- published: 19 Aug 2013
- views: 252463
Tuscany (Italian: Toscana, pronounced [tosˈkaːna]) is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 sq mi) and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (Firenze).
Tuscany is known for its gorgeous landscapes, its rich artistic legacy and its influence on high culture. Tuscany is regarded as the true birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and has been home to some many influential people in the history of arts and science, such as Petrarch, Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Niccolo Machiavelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Amerigo Vespucci, Luca Pacioli and Puccini. As a result of this, the region has several museums (such as the Uffizi, the Pitti Palace and the Chianciano Museum of Art). Tuscany has a unique culinary tradition, and is famous for its wines (most famous of which are Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello di Montalcino).
Six Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of Florence (1982), the historical centre of Siena (1995), the square of the Cathedral of Pisa (1987), the historical centre of San Gimignano (1990), the historical centre of Pienza (1996) and the Val d'Orcia (2004). Tuscany has over 120 protected nature reserves. This makes Tuscany and its capital Florence popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of tourists every year. Florence receives an average of 10 million tourists a year, placing the city as one of the most visited in the world (in 2007, the city became the world's 46th most visited city, with over 1.715 million arrivals).
Andrea Bocelli, OMRI, OMDSM (Italian pronunciation: [anˈdrɛːa boˈtʃɛlli]; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a football accident.
Since winning the Newcomers section of the Sanremo Music Festival in 1994, Bocelli has recorded thirteen solo studio albums, of both pop and classical music, two greatest hits albums, and eight complete operas, selling over 75 million records worldwide. Thus, he is the biggest-selling solo artist in the history of classical music and has caused core classical repertoire to "cross over" to the top of international pop charts and into previously uncharted territory in popular culture.
In 1998, he was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. In 1999, his nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards marked the first, and so far only time a classical artist had been nominated in the category, since Leontyne Price, in 1961.The Prayer, his duet with Celine Dion for the animated film The Quest for Camelot, won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category. With the release of his classical album, Sacred Arias, Bocelli captured a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records, as he simultaneously held the top 3 positions on the US classical albums charts. Six of his albums have since reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, and a record-setting 8, have topped the classical albums charts in the United States.
Dear landseer
We have been asked by the queen
She has heard you are the best
To capture her beloved animals for all to see
Dear landseer
So highly thought of we agree
We know that your work is done
With love and care the lions of trafalgar square
Highland scene
Full of moody skies
A mountain stream
Heather in the breeze
You paint the land with a grace and speed
You paint a dog, a stag, a hawk, a deer
Dear landseer
If you will honor our request
You'll be far away from weekend parties
Sketching people having fun and dancing
Dear landseer
A view of haunting delight
Show upon a hill a place where time stand still
Her special ones will run among leaves
Highland scene
Full of moody skies
A mountain stream
Heather in the breeze
You paint the land with grace and speed
You paint a dog, a stag, and hawk, a deer
This beautiful painting
Is now on her wall
Standing tall
Immortalized
Now in oil
Dear landseer
The veil of sadness that descended
Has been removed with this view
Dear landseer
We thank you so much
There's no doubt you're the best loved artist in the land
There's no doubt you're the best loved in the land
There's no doubt you're the best loved in the land
Annie haslam-lead and backing vocals
Michael dunford-acoustic guitars
Terrence sullivan-drums
Mickey simmonds-keyboards, backing vocals and orchestral arrangments
Roy wood-bass guitar
John tout-piano and harpsicord