Tuscany and its 7 UNESCO World Heritages

The Tuscany region boasts 7 wonders which have been declared “World Heritage” by UNESCO since 1982.

Selection criteria:

Criterion I – Representing a masterpiece of man’s creative genius.
Criterion II – Showing an important exchange of human values, over a long period of time or within a cultural area of the world, concerning developments in architecture, technology, monumental arts, urban planning and landscape design.
Criterion III – Being unique or exceptional evidence of a cultural tradition or of a living civilization or one that has disappeared.
Criterion IV – Constituting an extraordinary example of a building category, of an architectural or technological ensemble, or of a landscape, that illustrates one or more important phases in human history.
Criterion VI – Being directly or materially linked to living occurrences or traditions, ideas or beliefs, artistic or literary works, endowed with an exceptional universal meaning.

Florence

Historic centre

Walking through the streets of Florence, you will experience the thrill of strolling inside a real open-air museum. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982 because of its historical centre, which is considered the most fascinating in the world. As a matter of fact it is rich in art, history and culture. In particular, Florence is home to monuments of inestimable value such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Church of Santa Croce, the Palazzo degli Uffizi, and pieces by great artists such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo.

Criterion I 
Criterion II 
Criterion III 
Criterion IV
Criterion VI 

Pisa

Square of Miracles

Piazza del Duomo, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, houses four masterpieces of medieval architecture: the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the Campanile (the Leaning Tower) and the Camposanto. They were built between the 11th and 14th centuries, close to each other: the idea was to create a single monumental complex, which would represent the center of the religious life of Pisa. Piazza del Duomo is better known as Piazza dei Miracoli, owes its epithet to Gabriele D’Annunzio’s vivid inspiration, referring to it in his novel as the “meadow of miracles”.

Criterion I 
Criterion II 
Criterion IV
Criterion VI 

San Gimignano

Historic centre


San Gimignano
was an important stop-over for pilgrims traveling along the Via Francigena. It was named a World Heritage Site in 1990. Between the 11th and 13th, wealthy families used to build tower houses to show off their power. Today14 of its original 72 towers still stand. San Gimignano is one of the best examples of urban organization of the communal age in Europe, which perfectly preserves the characteristic medieval architecture.

Criterion I 
Criterion III 
Criterion IV

Siena

Historic centre

Siena is famous for its considerable artistic, historical, landscape heritage, described by UNESCO as “the embodiment of a Medieval city.” Siena historic center was named as World Heritage Site in 1995. The city is spread over three Y-shaped streets, which cross in Piazza del Campo where the famous Palio di Siena takes place.

Criterion I 
Criterion II
Criterion IV

Pienza

Historic centre

A precious jewel of Renaissance art and architecture is preserved within the hills of the Val D’Orcia: Pienza. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996, it is the first “ideal city” built on a human scale. Here the first Renaissance urban concepts were put into practice. Pope Pius II in 1459 decided to entrust the architect Bernardo Rosellino with the restructuring of his home town: Pienza. The idea of ​​Pius II was to make Pienza his summer residence, and for this purpose over 40 private and public buildings were renovated and erected new ones such as the Cathedral, Palazzo Piccolomini, Palazzo Borgia (also called Palazzo Episcopale), the Municipal Hall and the Palazzo Ammannati.

Criterion I
Criterion II
Criterion IV

Val d’Orcia

Cultural landscape

It was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, for its wonderful and unique landscape, characterized by expanses of sinuous hills dotted with tall and slender Cypress trees, which are a unique local symbol. Their beauty has been portrayed by numerous Renaissance artists who delighted in representing the agricultural landscapes of the time. The Val d’Orcia is crossed by the famous Via Francigena, along which it is possible to find abbeys and sanctuaries. Impossible not to mention the local food and wine excellences. Here, fine wines and tasty cheeses are witnesses of the Tuscan tradition of the past.

Criterion IV
Criterion VI 

12 Medici Villas and 2 gardens

Scattered throughout the Tuscan territory we find the twelve villas and two gardens, named UNESCO World Heritage in 2013. These bears testimony to the influence that Medici family exerted over European culture through the economic support of arts and sciences. They represent an innovation of the time in the construction of princely residences, as they were the first example of connection between architecture, gardens and the environment. Furthermore Medici villas and gardens were dedicated to leisure, the arts and knowledge.

– Villa di Castello
– Villa di Poggio a Caiano
– Villa di La Petraia
– Villa di Cerreto Guidi
– Villa di Cafaggiolo
– Villa del Trebbio
– Villa di Careggi
– Villa Medici di Fiesole
– Palazzo di Saravezza
– Villa La Magia
– Villa di Artimino
– Villa di Poggio Imperiale
– Boboli Garden
– Patrolino Garden

Criterion I 
Criterion IV
Criterion VI 

Sharing is caring!