In 1406 Florence subdied Pisa, and a little later, Livorno (at thet time a small harbour); neither Lucca governed by the Guinigis, nor Siena reled by the Petruccis could compare with the glory of humanism in Florence, with the creativity of its literarian and philosophic circles. The Renaissance established the importace of man and nature in the Universe (elements already taken into consideration in the previous century). The more the civilized society and economy got free from the clerical authority and from the feudal dominion, the more man turned firmly to the immediate reality of physical and sensorial perception. Tuscany became the most important workshop of ideas and inventions. Abandoning the rigid principles of the past, the language became free, clear, fluent. In no other country of the world, at that time, such cultural trasformations were possible. In the XV th century the Medicis, an outstanding family native of Mugello, began to establish their government. They costituted an oligarchy after defeating the rival families (the Albizzis and others) and in 1434 they ruled as members of a "seignory". The Medicis founded an illustrious dynasty: they developed commerce, industry, the arts and culture, allowing Florence to become a leading cultural centre, an affluent, animated capital of a large territory. With its 100.000 inhabitants (London had only 40.000!) the Tuscan town was, at the time, one of the largest centres in the world, comparable to New York of today. Lorenzo de'Medici, nicknamed il "Magnifico", embodied, on a political, civil and cultural ground, the trasformation of the old institutions, exerting a new, more personal, form of power. He was a grandson of Cosimo the Elder and took power in 1469. He adopted a wise, balanced policy in relation to other countries ensuring long peacetime and prosperity, promoting the development of cultural centres under his personal patronage. He helped Florence reach the greatest splendour of the time. He favoured a new, huge, architectural, monumental project, setin an urban context framed by a new conception of life. The most relevant representatives of these changes were Filippo Brunelleschi (forefather of the modern architecture), Donatello, Alberti, ghiberti, Masaccio, Botticelli, Piero della Francesca and Leonardo da Vinci. During the harsh European conflict between French and Austrian-Spanish monarchies, in the first half of the XVIth century, Tuscany could maintain its formal independence mainly thanks to the wise policy of two nepolist popos of the Medicis' dynasty, (Leone X and Clemente VII) and of their nephew Cosimo I. In 1530 Emperor Carlo V gave the title of dukes to the Medicis and in 1569 Tuscany (under Cosimo I) became a granduchy. By the, after the conquest of the country of Siena (1559), all Tuscany a part from the small republic of Lucca, was politically unified under the strong Medicean dominion that would last for other two centuries. Meanwhile the way of living changed: investments in land properties increased, causing a reduction in commercial, industrial and banking business. The grandeur of the rich resulted in the many sumptuous buildings and magnificent countryhouses. In this way, besides favouring the idea of 'negotium' people could enjoy the advantage of 'otium'. At that time Villa Pratolino, one of the most outstanding and remarkable building designed by the Medicis, was completed. Francesco ist (in 1564 nominated regent by the father Cosimo I) turned the Uffizi into a Gallery (to preserve) the works of art of the family), and also bought valuable buildings and estates on the outskirts of the town. The villa at Pratolino was built in the centre of a 20 hectares park that was part of a productive farm, over 600 hertares wide. The property was about 12 Km. from Florence on the hilly borders in the north of the town, along the old roman road that crossed the Apennine. The colossus of the Apennine, the imposing statue by Giambologna, still visible today, became the landmark of the park, designed according to an elaborate, evocative symbolic pattern, dominated by the presence of water, natural element, vital source for all livings and metaphor of eternity. Tuscany (Italian Toscana), region in northern Italy, formerly a sovereign grand duchy, bordered on the north by the regions of Liguria and Emilia-Romagna, on the east by Marche and Umbria, on the south by Latium, and on the west by the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas. It is divided into the maritime provinces of Grosseto, Leghorn (Livorno), Lucca, and Pisa; the inland provinces of Arezzo, Florence, Pistoia, and Siena; and the province of Massa-Carrara, extending north from the sea between Liguria Region and the Apennines. The regional capital is Florence. Land and Resources Tuscany is chiefly mountainous; in addition to the Apennines it has two mountain groups, the Apuane Alps, where marble is quarried, and a group in the south, the Colline Metallifere, where iron, magnesium, borax, and quicksilver are mined. The rivers are the Arno, Cecina, Ombrone, and upper Tiber; all flow into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Except in the Maremma, a marshy region in the south, the climate is mild. Agricultural products are wheat, maize, grapes, olives, and tobacco. The most important manufactured products are wool and cotton textiles, chemicals, machinery, glass, and ceramics. Area, 22,992 sq km (8,877 sq mi); population (1991) 3,599,085. History Tuscany nearly corresponds to ancient Etruria. Its inhabitants, the Tusci, or Etruscans, were conquered by the Romans, who called the land Tuscia. It was held in turn by the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines, and the Lombards. The last were conquered by Charlemagne and placed under a Frankish duke. In 1030 Boniface II of the House of Canossa became Duke of Tuscany. After his assassination, his wife, Beatrice, governed until 1076, when her daughter, Countess Matilda, inherited the lands. Matilda supported the papal party during the investiture struggle, and she bequeathed all her dominions to the papacy. Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, however, claimed the duchy, and for more than a century the "property of Matilda" caused strife between the popes and the emperors. During this period the major cities became independent and prosperous. Pisa was by then a great maritime republic. Middle Ages In the 14th century the poet Dante, the painter Giotto, the humanist Petrarch, and the writer Boccaccio made Tuscany pre-eminent in the revival of letters and arts. The Tuscan dialect became the literary language of Italy. In 1406 Pisa submitted to Florence, which then became the major power in Tuscany. After 1434 Florence was ruled by the Medici family. Cosimo I de' Medici, who became duke in 1537, expanded the duchy by receiving Siena from Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. This gift bound the Medici to Spain, and for nearly two centuries Tuscany was under Spanish influence. Modern Times The House of Medici died out in the male line in 1737. In accordance with the Treaty of Vienna (1735), the grand duchy was then given to Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, later Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. Grand Duke Ferdinand III was dispossessed by the French in 1799, but he was reinstated in 1814 and ruled until 1824. His son, Leopold II, promoted the prosperity of Tuscany. In 1848 he granted a liberal constitution to his subjects, but the tide of revolution that subsequently swept Italy carried everything before it, and in 1859 the grand duchy was occupied by the forces of Victor Emmanuel II, King of Sardinia. In 1860 the people of Tuscany voted for a union with Italy.Florence villas villa in florence tuscany villa tuscany villas rent a villa rent italian villa rent tuscan villa villa in tuscany villa in florence florence villas villa pitiana villa bussini villa paganello tuscany italy toscana tuscan villas Siena hotels Siena hotel accommodation siena siena castles castle siena tuscany bed and breakfast Accommodation tuscany accommodation italy Pisa Hotel Pisa Accommodation Tuscany,Tuscany accommodation, arezzo hotel ,arezzo accommodation,hotels arezzo Hotels, hotels tuscany, hotels italy, italy, arezzo agritourism tuscany, agritourism Villas in italy italian villas italian villa tuscan villa italian castles italian castle tuscany castle arezzo, agritourism italy, farm stay tuscany, camping tuscany, tours of tuscany, florence accommodation, florence hotels, siena, florence, firenze, siena accommodation, pisa accommodation, pisa hotels, pisa agritourisms, Accommodation Cortona Hotels Cortona hotel Cortona bed and breakfast Cortona agritourism Cortona agriturismo Cortona camping Tuscany Cortona Family Luxury budget Accommodation Caprese Michelangelo Hotels Caprese Michelangelo hotel Caprese Michelangelo bed and breakfast Caprese Michelangelo agritourism Caprese Michelangelo agriturismo Caprese Michelangelo camping Tuscany Caprese Michelangelo San Giovanni Val d'Arno Monte San Savino Luxury budget Accommodation Arezzo Hotels Arezzo hotel Arezzo bed and breakfast Arezzo agritourism Arezzo agriturismo Arezzo camping Tuscany Luxury budget Accommodation Poppi Hotels Poppi hotel Poppi bed and breakfast Poppi agritourism Poppi agriturismo Poppi camping Poppi Tuscany Luxury budget Accommodation Hotels Monte San Savino hotel Monte San Savino bed and breakfast Monte San Savino agritourism Monte San Savino agriturismo Monte San Savino camping Tuscany Luxury budget Accommodation accommodation montalcino, accommodation montalcino, accommodation cortona, accommodation casentino, hotels cortona, agritourisms cortona, cortona hotels, piero della francesca, arezzo italy, tuscany, italy italia, toscana, toscana alloggioTuscany,Tuscany accommodation,arezzo,arezzo accommodation,hotels arezzo, hotels tuscany, hotels italy, italy, agritourism tuscany, agritourism arezzo, agritourism italy, farm stay tuscany, camping tuscany, tours of tuscany, florence accommodation, florence hotels, siena, florence, firenze, siena accommodation, pisa accommodation, pisa hotels, pisa agritourisms, livorno hotels, pisa accommodation, pisa italy, grossetto hotels, montalcino hotels, accommodation montalcino, accommodation montalcino, accommodation cortona, accommodation casentino, hotels cortona, agritourisms cortona, cortona , hotels, san gimingnano, piero della francesco, arezzo italy, tuscany, italy italia, toscana, toscana alloggioTuscany,Tuscany accommodation,arezzo,arezzo accommodation,hotels arezzo, hotels tuscany, hotels italy, italy, agritourism tuscany, agritourism arezzo, agritourism italy, farm stay tuscany, camping tuscany, tours of tuscany, florence accommodation, florence hotels, siena, florence, firenze, siena accommodation, pisa accommodation, pisa hotels, pisa agritourisms, livorno hotels, pisa accommodation, pisa italy, grossetto hotels, montalcino hotels, accommodation montalcino, accommodation montalcino, accommodation cortona, accommodation casentino, hotels cortona, agritourisms cortona, cortona hotels, san gimingnano, piero della francesco, arezzo italy, tuscany, italy italia, toscana, toscana alloggioTuscany wines italian wines wine italy italian wines italian food italian food and wine