<p>Stand at the edge of a Tuscan hill village and gaze across one of the most extraordinarily rich and varied landscapes in Europe. There are vineyards producing the finest wine, and miles of wild mountain scenery; almost any view will take in other villages, clustering around the upper reaches of some hill, or the russet roofs of a fortified town deep in a valley.</p><p>Here are thirty-six villages and towns from all over Tuscany, chosen both for their intrinsic beauty and for the part they have played in Tuscan history and culture. The book opens with those communities clustered around the great towns of Lucca and Florence. As we move south through the Chianti region to the valley of the Orcia, we discover the unique characteristics of each area. Here is the small town of Pienza, once called the “pearl of the Renaissance” for its unique concentration of palaces and churches. Here too is San Gimignano, where the medieval towers loom over the town's squares and streets.</p>