Baronta, Callai, Galluzzo, Cascine del Riccio, Croce di Via, La Lastra, Mantignano, Ugnano, Parigi, Piazza Calda, Pontignale, San Michele a Monteripaldi, Settignano
Florence was a centre ofmedieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era.[4] It is considered by many academics[5] to have been the birthplace of theRenaissance, becoming a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic and financial center.[6] During this time, Florence rose to a position of enormous influence in Italy, Europe, and beyond.[7] Its turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerfulMedici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions.[8] From 1865 to 1871 the city served as the capital of theKingdom of Italy. TheFlorentine dialect forms the base ofstandard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy[9] due to the prestige of the masterpieces byDante Alighieri,Petrarch,Giovanni Boccaccio,Niccolò Machiavelli andFrancesco Guicciardini.
Located about 275 kilometres (171 mi) northwest ofRome, Florence attracts millions of tourists each year, andUNESCO declared theHistoric Centre of Florence aWorld Heritage Site in 1982. The city is noted for its culture,Renaissance art and architecture and monuments.[10] The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as theUffizi Gallery and thePalazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics.[11] Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage,Forbes ranked it as one of the most beautiful cities in the world in 2010.[12] Florence plays an important role inItalian fashion,[11] and is ranked in the top 15fashion capitals of the world byGlobal Language Monitor;[13] furthermore, it is a major national economic centre,[11] as well as a tourist and industrial hub.
View of Florence by Hartmann Schedel, published in 1493
Florence originated as a Roman city, and later, after a long period as a flourishing trading and bankingmedieval commune, it was the birthplace of theItalian Renaissance. It was politically, economically, and culturally one of the most important cities in Europe and the world from the 14th to 16th centuries.[10]
The language spoken in the city during the 14th century came to be accepted as the model for what would become theItalian language. Thanks especially to the works of the TuscansDante,Petrarch andBoccaccio,[15] the Florentine dialect, above all the local dialects, was adopted as the basis for a national literary language.[16][17]
Starting from the lateMiddle Ages, Florentine money—in the form of the goldflorin—financed the development of industry all over Europe, fromBritain toBruges, toLyon andHungary. Florentine bankers financed the English kings during theHundred Years' War. They similarly financed the papacy, including the construction of theirprovisional capital of Avignon and, after their return to Rome, the reconstruction and Renaissance embellishment of Rome.
Florence was established by the Romans in 59 BC as a colony for veteran soldiers and was built in the style of anarmy camp.[18] Situated along theVia Cassia, the main route between Rome and the north, and within the fertile valley of theArno, the settlement quickly became an important commercial centre and in AD 285 became the capital of theTuscia region.
In centuries to come, the city experienced turbulent alternate periods ofOstrogoth andByzantine rule, during which the city was fought over, helping to cause the population to fall to as few as 1,000 people.[19] Peace returned underLombard rule in the 6th century and Florence was in turn conquered byCharlemagne in 774 becoming part of theMarch of Tuscany centred onLucca. The population began to grow again and commerce prospered.
Margrave Hugo chose Florence as his residency instead ofLucca around 1000 AD. TheGolden Age of Florentine art began around this time. In 1100, Florence was a "commune", meaning a city-state. The city's primary resource was theArno river, providing power and access for the industry (mainly textile industry), and access to the Mediterranean sea for international trade, helping the growth of an industrious merchant community. The Florentine merchant banking skills became recognised in Europe after they brought decisive financial innovation (e.g.bills of exchange,[20]double-entry bookkeeping system) to medieval fairs. This period also saw the eclipse of Florence's formerly powerful rivalPisa.[21] The growing power of the merchant elite culminated in an anti-aristocratic uprising, led byGiano della Bella, resulting in theOrdinances of Justice[22] which entrenched the power of the elite guilds until the end of the Republic.
