Set 50 metres above sea level, Florence rises on the banks of the river Arno, in a place bordering on the Chianti hill to the South and on the Fiesole hill to the North where small and isolated towns and farms are spread.
In the I century B.C. the city was founded by the Romans as “ Municipio Florentina (the flourishing) at the foot of a hill on the top of which you find the Etruscan town of Fiesole still today. The importance of Florence increased only towards the XI century with the economic growth, becoming a republic in 1183. |
 |
| In “ Piazza del Duomo ” you find one of the most fascinating cathedrals in Italy, which is also the fourth biggest cathedral in the world: “ S. Maria del Fiore ”: built in Gothic style between 1296 and 1461, it was finished only in the XIX century. In 1334 Giotto took the direction of the work and planned the Bell Tower. In 1434 Filippo Brunelleschi finished working on the dome inventing a new method of building. |
 |
| Near Uffizi you find the Old Bridge , the oldest bridge in the city, which was built in 1345. And Palazzo Pitti which was residence of the Grand Duke Cosimo I. |
|
 |
In the XIII century the banking system was invented and the aristocracy divided into 2 parts: the Guelphs (the supporters of the Pope and the papal theocracy) and the Ghibellines (supporters of the imperial and secular interests). In 1282 the junta of the Commune was formed and in 1293 the middle classes took the power. The so called “ signoria ” was born: under such power, Florence continued to grow, becoming even richer and more powerful, and it was capital of Italy from 1865 to 1870.
Those who decide to visit Florence admiring its main treasures certainly need at least 4 days:
Florence is famous all over the world for its unique beauties: in the period of the “Signoria” the city got rich in grand masterpieces of artists such as Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticelli, but above all prestigious figures such as Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raffaello
worked there. |
 |
| Not far is “Piazza della Signoria ” which has been the symbol of Florence for over six hundred years. There you find the “ Palazzo Vecchio ” (built in 1299) and the Palazzo Vecchio Museum. A few metres away you find one of the most famous galleries in the world: the Gallery of Uffizi , built by Giorgio Vasari commissioned by Cosimo dé Medici between 1560 and 1574. |
 |
|
