Tuscany is arguably the most alluring & iconic region of Italy. It is a place of breathtaking natural beauty, imbued with an ancient & rich cultural heritage that, as Shelley`s `paradise of exiles`, has inspired centuries of artists, scientists writers, poets & travellers. For William Dean Howells, American Consul to Venice for four years, Italy was the country that fashioned his prose & fostered his love of travel. One winter he travelled the length & breadth of Tuscany, from Florence & Fiesole to Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Pistoia & Prato. Immersing himself in all things Tuscan, he describes in compelling detail the daily life
- funerals & weddings, military marches & lovers` trysts
- of a place that was bursting with life & endlessly fascinating to him. He muses on the character of the Italians that he meets, revelling in their sense of drama, their sentimentality & impulsiveness & vividly resurrects the artistic, tempestuous, world-changing history of Tuscany, from its mysterious, ancient beginnings to the birth of the Renaissance & its status as cultural soul of Italy. Tuscan Cities, a passionate Italophile`s glowing tribute, cannot fail to inspire anyone who has ever travelled to or loved Tuscany as Howells did.