Florence’s Piazza della Signoria as the morning sun hits the Palazzo Vecchio. A distant ridge dotted with cypress trees. A sizzling Chianina steak fresh from the flame grill. It is for these moments, and many more, that travellers have been visiting Tuscany for centuries. With DK Eyewitness Top 10 Florence and Tuscany, it’s yours to explore.
At the region’s heart sits Florence, city of the Renaissance and buzzing home to modern style icons like Gucci and Ferragamo. Here you’ll discover many of the world’s great paintings and sculptures, including those in the masterpiece-packed Uffizi, Accademia and Pitti Palace. In the shadow of Brunelleschi’s iconic Duomo dome are cobblestoned streets upon which Dante and Michelangelo walked.
Beyond the Florence city limits are hill towns like San Gimignano, with stone towers and twisting alleys barely changed since the 1300s. Siena is a treasure-trove of paintings left by the trailblazers of Western art, while Pisa has the world’s most photographed bit of botched architecture in one of Italy’s most photogenic piazzas. The sublime landscapes of the Chianti and Val d’Orcia regions change dramatically with the passing of the seasons.
Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or a week, our Top 10 guide brings together the best of everything that Florence and Tuscany have to offer, from the hip, contemporary restaurants of San Frediano in Florence to the winelands of Montepulciano and Montalcino. The guide has useful tips throughout, from seeking out what’s free to how to get off the beaten track, plus ten easy-to-follow itineraries designed to tie together a clutch of sights in a short space of time. Add inspiring photography and detailed maps, and you’ve got the essential pocket-sized travel companion. Enjoy the book, and enjoy Florence and Tuscany.