A comparative analysis: Is Beeston really England's answer to Tuscany?

HistoryTuscany was home to the Etruscan pre-Roman civilisation, and regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance. 'Bestune' is mentioned in the Domesday book, where - after the Norman conquest of 1066 - three manors belonging to local Saxon lords were confiscated and given to William Peverel.

Famous villains: Robin Hood vs Ghino di TaccoNottinghamshire's famous outlaw robbed the rich to feed the poor. Ghino di Tacco was a popular outlaw born in La Fratta in Tuscany in the second half of the thirteenth century - known as a 'good brigand (Brigante buono) who always left his victims something to live on.

Known names: DH Lawrence vs DanteNovelist DH Lawrence was born in nearby Eastwood and much of his work is set in and around the mining communities of Nottinghamshire. Dante Alighieri, known simply as Dante, was born in Florence in 1265. His Divine Comedy is considered the greatest work in the Italian language.

The tipple: Ale vs ChiantiSome of the world's most distinctive wines come from Tuscany, including Chianti and Vin Santo. Beeston was known for a different tipple - the Beeston Brewery Company produced beer from 1880 to 1922, when it was taken over by another Nottinghamshire brewer who operated the site until 2000, when it was mothballed.

Sights to see: Nottinghamshire Industrial Museum vs. The Uffizi GalleryJust up the road from Beeston, the Nottinghamshire Industrial Museum has a collection of machinery from the mining, textile and transport industries dating from 1878. In Florence, the Uffizi is one of the oldest art galleries in the world, where visitors can gaze upon the works of Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli.