boboli Gardens in Florence

The capital city of Tuscany is Florence, known in Italian as Firenze. Florence is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, a “rebirth” of arts and culture that spread throughout Italy and eventually the rest of Europe. Florence was controlled by the Medici family for hundreds of years. They had immense wealth, political, and cultural power. They established the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, spawned a few Popes, and sponsored many artists. As such, many of the most iconic figures of the Renaissance come from Florence such as Botticelli, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Bronzino, and Brunelleschi. In the 16th century, Opera was also born out of Florence. 

Botticelli's "Birth of Venus", c. 1484–1486

Several other great artists born elsewhere in Tuscany include Da Vinci, Petrarch, Dante, Machiavelli and Giovanni Boccaccio. Yet another staple of art to emerge from the region is the pigment sienna. It is a beautiful earth tone named for the rich red clay in Siena and was heavily utilized by Renaissance artists. Though demand has outpaced the supply and a synthetic alternative is used, it remains a popular color amongst artists to this day.

The city of Siena is split up into different neighborhoods called contrade that each have their own unique colors and animal mascot. As you make your way around the city, you'll notice tiny animal details in the architecture to clue you in to which contrada you are in. Twice a year, they come together for a famous horse race called the Palio which is a bareback race held around the Piazza del Campo. It is one of the only horse races in the world where a horse who loses their rider may still officially win the race by themselves.

The Palio di Siena

Another major city is Pisa, home to the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa that thousands out tourists “help hold up” each year. It is the site where the Pisa native, the famous physicist, astronomer and mathematician, Galileo Galilei supposedly conducted a famous experiment on the laws of gravity related to object mass. On the equine side of things, the Cavallino di Monterufoli or Monterufolino breed of horse comes from Pisa. They are a small, sure-footed breed that makes an excellent riding horse.

 The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Maremma region, which extends from lower Tuscany into upper Lazio, is where the Maremmano horse breed comes from. A hardy ranch horse, the Maremmano is the traditional mount of the Butteri. The Butteri are Italian cowboys of the region. For centuries they have been working with horses and tending to Maremmana cattle. Today, they are working to preserve the tradition through displays and contests of horsemanship skills.

Vineyard in Tuscany

There are many delicious foods from Tuscany! The region produces the sheep’s milk cheese Pecorino Toscano. Panforte, which translates to “strong bread” is a traditional Christmas dessert fortified with lots of fruit and nuts. There is also Cavallucci, a small pastry filled with walnuts, spices, and dried fruit. The name means “little horses,” so they are sometimes stamped with a picture of a horse. First created as a decadent dessert for a member of the Medici family, the traditional Florentine Zuccotto is chilled cake made in a rounded, pumpkin shaped mold. And of course, it would not be a tour of Tuscany without mentioning the many wineries the region is known for! In 2022, Tuscany produced 2.3 million hectoliters of wine! Mainly producing red wines, the region is best known for Chianti and Brunello wines. 

 What region of Italy will we visit next? Check back soon on the BreyerFest Blog to find out! Ciao!