TUSCANY, a duchy of Italy, which makes part of the ancient Heturia, and, excepting ſome detached parts, is encompaſſed by a part of the Mediterranean, called here the Tuſcan ſea; the eccleſiaſtical ſtate; the duchy of Modena; and the republic of Lucca; its extent from north to ſouth being about 116 Engliſh miles, and from eaſt to weſt about 80.
Though ſome parts of it are mountainous, yet both the hills and dales are covered with vines, olives, citron, lemon, and orange trees, &c. The mountains yield alſo copper, iron, alum, &c. and ſome of the fineſt marble. Here is alſo plenty of corn, rice, ſaffron, honey, wax, wool, flax, hemp, with mineral waters, rich paſture, ſalt-pits, ſulphur, alabaſter, calcedony, laſis lazuli, borax, amethyiſts, carnelians, jaſpers, cryſtals and black ſlate. In ſome places the elms and aſhes yield manna.
The principal river in Tuſcany is the Arno, which has its ſource in the Apennine mountains, and falls into the ſea below Piſa. There are ſome other ſmaller rivers.
This duchy fell under the dominion of the Romans about 455 years before Chriſt. The Oſtrogoths poſſeſſed themſelves of it in the fifth century, and after them the Lombards, who were expelled by Charlemagne anno 800; in conſequence of which it became ſubject to the German emperors, who appointed governors over it. At laſt the cities of Florence, Piſa, Siena, and ſome others, during the contentions between the pope and the emperor, and their reſpective adherents, the Guelfs and Gibbelines, withdrew themſelves from the dominion of both, and erected themſelves into ſeparate commonwealths. In that of Florence, John de Medicis, a popular nobleman, ſo inſinuated himſelf into the favour of his countrymen, that they inveſted him with ſovereign power. Pope Pius V. conſerred the title of grand duke on Coſmo de Medicis anno 1570, in whose family the duchy continued until the death of Gaſton de Medicis, who died anno 1737. The duchy was then transferred to the duke of Lorraine, afterwards the emperor.
peror Francis I. in lieu of the duchy of Lorraine, which, by the peace of 1736, was given to King Stanislaus during his life, and then was to be annexed to France. Leopold, the second son of Francis I. and afterwards emperor of Germany, succeeded to this duchy. It is now enjoyed by Leopold's second son, brother to the present emperor of Germany, Francis II. The grand duke's annual revenues are computed at about 500,000. sterling, arising chiefly from the tenths of all estates that are sold or alienated, and the ground rents of the houses in Leghorn, and the duties on almost all manner of provisions. Tuscany now forms part of the kingdom of Italy subject to France.