Florence

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Florence is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. It lies on the Arno River and has a population of around 400,000 people, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000 persons. The greater area has some 956,000 people. A center of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was long ruled by the Medici family. Florence is also famous for its magnificent art and architecture. It is said that, of the 1,000 most important European artists of the second millennium, 350 lived or worked in Florence.

Florence

Florence

Contents 1 History 2 Transportation 3 Orientation 4 Practical Information 4.1 Climate 4.2 Hospitals 5 Accomodation and Camping 6 Food 6.1 Restaurants 6.2 Gelaterie 7 Nightlife 8 Sights 9 Recreation 10 Culture

[edit] History

Roman origins

• Florence's recorded history began with the establishment in 59 BCE of a settlement for Roman former soldiers, with the name Florentia. Julius Caesar had allocated the fertile soil of the valley of the Arno to his veterans. They built a castrum in a chessboard pattern of an army camp, with the main streets, the cardo and the decumanus, intersecting at the present Piazza della Repubblica. This pattern can still be found in the city center. Florentia was situated at the Via Cassia, the main route between Rome and the North. Through this advantageous position, the settlement could rapidly expand into an important commercial center. Emperor Diocletianus made Florentia capital of the province of Tuscia in the 3rd century CE.
• St Minias was Florence’s first martyr. He was beheaded at about 250 CE, during the anti-Christian persecutions of the Emperor Decius. The Basilica di San Miniato al Monte now stands near the spot.

Early Medieval

• The seat of a bishopric from around the beginning of the 4th century CE, the city experienced subsequent turbulent periods of Byzantine and Ostrogothic rule, during which the city was often besieged and ravaged. The population may have fallen to as few as 1,000 persons.
• Peace returned under Lombard rule in the 6th century. Conquered by Charlemagne in 774, Florence became part of the Margraviate of Tuscany, which had Lucca as its capital. The population began to grow again and commerce prospered. In 854 Florence and Fiesole were united in one county.

Medieval

• Margrave Hugo chose Florence as his residency instead of Lucca at about 1000 CE. This initiated the Golden Age of Florentine art. In 1013 the construction was begun of the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte. The exterior of the baptistry was reworked in Romanesque style between 1059 and 1128.
• Reviving from the 10th century and governed from 1115 by an autonomous commune, the city was plunged into internal strife by the 13th-century struggle between the Ghibellines, supporters of the German emperor, and the pro-Papal Guelphs, who after their victory split in turn into feuding "White" and "Black" factions led respectively by Vieri de Cerchi and Corso Donati. These struggles eventually led to the exile of the White Guelphs, one of whom was Dante Alighieri. This factional strife was later recorded by Dino Compagni, a White Guelph, in his Chronicles of Florence.
• Political conflict did not, however, prevent the city's rise to become one of the most powerful and prosperous in Europe, assisted by her own strong gold currency, the florin introduced in 1252 (the "fiorino d'oro" of the Republic of Florence) was the first European gold coin struck in sufficient quantities to play a significant commercial role since the seventh century. As many Florentine banks were international operations with branches across Europe, the florin quickly became the dominant trade coin of Western Europe for large scale transactions, replacing silver bars in multiples of the mark), the eclipse of her formerly powerful rival Pisa (defeated by Genoa in 1284 and subjugated by Florence in 1406[1]), 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).

Renaissance A rare snow-covered Florence

• Of a population estimated at 80,000 before the Black Death of 1348, about 25,000 are said to have been supported by the city's woollen 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, the city 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. The fact that the Medici were bankers to the pope also contributed to their rise. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero, who was shortly thereafter 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.
• After Lorenzo's death in 1492 and his son Piero's exile in 1494, the first period of Medici rule ended with the restoration of a republican government, influenced until his execution (1498) by the teachings of the radical Dominican prior Girolamo Savonarola, whose monomaniacal persecution of the widespread Florentine sodomy and of other worldly pleasures foreshadowed many of the wider religious controversies of the following centuries. However, in due time, Savonarola lost support and was burned at the stake.
• A second individual of unusual insight was Niccolò Machiavelli, whose prescriptions for Florence's regeneration under strong leadership have often been seen as a legitimisation 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 May 16, 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. Only the Republic of Lucca (later a Duchy) was independent from Florence in all Tuscany.
• There was also a darker side to the Renaissance of Florence. Mobs were both common and influential. Families were pitted against each other in a constant struggle for power. Politically, double-crossings and betrayals were not uncommon, sometimes even within families.

