Tuscany, World Heritage Site

The port of ancient Rome, a Maritime Republic, a city of great importance in the history of the Mediterranean. 
Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli, the site of Galileo Galilei’s experiments, represents the architectural perfection of the Pisan Romanesque style, a combination of classical, early Christian, Lombard and Oriental motifs. The monuments here—the Duomo, the famous Leaning Tower, the Baptistery and the Camposanto—bear an achingly beautiful candor. The monumental complex is one of the most iconic and most visited in Tuscany, being listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Siena represents one of the archetypes of medieval cities par excellence. Its Gothic appearance acquired between the 12ᵗʰ and 15ᵗʰ centuries has been preserved and enhanced over the years, enriched by the valuable contributions of Duccio di Buoninsegna, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini.

There are so many places to visit, starting with the famous Piazza del Campo with its shell shape alongside which soar the Torre del Mangia and Palazzo Pubblico, along with the Duomo with its commessi marble floor and artworks by Michelangelo, Nicola Pisano and Donatello. In addition is the Santa Maria della Scala, the oldest hospital in the world, founded along the ancient Via Francigena, safeguarding evidence of a thousand years of history. Then there is Siena’s underground containing the “bottini,” a series of tunnels that has been transformed into the Museo dell’Acqua (Water Museum).

Since 1995, the historic center of Siena has been on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Carrara, located along the Apuan Riviera, is known worldwide as the city of marble. 
Here, the Apuan Alps merge with the urban landscape, creating a unique territory dominated by white mountain profiles and marble quarries active since Roman times. 
Carrara’s ‘white gold’ has inspired artists from all times and places, perhaps none more famous than Michelangelo.
Since 2017, Carrara has joined the UNESCO Creative Cities network, standing out for excellence in crafts and folk arts. 
Carrara is home to three museums dedicated to marble and its traditions: the Civic Museum of Marble that tells its story from Roman times to the present day, the Carrara and Michelangelo Museum (CARMI) that explores modern and contemporary sculpture, along with the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (MudaC) with a more modern focus. Carrara itself is also an open-air museum, a place where tradition and innovation meet and where creative people and artists from all over the world find inspiration.

In 2013, 12 Villas and 2 Medici gardens (Boboli and Pratolino) were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These constitute an ideal of the princely residence and an important testimony to the influence of the Medici family on modern European culture, particularly through patronage of the arts.

Among the most beautiful villas is that in Poggio a Caiano. Commissioned by Lorenzo de’ Medici, it was built by Giuliano da Sangallo and contains the fabulous Quarters of Leo X, in which is preserved a relevant cycle of 16ᵗʰ-century frescoes by Pontormo, Andrea del Sarto, Franciabigio and Alessandro Allori.

Also prestigious is the Villa Medicea di Artimino - La Ferdinanda in Artimino, also known as the “villa of a hundred chimneys.” This hyperbole comes from the presence of a fireplace in each room and there were indeed many rooms!
Built by Buontalenti, it looks almost like a fortress, with its angular ramparts and imposing staircase. All is then surrounded by achingly beautiful countryside.

Each of the Villas is noteworthy yet you will hardly see a ballroom like the one at the Petraia. Its courtyard was transformed into a frescoed hall with a glass and iron roof. From the skylight descends an impressive chandelier that looks like something straight out of a fairytale.
Outside, the gardens are split across 3 levels, the highest of which offers a unique view of Florence.

This unique landscape has become somewhat of a synecdoche for the whole of Tuscany, with a sea of hills dotted with cypress trees and clayey gullies. Val d’Orcia is an agrarian and pastoral landscape where man and nature coexist in perfect harmony. Since 2004, it has been counted as one of Tuscany’s UNESCO Sites.
 
Fortified villages, farms and homesteads have arisen here, in lands crossed by the ancient Via Francigena, punctuated by abbeys and shrines, bridges and hospitals.
Via Francigena led pilgrims from all over Europe to Rome. Today, this thoroughfare is an international emblem of slow tourism. 
 
The territory of Val d’Orcia embraces Pienza, Montalcino, San Quirico d’Orcia, Castiglione d’Orcia and Radicofani.

The eighth wonder—proclaimed a UNESCO site in 2021 as part of the transnational serial site “The Great Spa Towns of Europe”—is Montecatini. With its historic hot springs and jewels of Art Nouveau architecture, Montecatini is representative of the important European spa phenomenon that dominated from the 1700s until the 1930s.

