Tuscany is a central Italian region of about 3.66 million people, home to Florence, the Sword in the Stone and the world’s first modern ban on the death penalty. Here are 15 things you may not know about Tuscany, updated for 2026.
Prefer to watch? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JROmtdZbEMw
| Key fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Population | About 3.66 million |
| Area | 22,987 square km (8,875 square miles) |
| Capital | Florence |
| UNESCO sites | 8 |
| Death penalty abolished | 30 November 1786 |
1. Tuscany is home to the Sword in the Stone
The sword of Galgano Guidotti, a Tuscan knight born in Chiusdino in 1148, is still stuck in a rock on the hill of Montesiepi near Siena. According to legend he drove it into the stone to renounce war, then lived as a hermit and died in 1181 at the age of 33. He was later canonized, and the sword is displayed inside the Montesiepi Chapel.
2. Tuscany was the first modern state to abolish the death penalty
On 30 November 1786, under Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo (soon to be Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II), the Grand Duchy of Tuscany formally banned capital punishment and torture. It was the first modern state to do so, decades before Italian unification in 1860. The penalty was reintroduced in 1790 and Italy abolished it in peacetime in 1889.
3. Tuscany has more football clubs than most Italian regions
Fiorentina is the region’s biggest club and plays in Serie A. Other Tuscan teams, including Empoli, Pisa, Livorno, Siena and Arezzo, move between the professional divisions and the lower leagues, and roughly 55 clubs exist across the region by the old count. For more on football wealth, read our look at the sport’s richest players in our net worth section.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4QRtfxDc8I
4. Tuscany has ski resorts
Few visitors expect skiing in the land of vineyards, but the Apennines and Apuan Alps do offer it. Abetone in the Pistoia Mountains is the biggest ski area, followed by Monte Amiata, Monte Cimone, Zum Zeri and smaller spots such as Careggine. Slopes and lift counts change with snowfall and operators, so check the resort before you go. For bigger options, see our guide to the best ski resorts in Europe.
5. Old Tuscan wealth has lasted for centuries
Many of Tuscany’s richest families have held assets for generations, often in wine. The Antinori family is the clearest example: Marchesi Antinori traces its history to 1385, when Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Guild of Winemakers, and the company is still family-run and based in Florence. It is among Italy’s biggest wine producers and helped lead the Super-Tuscan revolution of the 1970s. Piero Antinori, who led the company for decades, became one of the faces of that story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAy_G-1JF74
6. Tuscany was occupied by Nazi Germany in World War II
Benito Mussolini was removed from power in July 1943, and in September Italy withdrew from its alliance with Germany and joined the Allies. German troops then occupied much of the country, including Tuscany, and Allied forces fought to drive them out through 1944.
7. The Pazzi Conspiracy shook Florence in 1478
The Pazzi family plotted with allies to remove the Medici from power in Florence. On 26 April 1478, attackers tried to kill Lorenzo de’ Medici and his brother Giuliano. Giuliano was killed, Lorenzo was wounded but survived, and the Pazzi were punished and exiled.
8. Tuscany had its own fake wine scandal
Tuscan wine has a famous name to protect. In 2014, Italian police seized counterfeit labels for top wines such as Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino, along with low-quality wine that could fill roughly 290,000 bottles, in what was described as one of the biggest agri-food scandals in Italy. The affair led to tighter controls on authenticity. Curious what real collectors pay? See our look at the most expensive bottles of wine in the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhVZEoqUoes
9. Florence was an early adopter of paved streets
Historians credit Florence with paving its streets in 1339, among the earliest cities in Europe to do so. The city was a banking and merchant center, and good roads helped trade.
10. The most expensive hotel in Tuscany
The Four Seasons Hotel Firenze sits in a former palace in central Florence, and its Royal Suite is widely described as one of Europe’s most expensive hotel rooms, with 17th-century frescoes and vaulted ceilings. Reported prices for the suite vary by source and season, from roughly 13,000 to 18,500 per night, and standard rooms at the hotel start from around 900 euros. Check the hotel’s own booking page for current rates. See also the most expensive hotels in the world.
11. Hills and mountains cover most of Tuscany
Tuscany covers about 23,000 square kilometres (8,875 square miles), and it is dominated by hills, with mountain ranges such as the Apuan Alps, Monte Amiata and the Pistoia Mountains. Few plains, but fertile ones, fill the rest. Hills and mountains explain the vineyards, the hill towns and the hiking.
12. Florence hosts a large art scene, with the Uffizi at its centre
The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most visited art museums in the world and a leading attraction in Florence. Tuscany now has eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, among them the historic centres of Florence (1982), Siena (1995) and San Gimignano (1990), the Val d’Orcia (2004), and Montecatini Terme as part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe (2021).
13. Pinocchio is from Tuscany
The Adventures of Pinocchio was written by Carlo Collodi, born in Florence in 1826. It was first published in 1881 in a children’s magazine and as a book in 1883, and it gave the world one of its most reimagined characters. Disney’s film followed in 1940. The name Pinocchio probably comes from the Tuscan word for pine nut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB_zxmWNIpA
14. There is a legal drinking age in Italy, and it is 18
Many people think Italy has no drinking age. Until 2012, Italy had no purchase age for off-premise sales, and 16 for bars was not well enforced. In 2012 the minimum purchase age was raised to 18. Chianti and other wine regions are a major draw for visitors of age.
15. Tuscany is the birthplace of opera
In the late 16th century the Florentine Camerata, a group of humanists, musicians and poets who met at the home of Count Giovanni de’ Bardi, tried to revive the style of ancient Greek drama. Their experiments led to monody and recitative, and in 1598 Jacopo Peri and Ottavio Rinuccini produced Dafne, regarded as the first opera. If you like live music, see our guide to techno festivals, and for better listening at home, the Gravity headphones.
Have you visited Tuscany? Tell us the best part of your trip in the comments.
Keep reading
- most expensive hotels in the world: where Florence’s top suite fits
- countries where $1 million lets you live like a king: another way to plan a move abroad
FAQ
How many people live in Tuscany?
About 3.66 million, in an area of 22,987 square kilometres (8,875 square miles). It is the ninth most populous region in Italy.
What is the capital of Tuscany?
Florence is the capital and largest city of Tuscany.
Is there a legal drinking age in Tuscany?
Yes. Italy raised its minimum purchase age for alcohol from 16 to 18 in 2012.
What is Tuscany famous for?
Tuscany is known for Florence and the Uffizi, Renaissance art, Chianti and Brunello wine, hill towns such as Siena and San Gimignano, and eight UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Where is the Sword in the Stone in Tuscany?
It is inside the Montesiepi Chapel near Chiusdino, in the province of Siena, tied to the knight-turned-saint Galgano Guidotti.
Who wrote Pinocchio?
Carlo Collodi, born in Florence in 1826, wrote it. It appeared in 1881 and as a book in 1883.
How we put this list together
We checked each claim against encyclopedic references and dated reports, and where a figure is approximate or reported differently by sources we say so. Hotel prices and ski resort details change often, so check with the venue.
Last updated: October 2026.
