Florence ( , ;
Old
Italian:
Fiorenza,
Latin:
Florentia) is the
capital city of the
Italian
region of
Tuscany and of the
province of Florence. It is the most populous
city in Tuscany, with 367,569 inhabitants (1,500,000 in the
metropolitan area).
The city
lies on the River
Arno
and is known for its history and its importance in
the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture.
A centre
of medieval European trade and finance and one of
the richest and wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is often
considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has
been called the Athens
of the
Middle Ages. It was long under
the
de facto rule of the
Medici family.
From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the
capital of the Kingdom of
Italy
.
The
historic centre
of Florence
attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
in
1982. Florence is widely regarded as one of the most
beautiful cities in the world, and its
artistic,
historic and
cultural
heritage and impact in the world remains vast up to this day. The
city has also a major European impact in
music,
architecture,
education,
cuisine,
fashion,
philosophy,
science and
religion. The historic centre of Florence
contains numerous elegant
piazzas,
Renaissance
palazzi,
academies,
parks,
gardens,
church,
monasteries,
museums,
art galleries and
ateliers.
The city boasts a wide range of
collections of art, especially those held in the Pitti Palace
and the Uffizi
, (which
receives about 1.6 million tourists a year). Florence is
arguably the best-preserved Renaissance city in the world and is
regarded by many as the art capital of Italy. It has been the
birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures, such
as
Dante,
Boccaccio,
Botticelli,
Niccolò Machiavelli,
Brunelleschi,
Michelangelo,
Donatello,
Galileo
Galilei,
Catherine de'
Medici,
Antonio Meucci,
Guccio Gucci,
Salvatore Ferragamo,
Roberto Cavalli and
Emilio Pucci, to name but a few.
History
The façade of the Cathedral, called
"il Duomo" from the Latin word
domus
Roman origins
Florence was originally established by
Julius Caesar in
59 BC as
a settlement for his veteran soldiers.
It was named
Florentia ('the flourishing') and built in the style of an
army camp with the main streets, the
cardo and the decumanus, intersecting at the
present Piazza della Repubblica
. Situated at the Via Cassia, the main
route between Rome and the north, and within the fertile valley of
the Arno, the
settlement quickly became an important commercial centre.
The Emperor
Diocletian is said to have
made Florentia the seat of a
bishopric
around the beginning of the 4th century AD, but this seems
impossible in that Diocletian was a notable persecutor of
Christians.
In the ensuing two centuries, the city experienced turbulent
periods of
Ostrogothic rule, during which
the city was often troubled by warfare between the
Ostrogoths and the
Byzantines, which may have caused the
population to fall to as few as 1,000 people. Peace returned under
Lombard rule in the 6th century.
Florence
was conquered by Charlemagne in 774 and
became part of the Duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca
as
capital. The population began to grow again and commerce
prospered.
In 854, Florence and Fiesole
were united
in one county.
Second millennium
Margrave
Hugo chose Florence as his residency instead of Lucca at about
1000 AD. At this time began the
Golden
Age of Florentine art. In 1013, construction began on the
Basilica di San Miniato al Monte.
The exterior of the baptistery
was reworked in Romanesque style between 1059 and
1128. This period also saw the eclipse of
Florence's formerly powerful rival Pisa
(defeated by
Genoa
in 1284 and subjugated by Florence in 1406), and
the exercise of power by the mercantile
elite following an anti-aristocratic movement, led by Giano della Bella, that resulted in a set
of laws called the Ordinances of
Justice (1293).
Rise of the Medici
Of a population estimated at 94,000 before the
Black Death of 1348, about 25,000 are said to
have been supported by the city's wool industry: in 1345 Florence
was the scene of an attempted strike by wool combers
(
ciompi), who in 1378 rose up in a brief revolt against
oligarchic rule in the
Revolt of the Ciompi.
After their suppression, Florence came under the sway (1382–1434)
of the
Albizzi family, bitter
rivals of the Medici.
Cosimo de'
Medici was the first Medici family member to essentially
control the city from behind the scenes. Although the city was
technically a democracy of sorts, his power came from a vast
patronage network along with his alliance
to the new immigrants, the
gente nuova (new people). The
fact that the Medici were bankers to the pope also contributed to
their ascendancy. Cosimo was succeeded by his son
Piero, who was, soon after,
succeeded by Cosimo's grandson,
Lorenzo in 1469. Lorenzo was a great
patron of the arts, commissioning works by
Michelangelo,
Leonardo da Vinci and
Botticelli. Lorenzo was also an
accomplished musician and brought some of the most famous composers
and singers of the day to Florence, including
Alexander Agricola,
Johannes Ghiselin, and
Heinrich Isaac. By contemporary Florentines
(and since), he was known as "Lorenzo the Magnificent" (Lorenzo il
Magnifico).
Following the death of Lorenzo de' Medici in 1492, he was succeeded
by his son Piero II. When the
French
king
Charles VIII invaded
northern Italy, Piero II chose to
resist his army. But when he realized the size of the
French army at the gates of Pisa, he had to
accept the humiliating conditions of the French king. These made
the Florentines rebel and they expelled Piero II. With his exile in
1494, the first period of Medici rule ended with the restoration of
a republican government.
Savonarola and Macchiavelli
During this period, the
Dominican
monk Girolamo Savonarola had
become
prior of the San Marco monastery in
1490. He was famed for his penitential sermons, lambasting what he
viewed as widespread immorality and attachment to material riches.
He blamed the exile of the Medicis as the work of God, punishing
them for their decadence. He seized the opportunity to carry
through political reforms leading to a more democratic rule. But
when Savonarola publicly accused
Pope
Alexander VI of corruption, he was banned from
speaking in public. When he broke this ban,
he was excommunicated. The Florentines, tired of his extreme
teachings, turned against him and arrested him.
He was convicted as a
heretic and burned at the stake
on the Piazza della
Signoria
on 23 May 1498.
A second individual of unusual insight was
Niccolò Machiavelli, whose
prescriptions for Florence's regeneration under strong leadership
have often been seen as a legitimization of political expediency
and even malpractice. Commissioned by the Medici, Machiavelli also
wrote the
Florentine Histories,
the history of the city. Florentines drove out the Medici for a
second time and re-established a
republic
on 16 May 1527. Restored twice with the support of both Emperor and
Pope, the Medici in 1537 became hereditary dukes of Florence, and
in 1569
Grand Dukes of
Tuscany, ruling for two centuries.
In all Tuscany, only
the Republic of
Lucca (later a Duchy) and
the Principality of Piombino
were independent from Florence.
18th and 19th centuries
The extinction of the Medici dynasty and the accession in 1737 of
Francis Stephen,
duke of Lorraine and husband of
Maria Theresa of Austria,
led to Tuscany's temporary inclusion in the territories of the
Austrian crown. It became a secundogeniture of the
Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, who were
deposed for the
Bourbon-Parma in
1801 (themselves deposed in 1807), restored at the
Congress of Vienna; Tuscany became a
province of the United Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
Florence
replaced Turin
as Italy's
capital in 1865 and, in an effort to modernise the city, the old
market in the Piazza del Mercato Vecchio and many medieval houses
were pulled down and replaced by a more formal street plan with
newer houses. The Piazza (first renamed Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele II, then
Piazza della Repubblica, the present name) was significantly widened and a
large triumphal arch was constructed at the west end. This
development was unpopular and was prevented from continuing by the
efforts of several British and American people living in the city.
