It was formed in 1808, when the Kingdom of Etruria (formerly the Grand Duchy of Tuscany) was annexed directly to France.

The department was disbanded after the defeat of Napoleon in 1814.

At the Congress of Vienna, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany was restored to its previous Habsburg-Lorraine prince, Ferdinand III.

Its territory is now divided between the Italian provinces of Siena, Arezzo and Grosseto.

The department was subdivided into the following arrondissements and cantons (situation in 1812):[1] Its population in 1812 was 189,307, and its area was 774,897 hectares.