Leonardo da Vinci statue outside theUffizi GalleryPainting based on an original from the late 15th century, attributed to Francesco di Lorenzo Rosselli
At the height of demographic expansion around 1325, the urban population may have been as great as 120,000, and the rural population around the city was probably close to 300,000.[23] TheBlack Death of 1348 reduced it by over half.[24][25] About 25,000 are said to have been supported by the city'swool 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 theRevolt of the Ciompi. After their suppression, Florence came under the sway (1382–1434) of theAlbizzi family, who became bitter rivals of the Medici.
In the 15th century, Florence was among the largest cities in Europe, with a population of 60,000, and was considered rich and economically successful.[26]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 vastpatronage network along with his alliance to the new immigrants, thegente nuova (new people). The fact that the Medici were bankers to the pope also contributed to their ascendancy. Cosimo was succeeded by his sonPiero, who was, soon after, succeeded by Cosimo's grandson,Lorenzo in 1469. Lorenzo was a great patron of the arts, commissioning works byMichelangelo,Leonardo da Vinci andBotticelli. Lorenzo was an accomplished poet and musician and brought composers and singers to Florence, includingAlexander Agricola,Johannes Ghiselin, andHeinrich Isaac. By contemporary Florentines (and since), he was known as "Lorenzo the Magnificent" (Lorenzo il Magnifico).
Following Lorenzo de' Medici's death in 1492, he was succeeded by his sonPiero II. When the French kingCharles VIII invadednorthern Italy, Piero II chose to resist his army. But when he realised the size of theFrench 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.
During this period, theDominican friarGirolamo Savonarola had becomeprior of theSan Marco monastery in 1490. He was famed for his penitential sermons, lambasting what he viewed as widespread immorality and attachment to material riches. He praised the exile of the Medici 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 accusedPope Alexander VI of corruption, he was banned from speaking in public. When he broke this ban, he was excommunicated. The Florentines, tired of his teachings, turned against him and arrested him. He was convicted as a heretic, hanged andburned on thePiazza della Signoria on 23 May 1498. His ashes were dispersed in the Arno river.[27]
Another Florentine of this period wasNiccolò Machiavelli, whose prescriptions for Florence's regeneration under strong leadership have often been seen as a legitimization of political expediency and even malpractice. Machiavelli was a political thinker, renowned for his political handbookThe Prince, which is about ruling and exercising power. Commissioned by the Medici, Machiavelli also wrote theFlorentine Histories, the history of the city.
In 1512, the Medici retook control of Florence with the help of Spanish and Papal troops.[28] They were led by two cousins,Giovanni andGiulio de' Medici, both of whom would later becomePopes of the Catholic Church, (Leo X and Clement VII, respectively). Both were generous patrons of the arts, commissioning works likeMichelangelo'sLaurentian Library andMedici Chapel in Florence, to name just two.[29][30] Their reigns coincided with political upheaval in Italy, and thus in 1527, Florentines drove out the Medici for a second time and re-established a theocratic republic on 16 May 1527, (Jesus Christ was named King of Florence).[31] The Medici returned to power in Florence in 1530, with the armies ofHoly Roman Emperor Charles V and the blessings ofPope Clement VII (Giulio de' Medici).
The extinction of the Medici dynasty and the accession in 1737 ofFrancis Stephen,duke of Lorraine and husband ofMaria Theresa of Austria, led to Tuscany's temporary inclusion in the territories of the Austrian crown. It became asecundogeniture of theHabsburg-Lorraine dynasty, who were deposed for theHouse of Bourbon-Parma in 1801. From 1801 to 1807 Florence was the capital of theNapoleonic client stateKingdom of Etruria. The Bourbon-Parma were deposed in December 1807 when Tuscany was annexed byFrance. Florence was theprefecture of the French département ofArno from 1808 to the fall ofNapoleon in 1814. The Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty was restored on the throne of Tuscany at theCongress of Vienna but finally deposed in 1859. Tuscany became a region of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
Florence replacedTurin 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 PiazzaVittorio Emanuele II, thenPiazza della Repubblica, the present name) was significantly widened and a large triumphal arch was constructed at the west end. A museum recording the destruction stands nearby today.
