Tuscany (2,274), a department of Italy, formerly a grand-duchy, lies
S. and W. of the Apennines, fronting the Tyrrhenian Sea on the W.;
mountainous in the N. and E., but otherwise consisting of fertile dale
and plain, in which the vine, olive, and fruits abound; silk is an
important manufacture, and the marble quarries of Siena are noted; formed
a portion of ancient
Etruria (
q. v.); was
annexed to Sardinia
in 1859, and in 1861 was incorporated in the kingdom of Italy. Capital,
Florence.