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Tuscany
A must for art lovers and students of art history, Blue Guide Tuscany 's meticulous coverage of the city ensures that visitors make the most of their stay. An invaluable guide to local churches, museums, and galleries, it provides a wealth of practical information on traveling through the region. 37 maps and plans, 44 photographs.
Paperback
First published June 1, 1993
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About the author
Alta MacAdam
20 books1 follower Alta Macadam is a Florence-based art historian who is one of the Blue Guides' best-selling authors.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 2, 2023
This is an incredibly comprehensive guide for the region of Tuscany. Here you are bound to find, with reasonable depth and detail, information on the numerous sites both in the cities and towns and in the countryside.
Following the pattern of other Blue Guides, this is very neatly organized, starting with a brief historical recap of each town and the specific site (if in the countryside). Mrs. MacAdam breadth in knowledge is stunning, as she moves seamlessly through these different ages and buildings, providing not only historical context but also cultural: which architects designed such buildings, which artists decorated it, the meanings of these choices, the artistic movement they belonged to and the political and social context that framed the building construction and/or renovation. For especially large and rich sights, maps are provided so you can understand the different parts of the building and the works and different artists responsible for each part.
This guide has an especially important historical flavor due to the fragmented structure that Tuscany had for hundreds of years during the Middle Ages, with many city-republics that vied for control of the region and surrounding towns. It also differs from most of the other Blue Guides since goes beyond simply explaining the urban environment and focuses a lot in the sights in the rural countryside that is characteristic of much of Tuscany.
With such a comprehensive source available, I would recommend you read and highlight the most interesting parts, specially of the towns you want to visit: this will help you prioritize. It also helps you to wander around the region with context and quickly refresh on the details of each specific sight by browsing its entry.
Of the (many) very nice cities I discovered through this guide, I would highlight:
I – Siena, historically the city that has for the longest time fought against Florence for the supremacy of the region. The city itself is unique, walkable, and preserves many of its medieval characteristics. The city’s Cathedral is one of the most unique religious buildings I saw in Italy
II – Lucca and Pisa: both medium towns, that gravitated around Florence and Siena in the political squabbles of Tuscany. Lucca preserves a lot of its medieval character, with its wall being walkable and the city’s Cathedral and San Michele in Foro being the most impressive sites. Despite visiting just a small fraction of Pisa, the Cathedral (which the famous leaning tower is the campanile) is awesome, both outside and especially inside, and one of the most impressive sights I visited in Italy.
III – Monterrigioni and Castelmuzio are both very small, walled cities, exemplify the concept of medieval castle in the region.
IV - San Gimignano, Pienza and Chiusi are all smaller cities, with most of the experience being in walking through its streets. San Gimignano is notorious for its many towers, while Pienza has some stunning views of the countryside, specially from the Palazzo Piccolomini, a countryside retreat of the popes. Chiusi, historically an important Etruscan town, has a very large underground funerary complex and the impressive Cathedral of San Secondiano.
Following the pattern of other Blue Guides, this is very neatly organized, starting with a brief historical recap of each town and the specific site (if in the countryside). Mrs. MacAdam breadth in knowledge is stunning, as she moves seamlessly through these different ages and buildings, providing not only historical context but also cultural: which architects designed such buildings, which artists decorated it, the meanings of these choices, the artistic movement they belonged to and the political and social context that framed the building construction and/or renovation. For especially large and rich sights, maps are provided so you can understand the different parts of the building and the works and different artists responsible for each part.
This guide has an especially important historical flavor due to the fragmented structure that Tuscany had for hundreds of years during the Middle Ages, with many city-republics that vied for control of the region and surrounding towns. It also differs from most of the other Blue Guides since goes beyond simply explaining the urban environment and focuses a lot in the sights in the rural countryside that is characteristic of much of Tuscany.
With such a comprehensive source available, I would recommend you read and highlight the most interesting parts, specially of the towns you want to visit: this will help you prioritize. It also helps you to wander around the region with context and quickly refresh on the details of each specific sight by browsing its entry.
Of the (many) very nice cities I discovered through this guide, I would highlight:
I – Siena, historically the city that has for the longest time fought against Florence for the supremacy of the region. The city itself is unique, walkable, and preserves many of its medieval characteristics. The city’s Cathedral is one of the most unique religious buildings I saw in Italy
II – Lucca and Pisa: both medium towns, that gravitated around Florence and Siena in the political squabbles of Tuscany. Lucca preserves a lot of its medieval character, with its wall being walkable and the city’s Cathedral and San Michele in Foro being the most impressive sites. Despite visiting just a small fraction of Pisa, the Cathedral (which the famous leaning tower is the campanile) is awesome, both outside and especially inside, and one of the most impressive sights I visited in Italy.
III – Monterrigioni and Castelmuzio are both very small, walled cities, exemplify the concept of medieval castle in the region.
IV - San Gimignano, Pienza and Chiusi are all smaller cities, with most of the experience being in walking through its streets. San Gimignano is notorious for its many towers, while Pienza has some stunning views of the countryside, specially from the Palazzo Piccolomini, a countryside retreat of the popes. Chiusi, historically an important Etruscan town, has a very large underground funerary complex and the impressive Cathedral of San Secondiano.
July 28, 2010
The Blue Guides are solid and comprehensive, but there is a mind-numbing amount of material on buildings, particularly churches, which don't interest me that much. I wish the same sort of vigor were extended to other aspects of the subject, but, alas, no.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews