Some famous western films—Much Ado About Nothing, Stealing Beauty, La Vita è Bella (Life is Beautiful) and The Twilight Saga: New Moon—have been filmed in a province in central Italy called Tuscany.

But no film captures the countryside Tuscany as beautifully as the Diane Lane starrer ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ does, and that raw beauty can be seen only on a road trip.

I chose the long-distance tourer Ducati Multistrada V4 S, because when in Italy, ride an Italian motorcycle! A car is also a good option, and companies like Avis provide self-driven cars on rent at all major Italian airports.

The cities

The two most famous cities of Tuscany are Florence and Pisa, within an hour of each other.

Florence: Considered to be the birthplace of Renaissance (the awakening of Europe), in Florence you can see Michelangelo’s David (in the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze) and also the other David (by Donatello, in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello).

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The most famous site is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. But the centre of Florence is closed to through-traffic, so you can park your car or motorcycle at free parking outside supermarkets, and take a bus to the city centre.

Pisa: It’s famous for the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the cathedrals around it, and numerous museums. In both Florence and Pisa, almost every place is within walking distance.

The country

Tuscany is far richer in natural beauty, and for that you have to visit the countryside. The preferred routes are from Pisa to Florence and from Florence to Bologna (in the Emilia-Romagna province, north of Tuscany).

An easy way out is this: Set the destination on any traffic maps, but avoid the autostrada (toll roads)—most maps have this option. Once set, the maps will automatically take you via the countryside. On the Multistrada, Ducati Connect makes riding easy and turn-by-turn navigation gets displayed on the 6.5-inch digital display. If you download maps on your phone, it works even in zero connectivity area.

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The Tuscan countryside is a picture-postcard world. You’ll be travelling on winding single-lane roads lined with cypress trees, and beyond these are either fields that look like grasslands or vineyards. The countryside is also famous for its trattorias and osterias (informal Italian restaurants run by families and locals).

The roads

The autostradas are the fastest way to reach from one city to another in Italy (tolls can be about 15-20 euros for a 200-km trip), but these six-lane straight roads on which you drive at 130 km/h are not very scenic. Country roads take time, but that time is well spent. And because country roads are winding, these feel amazing to ride on.

Parking spots

In the countryside, all information is written in Italian, and for parking it’s best to notice the colours: White lines indicate free parking, blue lines are paid, yellow lines are for the handicapped or taxis, and pink for expectant mothers or women travelling with infants.

Motorcycle used: Ducati Multistrada V4 S
Distance covered: 400 km
Time taken: 7 hours
Fuel consumed: 20 litres
Fuel efficiency: 20 km/litre