Welcome to Tuscany

Tuscans love of their native village is summed up in the word campanilismo. Roughly translated it means an attachment to the local area of one's birth, as defined by the campanile, or bell tower, that stood

guard over each community. The church bell regulated the lives of medieval Tuscans, calling them not only to worship, but also to gather for political meetings, or as a warning to bear arms. Great rivalries between cities or even contrade, parishes within cities, exist to this day, often witnessed by competitions and races such as Siena's Palio.

Campanilismo

Bell tower of Florence's  Badia Fiorentia.

Siena's Torre del Mangia on the Palazzo Pubblico.

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