Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WESTERN TUSCANY
Tuscany's hard-working economic engine, this area is
characterized by its factories and ports, particularly Livorno.
There are also some extraordinary sights, most famously the
Leaning Tower of Pisa. To the south, the windswept ancient Etruscan
town of Volterra, standing high on a barren plateau, has some of the
finest museums and medieval architecture in Italy.
From the 11th to the
13th centuries, when at
the height of its powers,
Pisa dominated the Western
Mediterranean. Its strong navy
opened up extensive trading
links with North Africa, and
brought to Italy the benefits of Arabic
scientific and artistic achievement.
These new ideas had a profound
effect on 12th- and 13th-century
architects working in western Tusca-
ny. Many of the era's splendid build-
ings, for instance Pisa's Duomo,
Baptistry and Campanile, are decorat-
ed with complex geometric patterns
made from beautiful inlaid marble,
alternating with bizarre arabesques.
During the 16th century the Arno
estuary began to silt up, ending Pisan
supremacy. In 1571, work began to
establish Livorno as the region's main
port. This proved so successful that
it remains Italy's second
busiest port. Pisa, meanwhile,
is the gateway to Tuscany fol-
lowing the extensive devel-
opment of Galileo Galilei
airport. The Arno valley is
mainly an industrial area, with
huge factories producing glass,
furniture, motorcycles, leather and
textiles. Even so, there are some
rewarding sights lurking within the
urban sprawl, like the Romanesque
church of San Piero a Grado or the
entertaining museum in Vinci, which
contains models of many of Leonar-
do da Vinci's brilliant inventions.
South of the Arno valley, the land-
scape is pleasant but unremarkable,
consisting of rolling hills and expans-
es of agricultural land. But the impos-
ing ancient town of Volterra, with its
unmatched collection of Etruscan
artifacts, demands a visit.
Landscape of rolling hills near Volterra
 
 
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