A museum recording the destruction stands nearby today. The
country's first capital city was superseded by Rome six years
later, after the withdrawal of the French troops made its addition
to the kingdom possible.
A very important role is played in these
years by the famous café of Florence Giubbe
Rosse
from its foundation until the present day.
"Non fu giammai così nobil giardino/ come a quel tempo egli è
Mercato Vecchio / che l'occhio e il gusto pasce al fiorentino",
claimed
Antonio Pucci in the
14th century, "Mercato Vecchio nel mondo è alimento./ A ogni altra
piazza il prego serra". The area had, however, decayed from its
original medieval splendor.
Twentieth century
After doubling during the nineteenth century, Florence's population
was to triple in the twentieth, resulting from growth in tourism,
trade,
financial services and
industry.
During
World War II the city
experienced a year-long German occupation (1943–1944) and was
declared an
open city.
The Allied soldiers who died driving the Germans from
Tuscany are buried in cemeteries outside the city (Americans about
9 kilometres (6 mi) south of the city[3], British and
Commonwealth soldiers a few kilometers east of the centre on the
right bank of the Arno[4]).
In 1944, the retreating Germans decided to
blow up the bridges along the Arno linking the
district of Oltrarno to the rest of the city, thus making it
difficult for the British troops to
cross. However, at the last moment, Hitler ordered that the Ponte Vecchio
must not be blown up, as it was too
beautiful. Instead, an equally historic area of streets
directly to the south of the bridge, including part of the Corridoio
Vasariano
, was
destroyed using mines. Since then the bridges have been
restored exactly to their original forms using as many of the
remaining materials as possible, but the buildings surrounding the
Ponte Vecchio have been rebuilt in a style combining the old with
modern design. Shortly before leaving Florence, as they knew that
they would soon have to retreat, the Germans murdered many
freedom fighters and political opponents
publicly, in streets and squares including
Piazza Santo Spirito.
In November 1966, the
Arno flooded parts
of the centre, damaging many art treasures.
There was no warning
from the authorities, who knew the flood was coming, except a phone
call to the jewellers on the Ponte Vecchio. Around the city there are tiny placards on
the walls noting where the flood waters reached at their highest
point.
Geography
Florence
lies in a sort of basin among the Senese Clavey Hills, particularly
the hills of Careggi
, Fiesole, Settignano
, Arcetri
, Poggio
Imperiale
and Bellosguardo. The Arno river and three other minor rivers flow through
it.
Climate
Florence is usually said to have a
Mediterranean climate. It has hot,
humid summers with little rainfall and cool, damp winters. Due to
being surrounded by hills in a river valley, Florence can be hot
and humid from June to August. Because of the lack of a prevailing
wind, summer temperatures are higher than along the coast. The rain
which does fall in summer is
convectional.
Relief rainfall dominates in the winter,
with some snow. The highest officially recorded temperature was
42.6°C in 26 July 1983 and the lowest was -23.2°C on 12 January
1985.
Subdivisions
The traditional subdivision of Florence into four quarters dates
from the fourteenth century (that today compose the old town):
- Santa Maria Novella
- San Giovanni
- Santa Croce
- Santo Spirito
The modern administrative subdivision into five wards follows the
boundaries of the traditional quarters in the outer areas, as can
be seen on the maps:
The five current
administrative
divisions with their neighbourhoods:
Ward
(Quartiere) |
Area
(km²) |
Population
(May 2006) |
Population
density |
Neighboorhoods (frazioni) within ward |
Quartiere 1
Historic
Centre |
11.396 |
67,170 |
5,894 |
San Jacopino · Il Prato · La
Fortezza · Viali · Duomo–Oltrarno · Collina
sud · San Gaggio |
Quartiere 2
Campo di Marte |
23.406 |
88,588 |
3,784 |
Campo di
Marte–Le Cure · Viali · La Rondinella · Settignano · Collina
nord · Bellariva–Gavinana |
Quartiere 3
Gavinana/Galluzzo |
22.312 |
40,907 |
1,833 |
Collina
sud · Galluzzo · San Gaggio ·
Bellariva–Gavinana · Sorgane · Ponte a
Ema |
Quartiere 4
Isolotto/Legnaia |
16.991 |
66,636 |
3,921 |
Argingrosso · Cintoia · I
Bassi · Il Casone · Isolotto · La
Casella · Legnaia · Le Torri · Mantignano · Monticelli · Pignone · San Lorenzo a Greve · Soffiano · San Quirico · Torcicoda · Ugnano |
Quartiere 5
Rifredi |
28.171 |
103,761 |
3,683 |
Castello–Le
Panche · Piana di
Castello · Pistoiese · Brozzi · Peretola · Il Lippi–Barsanti · Firenze Nova · Novoli · Parco delle Cascine–Argingrosso · San Jacopino · La Fortezza · Careggi · Leopoldo–Rifredi · Collina
nord · Viali |
| Florence |
102.276 |
367,062 |
3,589 |
|
Landmarks
Panoramic nightview of Florence.
Florence is known as the “cradle of the
Renaissance” (
la culla del
Rinascimento) for its monuments, churches and buildings.
The
best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence is the
domed cathedral of the city, Santa Maria del Fiore
, known as The Duomo. The magnificent
dome was built by
Filippo Brunelleschi.
The nearby Campanile (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery buildings are also highlights. Both the dome
itself and the campanile are open to tourists and offer excellent
views; The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the
largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world.
In 1982,
the historic centre of Florence (Italian: centro storico di
Firenze) was declared a World
Heritage Site by the UNESCO for the
importance of its cultural heritages. The centre of the city
is contained in medieval walls that were built in the fourteenth
century to defend the city after it became famous and important for
its economic growth.
At the
heart of the city, in Piazza della Signoria, is Bartolomeo
Ammanati's Fountain of Neptune
(1563–1565), which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a
still- functioning Roman aqueduct.
The
Arno
River, which cuts through the old part of the city, is as
much a character in Florentine history as many of the people who
lived there. Historically, the locals have had a
love-hate relationship with the Arno
— which alternated between nourishing the city with commerce, and
destroying it by flood.
One of
the bridges in particular stands out as being unique — The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), whose most striking feature
is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by
stilts. The bridge also carries Vasari's
elevated corridor linking the
Uffizi to the Medici residence (Palazzo Pitti
). Although the original bridge was constructed
by the Etruscans
, the current bridge was rebuilt in the fourteenth
century It is the only bridge in the city to have survived World
War II intact.
The
church of San Lorenzo
contains the Medici
Chapel, the mausoleum of the
Medici family – the most powerful family in
Florence from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century.
Nearby is
the Uffizi Gallery, one
of the finest art museums in the world – founded on a large bequest
from the last member of the Medici family.
The
Uffizi itself is located at the corner of Piazza della
Signoria, a site important for being the centre of
Florence's civil life and government for centuries.
(Signoria
Palace is still home of the community government.) The Loggia dei
Lanzi
provided the setting for all the public ceremonies
of the republican government. Many significant episodes in
the
history of art and political
changes were staged here, such as:
- In 1301, Dante was sent into exile from here (commemorated by a
plaque on one of the walls of the Uffizi).
- On 26 April 1478, Jacopo de'Pazzi and his retainers tried to
raise the city against the Medici after the plot known as The
congiura dei Pazzi (The Pazzi conspiracy), murdering
Giuliano di Piero de'
Medici and wounding his brother Lorenzo. All the members of the plot who
could be apprehended were seized by the Florentines and hanged from
the windows of the palace.