The country's second capital city was superseded by Rome six years later, after the withdrawal of the French troops allowed thecapture of Rome.
Porte Sante cemetery, burial place of notable figures of Florentine history
DuringWorld War II the city experienced a year-long German occupation (1943–1944) being part of theItalian Social Republic. The Germans operated a subcamp of the Stalag 337prisoner-of-war camp in the city.[32] Hitler declared it anopen city on 3 July 1944 as troops of theBritish 8th Army closed in.[33] Except for thePonte Vecchio,[34] in early August, the retreating Germans decided to demolish all the bridges along theArno linking the district ofOltrarno to the rest of the city, making it difficult for troops of the 8th Army to cross.
1/5 Mahratta Light Infantry, Florence, 28 August 1944
Florence was liberated byNew Zealand,South African and British troops on 4 August 1944 alongside partisans from theTuscan Committee of National Liberation (CTLN). TheAllied soldiers who died driving the Germans from Tuscany are buried in cemeteries outside the city (Americans about nine kilometres or5+1⁄2 miles south of the city, British and Commonwealth soldiers a few kilometres east of the centre on the right bank of the Arno).
At the end of World War II in May 1945, the US Army's Information and Educational Branch was ordered to establish an overseas university campus for demobilised American service men and women in Florence. The first American university for service personnel was established in June 1945 at the School of Aeronautics. Some 7,500 soldier-students were to pass through the university during its four one-month sessions (seeG. I. American Universities).[35]
In November 1966, theArno flooded parts of the centre, damaging many art treasures. Around the city there are tiny placards on the walls noting where the flood waters reached at their highest point.
Florence has ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa), tending toMediterranean (Csa).[38] It has hot summers with moderate or light rainfall and cool, damp winters. As Florence lacks a prevailing wind, summer temperatures are higher than along the coast. Rainfall in summer isconvectional, while relief rainfall dominates in the winter.Snow is rare.[39] The highest officially recorded temperature was 42.6 °C (108.7 °F) on 26 July 1983 and the lowest was −23.2 °C (−9.8 °F) on 12 January 1985.[40]
In 1200 the city was home to 50,000 people.[47] By 1300 the population of the city proper was 120,000, with an additional 300,000 living in theContado.[48] Between 1500 and 1650 the population was around 70,000.[49][50]
As of 2025, the population of the city proper is 362,353,[2] whileEurostat estimates that 696,767 people live in theurban area of Florence. The Metropolitan Area of Florence,Prato andPistoia, constituted in 2000 over an area of roughly 4,800 square kilometres (1,850 sq mi), 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 less) totalled 14.10% 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.[51] Thebirth rate of Florence is 7.66 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.
