Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany is a region in central Italy with a land area of over 23,000 square kilometers (8,900 square miles) and a population of approximately 3.8 million people. Florence is the regional capital (Firenze). Tuscany is well-known for its scenery, history, artistic legacy, and cultural impact. Due to the Tuscan dialect's historical prominence as the language of culture across Italy, it is recognized as the cradle of the Italian Renaissance and of the standard dialect of the Italian language.

When the film adaptation of Frances Mayes' "Under the Tuscan Sun" was released in 2003, people around the world all had the impression that Tuscany was a location of romance, chianti wine, olives, delicious cookery, and, of course, sunshine. Today, many visitors come to this magnificent region in northwest Italy to escape the rush and bustle of Rome or Milan and instead enjoy the Italian countryside. The blend of castles-turned-wineries-turned-hotels, graceful cypress trees, flowing slopes, and spreading vines is absolutely divine.