- In 1497, it was the location of the Bonfire of the Vanities instigated
by the Dominican friar and preacher Girolamo Savonarola
- On 23 May 1498, the same Savonarola and two followers were
hanged and burnt at the stake. (A round plate in the ground marks
the spot where he was hanged)
- In
1504, Michelangelo's David
(now replaced by a replica, since the original was
moved indoors to the Accademia dell'Arte del
Disegno
) was installed in front of the Palazzo
della Signoria
(also known
as Palazzo Vecchio).
The Piazza della Signoria is the location of a number of statues by
other sculptors such as
Donatello,
Giambologna,
Ammannati and
Cellini, although some have been replaced
with copies to preserve the priceless originals.
In addition to the Uffizi, Florence has other world-class museums.
The
Bargello
concentrates on sculpture,
containing many priceless works by sculptors including Donatello, Giambologna
and Michelangelo. The Accademia
dell'Arte del Disegno (often simply called the Accademia)
collection's highlights are Michelangelo's David and his unfinished Slaves.
Across
the Arno is the huge Palazzo Pitti, containing part of the Medici family's former
private collection. In addition to the Medici collection,
the palace's galleries contain many Renaissance works, including
several by
Raphael and
Titian, large collections of costumes, ceremonial
carriages, siver, porcelain and a
gallery of modern art
dating from the eighteenth century.
Adjoining the palace are the Boboli
Gardens
, elaborately landscaped and with many interesting
sculptures.
The
Santa
Croce
basilica, originally a Franciscan foundation,
contains the monumental tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante (actually a
cenotaph
), and many other notables.
Other
important basilicas and churches in
Florence include Santa Maria Novella
, San Lorenzo, Santo Spirito
and the Orsanmichele
, and the Tempio Maggiore Great
Synagogue of Florence
.
Civil Architecture
Museums
Proclaimed as the "art capital of Italy", Florence has immense
artistic and cultural richness and contains numerous museums and
art galleries where some of the world's most important works of art
are held. The city is one of the best preserved Renaissance centres
of art and architecture in the world and has a high concentration
of art, architecture and culture.
Michelangelo's David
- Uffizi
- This is one of the most famous and important art galleries in
the world, which contains works of art from Giotto, Cimabue, Botticelli, Leonardo
da Vinci, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, to name but a few.
- Vasari corridor
- The
Vasari corridor is a gallery which collects the Palazzo
Vecchio with the Pitti Palace passing by the Uffizi and over the
Ponte
Vecchio.
- Galleria dell'Accademia
- La
Galleria dell'Accademia is famous for its Michelangelo collection, including the famous
David.
- Pitti Palace
- The Florentine palace is an important art museum, with five
main art galleries:
- The Palatine gallery, on the first floor of the piano
nobile, contains a large ensemble of over 500 principally
Renaissance paintings, which were once part of the Medici's and
their successors' private art collection. The gallery, which
overflows into the royal apartments, contains works by Raphael, Titian, Correggio, Rubens, and Pietro da Cortona. The character of the
gallery is still that of a private collection, and the works of art
are displayed and hung much as they would have been in the grand
rooms for which they were intended rather than following a
chronological sequence, or arranged according to school of
art.
- This is a suite of 14 rooms, formerly used by the Medici
family, and lived in by their successors. These rooms have been
largely altered since the era of the Medici, most recently in the
19th century. They contain a collection of Medici portraits, many
of them by the artist Giusto
Sustermans. In contrast to the great salons containing the
Palatine collection, some of these rooms are much smaller and more
intimate, and, while still grand and gilded, are more suited to
day-to-day living requirements. Period furnishings include
four-poster beds and other necessary furnishings not found
elsewhere in the palazzo. The Kings of Italy last used the Palazzo
Pitti in the 1920s. By that time it had already been converted to a
museum, but a suite of rooms (now the Gallery of Modern Art) was
reserved for them when visiting Florence officially.
Piazzale degli Uffizi
- This gallery originates from the remodeling of the Florentine
academy in 1748, when a gallery of modern art was established. The
gallery was intended to hold those art works which were
prize-winners in the academy's competitions. The Palazzo Pitti was
being redecorated on a grand scale at this time and the new works
of art were being collected to adorn the newly decorated salons. By
the mid-19th century so numerous were the Grand Ducal paintings of
modern art that many were transferred to the Palazzo Croncetta, which became the first
home of the newly formed "Modern Art Museum". Following the
Risorgimento and the expulsion of the
Grand Ducal family from the palazzo, all the Grand Ducal modern art
works were brought together under one roof in the newly titled
"Modern gallery of the Academy". The collection continued to
expand, particularly so under the patronage of Vittorio Emanuele II. However it was
not until 1922 that this gallery was moved to the Palazzo Pitti
where it was complemented by further modern works of art in the
ownership of both the state and the municipality of Florence. The
collection was housed in apartments recently vacated by members of
the Italian Royal family. The gallery was first opened to public
viewing in 1928. Today, further enlarged and spread over 30 rooms,
this large collection includes works by artists of the Macchiaioli movement and other modern Italian
schools of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The pictures by
the Macchiaioli artists are of particular note, as this school of
19th-century Tuscan painters led by Giovanni Fattori were early pioneers and
the founders of the impressionist movement. The title "gallery of
modern art" to some may sound incorrect, as the art in the gallery
covers the period from 1700 to early 1900. No examples of later art
are included in the collection since In Italy, "modern art" refers
to the period before World War II; what
has followed is generally known as "contemporary art" (arte
contemporanea). In Tuscany this art can be found at the
Centro per l'arte contemporanea Luigi
Pecci
at Prato
, a city
about from Florence.
- Sometimes called "The Medici Treasury", this contains a
collection of priceless silver, cameo, and works in semi-precious gemstones, many of the latter from the collection
of Lorenzo de' Medici, including
his collection of ancient vases, many with delicate silver gilt
mounts added for display purposes in the 15th century. These rooms,
formerly part of the private royal apartments, are decorated with
17th-century frescoes, the most splendid
being by Giovanni di San
Giovanni, from 1635 to 1636. The Silver Museum also contains a
fine collection of German gold and silver artefacts purchased by
Grand Duke Ferdinand after his
return from exile in 1815, following the French occupation.
- Situated in a wing known as the "Palazzina della Meridiana",
this gallery contains a collection of theatrical costumes dating
from the 16th century until the present. It is also the only museum
in Italy detailing the history of Italian fashions. One of the
newer collections to the palazzo, it was founded in 1983 by
Kristen Aschengreen
Piacenti; a suite of fourteen rooms, the Meridiana apartments,
were completed in 1858. In addition to theatrical costumes, the
gallery displays garments worn between the 18th century and the
present day. Some of the exhibits are unique to the Palazzo Pitti;
these include the 16th-century funeral clothes of Grand Duke Cosimo
I de' Medici, and Eleonora of Toledo and her son Garzia, both of
whom died of malaria. Their bodies would
have been displayed in state wearing
their finest clothes, before being reclad in plainer attire before
interment. The gallery also exhibits a
collection of mid-20th century costume
jewellery. The Sala Meridiana originally sponsored a
functional solar meridian instrument, built into the fresco
decoration by Anton Domenico
Gabbiani.
- First opened in 1973, this museum is housed in the Casino del Cavaliere in the Boboli Gardens.
