Landscape

The Tuscan Landscape
Tuscany is a culturally and agriculturally wealthy region of incomparable beauty, located in west-central Italy, north of Rome. Triangular in shape, Tuscany is bounded on the north by the Emiliano Appennino mountain range, on the southeast by the provinces of Umbria and Latium, and on the southwest by the Mediterranean Sea.

Tuscany contains nine municipal provinces that encompass 22,989 kilometers (8,876 square miles). Two thirds of the territory is covered by steep hills and valleys. The Arno River runs from Florence through Pisa to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Chianti district in Tuscany stretches from Florence in the north to Siena in the south, and from the Mediterranean to just west of Arezzo. The Chianti appellation has seven sub zones, including Chianti Classico, which is its largest zone.

Its soils range from limestone and sandstone to clay and sand. Chianti typically has mild winters and warm summers and receives an average annual rainfall of 25 inches. This climate is very similar to the Bordeaux region of France, which is renowned for its fine wines.