It is hard to imagine just how big the number of monuments from that period really is. But then, of course, you'll also find a significant stock of remains from antiquity, as well as medieval and Baroque buildings, then there is classicism - and the modern period, which in Tuscany comes with a lot more charm than anywhere else.

The region is about as big as Sicily, though its population is smaller: It has about 3.7 million inhabitants. In Tuscany you'll find such famous cities as Pisa, Siena, and, of course, - Florence. This is Tuscany's capital, but as well its biggest city and its cultural and economic hub. With a population of just 367 thousand people, it is far from being too large to be comfortable. It has such an amazing variety of old buildings that it literally will take you days to even get some orientation. Especially its cathedral, called "il Duomo", is world famous.

Tuscany can comfortably be reached by car within a day's drive from France, Holland, Germany, or Austria. When people from those countries talk about visiting Italy, more often than not it is Tuscany they have in mind. The same goes for county houses: The people in the cold and rainy center and North of Europe love having one of them in Italy, and the location they most often choose is of course Tuscany. Despite all those "migrating birds", the region has managed to stay distinctly Italian, but it may nevertheless be the country's most cosmopolitan and tolerant part. Perhaps this has to do with its intellectual traditions. Modern Italian is not based on the dialect of Rome, Naples, or Turin, but, almost entirely, on that of Tuscany. This fact reflects the region's cultural hegemony within Italy. One more thing needs mentioning: Tuscany's wines. They taste in your mouth just like the landscapes look in your eyes, together forming a perfect harmony.