1.  Tuscany is a region in central Italy, its capital is Florence  It is famous for its landscapes and artistic history

2.  The earliest iron age culture in central and northern Italy was the Vinnovian Culture  It originated in the Eastern Alps and occupied the region of modern day Tuscany in 1100-7700 BC

3.  Tuscany was named for the Etruscan culture that followed the Vinnovians  Whether the Etruscan civilization preceded the Vinnovian is unknown  DNA studies on cattle and the modern Tuscan population suggest that the Etruscans probably came from the Middle East and overtook the Vinnovians

4.  The Etruscans were an advanced civilization  They had roads, agriculture and art  Their territory was diminished by the civilizations around them Originally the Romans were ruled by the Etruscans, but the Etruscan culture was gradually absorbed into the Roman culture by the first century

5.  The Romans built the cities of Florence, Pisa, Siena, and Lucca  They defended the area and there was peace in Tuscany for 500 years  They extended the roads and built sewers, aqueducts, and many buildings

6.  The Roman Empire ended in the 5 th century and Tuscany was taken over by the Longobards, a Germanic people from northern Europe  During the Medieval and Renaissance periods the land was ruled by the Holy Roman Empire and Tuscany was the birthplace of the Renaissance Movement

7.  When Napoleon ended the Holy Roman Empire in the 17 th Century, he gave Tuscany to the Austrian Empire  The Austrian Empire ruled until the Italian Wars of Independence in the 1850s when Tuscany became part of the newly formed Republic of Italy

8.  Tuscany is hilly and mountainous, with an abundance of fertile soil and valleys  The coastal strip of Tuscany has farmland, sandy beaches, and woodlands  Tuscany has the Apennine mountain ranges in the North and East where marble is quarried, and iron is mined in mountains in the south

9.  Weather in Tuscany is generally mild  The coasts and valleys are warmer and get more rain then than the hills and mountains  Summers are warm and mostly rainless, reaching highs of 86 Fahrenheit  Winters are mild in the day, but can get cold at night, with lows of 38 Fahrenheit

10.  Products of Tuscany are cereal, olives, tobacco, livestock, grapes, AND WORLD FAMOUS WINE  other industries are textiles, metal products, chemicals, machinery, instruments, glass, petroleum, and fertilizer  Tourism is a large part of the economy, drawing tourists for its wine, history, art, dining, and sightseeing

11.  Tuscany is composed of 10 provinces totaling 22,990 km ²  The total population of Tuscany is 3.6 million  There are 156 people per square kilometer of land  Florence is the most densely populated city, with 366,901 residents

12.  In 1870, many Italians started coming to the US  They came looking to avoid high taxes and get better wages, and to escape overcrowding  Most Italian immigrants from that time were males from rural communities with limited educations

13.  Between 1820-1920 over 4 million Italians immigrated to the US  They mainly worked long hours for low wages at unskilled industrial jobs in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Detroit

14. In the 1930’s, Italians came here to escape the fascist rule of Mussolini By the second world war there were more Italians living in New York city than in Rome In 2006, 6% of the US population has Italian ancestry

15.  Italian Americans have a higher high school graduation rate than the national average  They have a higher or equal rate of advanced degrees than the average  They are occupied in a wide range of job fields, including skilled trades, arts, sciences, and everything in between

16.  The dark blue on the map indicates high populations of Italians  Over 3 million Italians live in NY  1.5 million live in NJ and PA  1 million live in CA, FL, and MA

17.  Most Italian children attend non-compulsory nursery school for 3 years before entering primary school  Primary school is required for ages 6-11  Middle school or Medie Inferiori is required for ages 11-14

18.  There are two kinds of secondary school, or Medie Superiori  Professional secondary schools are for more practical learning in preparation for entering the workforce  Liceo, or technical schools, are further divided into art, science, language, and theoretical specialties, and are necessary before going to a university  Most Italian universities are public and offer 3 and 5 year degrees

19.  Currently 4 percent of Italy’s highly educated young people leave the country after completing their education while Italy receives immigrants with lower education levels  Tuscany is a beautiful place, but it is part of an aging society whose future may not be as bright as its past

20.  “Weather and Climate in Tuscany” retrieved 5/24/08 from http://toscana.de/reiseinformationen/wette r.php  “Tuscany” from the Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2008 retrieved 5/24/08 from http://encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1- Tuscany.html  “Tuscany” retrieved 5/24/08 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuscany

21.  “Italian Immigration” retrieved 5/24/08 from http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/US A.Eitaly.htm  Hugh, Eduard “Italy’s Economic Problems Under the Spotlight” retrieved 5/24/08 from http://www.afistfulofeuros.net