Nothing happens by chance

Whether through religion, or purely fate, many Italians believe things happen for a reason. Serendipity has been behind several well-known Italian discoveries. In 1780, scientist Luigi Galvani was dissecting a dead frog attached to a brass wire, when he discovered that his iron scalpel made its leg twitch. He had accidentally discovered electricity, the principles of which his friend Alessandro Volta used to create the world’s first battery. Fate has also been kind to connoisseurs of cigars.
In 1815, Ferdinand III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, was drying a bale of Kentucky tobacco leaves outdoors, when the heavens opened. The rain-soaked tobacco began fermenting in the summer heat. But instead of throwing it away, Ferdinand used it to make more a batch of cigars. Because they weren’t his usual recipe, he sold them cheaply to the people of Florence. Unexpectedly, due to their distinctive, rich taste, they became a smash hit and people actually preferred them to his regular style.
Toscano cigars were already seen as being different, due to Kentucky tobacco leaves being more commonly smoked in pipes. But this new take on them helped the brand achieve much wider appeal. The tobacco used for Toscano cigars is first fire cured then fermented.
 
The ovens they are cured in are fuelled by oak and beech wood, infusing the cigar with a unique Tuscan flavour. As a result, unlike cigars from the Caribbean, Toscano cigars are don’t dry up or crack as easily if stored in the open. This means they keep their premium quality for longer and can easily be stored.
 

So you see, the people of Tuscany don’t just have serendipity to thank for some of their greatest inventions, they also have chance to thank for their favourite cigar.