As of 2009[update], 87.46% of the population was Italian. An estimated 6,000Chinese live in the city.[52] The largest immigrant group came from other European countries (mostlyRomanians andAlbanians): 3.52%, East Asia (mostlyChinese andFilipino): 2.17%, the Americas: 1.41%, and North Africa (mostlyMoroccan): 0.9%.[53]
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 studying in the city.[10] The value of tourism to the city totalled some €2.5 billion in 2015 and the number of visitors had increased by 5.5% from the previous year.[57]
In 2013, Florence was listed as the second best world city byCondé Nast Traveler.[58]
Manufacturing and commerce remain highly important. Florence is Italy's 17th richest city in terms of average workers' earnings, with the figure being €23,265 (the overall city's income is €6,531,204,473), coming afterMantua, yet surpassingBolzano.[59]
Florence is a major production and commercial centre in Italy, where the Florentine industrial complexes in the suburbs produce all sorts of goods, from furniture, rubber goods, chemicals, and food.[10] Traditional and local products, such as antiques, handicrafts, glassware, leatherwork, art reproductions, jewellery, souvenirs, elaborate metal and iron-work, shoes, accessories and highfashion clothes also occupy a fair sector of Florence's economy.[10] 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 theCalcio Fiorentino. Heavy industry and machinery also take their part in providing an income. In Nuovo Pignone, numerous factories are still present, and small-to medium industrial businesses are dominant. 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 theVespa) and the prosperity and productivity of the Florentine entrepreneurs. Some of these industries even rivalled the traditional industrial districts inEmilia-Romagna andVeneto due to high profits and productivity.[10]
In the fourth quarter of 2015, manufacturing increased by 2.4% and exports increased by 7.2%. Leading sectors included mechanical engineering, fashion, pharmaceutics, food and wine. During 2015, permanent employment contracts increased by 48.8 percent, boosted by nationwide tax break.[57]
Tourism is the most significant industry in central Florence. From April to October, tourists outnumber the local population. Tickets to the Uffizi and Accademia galleries are regularly sold out and large groups regularly fill the basilicas ofSanta Croce andSanta Maria Novella, both of which charge for entry. Tickets for The Uffizi and Accademia can be purchased online prior to visiting.[60] In 2010, readers ofTravel + Leisure magazine ranked the city as their third favourite tourist destination.[61] In 2015, Condé Nast Travel readers voted Florence as the best city in Europe.[62]
Studies by Euromonitor International have concluded that cultural and history-oriented tourism is generating significantly increased spending throughout Europe.[63]
Florence is believed to have the greatest concentration of art (in proportion to its size) in the world.[64] Thus, cultural tourism is particularly strong, with world-renowned museums such as the Uffizi selling over 1.93 million tickets in 2014.[65] The city's convention centre facilities were restructured during the 1990s and host exhibitions, conferences, meetings, social forums, concerts and other events.
Tourists and restaurant on the Piazza del Duomo
In 2016, Florence had 20,588 hotel rooms in 570 facilities. International visitors use 75% of the rooms; some 18% of those were from the U.S.[66] In 2014, the city had 8.5 million overnight stays.[67] A Euromonitor report indicates that in 2015 the city ranked as the world's 36th most visited in the world, with over 4.95 million arrivals for the year.[68]
Tourism brings revenue to Florence, but also creates certain problems. The Ponte Vecchio, TheSan Lorenzo Market and Santa Maria Novella are plagued by pickpockets.[69] The province of Florence receives roughly 13 million visitors per year[70] and in peak seasons, popular locations may become overcrowded as a result.[71] In 2015, Mayor Dario Nardella expressed concern over visitors who arrive on buses, stay only a few hours, spend little money but contribute significantly to overcrowding. "No museum visit, just a photo from the square, the bus back and then on to Venice ... We don't want tourists like that", he said.[72]
Some tourists are less than respectful of the city's cultural heritage, according to Nardella. In June 2017, he instituted a programme of spraying church steps with water to prevent tourists from using such areas as picnic spots. While he values the benefits of tourism, he claims that there has been "an increase among those who sit down on church steps, eat their food and leave rubbish strewn on them", he explained.[73] To boost the sale of traditional foods, the mayor had introduced legislation (enacted in 2016) that requires restaurants to use typical Tuscan products and rejected McDonald's application to open a location in the Piazza del Duomo.[74]
Food and wine have long been an important staple of the economy. TheChianti region is just south of the city, and itsSangiovese grapes figure prominently not only in itsChianti Classico wines but also in many of the more recently developed Supertuscan blends. Within 32 km (20 mi) to the west is the Carmignano area, also home to flavourful sangiovese-based reds. The celebrated Chianti Rufina district, geographically and historically separated from the main Chianti region, is also few kilometres east of Florence. More recently, the Bolgheri region (about 150 km or 93 mi southwest of Florence) has become celebrated for its "Super Tuscan" reds such asSassicaia andOrnellaia.[76]
The traditional boroughs of the wholecomune of Florence
The 5 administrative boroughs of the wholecomune of Florence
The legislative body of themunicipality is the City Council (Consiglio Comunale), which is composed of 36 councillors elected every five years with a proportional system, at the same time as the mayoral elections. The executive body is the City Committee (Giunta Comunale), composed of 7assessors, nominated and presided over by a directly electedMayor. The current mayor of Florence isSara Funaro.
The municipality of Florence is subdivided into five administrative Boroughs (Quartieri). Each borough is governed by a Council (Consiglio) and a President, elected at the same time as the city mayor. The urban organisation is governed by the Italian Constitution (art. 114). The boroughs have the power to advise the Mayor with nonbinding opinions on a large spectrum of topics (environment, construction, public health, local markets) and exercise the functions delegated to them by the City Council; in addition they are supplied with an autonomous funding in order to finance local activities. The boroughs are:
Florence was the birthplace of High Renaissance art, which lasted from about 1500 to 1527. Renaissance art put a larger emphasis on naturalism and human emotion.[77]Medieval art was often formulaic and symbolic; the surviving works are mostly religious, their subjects were chosen by clerics. By contrast, Renaissance art became more rational, mathematical, individualistic,[77] and was produced by known artists such asDonatello,Michelangelo, andRaphael, who started to sign their works. Religion was important, but with this new age came the humanization[78][79] of religious figures in art, such as inMasaccio'sExpulsion from the Garden of Eden and Raphael'sMadonna della Seggiola; people of this age began to understand themselves as human beings, which reflected in art.[79] The Renaissance marked the rebirth of classical values in art and society as people studied the ancient masters of the Greco-Roman world;[78] art became focused on realism as opposed to idealism.[79]
TheUffizi Gallery is the 10th most visited art museum in the world.
Florentine architects such as Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1466) andLeon Battista Alberti (1404–1472) were among the fathers of Renaissance architecture.[87] The cathedral, topped by Brunelleschi's dome, dominates the Florentine skyline. The Florentines decided to start building it late in the 13th century, without a design for the dome. The project proposed by Brunelleschi in the 14th century was the largest ever built at the time, and the first major dome built in Europe since the two great domes of Roman times – thePantheon in Rome, andHagia Sophia inConstantinople. The dome of Santa Maria del Fiore remains the largest brick construction of its kind in the world.[88][89] In front of it is the medieval Baptistery. The two buildings incorporate in their decoration the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. In recent years, most of the important works of art from the two buildings – and from the nearbyGiotto's Campanile, have been removed and replaced by copies. The originals are now housed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, just to the east of the cathedral.
Florentine (fiorentino), spoken by inhabitants of Florence and its environs, is aTuscan dialect and the immediateparent language to modern Italian.
Although its vocabulary and pronunciation are largely identical to standard Italian, differences do exist. TheVocabolario del fiorentino contemporaneo (Dictionary of Modern Florentine) revealslexical distinctions from all walks of life.[93]
Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio pioneered the use of the vernacular[94] instead of the Latin used for most literary works at the time.
