Currencies
Italy is a Member-State of the European Union and uses its uniform currency – the Euro €. Italy, as is the case with the other Member-States of the E.U. uses eight coins as follows: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1 and 2 Euros. The banknotes are issued in the following denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euros. Currency exchange rates are clearly displayed in every bank that accepts currency exchange, while credit card holders may acquire money from the ATMs of the collaborating banks. Italian banks are open for the public from 8:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 16:30 Monday to Friday. They are closed on Public Holidays. Euros can also be exchanged for notes of other foreign currencies at exchange offices that are situated at the airport and certain main ports, in the larger cities, as well as at many tourist destinations. A passport is required when exchanging currencies. Italy more than other EU destinations, still prefer cash in most settings, but credit card use is becoming more and more available.
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Geography of Tuscany
Geography, whether human, economic or electoral, gives Tuscany a pivotal position between the North and the Mezzogiorno. Almost enclosed to the north and east by the Apennine mountains, and open to the vast plain of Roman Lazio, this region is too diverse to form a homogeneous whole.
To the south, on the Sienese side, towards the abbey of Monte Oliveto, are the famous Crete senes, dating from the time when the entire region was covered by the sea.
This fertile land slopes gently down to the Val d'Orcia, where wheat, sunflowers, olives and vines are grown, before coming up against the volcanic Amiata region.
To the west, the metal-bearing mountains mark the boundary between Maremma and Tuscany, beyond the green valleys and forests of the Montagnola and Val di Merse, lands of lumbering and timber exploitation.
In the center, between Siena and Florence, the Chianti region is a land not only of vines, but also of fruit and olive trees. The richness of this wine, over 90% of which is made from Sangiovese grapes, lies in its substratum, made up of sandy, stony, clay and sandstone deposits, combined with the microclimates created by the wide variety of exposures of the plots.
Val d'Arno: the region's main (not to say only) axis, it accounts for most of the population of both regions. Crossed by the Autostrada del Sole (A1), it is the heart of Tuscan activity.
The Arno River
Only 241 km long, the Arno rises at Monte Falterona (1,385 m) in the Apennines, then loops southwards through Florence and flows westwards past Empoli, Pontedera and Pisa. At the end of its course, it descends to the Ligurian Sea, where it empties 10 km north of Livorno. In Florence, this river marks the separation between the two banks: Oltrarno (left bank) and Lungarno (right bank).
Every year in October and November, the level of the Arno rises irresistibly, without causing flooding. However, some observers believe that the risk of a new catastrophe has not been completely averted. In spite of the canalization work undertaken after 1966 and the construction of dykes, Florence would still not be safe from another destructive flood.
Around 1503-1504, Leonardo da Vinci presented the city of Florence with a project to divert the Arno and build a kind of canal linking the Medici city to the sea. Leonardo's concern was the same as today: to avoid terrible floods!
Source : www.routard.com
Traveller’s reviews
Magnificent trip out of time, warm atmosphere at all the sites