The
porcelain is from many of the most notable European porcelain
factories, with Sèvres and Meissen
near Dresden
being well represented. Many items in the
collection were gifts to the Florentine rulers from other European
sovereigns, while other works were specially commissioned by the
Grand Ducal court. Of particular note are several large dinner
services by the Vincennes factory, later
renamed Sèvres, and a collection of small biscuit figurines.
- This ground floor museum exhibits carriages and other conveyances used by the Grand
Ducal court mainly in the late 18th and 19th century. The extent of
the exhibition prompted one visitor in the 19th century to wonder,
"In the name of all that is extraordinary, how can they find room
for all these carriages and horses". Some of the carriages are
highly decorative, being adorned not only by gilt but by painted
landscapes on their panels. Those used on the grandest occasions,
such as the "Carrozza d'Oro" (golden carriage), are surmounted by
gilt crowns which would have indicated the rank and station of the
carriage's occupants. Other carriages on view are those used by the
King of the Two Sicilies, and Archbishops and other Florentine
dignitaries.
- Bargello
- This museum houses masterpieces by Michelangelo, such as his Bacchus,
Pitti Tondo (or Madonna and Child),
Brutus and David-Apollo. Its collection includes
Donatello's David and St. George
Tabernacle, Vincenzo Gemito's
Pescatore ("fisherboy"), Jacopo Sansovino's Bacco, Giambologna's L’Architettura and his
Mercurio and many works from the Della Robbia family. Benvenuto Cellini is represented with his
bronze bust of Cosimo I.
- Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre
Dure
- L'Opificio delle Pietre Dure, whose base is in Florence, is one
of the country's most important museums, even at international
levels.
Medici Chapels
- Museo di Storia
naturale
- The Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze is a natural history
museum in 6 major collections, located in Florence. It is part of
the University of Florence. Museum collections are open mornings
except Wednesday, and all day Saturday; an admission fee is
charged. The museum was established on 21 February 1775 by Grand
Duke Pietro Leopoldo as the Imperial Regio Museo di Fisica e Storia
Naturale. At that time it consisted of several natural history
collections housed within the palazzo Torrigiani on Via Romana.
Through the past two centuries, it has grown significantly and now
forms one of the finest collections in Italy.
- Institute and Museum of the History of
Science
- The Institute and Museum of the History of Science (Italian:
Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, IMSS) is based in
Florence, Italy. It was founded in 1927 by the University of
Florence. The museum is located in the Palazzo Castellani, by the
River Arno and close to the Uffizi Gallery. Among the more famous
of its collections is the middle finger from the right hand of
Galileo Galilei, which was removed when Galileo's remains were
transported to a new burial spot on 12 March 1737.
- National
Archaeological Museum
- The National Archaeological Museum of Florence (Italian - Museo
archeologico nazionale di Firenze) is an archaeological museum in
held within the city. It is located at 1 piazza Santissima
Annunziata, in the Palazzo della Crocetta (a palace built in 1620
for princess Maria Maddalena de' Medici, daughter of Ferdinand I de
Medici, by Giulio Parigi).
Palazzi
- Palazzo Vecchio
- The town hall of Florence
is also a major art museum. This massive
Romanesque crenellated fortress-palace is among the most
impressive town halls of
Tuscany.
- Palazzo Strozzi
: A splendid example of civil architecture with its
rusticated stone, inspired by the Palazzo Medici, but with more
harmonious proportions. Today the palace is used for
international expositions like the annual antique show (founded as
the Biennale del'Antiquariato in 1959), fashion shows and other
cultural and artistic events. Here also is the seat of the Istituto
Nazionale del Rinascimento and the noted Gabinetto Vieusseux, with the library
and reading room.
- Palazzo Rucellai
: Designed by Leon Battista Alberti between 1446 and
1451 and executed, at least in part, by Bernardo Rossellino. Its splendid
façade was one of the first to announce the new ideas of
Renaissance architecture based on pilasters and entablatures in
proportional relationship to each other, in a design that probably
owed a great deal to Alberti's studies of Roman architecture, particularly the
Colosseum, but which is also full of originality.
- Palazzo Davanzati
: Housing the museum of the Old Florentine House,
this building's façade integrates a group of earlier medieval tower
homes.
- Palazzo delle Assicurazioni
Generali
: was designed in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1871, and is one of
the very few purpose-built commercial buildings in the centre of
the city, located in Piazza della Signoria.
- Palazzo Spini Feroni
: is a historic 13th-century private palace, owned
since the 1920s by shoe-designer Salvatore Ferragamo.
- Tribunal of Florence
: A 21st-century building housing the court of
justice.
Villas, Parks and Arches
Villa di Poggio Imperiale
_122.JPG/200px-Arco_di_Trionfo_(Florence)_122.JPG)
The Arco di Trionfo
Surrounding Florence, there are numerous villas, especially built
by the
Medicis. There are also a fair amount
of parks and gardens in Florence.
- Arco di Trionfo (Triumphal Arch)
- Found in Piazza della Libertà, it is a grand arch built in the
18th century by architect Jean-Nicolas Jadot, with statues of
mytholical deities and heros, inspired by the work of the
Accademia.
- Arco di San Pierino
- Is a small arched-underpass between Piazza San Pier Maggiore e
Via dell'Oriuolo, in one of the city's most picturesque
quarters.
- Giardino di Boboli
- The Boboli Gardens form a famous park in Florence, Italy, that
is home to a distinguished collection of sculptures dating from the
sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, with some Roman
antiquities. The gardens have passed through several stages of
enlargement and restructuring work. They were enlarged in the 17th
century to their present extent of 45,000 meters²
(11 acres).
Villa Demidoff
Squares
- ;Piazza della
Repubblica: Is a square in the center of Florence, location of
the cultural cafes and bourgeois palaces. Among the square's
cafes, the Giubbe
Rosse
cafe has long been a meeting place for famous
artists and writers, notably those of Futurism.
- ;Piazza Santa Croce
: Dominated by the Basilica of
Santa Croce it is a rectangular square in the center of the
city. Here the Calcio Fiorentino
is played every year and when can find on this
square the Palazzo dell'Antella, the Palazzo Cocchi-Serristori
(main office of center of Florence quarter) and the Dante's
statue.
- ;Piazza Santa Maria Novella: With the
Basilica
of Santa Maria Novella and the Alinari phography museum, is one of the
principal squares of Florence. It is opposite of piazza
della Stazione, accessible by Via degli Avelli.
- ;Piazza della Stazione: It is a big square in the center of the
city, one of the main focal point of transport in Florence.
Here
converge almost the entire bus-line, and tramways, and the central
station of Florence the biggest and masterpiece of Rationalism
Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway
station
, that is used by 59,000,000 people every year
. On piazza della Stazione we can also find the Palazzina
Reale di Santa Maria Novella (where the king of Italy stayed), and
the Palazzo degli Affari.
- ;Piazza dell'Indipendenza: It is a wide square located near
piazza della Stazione and San Lorenzo market, with palaces
typically bourgeois where lived Guido Nobili and Theodosia Gorrow
Trollope wife of the writer Anthony
Trollope.
- ;Piazza Goldoni: In front of Ponte alla
Carraia
, in the piazza Goldoni we can find the Palazzo
Ricasoli and the statue dedicated to Carlo Goldoni.