Despite Latin being the main language of the courts and the Church in the Middle Ages, writers such as Dante Alighieri[94] and many others used their own language, the Florentine vernacular descended from Latin, in composing their greatest works. The oldest literary pieces written in Florentine go as far back as the 13th century. Florence's literature fully blossomed in the 14th century, when not only Dante with hisDivine Comedy (1306–1321) and Petrarch, but also poets such asGuido Cavalcanti andLapo Gianni composed their most important works.[94] Dante's masterpiece is theDivine Comedy, which mainly deals with the poet himself taking an allegoric and moral tour of Hell, Purgatory and finally Heaven, during which he meets numerous mythological or real characters of his age or before. He is first guided by the Roman poetVirgil, whose non-Christian beliefs damned him to Hell. Later on he is joined byBeatrice, who guides him through Heaven.[94]
In the 14th century,Petrarch[95] andGiovanni Boccaccio[95] led the literary scene in Florence after Dante's death in 1321. Petrarch was an all-rounder writer, author and poet, but was particularly known for hisCanzoniere, or the Book of Songs, where he conveyed his unremitting love for Laura.[95] His style of writing has since become known asPetrarchism.[95] Boccaccio was better known for hisDecameron, a slightly grim story of Florence during the 1350s bubonic plague, known as theBlack Death, when some people fled the ravaged city to an isolated country mansion, and spent their time there recounting stories and novellas taken from the medieval and contemporary tradition. All of this is written in a series of 100 distinct novellas.[95]
In the 16th century, during the Renaissance, Florence was the home town of political writer and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, whose ideas on how rulers should govern the land, detailed inThe Prince, spread across European courts and enjoyed enduring popularity for centuries. These principles became known asMachiavellianism.
Florence became a musical centre during the Middle Ages and music and the performing arts remain an important part of its culture. The growth of Northern Italian Cities in the 1500s likely contributed to its increased prominence. During the Renaissance, there were four kinds of musical patronage in the city with respect to both sacred and secular music: state, corporate, church, and private. It was here that theFlorentine Camerata convened in the mid-16th century 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 and concerto. After the year 1600, Italian trends prevailed across Europe, by 1750 it was the primary musical language. The genre of theMadrigal, born in Italy, gained popularity in Britain and elsewhere. Several Italian cities were "larger on the musical map than their real-size for power suggested. Florence, was once such city which experienced a fantastic period in the early seventeenth Century of musico-theatrical innovation, including the beginning and flourishing of opera.[96]
Opera was invented in Florence in the late 16th century whenJacopo Peri'sDafne an opera in the style ofmonody, was premiered. Opera spread from Florence throughout Italy and eventually Europe. Vocal Music in the choir setting was also taking new identity at this time. At the beginning of the 17th century, two practices for writing music were devised, one the first practice orStile Antico/Prima Prattica the other theStile Moderno/Seconda Prattica. The Stile Antico was more prevalent in Northern Europe and Stile Moderno was practiced more by the Italian Composers of the time.[97] The piano was invented in Florence in 1709 by Bartolomeo Cristofori. Composers and musicians who have lived in Florence include Piero Strozzi (1550 – after 1608), Giulio Caccini (1551–1618) and Mike Francis (1961–2009). Giulio Caccini's bookLe Nuove Musiche was significant in performance practice technique instruction at the time.[96] The book specified a new term, in use by the 1630s, calledmonody which indicated the combination of voice andbasso continuo and connoted a practice of stating text in a free, lyrical, yet speech-like manner. This would occur while an instrument, usually a keyboard type such asharpsichord, played and held chords while the singer sang/spoke the monodic line.[98]
Florentine food grows out of a tradition of peasant fare rather than rarefied high cuisine. The majority of dishes are based on meat. The whole animal was traditionally eaten;tripe (trippa) and stomach (lampredotto) were once regularly on the menu at restaurants and still are sold at the food carts stationed throughout the city.Antipasti includecrostini toscani, sliced bread rounds topped with a chicken liver-basedpâté, and sliced meats (mainlyprosciutto andsalame, often served with melon when in season). The typically saltless Tuscan bread, obtained with naturallevain frequently features in Florentine courses, especially in its soups,ribollita andpappa al pomodoro, or in the salad of bread and fresh vegetables calledpanzanella that is served in summer. Thebistecca alla fiorentina is a large (the customary size should weigh around 1.2 to 1.5 kg or 2 lb 10 oz to 3 lb 5 oz) – the "date" steak –T-bone steak ofChianina beef cooked over hot charcoal and served very rare with its more recently derived version, thetagliata, sliced rare beef served on a bed ofarugula, often with slices ofParmesan cheese on top. Most of these courses are generally served with localolive oil, also a prime product enjoying a worldwide reputation.[100] Among the desserts,schiacciata alla fiorentina, a white flatbread cake, is one of the most popular; it is a very soft cake, prepared with extremely simple ingredients, typical of Florentine cuisine, and is especially eaten atCarnival.