Over time, Montecatini has attracted the attention of intellectuals and artists such as Verdi, Puccini and Leoncavallo, coming to represent the materialization of both the concept of the “grand spa” and the “thermal landscape.” Its monumental architecture is centered on 4 springs (Rinfresco, Tettuccio, Regina and Leopoldina) surrounded by parks and gardens where you can take pleasant strolls.

The UNESCO-recognized serial site includes 10 other spa towns including Spa (Belgium), Vichy (France) and Bath (UK). Despite the differences and unique facets of each individual city, they are all united by having developed near streams, serving as a model of spatial organization aimed at curative, therapeutic, recreational and social functions.

There is a small expanse of Tuscan territory included as a UNESCO Serial Transnational Site dedicated to Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. We are referring to the ancient beech forests of the Casentinesi Forests National Park, an extraordinary example of non-anthropized forests. The Casentinesi Forests National Park is one of the most pristine forest areas in Europe and a true natural oasis that straddles Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. Since 2021, the Park has boasted this important recognition.

The Tuscan Islands Biosphere Reserve was recognized in 2003 and is composed of seven islands—Gorgona, Capraia, Elba, Pianosa, Montecristo, Giglio and Giannutri—that hold precious treasures of biodiversity, an extraordinary geological and geo-mineral heritage, as well as testimonies of remarkable historical, archaeological and cultural value.
The Biosphere Reserve falls within land and marine areas under full protection of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, the largest marine park in Europe.

The Selve Costiere di Toscana Biosphere Reserve, recognized in 2004, stretches along the coast between Pisa, Viareggio and Livorno. This area is characterized by an extraordinary variety of natural environments such as dunes, pine forests and agricultural areas. The Reserve is inhabited by some 70,000 people who mainly engage in fishing, farming, organic livestock and tourism.
The Reserve Authority is the Migliarino, San Rossore and Massaciuccoli Park, a true natural paradise to explore and discover.

Located in the northern part of the Apennine range, the area of the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Reserve was listed as a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MaB) Reserve in 2015. This unique location represents the meeting point of the Mediterranean continental climates. The particular climatic balance has given rise to an extensive variety of habitats where animal and plant species coexist.
The Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park is part of this area, characterized by gentle, easily accessible and walkable mountains in all seasons. 

The Tuscan Mining Park, also known as the Parco delle Colline Metallifere (Park of the Metalliferous Hills) covers more than 266,874 acres (108,000 hectares) between Grosseto and Livorno, having joined the UNESCO Global Geoparks network in 2010.
It counts 41 geosites, 34 mining sites and numerous historical locations that tell of a history spanning back thousands of years, from Etruscan mining activities to the modern processing of resources such as soffioni (volcanic steam). 
With diverse ecosystems, the park is home to rare species such as wild orchids and wildlife that includes wolves and peregrine falcons. 
Nestled among incredible landscapes and lush forests, here nature, history and culture intertwine for a unique journey into biodiversity.

The Apuan Alps Park extends into the Apuan Alps Regional Park, encompassing Versilia, Garfagnana and Lunigiana. Since 2011, this expanse has been part of the sites of the UNESCO Global Network of Geoparks.
Characterized by towering peaks touching 6,562 feet (2,000 meters), it offers breathtaking sea views, rugged morphology with deep valleys, spectacular caves and emerald green lakes.
The most iconic rocks in the park are the marbles. The area is likewise home to some 200 types of minerals, 18 of which were discovered right here!
The Geopark territory includes the Antro del Corchia cave system and the Geo Archeo Adventure Park in the Equi Terme Caves, two tourist geosites with mercury mines, underground quarries, museums, cave trails, paleontological sites and hot springs.

Among the many flavors that make Tuscany unique, truffles hold a special place. This prized product is a symbol of ancient traditions, special harvesting techniques, centuries-old crafts and legends that have been passed down from generation to generation. 
Truffle hunters walk secreted trails in the forests of holm oaks and poplars, where they jealously guard the mastery of this fascinating practice. Here, the truffles, sniffed out by dogs, are extracted from the earth with a special spade known as a “vangheggia.” 
In 2021, truffle hunting and extraction was recognized as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Halfway between Florence and Pisa, San Miniato is the heart of this tradition and hosts the world’s third-largest white truffle market fair every year. 
In addition to San Miniato, other Tuscan towns such as Arcidosso, Capolona, Castell Azzara, Montaione, Montespertoli, Palaia and San Giovanni d’Asso are part of the Associazione Nazionale Città del Tartufo (National Association of Truffle Cities).