Florence and the Renaissance

• The surge in artistic, literary, and scientific investigation that occurred in Florence in the 14th-16th centuries was precipitated by Florentines' preoccupation with money, banking and trade and with the display of wealth and leisure.
• Added to this, the crises of the Catholic church (especially the controversy over the French Avignon Papacy and the Great Schism) along with the catastrophic effects of the Black Death were to lead to a re-evaluation of medieval values, resultant in the development of a humanist culture, stimulated by the works of Petrarch and Boccaccio. This prompted a revisitation and study of the classical antiquity, leading to the Renaissance. Florence benefited materially and culturally from this sea-change in social consciousness.

Early Modern

• The extinction of the Medici line and the accession in 1737 of Francis Stephen, duke of Lorraine and husband of Maria Theresa of Austria, led to Tuscany's inclusion in the territories of the Austrian crown. Austrian rule was to end in defeat at the hands of France and the kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont in 1859, and Tuscany became a province of the united kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Florence and United Italy

• Florence in 1898. Painting by Oswald Achenbach.
• Florence replaced Turin as Italy's capital in 1865, hosting the country's first parliament, but was superseded by Rome six years later following its addition to the kingdom.

Florence in the 20th century

• After doubling during the 19th century, Florence's population tripled in the 20th with the growth of tourism, trade, financial services and industry. During World War II the city experienced a year-long German occupation (1943-1944). During the German retreat, Florence was declared an "open city" avoiding major war damage. The Allied soldiers who died driving the Germans from Tuscany are buried in cemeteries outside the city (Americans about 9 kilometers (6 miles) south of the city, British and Commonwealth soldiers a few kilometers east of the center on the north bank of the Arno.
• On November 4, 1966 the Arno flooded parts of the centre, killing at least 40 and damaging millions of art treasures and rare books. There was no warning from the authorities who knew the flood was coming, except a phone call to the jewellers on the Ponte Vecchio. Volunteers from around the world came to help rescue the books and art, and the effort inspired multiple new methods of art conservation. Forty years later, there are still works awaiting restoration.

[edit] Transportation

You can get to Florence using the Airport (Amerigo Vespucci Airport), Bus Station, or Train (Santa Maria Novella Station).

[edit] Orientation

To reach to the Duomo you need to take the street V. dei Panzani and left on V. dei Cerretani. V. Roma leads from P.S. Giovanni through Piazza della Repubblica to the famous Ponte Vecchio, which spans the Arno River to the Oltrarno district.

Florence

[edit] Practical Information

[edit] Climate

Florence has what is classified as a warm temperate continental climate. It consists of hot, dry summers and cool, damp winters. The summers in Florence are well known to be very humid, due to the geographical position of the town: surrounded by hills on a valley crossed by the Arno River, Florence becomes extremely hot and damp from June to August. Summer temperatures are higher than those along coastlines due to the lack of a prevailing wind. The small amount of rain which falls in the summer is convectional in type. Relief rainfall dominates in the winter, with occasional snowing.

[edit] Hospitals

• Medical Emergency – number 118

[edit] Accomodation and Camping

Name	Quality	Address
Grand Hotel	Luxury	Located in Piazza Ognissanti
Bernini Palace Hotel	4 Stars	Piazza San Firenze, 29 50122 Florence
NH Anglo American	4 Stars	Via Garibaldi, 9 50123 Firenze
Boscolo Hotel Astoria	4 Stars	Via Giglio, 9 50123 Florance
Ostello Archi Rossi	Hostel	V. Faenza, 94 Florence +39 055 290804
Istituto Gould	Hostel	V. dei Serragli, 49 Florance +39 055 212576
Pensionato Pio X	Hostel	V. dei Serragli, 106 Florance +39 055 225044

[edit] Food

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 frequently features in Florentine courses, especially in its famous soups, ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, both usually served with local olive oil, and 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 huge 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.

