Toscana: History Flashcards
What is the Rinascimento?
The Renaissance; it is the cultural movement that took place between the 14th and 16th centuries, European-wide. It is the time when politics, culture, arts, architecture, science and economics of the day reached their apogee.
Tourism is one of Tuscany’s most important sources of income. How many visiter do they get each year?
More than 10 million.
Name the cities in Toscana that attract tourists from all over the world.
Citta d’arte (cities of art):
* Firenze
* Siena
* Arezzo
* Pisa
Smaller, timeless medieval towns:
* San Gimignano
* Montepulciano
* Pitigliano
* Monteriggioni
* Volterra
How is Toscana described, revealing a double identity when it comes to wine?
It is both:
* a bastion of tradition
* a land of innovation
Which respected wines have been made in Toscana for centuries and attest to the region’s ancient and noble wine heritage?
- Chianti Classico
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
- Carmignano
- Chianti Rufina
- Pomina
Which wine region is usually the only one capable of rivaling Piemonte in the number of top awards and ratings?
Toscana
How long has the territory of modern-day Toscana been inhabited?
Since the 2nd millenium BC.
The area of Toscan acquired its first real identity when it was settled by which people? When?
The Etruscans settle here in the 9th century BC. They remained the dominant and civilizing presence for centuries.
What is the name Toscana derived from?
From the Latin “Etruria,” a word used by the Romans to indicate the land inhabited by the Etruscans. Over time, “Etruria” became “Tuscia” and then Toscana.
How did the Etruscans contribute to viticulture and winemaking?
They possessed an advanced know-how of viticulure and winemaking. This proved critical to the expansion and development of viticulture and wine production in the territories they ruled.
They domesticated wild vines (Vitis vinifera sylvestris) and trained them high above the ground using trees as natural supports.
Wine was a central part of their society, culture and everyday life.
How far did the Etruscans export their wines?
They developed a flourishing commercial trade as early as the 7th century BC and exported wines to the southern coast of France and Spain.
When did Etruscan control of the Toscana region end?
In the 3rd century BC, they were defeated by Rome and became part of the territories controlled by the Roman Republic.
How did Tuscan wines fair under Roman rule?
The region continued to produce wine, although these wines never achieved popularity within the Empire.
When did Roman rule over Toscana end?
Upon the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD.
After which, the region was invaded by hordes of Barbarians.
When was viticulture revived after the Barbarian invasion? Who by?
The monastic orders arrested the decline of viticulture after the fall of the Roman Empire. From the 12th century onwards, vineyards rebounded and became increasingly widespread across the whole region.
Name the ancient wine families of Toscana.
- Ricasoli: producing/selling wines since the 12th century.
- Frescobaldi: as of the early 14th century.
- Antinori: since the 14th century.
The operations of these families rank among some of the oldest continuously operating companies in the world and among a handful of long-standing commercial wine producers still doing business.
Some of the most important noble Florentine (i.e. from Firenze/Florence) families are strongly connected to wine as long-standing wine producers.
What happened in Toscana in the 12th century?
Several towns gradually morphed into independent communes (communi) or city-states, transforming the region into a highly fractioned territory of different political entities.
What are Siena and Firenze and what is their contribution to Toscana history?
They were Republics that became regional super-powers as of the 13th century. The large majority of the region was divided between them and they fought with each other constantly. This continued for the next 300 years.
Which Republic became the center of the Rinascimento?
Firenze
Why is the Rinascimento important?
The Renaissance marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the early Modern Age.
Poets, scholars, architects, painters, sculptors and scientists all contributed to this cultural movement that brought art, literature, architecture and poetry to some of the highest levels every reached.
