visittuscany.com is the official tourism website for Tuscany, created and managed by Fondazione Sistema Toscana (FST), a private, legally-recognized entity overseen by the Region of Tuscany, and serves as a tool for carrying out the following institutional aims: a) develop digital technologies for valorizing heritage, promoting cultural activities in Tuscany, as well as information and knowledge in today’s society; b) promoting the combination of cultural offerings and tourism; c) promotion and valorization of Tuscan identity.

visittuscany.com is a window onto Tuscany and offers all those interested a general overview of the region’s entire cultural and touristic heritage, as well as the possibility to contribute, through dedicated spaces, to spreading knowledge about the territory.

viafrancigena.visittuscany.com (or viafrancigenatoscana.it), website dedicated to the via Francigena in Tuscany is a subdomain of visittuscany.com and the general conditions mentioned in this page apply.

The textual and multimedia content on visittuscany.com constitutes a priceless source of information, and as such, must be protected under the following terms. visittuscany.com brings together textual and multimedia content (texts, images, sounds, video, graphics, trademarks, logos, audio-visuals, etc, hereinafter “content”) for the purposes of providing information and promoting tourism in Tuscany.

The content is produced by:  

• staff at Fondazione Sistema Toscana (FST)
• providers of content management services
• users of the Make platform (public and private tourism operators), in accordance with the policies of make.visittuscany.com
• third parties (bloggers, journalists, influencers, photographers, videomakers, etc), who grant Fondazione Sistema Toscana exclusive rights to their textual and multimedia content (for example, through the promotional projects Play Your Tuscany and Tuscany Mates)
• third parties (bloggers, photographers, videomakers, etc), whose property vaunts a creative commons license, allowing for the use of their textual and multimedia content
• in addition to the aforementioned points, in the event it is needed, messages informing the website’s users of practicability issues along stretches of the via Francigena in Tuscany will appear on the website. These explanations will be seen in the form of sneakbars, which will overlay the map on the homepage.

All the content is protected by current laws regarding authors’ rights and intellectual property, and, therefore, unauthorized reproductions and/or making the content available to the public (even through file-sharing) is not allowed. It is forbidden to upload, reproduce or exchange copies of the protected content without proper authorization from the authors and/or owners of the rights. Anyone who violates this ban is subject to civil and criminal penalties in accordance with the law.

Content providers (whether they are providers of content management services, Make platform users or bloggers, journalists, influencers, photographers, videomakers, etc.), declare and guarantee to hold the rights to the content (whether it is because they are either the author themselves or because they purchased the rights for use and reproduction from the legitimate owners); therefore, they guarantee the legality, veracity, accuracy and legitimate provenance of the rights of industrial and/or intellectual property or the laws regarding privacy of the content provided to FST.

The content provided does not contain specific information, such as health, race, ethnicity, etc., and are inserted into the website under the full responsibility of the providers; FST is therefore limited – for the content not produced by its own staff – to a simple check for lawfulness, out of protection of its personal image and freedom.

visittuscany.com and viafrancigena.visittuscany.com contain links to other websites and social media sites, some of which are managed by FST (ex. playyourtuscany.com and toscanaovunquebella.com), which are regulated by the same conditions as visittuscany.com, while in other cases, the linked sites are not overseen by FST.

The user is encouraged to read the conditions and terms of operation and use of the non-FST websites. FST assumes no responsibility for unauthorized use of the user’s data nor any further monitoring or profiling carried out by the websites.

The website uses log files which conserve data collected automatically during a visit to the website. The data collected could be the following:

• internet protocol address (IP);
• browser type and parameters of the device used to access the website;
• name of the internet service provider (ISP);
• date and time of visit;
• webpage the visitor connected from (referral), as well as the subsequent page upon exiting;
• the number of clicks

The data collected from the website are processed at the web hosting’s data centre (TIX – Tuscany Internet Exchange, Via San Piero a Quaracchi 250, Florence).

To ensure security (anti-spam filters, firewall, survey of viruses), the data registered automatically could be used, in accordance with the relevant current laws, to block attempts to damage the website or other users, as well as damaging or criminal activities. Such data are never used for identifying and profiling the user, but are only intended to safeguard the website and its users (since May 25, 2018, data will be processed based on the legitimate interests of the owner).

The data collected from the website during its operation are used exclusively for the aims indicated and are conserved for the time necessary for carrying out precise activities or, if applicable, until there is a cancellation request for accounts registered to the website. The data collected from the website will never be passed to third parties for any reason, unless there is a legitimate request from judicial authorities and only in cases allowed by law.

