Tuscany lies in central Italy. You see rolling hills, cypress trees, and stone villages. You walk through vineyards and olive groves. You eat simple food with local wine. You visit art cities like Pisa and Siena.

Near Val d’Orcia, you find one of the filming locations for Gladiator. The wide fields and open sky formed the backdrop for Maximus’ homeland scenes.

Volterra adds a darker note. The town once housed a large psychiatric hospital. It operated for more than a century and closed in the late 1970s. You still see parts of the abandoned complex on the edge of town.