What to See in Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany is one of Italy’s most important cultural regions, shaped by Etruscan, Roman, medieval and Renaissance history. From Florence’s artistic legacy to hill towns, coastal landscapes, islands, food and wine, there are many things to do in Tuscany. Neywo offers free audio guides for 14 cities in Tuscany, covering 1,264 narrated places in total.

What to see and do in Tuscany

Discover Florence and the Renaissance

The story of the Italian Renaissance is inseparable from Florence. The city expanded its control across Tuscany in the 15th century, annexing Arezzo and purchasing Pisa. In the following century, the Medici rulers annexed the Republic of Siena and formed the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Florence became closely associated with Renaissance art, architecture and music. Its heritage is found in museums and galleries, but also in churches, palaces, piazzas and streets. The city is sometimes called the art palace of Italy and is described as one of the world’s important watercolour centres. Explore the Florence audio guide to hear the stories of places such as Ponte Vecchio, Florence Cathedral, the Basilica of Santa Croce and Palazzo Pitti.

Follow Tuscany’s ancient history

The Etruscans created the first major civilization in the region. They developed agriculture and mining, built transport infrastructure and produced vivid art. Rome later absorbed Etruria, extending roads and building aqueducts, sewers, public buildings and private structures.

Roman influence helped shape cities that remain central to a visit to Tuscany, including Lucca, Pisa, Siena and Florence. In Pisa, the audio guide includes the Piazza del Duomo, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Ambo of the Cathedral of Pisa and Ponte di Mezzo. Lucca offers a different view of the region’s history, with places including Lucca Cathedral, the baptismal font of San Frediano, the Ducal Palace and the Giardino di Palazzo Pfanner.

Visit Tuscany’s hill towns and medieval communities

Hills cover nearly two thirds of Tuscany, creating the agricultural landscape that has become one of the region’s defining images. Medieval villages and historic towns sit within this rolling country, while the Mugello valley north of Florence is enclosed by the Apennines.

The Via Francigena brought pilgrims between Rome and France during the Middle Ages. Their journeys encouraged communities to grow around churches and taverns, where travellers could find food and shelter.

Several towns offer especially rich ways to explore this history:

• Siena is one of Tuscany’s major historic centres, with the Cathedral of Siena, Cappella di Piazza, Piazza del Campo and Castello di Belcaro among its narrated places.
• San Gimignano includes the Loggia del Comune, Rocca di Montestaffoli, Campatelli Tower and Collegiate Church of San Gimignano.
• Montepulciano combines historic palaces and museums, including Fortezza Medicea, Palazzo Contucci, Palazzo del Capitano and the Museo Civico di Montepulciano.
• Pienza has the Cattedrale dell’Assunta, the castle of Spedaletto, Sant’Anna in Camprena and the Museo Archeologico e della Città di Pienza.
• Volterra brings together the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Mary, the Museo della Tortura, the Ecomuseo dell’Alabastro and Palazzo Incontri Viti.
• Arezzo includes San Francesco, Arezzo Cathedral, San Domenico and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Explore art, literature and music

Tuscany’s cultural identity reaches beyond its monuments. Tuscan was historically preferred as the model for Italy’s national language, while writers including Dante Alighieri, Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio helped establish the literary basis of Italian culture.

Artistic schools in Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca competed during the medieval period and Renaissance. Tuscany is believed to hold the largest concentration of Renaissance art and architecture in the world, distributed across cities, villages, churches, palaces and public squares.

Music is another part of the region’s cultural story. Florence became a major musical centre, and Tuscan composers and musicians include Giacomo Puccini and Pietro Mascagni. The region’s museums and historic buildings reflect this broad cultural heritage rather than a single artistic tradition.

See the coast, ports and islands

Tuscany reaches west to the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas. Its landscapes include coastal areas, flatter land around the valley of the Arno, and the Tuscan Archipelago, whose most significant island is Elba.

Livorno offers a maritime perspective through places such as the Old Fortress, San Giovanni Battista, the Museo mediceo and Pescheria Nuova. Further along the coast, Viareggio includes the Centro Matteucci, the Galleria d’arte moderna e contemporanea “Lorenzo Viani”, the Museo della Marineria Alberto Gianni and the museums of Villa Paolina.

The region’s varied geography also includes the Apennines, Tuscany’s highest mountain range. More than 120 protected nature reserves form part of this wider setting, showing how the region combines cities, farmland, hills, mountains, coast and islands.

Taste Tuscan food and wine

Tuscan food begins with simple ingredients: legumes, bread, cheese, vegetables, mushrooms and fresh fruit. Olive oil is made from Moraiolo, Leccino and Frantoiano olives. White truffles from San Miniato appear in October and November, adding a seasonal element to the region’s food culture.

Wine is closely associated with Tuscany. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano are among the wines linked to the region. The cuisine reflects the landscape, where hilly agricultural country is more widespread than fertile plains. Its flavours come from what can be grown, gathered, pressed and baked.

Visit cities across the region

Tuscany is not limited to Florence and the best-known hill towns. Other cities add their own perspective:

• Grosseto includes the Chiesa dei Bigi, the former courthouse, the Museo di storia locale Ildebrando Imberciadori and the Museo di storia naturale della Maremma.
• Montecatini Terme has the Kursaal, MO.C.A. Montecatini Contemporary Art and Teatro Verdi.
• Pistoia includes Pistoia Cathedral, the Basilica of Our Lady of Humility, the Church of Sant’ Andrea and San Giovanni in Corte Baptistery.

Together, these destinations show why a Tuscany travel guide needs to look beyond one city. The region’s history and identity are spread across its urban centres, villages, countryside and coast.

Explore Tuscany with Neywo’s free audio guide

Neywo has free audio guides for 14 cities in Tuscany, with 47 walking tours and 1,264 narrated places in total. Narration is available in 11 languages.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Download Neywo and explore Tuscany city by city, choosing the places and walks that fit your day.