By accessing and navigating the website, users accept that the aforementioned data are processed for the previously-mentioned purposes of IT security and preventing illegal activities. The user can request that their data be cancelled and/or exercise their rights as protected by current laws, as indicated below.

visittuscany.com and viafrancigena.visittuscany.com use the tools Google Analytics and Tag Manager for monitoring access to the website (number of accesses, new users, number of sessions, visualizations of a page, type of device and browser, etc.) and receiving information regarding user behaviour on the website (referral, duration of sessions, bounce rate, etc.) for statistical and market study purposes. FST does not collect users’ personal data because the information related to accessing the website and user behaviour are provided by Google Analytics and Tag Manager in an aggregated and non-personalized/anonymous form. However, FST does not respond to the processing of data collected by Google Inc. through Analytics and Tag Manager. Google could use, unbeknownst to FST, personal data for contextualizing and personalizing advertisements on their marketing network. Information about the two Google tools used are as follows:

• Google Analytics (Google, Inc.) - Google Analytics is a web analysis service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google uses the personal data collected for the purposes of tracing and examining site use, compiling reports and sharing them with other services developed by Google.
  Personal data collected: Cookies and usage data
  Processing location: USA – Privacy Policy – Opt Out
• Google Tag Manager (Google, Inc.) - Google Tag Manager is a statistics service provided by Google, Inc.
  Personal data collected: Cookies and usage data
  Processing location: USA – Privacy Policy

As with all websites, visittuscany.com and viafrancigena.visittuscany.com also use cookies, small strings of texts that allow for the website to conserve data regarding users’ preferences in order to improve the site’s operation, simplify navigation by automating processes (ex. Login, language) and analyze site use.

Session cookies are essential for distinguishing connected users, and are useful for ensuring that a requested function not be provided to the wrong user, as well as for security purposes so as to avoid damaging attacks on the website. Session cookies do not contain personal data and last only as long as the session does, that is, until the browser is closed. Consent is not needed for them.

Functionality cookies used by the website are strictly necessary for operating the site; they are those connected to a user’s request for a specific function (like Login), for which consent is not needed).

Using the website, the visitor expressly agrees to the use of cookies.

visittuscany.com and viafrancigena.visittuscany.com use cookies from social networks, which are used to allow for sharing content on social networks. These plugins are programed so as to not register cookies when accessing the page, safeguarding the user’s privacy. The cookies are registered, if allowed by the social networks, only when the user effectively and voluntarily uses the plugin. It should be kept in mind that if the user navigates when logged into the social network, they already consented to the use of cookies transmitted through this website when registering with the social network.

The collection and use of data obtained via the plugin are regulated according to the related privacy policies of the social networks, which users are advised to refer to.

• Like button and Facebook and Instagram photo social media widgets (Facebook Inc.) – The “Like” button and Facebook social media widgets are services for interacting with Facebook, provided by Facebook Inc.
  Personal Data collected: Cookies and Usage Data.
  Processing location: USA – Privacy Policy.
• Tweet button and Twitter social media widgets (Twitter Inc.) – The “Tweet” button and Twitter social media widgets are services for interacting with Twitter, provided by Twitter Inc.
  Personal Data collected: Cookies and Usage Data.
  Processing location: United States – Privacy Policy.
  Subject pertinent to the Privacy Shield.
• Youtube videos (Google, Inc.) – YouTube is a video viewing service managed by Google, Inc. that allows this application to integrate its content into its pages.
  Personal data collected: Cookies and Usage Data
  Processing location: USA – Privacy Policy
• Pinterest – Pinterest uses cookies allowing users to share content on their boards
  For more information, consulte this page.

Cookies are connected to the browser being used and can be disabled directly by the browser, thus refusing/revoking consent for the use of cookies. It should be kept in mind that disabling cookies can impede upon the correct use of some functions on the website.

visittuscany.com and viafrancigena.visittuscany.com’s code contains Facebook Pixel, a tool for collecting statistical data that allows website managers to measure the effectiveness of their advertising by understanding the actions people take on their websites.

Facebook installs cookies for analyzing and improving advertising through remarketing activities in order to send users messages in line with their interests. Remarketing helps reach users who have visited the websites.

• Facebook Remarketing (Facebook, Inc.) - Facebook Remarketing is a remarketing and behavioural targeting service provided by Facebook, Inc. which connects actions by michaelvittori.it with Facebook’s advertising network.
  Personal data collected: Cookies and Usage Data
  Processing location: United States – Privacy Policy – Opt Out.
  Subject pertinent to the Privacy Shield.
• Facebook Custom Audience (Facebook, Inc.) - Facebook Custom Audience is a remarketing and behavioural targeting service provided by Facebook, Inc. which connects actions by michaelvittori.it with Facebook’s advertising network.
  Personal data collected: Cookies and email address
  Processing location: United States – Privacy Policy – Opt Out.
  Subject pertinent to the Privacy Shield.
• Facebook Analytics for Apps (Facebook, Inc.) Facebook Analytics for Apps is a statistics tool provided by Facebook, Inc.
  Personal data collected: Usage data and various types of data according to what is specified in the service’s privacy policy.
  Processing location: Unites States – Privacy Policy.
  Subject pertinent to the Privacy Shield.
• Conversion tracking of Facebook Ads (Facebook, Inc.)
  Conversion tracking of Facebook Ads is a statistics service provided by Facebook, Inc. that connects the data coming from the social media site’s advertising network with the actions carried out on visittuscany.com Personal data collected: Cookies and Usage Data
  Processing location: United States – Privacy Policy.
  Subject pertinent to the Privacy Shield.