Research institutes and university departments are located within the Florence area and within two campuses at Polo di Novoli and Polo Scientifico di Sesto Fiorentino[101] as well as in the Research Area ofConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche.[102]
Florence has been an important scientific centre for centuries, notably during the Renaissance with scientists such as Leonardo da Vinci.
Florentines were one of the driving forces behind theAge of Discovery. Florentine bankers financed Henry the Navigator and the Portuguese explorers who pioneered the route around Africa to India and the Far East. It was a map drawn by the FlorentinePaolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, a student of Brunelleschi, thatChristopher Columbus used to sell his "enterprise" to the Spanish monarchs, and which he used on his first voyage. Mercator's "Projection" is a refined version of Toscanelli's, taking the Americas into account.
Galileo and other scientists pioneered the study of optics, ballistics, astronomy, anatomy, and other scientific disciplines. Pico della Mirandola, Leonardo Bruni, Machiavelli, and many others laid the groundwork for modern scientific understanding.
Luxury boutiques along Florence's prestigious Via de' Tornabuoni
By the year 1300 Florence had become a centre of textile production in Europe. Many of the rich families in Renaissance Florence were major purchasers of locally produced fine clothing, and the specialists of fashion in the economy and culture of Florence during that period is often underestimated.[103] Florence is regarded by some as the birthplace and earliest centre of the modern (post World War Two) fashion industry in Italy. The Florentine "soirées" of the early 1950s organised by Giovanni Battista Giorgini were events where several Italian designers participated in group shows and first garnered international attention.[104] Florence has served as the home of the Italian fashion companySalvatore Ferragamo since 1928.Gucci,Roberto Cavalli, andEmilio Pucci are also headquartered in Florence. Other major players in the fashion industry such asPrada andChanel have large offices and stores in Florence or its outskirts. Florence's main upscale shopping street isVia de' Tornabuoni, where major luxury fashion houses and jewellery labels, such asArmani andBulgari, have boutiques. Via del Parione and Via Roma are other streets that are also well known for their high-end fashion stores.[105]
TheScoppio del Carro ("Explosion of the Cart") is a celebration of theFirst Crusade. During the day of Easter, a cart, which the Florentines call theBrindellone and which is led by four white oxen, is taken to thePiazza del Duomo between the Baptistery ofSt. John the Baptist (Battistero di San Giovanni) and theFlorence 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.[106]
Calcio Storico Fiorentino ("Historic FlorentineFootball"), sometimes calledCalcio in costume, is a traditional sport, regarded as a forerunner of soccer, though the actual gameplay most closely resembles rugby. The event originates from theMiddle Ages, when the most important Florentine nobles amused themselves playing while wearing bright costumes. The most important match was played on 17 February 1530, during thesiege of Florence. That dayPapal troops besieged 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 diSanta Croce. A temporary arena is constructed, with bleachers and a sand-covered playing field. A series of matches are held between four teams representing eachquartiere (quarter) of Florence during late June and early July.[107] 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.
Florence is known as the "Cradle of the Renaissance" (la culla del Rinascimento) for its monuments, churches, and buildings. The best-known site of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city,Santa Maria del Fiore, known asThe Duomo, whose dome was built byFilippo Brunelleschi. The nearbyCampanile (partly designed byGiotto) and theBaptistery buildings are also highlights. The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world.[108] In 1982, thehistoric centre of Florence (Italian:centro storico di Firenze) was declared aWorld Heritage Site by theUNESCO.[109] The centre of the city is contained inmedieval walls that were built in the 14th century to defend the city. At the heart of the city, inPiazza della Signoria, isBartolomeo Ammannati'sFountain of Neptune (1563–1565), which is a masterpiece ofmarble sculpture at the terminus of a still functioning Romanaqueduct.