Streets
Via degli Speziali
_4.JPG/180px-Via_Roma_(Florence)_4.JPG)
Via Roma
- ;Via Camillo Cavour
: Via Camillo Cavour is one of the main roads of the
northern area of the historic city centre
of the Italian city of Florence. It was
created in 1861 from two older streets, Via Larga and
Via Leopoldo (as far as Piazza della Libertà, renamed
Piazzale Cavour at the same time), and renamed after Camillo Cavour on 17 June 1861, just 11 days
after his death.
- ;Via
Ghibellina: One of central Florence's longest streets, it leads
directly towards the Bargello, and contains numerous palazzi, shops and
theatres.
- ;Via
Roma: A central street near Piazza della Repubblica
, which is built in mainly 18th-19th-century
style architecture.
- ;Via
degli Speziali: The Via degli Speziali is an elegant street, built
mainly in the 19th century neo-classical style, near Piazza
della Repubblica.
Religious architecture
Cathedral detail
Baptistery
Santa Maria Novella
San Lorenzo
- Santa Maria del Fiore
Cathedral: The fourth largest church in Europe, its length
being and its height .
- San Giovanni Baptistery: Located in front of the Florence Cathedral, it is
decorated by many artists, notably by Lorenzo Ghiberti with the Gates of
Paradise.
- Basilica of Santa Maria
Novella: Located in Santa Maria Novella square (near the
big Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway
station) this contains works by Masaccio, Paolo
Uccello, Filippino Lippi and
Domenico Ghirlandaio.
The great façade was made by Leon Battista Alberti.
- Basilica
of Santa Croce: The principal Franciscan church in Florence,
Italy, and a minor basilica of the
Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di
Santa Croce, about 800 metres south east of the Duomo. The site,
when first chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls. It is the burial place of some of
the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo,
Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile, Rossini, and Marconi, thus it is
known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories (Tempio dell'Itale
Glorie).
- San Marco, Florence
: A complex comprising a church and a
convent. The convent, which is now a museum, has three
claims to fame: during the 15th century it was home to two famous
Dominicans, the painter Fra Angelico
and the preacher, Girolamo Savonarola. Also housed at the convent
is a famous collection of manuscripts in a library built by
Michelozzo.
- Basilica
of San Lorenzo: One of the largest churches of Florence, Italy,
situated at the centre of the city’s main market district, and the
burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family from
Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III.
- Santo Spirito: Located in the Oltrarno quarter, facing the square
with the same name. The building on the interior is one of
the pre-eminent examples of Renaissance architecture.
- Orsanmichele: This building was constructed on the site of the
kitchen garden of the monastery of San Michele, now
gone.
- Santissima Annunziata
: A Roman Catholic basilica and the mother
church of the Servite order. It
is located on the north-eastern side of the Piazza Santissima
Annunziata.
- Ognissanti
: Founded by the lay order of the Umiliati, this
was among the first examples of Baroque architecture built in the
city. Its two orders of pilasters enclose niches and windows
with fantastical cornices. To the left of the façade is a campanile
of thirteenth and fourteenth-century construction.
- Santa
Maria del Carmine
: in the Oltrarno district of Florence, it is
famous as the location of the Brancacci Chapel
, housing outstanding Renaissance frescoes by
Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, later finished by
Filippino Lippi.
- Santa Trinita
: It is the mother church of the Vallumbrosan Order of monks, founded in
1092 by a Florentine nobleman. Nearby is the Ponte Santa
Trinita over the river Arno. The church is famous for its Sassetti
Chapel, containing notable frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio.
- Medici Chapel
in San
Lorenzo
- The Medici Chapel are the resting place of most of the Medici as Grand Dukes of Tuscany. One is the
Sagrestia Nuova, the "New Sacristy", designed by Michelangelo. The other is the Capella dei
Principi, the 16th and 17th-century "Chapel of the Princes", which
is entirely covered with a revetment of colored marbles inlaid with
pietra dura.
- San Marco: Comprises a church and a convent. The
convent, which is now a museum, has three claims to fame: In the
15th century, it was home to two famous Dominicans, the painter
Fra Angelico and the preacher, Girolamo Savonarola. Also housed at the
convent is a famous collection of manuscripts in a library built by
Michelozzo.
- Santa Felicita
: is a church in the downtown, probably the
oldest in the city after San Lorenzo.
- Badia Fiorentina
: Famous as the parish
church of Beatrice Portinari,
the love of Dante's life, and the place where he watched her at
mass, for Dante grew up across the street in what is now called the
'Casa di Dante', rebuilt in 1910 as a museum to Dante.
- San Gaetano
: One of the most important examples of the
Baroque style in Florence, a city better
known for its Renaissance architecture.
- San Miniato al Monte
: Standing at one of the highest points in the
city, this has been described as the finest Romanesque structure in
Tuscany and one of the most beautiful churches in
Italy.
- Florence Charterhouse: A
charterhouse, or Carthusian monastery, located in the Florence
suburb of Galluzzo, in central Italy.
The building is a walled complex located on Monte Acuto, at the
point of confluence of the Ema and Greve rivers.
- Great Synagogue of Florence: A magnificent synagogue built between 1874 and
1882. The design integrates Islamic and Italian
architectural traditions.
- Chiesa Russa Ortodossa della Natività
Theatres
Teatro della Pergola
Auditoriun of the Duomo
There are numerous important historical and modern theatres in
Florence. The main ones are:
- ;Teatro della Pergola
: The Teatro della Pergola is an opera house in
Florence, Italy. It is located in the centre of the city on
the Via della Pergola. It was built in 1656 under the direction of
the architect Ferdinando Tacca and
its inaugural production was the opera
buffa, Il podestà
di Colognole by Jacopo
Melani. The opera house is considered to be the oldest in
Italy, having occupied the same site for more than 350 years.
- ;Teatro Comunale di
Firenze: The Teatro Comunale di Firenze (or Teatro del
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino) is an opera
house in Florence. It was originally built as the open-air
amphitheatre, the Politeama Fiorentiono Vittorio Emanuele
which was inaugurated on 17 May 1862 with a production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor and which
seated 6,000 people. It became the focus on cultural life in the
city. After closure caused by fire, it reopened in April 1864 and
acquired a roof in 1882. By 1911 it had both electricity and
heating.
- ;Teatro Verdi: Situated in central Florence, it is known for
its lighter, comical plays.
- ;Teatro Goldoni: The theatre was inaugurated on 17 April 1817.
Nowadays, it is mainly used for dance.
Teatro di Villa Strozzi
- ;Teatro Niccolini: Also known as Teatro
del Cocomero, it is found in via
Ricasoli, very near to Florence Cathedral. It was frequently utlilized by Lorenzo de' Medici.
- ;Parco della musica e della cultura: It is a vast musical
complex whichi is being built in the Cascine park, and it will be a
major centre of musical and theatrical culture. It will host a
lyrical theatre containing 2,000 places, a concert hall for 1,000
watchers, a hall with 3,000 seats and an open-air amphitheatre with
3,000 spaces. It will host numerous ballets, concerts, lyrical
operas and numerous musical festivals. The theatre will be
inaugurated on 28 April 2011, in honour of the 150th anniversary of
the Italian unification.
Demographics
The population of the city proper is 365,744 (30 November 2008),
while
Eurostat estimates that 696,767
people live in the
urban area of
Florence. The Metropolitan Area of Florence, Prato, and Pistoia,
constituted in 2000 over an area of roughly 4,800 square
kilometers, is home to 1.5 million people. Within Florence proper,
46.8% of the population was male in 2007 and 53.2% were female.