With the aim of increasingly responding to the needs of those using the website, visittuscany.com and viafrancigena.visittuscany.com use HotJar, a monitoring tool that allows for the analysis of user behaviour, acquiring information about actions, such as clicks, taps, page scrolling, mouse movements, etc.. The data is collected in such a way that it is not traced to the user. For more information regarding HotJar’s use of cookies, consult this page.

Periodically, the visittuscany.com staff uses SEMrush and Sprout Social, digital marketing tools that allow for the processing of statistics regarding the performance of the website’s content on social media channels tied to the digital promotion of tourism in Tuscany.

Website users can choose to subscribe to the visittuscany.com newsletter in order to periodically receive updates about the newest changes to the website. The tool used to send and manage the newsletter is Mailchimp.com, a service provided by The Rocket Science Group, LLC that manages email addresses and sending emails.
Personal data collected: email addresses
Processing location: United States – Privacy Policy. Subject pertinent to the Privacy Shield.
The newsletter is sent via email to those who explicitly signed up to receive the service. To sign up, users must fill out a form on a dedicated page of the website and authorize FST to process their personal data. Providing data is entirely optional, but by refusing to provide data, the user will be unable to subscribe to the newsletter.

First access: when accessing the website for the first time, users will see a message that gives them the option of accepting or refusing the use of technical and profiling cookies of third parties on the part of visittuscany.com. By providing their consent, users authorize FST to use all the tools listed in this policy for the purposes described and for the type of personal data indicated.

Contact form: by filling in their personal data on the contact form accessible on the page https://www.visittuscany.com/en/contact/, users authorize their use for the purposes of responding to requests for information or anything else indicated in the form’s header.

In accordance with EU Regulation 679/2016 (GDPR) and national legislation, users can, within the procedures and limits provided by current law, exercise the following rights:

• request the confirmation of the existence of personal data regarding him/herself (right to access);
• be informed of their origin;
• receive comprehensible communication about them;
• receive information about the reason, procedures and aims of their processing;
• request an update, modification, integration, cancellation, transformation into anonymity and blocking of data processes that are in violation of the law, including those no longer necessary for carrying out the aims for which they were collected;
• in cases of consent-based processing, receive the data provided to the owner, in a structured and legible manner, from a data processor and in a format commonly used by an electronic device;
• the right to present a complaint to the Supervisory Authority (Warranty Policy);
• more generally, all rights that are recognized by current laws.

Requests should be directed to the Owner of the data processing, which is Fondazione Sistema Toscana, Via Duca d’Aosta n. 9, Florence, under the direction of the Director General and the internal supervisor for privacy compliance, Dott. Alessandro Giannini.

In cases in which data are processed based on legitimate interests, the rights of interested parties are nonetheless guaranteed (except the right of portability, which is not required by current laws), especially the right to oppose processing, which can be applied by sending a request to the owner of the data processing.

• Make (make.visittuscany.com) – A collaborative platform for inserting content on visittuscany.com aimed at institutions, associations, private tourism operators and other kinds of stakeholders in the tourism sector.
• Link to Make legal notes and privacy policy (Italian)
• Play Your Tuscany (playyourtuscany.com) – A project that aims to promote Tuscany as a tourism destination by engaging digital storytellers, that is, bloggers, Instagrammers, photographers and videomakers, who are occasionally involved in our blog tour and/or Instagram Takeover.
• Tuscany Faces (tuscanyfaces.com/) – A project for promoting Tuscany through the faces and stories of the people who live here and represent the best of the region in every field, like craftsmanship, art, science, food and wine and entrepreneurship. Anyone can become ambassadors of Tuscan identity, submitting their story by sending it, together with a photograph, via the form available on the website.
• Toscana Ovunque Bella (toscanaovunquebella.it) – A project dedicated to crowdsourced storytelling that offers Tuscany’s municipalities the chance to write its own story. Together, these stories illustrate the vast beauty of the region.
• Vetrina Toscana (vetrina.toscana.it) – A web portal that brings together restaurants, shops and producers belonging to the Vetrina Toscana network, a trademark that advocates for Tuscany’s historic traditions and know-how.

The general conditions apply to each one of these aforementioned projects as well, with the exception of the specific points indicated in their individual policies.