Record-breaking Tuscany: 7 curiosities to discover

The dome that towers over the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and at the time of its construction was the largest dome in the world: it still holds that record today; it is, indeed, the largest masonry dome ever built, with a diameter of 45.5 meters.
Brunelleschi's ingenious innovation was to build a self-supporting dome without the use of supporting reinforcements, because no wooden structure could have supported that size.

Larderello, a few kilometers from Pomarance, is home to the geothermal and industrial facilities of the Devil's Valley: this is where the exploitation of the boric acid soffioni takes place. 
Geothermal enthusiasts can visit the Larderello Geothermal Museum, which illustrates man's use of these forces and the history of Larderello as the world's first experience of exploiting geothermal energy for electricity production.

The history of Tuscany is full of events and historical figures that have influenced the world of art and architecture, but not only: in the 1700s, among the enlightened reforms of Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, the Leopoldine Code stands out, which on November 30, 1786, led the Grand Duchy of Tuscany to be the first state in history to formally abolish the death penalty and the practice of torture.
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was thus the first state in the world to eliminate, in one fell swoop, customs from the medieval era: in Florence, following the enactment of the Code, gallows and instruments of torture were burned in a bonfire set in front of the Bargello Palace.

The Lucca Mint is the oldest in Europe: it struck coins from 650 to 1843.
In 1997 it resumed its craftsmanship by minting coins identical to those that witnessed the city's history.
The museum itinerary, library, laboratory and a historical workshop with period machinery constitute a precious reality that spreads local history and culture through the enhancement of numismatics.

In the heart of the Pistoia mountains, a very long pedestrian footbridge connects the two verdant slopes divided by the Lima stream: the Ferriere suspension bridge spans 36 meters above the river, connecting Mammiano Basso and Popiglio, two typical small mountain villages in the municipality of San Marcello Piteglio, with its 227 meters in length. 
It holds the record as the longest suspension footbridge in Italy; until 2006 it even held the world record, later undermined by the Japanese suspension bridge Kokonoe Yume with its length of 390 meters.

And if we talk about Tuscany, there can be no shortage of gastronomic records!
Monte San Savino is a village also famous for its porchetta tradition and on June 13, 2010, it earned the record for the longest porchetta in the world: 44.93 meters of goodness!
In order to make it, a lot of kg of pork, 950 meters of string, 130 kg of salt, pepper and other spices, 250 bundles of heather brooms and 3 tons of wood to cook it were used.

In Tuscany there is also the largest pumpkin in the world: it was grown by a farmer from Radda in Chianti who surpassed the world record so far held by Belgium by 30 kilograms: 1,190.50 kilograms versus 1,226 kilograms! Who knows how many delicacies were cooked with this giant vegetable!