Minors (children aged 18 and younger) totalled 14.10 percent of the
population compared to pensioners, who numbered 25.95 percent. This
compares with the Italian average of 18.06 percent (minors) and
19.94 percent (pensioners). The average age of Florence resident is
49 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between
2002 and 2007, the population of Florence grew by 3.22 percent,
while Italy as a whole grew by 3.56 percent. The current
birth rate of Florence is 7.66 births per 1,000
inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.
As of 2006, 90.45% of the population was
Italian. An estimated 60,000
Chinese live in the city.
The largest
immigrant group came from other European countries (mostly from
Albania
and Romania
): 3.52%, East Asia
(mostly Chinese and Filipino): 2.17%, the Americas: 1.41%, and North
Africa (mostly Moroccan
): 0.9%.
Economy
Tourism is, by far, the most important of all industries and most
of the Florentine economy relies on the money generated by
international arrivals and students (especially Americans) studying
in the city. Manufacturing and commerce, however, still remain
highly important.
Industry, commerce and services
Florence is a major production and commercial centre in Italy,
where the Florentine industrial complexes in the suburbs produce
all sorts of goods, from furntiture, rubber goods, chemicals, and
food. However, traditional and local products, such as antiques,
handicrafts, glasswear, leatherwork, art reproductions, jewelry,
souvenirs, elaborate metal and iron-work, shoes, accessories and
high fashion clothes also dominate a fair sector of Florence's
economy.
The city's income relies partially on
services and commercial and cultural interests, such as annual
fairs, theatrical and lyrical productions, art exhibitions,
festivals and fashion shows, such as the Calcio
Fiorentino. Heavy industry and machinery also take
their part in provinding an income. In Nuovo Pignone, numerous
factories are still present, and small-to medium industrial
businesses are dominant. As a matter of fact, the
Florence-Prato-Pistoia industrial districts and areas were known as
the 'Third Italy' in the 1990s, due to the exports of high-quality
goods and automobile (especially the
Vespa)
and the prosperity and productivity of the Florentine
entrepreneurs. Some of these industries even rivalled the
traditional industrial districts in
Emilia-Romagna and
Veneto due to high profits and productivity.
Tourism
Tourists flock the Fontana del
Porcellino
Tourism is the most significant industry
within the centre of Florence. On any given day between April and
October, the local population is greatly outnumbered by tourists
from all over the world.
The Uffizi and Accademia museums are regularly sold out of tickets, and
large groups regularly fill the basilicas of Santa Croce
and Santa Maria Novella, both of which charge for entry.
Florence has approximately 35,000 hotel beds and 23,000 other
facilities (campsites, guesthouses and farmhouses). Attendance
(total number of nights) in total non-hotel and hotel businesses
come to tap the 10 million a year by placing the city as one of the
most visited in the world (in 2007, the city became the world's
46th most visited city, with over 1.715 million arrivals). Just
under one third of the tourists are represented by the
Italians, whilst the remainder is composed of
foreigners, with the increased presence of:
Given
the vast artistic wealth of the city (Florence has of the largest
concentration of art in proportion to its extension in the world),
cultural tourism is very strong, with notable museums such as the
Uffizi, which are
amongst the most important art galleries of the world, selling as
something more than 1.6 million tickets a year, which are flanked
by other important museums. The tourism industry conference
and exhibition (the Firenze Fiera held in the Fortezza da Basso, in
the Palazzo dei Congresie and the Palazzo degli AffariWhich are
contiguous with each other) has experienced huge growth with the
restructuring of the convention centre in the early 1990s, and sees
exhibitions, conferences, meetings, social forums, concerts and
international events all year.
Food and wine production
Food and wine have long been an important staple of the economy.
Florence is the most important city in
Tuscany, one of the great
wine-growing regions in the world. The
Chianti region is just south of the city, and its
Sangiovese grapes figure prominently not
only in its
Chianti Classico wines but also
in many of the more recently developed Supertuscan blends. Within
twenty miles (32 km) to the west is the Carmignano area, also
home to flavorful sangiovese-based reds. The celebrated Chianti
Rufina district, geographically and historically separated from the
main Chianti region, is also few miles east of Florence. More
recently, the Bolgheri region (about southwest of Florence) has
become celebrated for its
"Super Tuscan" reds such as
Sassicaia and
Ornellaia.winepros.com.au.
Culture
Art
Florence has a legendary artistic heritage.
Cimabue and
Giotto,
the fathers of Italian painting, lived in Florence as well as
Arnolfo and
Andrea Pisano, renewers of
architecture and sculpture;
Brunelleschi,
Donatello and
Masaccio,
forefathers of the Renaissance, Ghiberti and the Della Robbias,
Filippo Lippi and Angelico;
Botticelli, Paolo Uccello and the universal genius of
Leonardo da Vinci and
Michelangelo.
Their
works, together with those of many other generations of artists,
are gathered in the several museums of the town: the Uffizi Gallery, the
Palatina gallery with the paintings of the "Golden
Ages".
The
Bargello Tower with the sculptures of the Renaissance, the
museum of San Marco with Angelico's works, the Academy, the chapels
of the Medicis, Buonarroti' s house with the
sculptures of Michelangelo, the following museums: Bardini, Horne,
Stibbert, Romano, Corsini, The Gallery of Modern Art, The museum of
the Opera del Duomo, the museum of Silverware and the museum of
Precious Stones.
Great
monuments are the landmarks of Florentine artistic culture: the
Florence
Baptistery with its mosaics; the Cathedral with its
sculptures, the medieval churches with bands of frescoes; public as
well as private palaces: Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo
Pitti, Palazzo Medici Riccardi
, Palazzo Davanzati; monasteries, cloisters, refectories; the
"Certosa". In the archeological museum includes documents of
Etruscan civilization. In fact the city is so rich in art that some
first time visitors experience the
Stendhal syndrome as they encounter its
art for the first time.
Language
Florentine
(
fiorentino), spoken by inhabitants of Florence and its
environs, is a
Tuscan dialect and an
immediate
parent language to modern
Italian. (Many linguists and scholars of
Dante,
Boccaccio, and
Petrarch consider standard Italian to be, in fact,
modern Florentine.)
Its vocabulary and pronunciation are largely identical to standard
Italian, though the hard
c between two vowels (as in
ducato) is pronounced as a
fricative , similar to an
English
h. This gives Florentines a distinctive and highly
recognizable accent (the so-called
gorgia
toscana). Other traits include using a form of the
subjunctive mood last commonly used in
medieval times, a frequent usage of
the modern subjunctive instead of the present of standard Italian ,
and a reduced pronunciation of the
definite article, instead of "il" .
Music
Music and the performing arts remain an important part of
Florentine culture. The city was at the heart of much of our entire
Western musical tradition. It was here that the
Florentine Camerata convened in the
mid-1500s and experimented with setting tales of Greek mythology to
music and staging the result—in other words, the first operas,
setting the wheels in motion not just for the further development
of the operatic form, but for later developments of separate
"classical" forms such as the symphony. Even though Florence was a
major musical centre since the
Middle-Ages, Florence's music and performing
arts flourished during the
Renaissance.
During the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, several kinds
of musical patronage existed in Florence, with respect to both
sacred and secular music. There were four kinds of musical
patronage in Florence: state, corporate, church, and private.
