6 things about Tuscany you might not have known

5 min · 30 May 2023

6 things about Tuscany you might not have known

When travelling, do you like to discover legends and curiosities of the country you visit? Tuscany is one of the most beautiful and beloved regions in the world and is famous for many reasons, from nature to art, from culture to history. Everyone knows it and dreams of visiting it. But it is also a place full of timeless legends and fascinating curiosities that only a few know and that are worth knowing.

Tuscany has no less than 7 Unesco heritage sites

Not everyone knows this, but Tuscany is one of the Italian regions with the highest concentration of Unesco sites. These are sites considered of unique and irreplaceable value for humanity from a cultural, artistic, archaeological, environmental or landscape point of view. And of the more than 50 sites that Italy includes in its World Heritage List, seven are located in Tuscany. They are: the historic centre of Florence, Piazza del Duomo in Pisa, the historic centre of San Gimignano, the historic centre of Pienza, the historic centre of Siena, the Val d’Orcia and the Medici villas and gardens. This is why Tuscany attracts tourists from all over the world and is a destination that must be seen at least once in a lifetime.

Road paving is a Tuscan invention

Among the various records Tuscany holds is that of having introduced road paving, in the most modern sense of the term. It was the year 1339 when it was decided in Florence to pave the roads, which until then had been unpaved, to facilitate the passage of vehicles and people. Thanks to the investment of wealthy Florentine bankers and merchants, Florence was thus the first European city to develop paving. From that time on, streets were paved mainly in stone. This fashion quickly spread throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

The birth of finocchiona

In addition to its breathtaking landscapes, history, art and culture, Tuscany is also appreciated for its good food and delicious typical products. And one of the most representative products of Tuscany in the world is undoubtedly the finocchiona, a long-cured sausage prepared with minced pork, flavoured with red wine and fennel seeds. Its origin dates back to the Middle Ages, when Tuscan pork butchers decided to replace the rarer and more expensive pepper with fennel seeds, which were also suitable for hiding any deterioration of the meat and the defects of their wines. Thus the finocchiona was born. An old popular saying in Chianti goes: ‘Just as skilled hairdressers are able to make even the ugliest woman look attractive, so the aroma of Finocchiona is able to disguise the taste of even the most undrinkable wine’.

Tuscan bread

Another delicious and famous typical product of the region is Tuscan bread, also called pane sciocco or sciapo because it is prepared without salt. It is used in many recipes such as panzanella or Tuscan soup and is perfect for highlighting the food it accompanies. But where does this bread-making custom come from? According to an ancient legend it originated around the 12th century, a time of strong rivalry between Pisa and Florence. When the Pisan merchants dramatically increased the tax on salt arriving in their port, the Florentines, in typical Tuscan style and in order not to give satisfaction to their rivals, began to make bread without using salt. So the mystery of Tuscan bread is revealed.

San Galgano and the sword in the stone

Everyone knows the legend of the sword in the stone, but few know that it really exists: it is not, however, in Avalon, in the mythical kingdom of King Arthur, but in Tuscany. In Chiusdino, a municipality about 30 km from Siena, there is one of the most evocative places on the itineraries of Tuscan spirituality, the Abbey of San Galgano. Today it is practically in ruins but represents one of the greatest examples of Gothic-Cistercian architecture in Italy. Next to the abbey stands the Hermitage (or Rotunda) of Montesiepi, a small church where the mythical sword in the rock is kept. It was planted in the 12th century by Saint Galgano when he converted to Christianity and decided to leave his noble life forever to become a hermit.

The world’s rarest seagull species

In the Tuscan Archipelago, which comprises seven main islands (Elba, Giglio, Capraia, Montecristo, Pianosa, Giannutri and Gorgona) and several small islets and rocky reefs, it is possible to observe the rarest species of seagull in the world. This is the Corsican seagull, similar to the herring gull but slimmer and smaller, with a red beak and grey legs. Chosen as the symbol of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, it only eats fish and is at risk of extinction because it has failed to change its habits. This is why the specimens nesting in the archipelago are of fundamental importance for the survival of the species.

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