Tuscany (TUSK-ə-nee) is a region in central Italy, famed for the beauty of its rolling lands and World Heritage site cities of Florence, Pisa and Siena.  The idea of Tuscany being a place of romance, Chanti wine, world-class cooking, picnics, and sunshine was already part of the lore for Tuscany long before the book and movie adaptation “Under the Tuscan Sun” came along in 2003.  The Tuscan countryside is a beacon for those seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of Rome and Milan, so much so that many forget about the western Tuscan coastline along the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Tuscany boasts nearly 4 million inhabitants, and its capital is Florence.  There you can see masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture, including the terracotta-tiled cathedral Duomo, with its bell tower by Giotto.  Michelangelo’s “David” is at the Galleria dell’Accademia.  And the Uffizi Gallery exhibits both Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation.”  

Some food advice?  Skip the “Menu Touristico” with its fixed-price menu, or, for those still more dedicated to finding authentic Italian cuisine, skip any restaurant that even displays a “Menu Touristico.”  Instead, look for traditional Tuscan dishes like “Fettunta,” which is the local take on bruschetta, or the summer bread salad with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, oil and vinegar.  This is only one example of using stale bread (Tuscan food is based on “Cucina Povera,” or “Poor Cooking,” which would never allow wasting of bread) in a dish, another is Ribolita with its beans, kale and toasted bread.  Still another is Pappa al Pomodoro, a comfort soup with three main ingredients:  stale bread, the ripest tomatoes and very good olive oil.