Numerous composers and musicians lived or resided in Florence, such
as
Francesco Puccioni,
Piero Strozzi and
Giulio Caccini, to name a few.
Cinema
Florence has been a setting for numerous works of
fiction and
movie, including the
novels and associated films, such as
Calmi Cuori
Appassionati,
Hannibal ,
A Room with a View ,
Tea with Mussolini and
Virgin Territory. The city
is also home to numerous renowned Italian actors and actresses,
such as
Roberto Benigni,
Leonardo Pieraccioni and
Vittoria Puccini.
Cuisine
Florentine food grows out of a tradition of peasant eating rather
than rarefied high cooking. The vast majority of dishes are based
on meat. The whole animal was traditionally eaten; various kinds of
tripe, (
trippa) and (
lampredotto) were once regularly on the
menu and still are sold at the remaining food carts stationed
throughout the city.
Antipasti include
crostini toscani, sliced bread rounds topped with a
chicken liver-based
pâté, and sliced
meats (mainly
prosciutto and
salami, often served with melon when in season). The
typically saltless Tuscan bread, obtained with natural
levain frequently features in Florentine courses,
especially in its famous soups,
ribollita and
pappa al pomodoro, or
in the salad of bread and fresh vegetables called
panzanella that is served in summer. The
most famous main course is the
bistecca
alla fiorentina, a large (the customary size should weigh
around 1200 grams – "40 oz.") – the "date" steak –
T-bone steak of
Chianina beef cooked over hot charcoal and served
very rare with its more recently derived version, the
tagliata, sliced rare beef served on a bed of
arugula, often with slices of
Parmesan cheese on top. Most of these
courses are generally served with local
olive
oil, also a prime product enjoying a worldwide
reputation.
Fashion
Luxury boutiques along Florence's
prestigious Via de' Tornabuoni.
Florence being historically the first home of Italian fashion (the
1951–1953 soirées held by Giovanni Battista Giorgini are generally
regarded as the birth of the
Italian school as opposed to
french
haute couture) is also home to the legendary
Italian fashion establishment
Salvatore Ferragamo, notable as one of
the oldest and most famous Italian fashion houses.
Many others, most of
them now located in Milan
, were founded in Florence. Gucci,
Prada,
Roberto Cavalli, and
Chanel have large offices and stores in Florence or
its outskirts. Florence's main upscale shopping street is
Via de' Tornabuoni, where major luxury
fashion houses and jewelry labels, such as
Armani,
Ferragamo and
Bulgari, have their elegant boutiques.
Historical evocations
Scoppio del Carro
The
Scoppio del Carro (“Explosion of the Cart”) is a
celebration of the
First Crusade.
During
the day of Easter, a cart, which the
Florentines call the Brindellone and which is led by four
white oxen, is taken to Piazza del
Duomo between the Baptistery of St.
John the Baptist (Battistero di San Giovanni) and the Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore). The cart
is connected by a rope to the interior of the church. Near the cart
there is a model of a dove which, according to legend, is a symbol
of good luck for the city: at the end of the Easter mass, the dove
emerges from the nave of the Duomo and ignites the fireworks on the
cart.
Calcio Storico
Calcio storico
Calcio Storico Fiorentino (“Historic Florentine
Football”), sometimes called
Calcio
in costume, is a traditional
sport,
regarded as a forerunner of soccer, though the actual gameplay most
closely resembles rugby. The event originates from the
Middle Ages, when the most important Florentine
nobles amused themself playing while wearing magnificent costumes.
The most important match was played on 17 February 1530, during the
siege of
Florence.
That day Papal troops
besiged the city while the Florentines, with
contempt of the enemies, decided to play the game notwithstanding
the situation. The game is played in the Piazza di
Santa
Croce. A temporary arena is constructed, with
bleachers and a sand-covered playing field. A series of matches are
held between four teams representing each
quartiere
(quarter) of Florence during late June and early July. There are
four teams: Azzurri (light blue), Bianchi (white), Rossi (red) and
Verdi (green). The Azzurri are from the quarter of Santa Croce,
Bianchi from the quarter of Santo Spirito, Verdi are from San
Giovanni and Rossi from Santa Maria Novella.
Transportation
The principal
public transport
network within the city is run by the
ATAF
and Li-nea bus company, with tickets available at local
tobacconists, bars, and newspaper stalls. Individual tickets or a
pass called the Carta Agile with multiple rides (10 or 21) may be
used on buses. Once on the bus, tickets must be stamped (or swiped
for the Carta Agile) using the machines on board unlike the train
tickets which must be validated before boarding. The main
bus station is next to Santa Maria Novella
train station.
Trenitalia runs trains between the railway
stations within the city, and to other destinations around Italy
and Europe.
The central station, Santa Maria Novella Station, is located about NW of Piazza del
Duomo. There are two other important stations: Campo Di
Marte and Rifredi. Most bundled routes are Firenze-Pisa,
Firenze-Viareggio and Firenze-Arezzo (along the main line to Rome).
Other
local railways connect Florence with Borgo San Lorenzo
and Siena.
Long distance buses are run by the SITA, Copit, CAP and Lazzi
companies.
The transit companies also accommodate
travellers from the Amerigo Vespucci Airport, which is five kilometers (3.1 mi) west of the
city centre, and which has scheduled services run by major European
carriers such as Air France and Lufthansa
.
The centre of the city is closed to through-traffic, although
buses,
taxis and
residents with appropriate permits are allowed in. This area is
commonly referred to the ZTL (
Zona Traffico Limitato),
which is divided into five subsections. Residents of one section,
therefore, will only be able to drive in their district and perhaps
some surrounding ones. Cars without permits are allowed to enter
after seven-thirty at night, or before seven-thirty in the morning.
The rules shift somewhat unpredictably during the tourist-filled
summers, putting more restrictions on where one can get in and
out.
Due to the high level of
air pollution
and traffic in the city, an urban
tram network
called the TramVia is currently under construction in the City.
It will
run from Scandicci
to the southwest through the western side of the
city, cross the river Arno at the Cascine
Park and arrive to the main station of Santa Maria Novella.
Two other lines are in the final design phase.
Railway station
Inside Santa Maria Novella railway
station.
Florence airport
- Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway
station: is the main national and international train
station in Florence and is used by 59.000.000 people every
year.
- Firenze Rifredi Station
- Firenze Campo di Marte Station
- Firenze Belfiore Station
- Firenze Cascine Station
- Firenze Castello Station
- Firenze Rovezzano Station
- Firenze San Marco Vecchio Station
- Firenze Statuto Station
- Firenze Porta al Prato Station
- Firenze Le Cure Station
- Firenze Le Piagge Station
- Firenze Salviati Station
- Firenze Piazza Puccini Station
Airport
Florence's Peretola Airport is one of two main airports in the Tuscany region,
the other being Galileo Galilei International Airport near
Pisa.
_0.JPG/200px-Palazzo_di_Giustizia_(Florence)_0.JPG)
Tribunal
Sport
Florence is represented by
ACF
Fiorentina, who plays in
Serie A, the
top league of
Italian football.
They
play their games at the Stadio
Artemio Franchi
.
Administration
The current Mayor of Florence is Matteo Renzi (
Democratic Party, elected in June
2009).
