Archive for 'Localities'

Most, if not all, of Tuscany's cities, towns and villages have roots well beyond the medieval age. Many have been able to retain their historic centers within the ancient city walls.
These walls, which protected the city and its residents for centuries, still protect the city to this day: acting as a barrier to keep urbanization and modernization out of their historic town centers.

Lucca is a prime example of this; its city walls keep out the modern world and allow for a deeper immersion into the culture and history of the city for visitors and residents alike. Imagine how much more you might appreciate parts of your home town if you had to walk through them each day and you had the time to see the little things we rocket past in our normal, day-to-day, rushing lifestyle. But Lucca has taken their city walls to a step beyond that of most...

When thinking of Florence, one name repeatedly comes to mind: Medici. The Medici’s were arguably the most powerful family in Tuscany, in Italy from the thirteenth to the seventh centuries.

The Medici’s expanded the territory of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany during their rule through military might, political influence, and simple timing as many smaller towns were ravaged by the Plague and suddenly found the advances of Florence more affable in their weakened state. The Medici’s many contributions to the city are still standing as a testament to their rule. One of the most notable of these landmarks is the Palazzo degli Uffizi, sitting serenely off of the Piazza della Signoria across from the Palazzo Vecchio.

Construction on the Uffizi began in 1560 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I de’Medici. His trusted architect Giorgio Vasari designed and oversaw the construction of the Palazzo degli Uffizi. The original intent of the Palazzo was to house the offices of the city magistrates, but slowly the halls and the rooms of the Uffizi were transformed to house the ever growing collection of art that the Medici’s procured.