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TOURS
 Pistoia
As can be seen by the Piazza del Duomo, it is a medieval town, surrounded by all the most important civic buildings: Chatedral, Baptistery, Bishop’s Palace, Townhall and Magistrate’s Palace, where the Giostra dell’Orso takes place. Within the medieval town walls, one can see the marvellous churches dedicated to San Giovanni Fuorcivitas and to Sant Andrea, plus the renaissance Spedale del Ceppo.
 Montecatini
e Val di Nievole
Between the thermal baths and the ancient town of Monecatini founded on a dominating position in the valley, with Serravalle, a well preserved castle beonging to Contottiere Castruccio Castracani to the east and Pescia area to the west, with its flower market and Villa Garzoni, in Pinocchio’s town Collodi, which also boasts a theme park..
 Prato
Textiles and history but also the history of textiles. Prato is the Italian textile industry capital, with it’s thematic museums (Fabric) and the Contemporary Art Centre (Pecci Centre), it is certainly the Tuscan centre which strives for cultural and artistic renewal. Prato offers a perfectly preserved historical centre, a magnificent Cathedral, where many artists have created masterpieces (e.g. Filippo Lippi and Donatello) whilst it was the Tuscan capital of Emperor Frederick II (the Castle is his) plus banker Datini’s town, whose archives (still found in his Palace) are the richest example of medieval accountancy.
 Artimino,
Carmignano e Poggio a Caiano
Amongst Bisenzio river dale and Monte Albano woods, a famous wine region can be seen (Carmignano), with marvellous Medici Villas (Poggio a Caiano – open to the public and Artimino) where the famous artist Pontormo worked (the Visitation at Carmignano is his), and also where famous members of the Medici Femily lived and mysteriously died. Important Etruscan sites can be found in the Monte Albano forests (excavations and Museum in the fortified centre of Artimino).
 Livorno
The Tuscan port is the outcome of mixing different cultures due to maritime trade; the port still has the powerful Medici fortifications, and it’s colourful alleyways are skirted by canals, where the Livornese moor their boats. The Venezia Quarter is the oldest and most charming, however, the modern centre is attractive without forgetting one of the most important Synagogues of Italy.
 Costa
degli Etruschi "ETRUSCAN COAST"
A whole day between Piombino and Castiglioncello, a route that goes from lovely beaches to important historical and archaeological remains, Piombino port with its rich museum and castle, Leonardo’s fortifications and Napoleon’s sister’s Villa. The Populonia excavations are amongst the most important in Tuscany, with the castle dominating the Tyrrhenian Sea. Suverto, Campiglia and Castagneto Carducci are lovely old mining towns, and then Bolgheri with it's famous wines and cypresses.
 Isle of Elba
The iron and Napoleonic Isle, with the Rio mines, inland castles and Medici fortifications at Portoferraio. Unforgettable views can be seen on the emerald isle in the middle of an immaculately blue sea, full of mountainous villages (Monte Capanne al 1018 mt.), and outstanding history and nature caught between sea and sky.
 Carrara
and the Quarries
One of the most original Tuscan destinations, to see the marble quarries in the Apuana Mountains near Carrara; these magnificent places show the continual struggle between man and nature in order to forge the earth’s wares. The town can be found on the mountain slope, in spellbinding surroundings, where quarrymen have transformed the Romanesque Cathedral found among the narrow ancient central roads.
 Massa
and Lunigiana
Massa was Malispina's town, a family that ruled Massa in the 15th century, which castle on top of the city hill is a marvellous exemple of renaissance Fortress dominating the cetral Aranci Square.
Leaving the town driving along the Magra Valley we can visit the charming towns and castles as Fosdinovo, an other Malaspina fortress, and other stone castle surrounded by green woods, reaching finally Pontremoli, the last town before leaving Tuscany.
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