International relations
Twin towns—Sister cities
Florence is
twinned with:
- Nazareth
 , Israel
- Asmara
 , Eritrea
- Beirut
 , Lebanon
- Bethlehem
 , Palestinian
Authority
- Budapest
 , Hungary
- Sydney, Australia
- Dresden, Germany
- Saint Petersburg
 , Russia
- El Aaiún
 , Morocco
- Fes
 ,
Morocco
- Gaziantep
 , Turkey
- Gemlik, Turkey
|
- Granada
 , Spain
- Isfahan
 , Iran
- Istanbul
 , Turkey
- Kassel
 , Germany
- Kiev
 , Ukraine
- Kuwait City
 , Kuwait
- Kyoto, Japan
- Malmö
 , Sweden
- Nablus
 , Palestinian
Authority
- Nanjing
 , China
- Philadelphia
 , United States
|
- Providence
 , United States
- Reims
 , France
- Riga
 , Latvia
- Edinburgh
 , Scotland, United Kingdom
- Salvador
 , Bahia, Brazil
- Cambridge
 , United States
- Tirana
 , Albania
- Turku
 , Finland
- Valladolid
 , Spain
- Voždovac
 , Serbia
- Yerevan
 , Armenia
|
Partnerships
Notable residents
- Sir Harold Acton, author and
aesthete.
- Leone Battista Alberti,
polymath.
- Dante Alighieri, poet.
- Giovanni Boccaccio,
poet.
- Sandro Botticelli,
painter.
- Aureliano Brandolini,
agronomist and development cooperation scholar.
- Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 19th
century English
poets.
- Filippo Brunelleschi,
architect.
- Michelangelo
Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, also
famous for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
and David.
- Roberto Cavalli, fashion designer.
- Enrico Coveri, fashion
designer.
- Leonardo da Vinci, polymath, famous for his Mona
Lisa and other paintings, inventions, and scientific
experiments.
- Giotto di Bondone, early 14th
century painter, sculptor and architect.
- Donatello, sculptor.
- Oriana Fallaci, journalist and
author.
- Salvatore Ferragamo, fashion
designer and "shoemaker to the stars".
- Frescobaldi Family, notable bankers
and wine producers.
- Galileo Galilei, Italian
physicist, astronomer, and philosopher.
- Lorenzo Ghiberti, sculptor.
- Guccio Gucci, founder of the
Gucci label.
- Niccolò Machiavelli,
poet, philosopher and political thinker, author of The Prince and The
Discourses.
- Masaccio, painter.
- Medici family.
- Antonio Meucci, inventor of the telephone.
- Florence Nightingale,
pioneer of modern nursing, and a noted statistician.
- Francesco Puccioni, singer
and composer
- Raphael, painter.
- Girolamo Savonarola
- Giorgio Vasari, painter,
architect, and historian.
- Amerigo Vespucci, explorer and
cartographer, namesake of the
Americas.
See also
Notes
- Bilancio demografico anno 2008, dati ISTAT
-
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Economy-of-Renaissance-Florence/Richard-A-Goldthwaite/e/9780801889820
- Profs. Spencer Baynes, L.L.D., and W.
Robertson Smith, L.L.D., Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Akron, Ohio: The Werner Company, 1907: p.675
- http://www.intstudy.com/articles/florence.htm
- http://www.aboutflorence.com/
-
http://www.learner.org/interactives/renaissance/florence_sub2.html
-
http://www.itvnews.tv/Blog/Blog/the-50-most-visited-places.html
-
http://travelguide.affordabletours.com/search/Article/guide/19/
- " Plague". Brown.edu.
- http://www.meteoam.it/modules.php?name=elementiClima
- Ross King,Brunelleschi's Dome, The Story of the great
Cathedral of Florence, Penguin, 2001
- Perlove, Shelley. "An Unpublished Medici Gamepiece by Justus
Sustermans". The Burlington Magazine; 131, 1035, 1989. pp.
411-414
- Levey, p. 416.
- Chiarini, p. 77
- Chiarini, p. 78
- Broude, Norma (1987). The Macchiaioli: Italian Painters of
the Nineteenth Century. New Haven and London: Yale University
Press. ISBN 0-300-03547-0
- "The Parterre of fiction, poetry, history [&c.]". Oxford
University, 1836. p. 144.
- Style is referred to as Gothic
- Le stazioni più grandi d'Italia
-
http://www.holiday-apartment-tuscany.net/tuscany_travel_guide/florence_via_tornabuoni.htm
- Great Opera Houses by Spike Hughes London 1956
- http://www.urbanfile.it/index.asp?ID=3&SID=230
- Chinese immigrants to Italy build no ordinary
Chinatown, Chicago Tribune, 1 January 2009
- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/210642/Florence#
-
http://www.euromonitor.com/Top_150_City_Destinations_London_Leads_the_Way
- http://florenceart.net/studyabroad/
- Tutto il paragrafo sui dati del turismo proviene da Turismo
2000, dati sugli aspetti essenziali del movimento turistico nella
provincia di Firenze, Agenzia per il turismo Firenze
2001.
- Art in Florence
http://www.learner.org/interactives/renaissance/florence_sub2.html
- Renaissance Artists
http://library.thinkquest.org/2838/artgal.htm
- Auxologia: Graziella Magherini: La Sindrome di
Stendhal (book) (excerpts in Italian)
- Frank D'Accone, Lorenzo il Magnifico and Music” In Lorenzo il
Magnifico e il suo mondo. Convegno Internazionale di Studi,
Firenze, 9-13 giugno 1992, edited by Gian Carlo Garfagnini,
259-290, Istituto Nazionale di Studi sul Rinascimento. Atti di
Convegni, XIX (Florence: Olschki, 1994), 260
- Calcio
Storico Fiorentino (Official Site), (Italian).
- http://www.tramvia.fi.it tramvia.fi.it
- "A Message from the Peace Commission: Information
on Cambridge's Sister Cities," 15 February 2008. Retrieved 12
October 2008.
- Richard Thompson. "Looking to strengthen family ties with 'sister
cities'," Boston Globe, 12 October 2008. Retrieved 12
October 2008.
References
- Assassin's Creed 2 (2009)
- Chaney, Edward(2003), A Traveller's Companion to
Florence.
- Ferdinand Schevill, History of Florence: From the Founding
of the City Through the Renaissance (Frederick Ungar, 1936) is
the standard overall history of Florence
Primary sources
- Niccolò Machiavelli. Florentine Histories numerous
editions
External links
_5.JPG/180px-Gilli_(Florence)_5.JPG)
_02.JPG/180px-Fontana_del_Nettuno_(Florence)_02.JPG)
: Piazza del Duomo is located in the heart of
the historic center of Florence. Here one can find the
Florence
Cathedral
, the Florence Baptistry
, the Loggia del Bigallo
, the Opera del Duomo Museum, and the Arcivescovile
and Canonici's palace. The west zone of this square is
called San Giovanni square.
, the Uffizi Gallery
, the Palace of the Tribunale
della Mercanzia (now the Bureau of Agriculture), and the
Uguccioni Palace (16th century,
with a facade by Raphael).
Located
in front of the Palazzo Vecchio is the Palace of
the Assicurazioni Generali
.
.
, the Loggia dei Servi di Maria, the Budini
Gattai palace and the National
Archaeological Museum
: It is a square near the Arno that mark the end of
the elagant fashion-street of Via de'
Tornabuoni. On piazza Santa Trinita overlooks the
Santa
Trinita
.
.jpg/200px-La_nascita_di_Venere_(Botticelli).jpg)
_381.JPG/180px-Via_Strozzi_(Florence)_381.JPG)
in Poland
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