Last reviewed: · Prices in Euro (€) are approximate and for orientation only.
Overview of Tuscany (Toscana)
Tuscany (Italian: Toscana) is one of Italy's 20 administrative regions, with its regional capital at Florence and 273 official municipalities (comuni). Key sights and travel highlights across the region include Florence Duomo, Uffizi & Oltrarno, Siena Piazza del Campo, Val d'Orcia (Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano), San Gimignano towers, Lucca walls & Pisa.
How to get to Tuscany
Firenze Santa Maria Novella high-speed rail hub; Florence (FLR) and Pisa (PSA) airports; Trenitalia Regionale lines to Pisa, Lucca, Viareggio, Arezzo, and Siena, plus Autolinee Toscane buses to hill towns. Use our Frecciarossa & Italo Fare Calculator and Trenitalia Pass Value Helper to compare rail tickets in Euro (€).
What Locals Actually Eat in Tuscany
Across the cities, hill towns, and villages of Tuscany, neighborhood trattorie, wood-fired forni (bakeries), and seasonal town sagre serve traditional regional cooking:
1. Primo — Handmade Pasta, Risotto & Polenta
Hand-rolled thick pici pasta with garlic-tomato aglione sauce or wild boar ragù (al cinghiale), wide pappardelle with hare or porcini mushrooms, and twice-cooked bread-and-cavolo-nero soup (ribollita) or tomato-bread pappa al pomodoro (€9–€14). In central Italy around Florence (Florence), seasonal menus balance hill-town olive oil, hand-rolled pasta, foraged mushrooms, and hearth-grilled meats.
2. Secondo & Trattoria Staples
Thick T-bone steak grilled rare over oak and olive embers (bistecca alla fiorentina, shared by weight), peppery terracotta beef stew (peposo), herb-roasted pork loin (arista), or crispy lampredotto tripe sandwiches dipped in green salsa verde at street carts (€5–€6).
3. Local Cheeses, Cured Meats, Breads & Wine
Aged sheep's milk Pecorino di Pienza (cured in walnut leaves or hay), fennel-scented finocchiona salami, unsalted Tuscan pane sciocco (baked to pair with savory sauces), almond cantucci biscuits dipped in sweet Vin Santo, and Sangiovese reds (Chianti, Brunello, Nobile).
4. How & When Locals Eat Here
Mid-morning schiacciata flatbread stuffed with pecorino and cured ham (€5–€7) fuels working locals, while summer and autumn weekends revolve around outdoor village sagre celebrating wild boar, chestnuts, porcini, and new olive oil (olio nuovo). In Florence (pop. 50,000), neighborhood bars, bakeries (forni), and trattorie across Florence follow traditional regional dining hours—ask locally for the weekly market morning and patron-saint festival date.
Best time to visit Tuscany
Best time to visit Tuscany: Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct.
Featured Cities & Towns in Tuscany (46)
Start with the largest cities and major tourist towns in Tuscany, or scroll down to the complete A–Z directory of all 273 municipalities:
| City / Town | Status | Population | Province | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firenze (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 378,839 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Prato | Comune (Municipality) | 194,590 | Provincia di Prato | Guide & food → |
| Livorno | Comune (Municipality) | 157,783 | Provincia di Livorno | Guide & food → |
| Arezzo (Province of Arezzo) | Comune (Municipality) | 99,179 | Province of Arezzo | Guide & food → |
| Pistoia | Comune (Municipality) | 90,358 | Provincia di Pistoia | Guide & food → |
| Pisa (Province of Pisa) | Comune (Municipality) | 88,880 | Province of Pisa | Guide & food → |
| Lucca | Comune (Municipality) | 88,824 | Provincia di Lucca | Guide & food → |
| Grosseto | Comune (Municipality) | 82,353 | Provincia di Grosseto | Guide & food → |
| Massa | Comune (Municipality) | 68,889 | Provincia di Massa-Carrara | Guide & food → |
| Carrara | Comune (Municipality) | 62,285 | Provincia di Massa-Carrara | Guide & food → |
| Viareggio | Comune (Municipality) | 62,056 | Provincia di Lucca | Guide & food → |
| Siena | Comune (Municipality) | 53,937 | Provincia di Siena | Guide & food → · Flagship |
| Scandicci (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 50,551 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Sesto Fiorentino (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 49,331 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Empoli (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 48,795 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Campi Bisenzio (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 47,141 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Capannori | Comune (Municipality) | 46,216 | Provincia di Lucca | Guide & food → |
| Cascina (Province of Pisa) | Comune (Municipality) | 45,059 | Province of Pisa | Guide & food → |
| Piombino | Comune (Municipality) | 33,559 | Provincia di Livorno | Guide & food → |
| Camaiore | Comune (Municipality) | 32,283 | Provincia di Lucca | Guide & food → |
| San Giuliano Terme (Province of Pisa) | Comune (Municipality) | 31,195 | Province of Pisa | Guide & food → |
| Rosignano Marittimo | Comune (Municipality) | 30,807 | Provincia di Livorno | Guide & food → |
| Pontedera (Province of Pisa) | Comune (Municipality) | 29,223 | Province of Pisa | Guide & food → |
| Poggibonsi | Comune (Municipality) | 28,948 | Provincia di Siena | Guide & food → |
| Cecina | Comune (Municipality) | 28,101 | Provincia di Livorno | Guide & food → |
| San Miniato (Province of Pisa) | Comune (Municipality) | 27,959 | Province of Pisa | Guide & food → |
| Quarrata | Comune (Municipality) | 26,693 | Provincia di Pistoia | Guide & food → |
| Bagno a Ripoli (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 25,566 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Montevarchi (Province of Arezzo) | Comune (Municipality) | 24,490 | Province of Arezzo | Guide & food → |
| Pietrasanta | Comune (Municipality) | 23,600 | Provincia di Lucca | Guide & food → |
| Figline e Incisa Valdarno (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 23,411 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Fucecchio (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 23,082 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Massarosa | Comune (Municipality) | 22,322 | Provincia di Lucca | Guide & food → |
| Cortona (Province of Arezzo) | Comune (Municipality) | 21,984 | Province of Arezzo | Guide & food → |
| Colle di Val d'Elsa | Comune (Municipality) | 21,737 | Provincia di Siena | Guide & food → |
| Monsummano Terme | Comune (Municipality) | 21,151 | Provincia di Pistoia | Guide & food → |
| Follonica | Comune (Municipality) | 21,106 | Provincia di Grosseto | Guide & food → |
| Pontassieve (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 20,689 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Montecatini-Terme | Comune (Municipality) | 20,673 | Provincia di Pistoia | Guide & food → |
| Lastra a Signa (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 20,294 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Pescia | Comune (Municipality) | 19,674 | Provincia di Pistoia | Guide & food → |
| Signa (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 18,874 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Montemurlo | Comune (Municipality) | 18,821 | Provincia di Prato | Guide & food → |
| Borgo San Lorenzo (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 18,319 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Calenzano (Province of Florence) | Comune (Municipality) | 17,940 | Province of Florence | Guide & food → |
| Agliana | Comune (Municipality) | 17,920 | Provincia di Pistoia | Guide & food → |
All 273 Official Comuni in Tuscany (A–Z)
Every single municipality (comune) in Tuscany has its own travel and local food guide. Click any town below: