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History of Tuscany

PREHISTORY

We don't know which were the early inhabitants of Tuscany, but, sure thing is that She can claim very old origins as they show discoveries of scapers and splinters in the cave of the Mount Uccellina in Apuane Alps and in the Mugello, that could date to the Paleolithic Age. Evidences about the Neolithic Age are found in the Elba Island (there could be rests of megalithic sculptures, whereas statues steles are present in Lunigiana. Other traces date to the Second Millenium B.C. and could concern the Iron Age and the Bronze Age; of that period were be found rests of villages on palafittes, many discoveries are been in the Uccellina Park, in the area of Saint Pietro a Sieve, Dicomane in the Mugello and in the Mount Cortona, objects and furnishings that show the existence of a civilization with a not bad social organization. In the middle of 10th and 8th centuries, there is, then, the flowering of the Villanovian civilization, from Villanova, a Castenaso hamlet, and here there are been some archeological discovery with notable interest: lances, swords, combs and jewels, to prove the progresses reached by popolations in the manufactures of metals.

ETRUSCANS

In the middle of the 8th and 3th centuries B.C. it flowered and developed in Tuscany the extraordinary Etruscan civilization, that will leave an indelible impression not only on this territory, but also for the following civilizations. From them the country first took the name of 'Etruria', from which it was derived 'Tuscia' for Romans, then 'Tuscania' and for last 'Toscana' (Tuscany in English). The provenance of this people is still uncertain. Someone theorizes that Etruscans can have origins in Lidia, in Middle East, but other theories assert that they can be autochthonous people, or maybe can be original of North Europe. They did never arrive to constitute a real state, dividing themself on the contrary in many towns with their annexed territories, in a first time governed by kings and after by oligarchies. Whatever they occuped almost the whole of territory from the Po-plain to Campania. They built roads, drained marshes and erected towns, as Arezzo, Tarquinia, Chiusi, Vulci, Roselle, Vetulonia, Veio, Volsini and Volterra. The period of the greatest expansione there was in the 6th century B.C., when they pushed on Val Padana, in the Maremma of Latium. The civilization's level reached by this people is testified by the exceptional archeological finds, found in the necropolises tombs. They are representative of extremely advanced civilization also for the social life, as the similitudes of rights, unusual for that age, for the men and women show; it's interesting for example that the wife could benefit from the husband's inheritance or that she could participate with him to the pubblic and social life. This notable evolution will influence a lot Rome, from the political point of view and for the costums. The country of Tuscany was for Etruscans the last bulwark inside which they defended themself before the Roman occupation in the 3th century B.C., after many defeats.

THE ROMAN AGE

The Roman domination represented for Tuscany another period of great importance and growth. In fact Romans, taken office in the Etruscans sites, occuped their towns, changing the order of them, enlarging and building new towns. It's the case of Florence, founded indeed in 59 B.C. By the roman occupation, Tuscany went to an inexorable romanization and a strong expansion: they will rise important road-nets, some of them used also today; they served to connect Rome with the provinces. Among them, we remember Aurelia Way, Cassia, Clodia and Flaminia. The new territorial order saw the achievment of new towns, and so there was the birth of Pisa, Pistoia and Lucca. A period of crisis waited for Tuscany at the end repubblican age, but by the administrative reorganization operated by emperor Augusto, Tuscany could try again her identity becoming the Regio VII of the Empire, while by the government of Diocleziano was united with Umbria and took as name 'Tuscia', and had Florentia(Florence) as seat of provincial government.

MIDDLE AGE (V-XI centuries A.C.)

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Tuscany was invaded by Ostrogothiansin 525 A.C. and then divided up between Longobardians and Byzantines in 570 A.C. Of the Longobardic domination tracks in Fiesole remain, in the graveyard near the Amphitheatre and inside some towers, but the most significant evidences are in Lucchesia and in Lunigiana, being Lucca the capital of the Dukedom of Tuscia. During the Longobardic domination the Tuscany became a strategic node in the way from Pavia to the Dukedoms of Spoleto and Benevento; after the fall of the Longobardians defeated by Karl the Great, with the coming of the Frankish Kingdom of the Carolingians, in 774 A.C. the dukedom became a countship, then the marquisate of Lucca. This is the period of the Christiatity's diffusion, of the building of the parish churches and of the birth of the Francigena Way, essential element for Empire's administration and transit's node for the pilgrims that went to Rome. In the X century, the Saxon dynasty of Ottones took the power, under that the limits to North were enlarged as for as Liguria and the seat of the feud was moved from Lucca to Florence. In the XI century the Mark was passed to the family of Attoni, feudatory of Canossa, entered in a feudal system that so included Emilia, Lombardia and Tuscany, because they owned also Modena, Reggio Emilia and Mantova. At the death of Bonifacio II, the Mark passed to his wife Beatrice From Lorena and then at the son, that is the famous Matilde from Canossa, who, at the her own death in 1115, leaved to the Church the Mark of Tuscany, fact that created a lot of discontent for the Empire, causing the beginning of a series of revendications and many struggles for the purpose to acquire there territories. Taking advantage of that situation, towns of Tuscany learned to conquer and to administrate their autonomy and to become day to day politically more indipendent and financially progressive. In the meantime, the revendication of the testament from the Emperor had inflamed a dispute between Guelfi and Ghibellini, that will characterize very much the political life of that age. At the end an agreement decided that the South Tuscia would become a Church's possession, and the rest was splited among the now pwerful towns of Pisa, Arezzo, Florence, Siena, Lucca and Pistoia.

ITALIAN CITY-STATES

So the Italian city-states were born, precussors oh the Seignioies, that after will become real states. The birth of the city-states was accompanied by an interesting flourishing of economical activities. : mercantile, agricultural and commercial activities, also becouse they were ruled by guilds of merchants of the Guelfan faction or by noble feudals of the Ghibellinan faction. Guelfi were on side of Church and Ghibellini of the Empire. Theese justifications united to there of expansion and of supremacy will take Tuscany to live a period of wars and battles amongst the several city-states. In the XI century Pisa is the most powerful town in Tuscany; its dominion extend on all Tyrrenian Tuscany, Sardinian and Corse. But victories will take to the Florence's ascent to Pisa's cost, and so, at the end of 1200, Florence will conquer, not only the access to the sea, but also Pisa, Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia and Mugello. The development and the expansion will be stopped by the black pestilence in 1348, effects of which not only will change the town-plannings and of the people, but will have some political implication. The political life of Florence, however, is still distinguished by the contrasts between Guelfi and Ghibellini and by incessant struggles among rival famimies.

MEDICI'S FAMILY

Theese fights will last more than one century, and precisely untill the achievment of the Medici's family that will succeed to increase his power, putting a stop to the battles among the other families and presenting to Florence one of the most brilliant ages of its history, staing to govern untill the coming of the Lorena family at the middle of 1700. At the beginning the figure of Cosimo the Old was putted to the government of the town. He maintained all institutions of the Repubblic, performing a policy of moderation moved forward in excellent way by his nephew Lorenzo the Magnificent. The period of Cosimo and Lorenzo was that of greatest artistic and cultural splendor for the Florence's Seigniory, and could be an important element of equilibrium where the interests had divided and crumbled. That was a return to the Repubblic two years after the death of Lorenzo, in 1495, when his son Piero was chased away from Florence becouse he didn't enough oppose to the claims of Karl VIII from France. The re-established Repubblic was ruled by the friar Girolamo Savonarola, whose regime of iron-rigour founded on the faith's precepts was soon unpleasant for Florenciants. After his death the Repubblic showed all its faintness that was very clear espacially during the war for the reconquest of Pisa in 1509. So there was a return of the Medici's family that staied at the power untill 1527, when they was chased away again because of the Pope Clemente VII, that turned his back on the Emperor Karl V, sanctioned his own alliance with the France of Francis I, causing the wrath of the Emperor and of the Florencians that suffered the revenge of Karl V and the ruin. The third return of Medici was three years later and with Alessandro de' Medici, duke in 1532, there was a work of cancellation o the high-class forces that had supported the Repubblic. After his death, occurred by an assassination in 1537, with Cosimo I there was a resettling of the political life. In substance he kept alive the Repubblic's institutions, but making them harmless and removing from the great families that could be a threat. So Medicies, becoming Dukes of Florencein 1532 and Greatdukes of Tuscany in 1569, sanctioned that political stabilization and their domain became complete when they included, in 1557, the territory of the Siena's Repubblic to their possessions. In this period all Tuscany's area was under the domination of Florence's Seigniory, with the exception of Lucca, again autonomous Repubblic, Piombino, Massa, Carrara. The State of Presidi and Pitigliano-shire. At the death of Cosimo the first, in 1574 reins pased to his son Francesco I, great patron of artists and litrates as Buontalenti and Giambologna, but also notorious for his poor political talents. The only his heir died very young, so, at his death, the Greatdukedom passed to his brother Ferdinando I. With Ferdinando I there was a revival of the political life: specially he was interested to European political things by an approaching to the France, thinking well to give as wife his nephew Maria, son of Francesco, to Enrich the Ivth of Bourbon, king of France. This fact crossed a lot the expansion of Savoy's State that at that time threatened, before holded by Francesco I. In the middle of 1609 and 1670 there was a period of decline and weakening of the Greatdukedom, great patrons of Galileo Galilei, Cosimo II and his son Ferdinando II, however had not the same political talent as their predecessor. In 1670 the death of Ferdinando was followed by the ascension of his son Cosimo III that of his religiosity made his political faith and took the town and the Greatdukedom to the last stage of the dominion of Medicies, when with Gian Gastone a gust of renewal striked the political life stagnating already too, but now it could be glimpsed the fading of this illustrious family upon the history of Tuscany that left space to a new chapter and to a new age. In 1737, at the death of Gian Gastone De' Medici, the family died out. But the last heir of this family, Anna Maria Luisa, the Palatina princess, took care of Greatdukedom at the death of her brother and thanks to her and to her far-sightedness that the name of her family and his artistic heritage have remained binded to the splendid town of Florence. Lovers of art and beautiful things, in the 300 years of their reign, Medicies left to Florence, to Tuscany and to all the world an inestimable artistic richness and also a full of history and rich in illustrious personages past.