[edit] Restaurants

Trattoria Anita

V. Del Parlascio 2r Florence, Italy +39 055 21 86 98 Open M-Sa Hours 12:00-2:30 and 19:00-22:00

Acqua al Due

V. Vigna Vecchia 40r Florence, Italy +39 055 28 41 70 Open Daily Hours 19:00-1:00

Tre Merli

V. del Moro 11r Florence, Italy +39 055 28 70 62 Open Daily Hours 11:00-23:00

[edit] Gelaterie

Vivoli

V. della Stinche 7 Florence, Italy Open Tu-Su Hours 9:30-1:00

[edit] Nightlife

Club/Bar	Type of Music	Address
May Day Lounge	Electronic	V. Dante Alighieri 16r Open Daily 22:00-2:00
Rio Grande	Hip-Hop-Reggae	V. degli Olmi 1 Open Daily 23:00-4:00
Blob	Djs	V. Vinegia 21r Open Daily 18:00-4:00
Yab	Reggae	V. Sasseti 5, 20 Open Daily 21:00-1:00
Tabasco Gay Club	Gay Disco	P.S. Cecilia 3r Open Daily 22:00-4:00
Salamanca	Pop-Reggae

[edit] Sights

You can have beautiful walks around the city, great buildings and placid bay and beaches.

• Duomo – Cathedral of the city, Santa Maria del Fiore, built by Filippo Brunelleschi.
• Campanile – Tower, partly designed by Giotto.
• Baptistery – Buildings are also highlights.
• Piazza della Signoria – Bartolomeo Ammanati's Fountain of Neptune, which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a still functioning Roman aqueduct.
• Church of Santa Felicita
• Ponte Vecchio – Th eoldest bridge in Florence, it replaced an older Roman version in 1345. this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived World War II intact.
• Arno River – The one that cuts through the old part of the city, is as much a character in Florentine history as many of the men who lived there. Historically, the locals have had a love-hate relationship with the Arno which alternated from nourishing the city with commerce, and destroying it by flood.
• Medici Chapel – The mausoleum of the Medici family, the most powerful family in Florence from the 15th to the 18th century.
• Uffizi Gallery – One of the finest art galleries in the world, founded on a large bequest from the last member of the Medici family. Located on the corner of Piazza della Signoria.
• Bargello – The heart of medival lies in the 13th-century fortress between the duomo and Piazza della Sognoria. It concentrates on sculpture, containing many priceless works of art created by such sculptors as Donatello, Giambologna, and Michelangelo.
• Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno – It has collection's highlights are Michelangelo's David and his unfinished Slaves.
• Santa Croce – This church contains the monumental tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante (actually a cenotaph), and many others.
• Basilicas Santa Maria Novella
• San Lorenzo
• Santo Spirito
• Orsanmichele
• Institute and Museum of the History of Science
• Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze
• Orto Botanico di Firenze
• Palazzo Medici Riccardi

[edit] Recreation

Italian Football (Calcio, Serie A) Florence is the home city of the Serie A football (soccer) team AC Fiorentina [[1]].

[edit] Culture

Notable residents

• Leone Battista Alberti - polymath.
• Dante Alighieri - The famous poet & writer of La Divina Commedia.
• Filippo Brunelleschi - famous architect.
• Giovanni Boccaccio - famous poet.
• Giotto di Bondone - early Trecento painter of the Arena Chapel in Padua, the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels in the Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze, and many great panel works including the Ognisanti Madonna [6] (Uffizi Gallery).
• Michelangelo Buonarroti - a famous sculptor, also famous for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
• Medici - Family
• Girolamo Mei - historian and humanist
• Lorenzo Ghiberti - -sculptor
• Donatello - sculptor
• Raphael - painter.
• Leonardo da Vinci - famous for his Mona Lisa and other paintings, inventions, and scientific experiments.
• Niccolò Machiavelli - famous Renaissance poet and philosopher
• Giorgio Vasari - painter, architect, and historian
• Galileo Galilei - Italian physicist, astronomer, and philosopher.
• Vincenzo Galilei
• Frescobaldi Family - notable bankers and wine producers
• Oriana Fallaci - journalist and author
• Florence Nightingale - pioneer of modern nursing, and a noted statistician.
• Gabriel Batistuta - Highest scoring Argentine Footballer and a Fiorentina legend
• Salvatore Ferragamo - Legendary "shoemaker to the stars"
• Angelo Acciaioli - first bishop of Florence