Learn: Florence

Visiting Florence

Italy has many beautiful cities, but Florence (Firenze) can perhaps justifiably claim to be one of the most beautiful and historic. The city contains so much great art, culture, and history that a short visit is not enough to see it all. You could spend a lifetime just exploring the city’s statues, museums and art galleries.

Florence dates back to 59 BC when the city was a Roman settlement, and the center of the city still follows the Roman grid pattern in places - but the city really came into its own during the 15th and 16th centuries. This was when much of Europe was caught up in what has become known as the Renaissance – an explosive period of learning in art, science, mathematics and architecture.

For a time, Florence was perhaps the most important and powerful city in the world. The city will forever be associated with some of the most famous and influential names from that era – Giotti, Titian, Botticelli, and of course, the artist Michelangelo.

Florence is a relatively small city, compared to other European cities and the city center is small and compact enough to be easily explored on foot. The city is extremely crowded during the summer months - the streets around the Duomo are often traffic-clogged and crowded with pedestrians. Sidewalks in the city are narrow – less than two feet in places. Watch for the small motorcycles called Vespas that whiz through the streets.

Seeing Florence’s great museums can be tiring because of the crowds. You can avoid the long lines at the Uffizi Gallery by buying your admission ticket ahead of time. Keep in mind that some major museums and other sights close early in the afternoon or are closed on one day of the week.

Every visitor to "Firenze" has to see the world-famous sightseeing attraction – the distinctive Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio, the stone bridge lined with shops that span the Arno. And not to be missed is David's imposing statue by Michelangelo in the Accademia Gallery – perhaps the most famous and instantly recognizable statue in the world. Another Masterpiece is the Medici Chapel.

But one of the pleasures of a visit to the city is to venture into some of the other neighborhoods where ordinary Florentines live and work. And take time between sightseeing to relax in a small family-run café or bar for delicious Italian ice cream or a cup of strong espresso coffee.

The San Lorenzo neighborhood near the train station is a colorful area containing a huge indoor food market and dozens of outdoor market stalls that line the streets. The area around the railway station is also a good place to find budget hotels.

Across the river Arno from the center, the residential area known as the Oltrarno is also a neighborhood of artisan’s workshops and craftsmen. The central square is a delightful place to linger over a drink, tree-lined and surrounded by bars and cafes. The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning lived in the area until her death in 1861.

Walking the narrow streets of Florence, you may come across details such as tabernacles containing sculptures or paintings of the Madonna and child, as well as tiny arched openings set into buildings, often next to the main doorway. These openings were originally used for displaying and selling produce and wine.

While strolling through the Tuscan city, look for the marble plaques affixed to many buildings for different purposes. Some plaques indicate that a famous person once lived there, others indicate the level that the 1966 floodwaters reached, and some plaques have a verse from the works of Dante (see also Dante's House).

And if you tire of the crowds of Florence, take a trip into the countryside. "Firenze" is the capital and main city of Italy’s picturesque Tuscany region. It’s a region familiar even to those who have never visited Italy – endless vineyards, groves of olive trees, red-roofed villas, and beautiful medieval hill towns.

How to Experience Florence

Geography

Climate Patterns

Attractions Intro

History

Now known as the thriving capital city of the region of Tuscany in Italy, Florence has a storied past that includes five years as the Kingdom of Italy’s capital, between 1865 and 1870. This period occurred shortly after Tuscany’s entrance into a united Italy, a nod to Florence’s political, economic, industrial, and cultural strength.

Once a center of medieval trade in Europe, Florence and its surrounding area is now home to nearly a million people and is renowned not only for its economic force, but also for its incredible art, architecture and fine wines. The city’s location on the Arno River has contributed to its prosperity, both recent and past.

Although now a fantastic blend of the past and present, Florence’s history is one fraught with conflict. The city’s recorded history goes back as far as 59 BC, when former Roman soldiers settled there at the behest of Julius Caesar. The area was given the name Florentia, and the basic infrastructure implemented then is still apparent in some areas of the city. A growing commercial center, Florentia was named capital of the province of Tuscia in the 3rd century AD.

The following century saw many periods of fighting under Ostrogothic rule, rapidly diminishing the population, but not wiping out the city. Peace was eventually re-established after the city and country were conquered by Charles the Great (Charlemagne) in 774, becoming part of the duchy of Tuscany.

Additional conflict plagued the city in the 13th century but did not prevent Florence from growing economically, politically and artistically. Many of Florence’s inhabitants were supported by the wool industry in the 1300s, and an attempted strike by the city’s wool combers led to a short-lived revolt.

The late 1300s and 1400s were influenced first by the Albizzi family, and later, their rivals, the Medici clan. The patriarchal Medicis – Cosimo de Medici, his son Piero, his grandson Lorenzo, and great-grandson Piero II – formed a political dynasty throughout most of the Italian Renaissance. Patrons of the arts, the Medicis commissioned works by some of Italy’s best- known artists, including Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci and Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi (better known as Sandro Botticelli).

When the French invaded northern Italy, Piero II chose to resist, only to find the French army overpowering in size and strength. The Florentine people rebelled against him and he was exiled, a republican government taking power in his absence. The Medicis would rise again two times before being driven out of influence for good in the early 1700s.

Wealth and good taste were powerful forces behind the artistic, literary and scientific movements of the 14th to 16th centuries in Florence. In combination with problems within the Roman Catholic church, these more humanistic social interests resulted in a reconnection with classical antiquity – the Italian Renaissance, often referred to as the beginning of the modern age. This period was a breeding ground for fine arts, mathematics and printed literature. Florence bloomed under this new direction, and visitors to the city today are still able to enjoy many of the exquisite works created then.

Unfortunately, the urban growth exploding through Florence and the rest of Italy formed an environment where Fascism and Mussolini could thrive in the early 20th century. The country was drawn into both World Wars, and suffered a great deal of damage. Even though much of Florence’s art was evacuated from the city during World War II, the Germans created chaos by destroying nearly all the city’s bridges. The bridges were rebuilt after the war, and again following a destructive flood in 1966.

Despite – or perhaps because of – Florence’s unsettling history, the city continues to fascinate residents and visitors alike. Its rich stores of museums, elaborate architecture tasty wines and local cuisine, and superb shopping make it a popular tourist destination and attractions that continues to grow and thrive.

Learn about Florence