The layout and structure of Florence in many ways harkens back to the Roman era, where it was designed as agarrison settlement.[10] Nevertheless, the majority of the city was built during the Renaissance.[10] Despite the strong presence of Renaissance architecture within the city, traces ofmedieval,Baroque,Neoclassical andmodern architecture can be found. ThePalazzo Vecchio as well as the Duomo, or the city's Cathedral, are the two buildings which dominate Florence's skyline.[10]
The river (Arno), 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 – thePonte Vecchio ('Old Bridge'), whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts. The bridge also carriesVasari's elevated corridor linking the Uffizi to the Medici residence (Palazzo Pitti). Although the original bridge was constructed by theEtruscans, the current bridge was rebuilt in the 14th century. It is the only bridge in the city to have survived World War II intact. It is the first example in the western world of a bridge built using segmentalarches, that is, arches less than a semicircle, to reduce both span-to-rise ratio and the numbers of pillars to allow lesser encumbrance in the riverbed (being in this much more successful than the RomanAlconétar Bridge).
The church ofSan Lorenzo contains theMedici Chapels, a complex of burial chapels of theMedici family—the most powerful family in Florence from the 15th to the 18th centuries.
The Uffizi Gallery, one of the finest art museums in the world, was founded on a large bequest from the last member of the Medici family. It is located at the corner ofPiazza della Signoria, a site important for being the centre of Florence's civil life and government for centuries. ThePalazzo della Signoria facing it is still home of the municipal government. Many significant episodes in thehistory of art and political changes were staged here, such as:
In 1301,Dante Alighieri 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 asLa congiura dei Pazzi (The Pazzi conspiracy), murderingGiuliano 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.
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'sDavid (now replaced by a replica, since the original was moved in 1873 to theGalleria dell'Accademia) was installed in front of the Palazzo della Signoria (also known asPalazzo Vecchio).
Baptistry, cathedral and campanilePiazzale degli Uffizi
Florence contains several palaces and buildings from various eras. ThePalazzo Vecchio is thetown hall of Florence and also an art museum. This largeRomanesquecrenellated fortress-palace overlooks thePiazza della Signoria with its copy of Michelangelo's David statue as well as the gallery of statues in the adjacentLoggia dei Lanzi. Originally called thePalazzo della Signoria, after theSignoria of Florence, the ruling body of theRepublic of Florence, it was also given several other names:Palazzo del Popolo,Palazzo dei Priori, andPalazzo Ducale, in accordance with the varying use of the palace during its long history. The building acquired its current name when the Medici duke's residence was moved across the Arno to the Palazzo Pitti. It is linked to the Uffizi and the Palazzo Pitti through theCorridoio Vasariano.
Florence 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.[110] In the ranking list of the 15 most visited Italian art museums, two-thirds are represented by Florentine museums.[111] TheUffizi is one of these, having a very large collection of international and especially Florentine art. The gallery is articulated in many halls, catalogued by schools and chronological order. Engendered by the Medici family's artistic collections through the centuries, it houses works of art by various painters and artists. TheVasari Corridor is another gallery, built connecting thePalazzo Vecchio with the Pitti Palace passing by the Uffizi and over the Ponte Vecchio. TheGalleria dell'Accademia houses aMichelangelo collection, including the original statue ofDavid. It has a collection of Russianicons and works by various artists and painters. Other museums and galleries include theBargello, which concentrates on sculpture works by artists includingDonatello,Giambologna and Michelangelo; the 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 byRaphael andTitian, large collections of costumes, ceremonial carriages, silver, porcelain and agallery of modern art dating from the 18th century. Adjoining the palace are theBoboli Gardens, elaborately landscaped and with numerous sculptures.
Florence contains various theatres and cinemas. The Odeon Cinema of the Palazzo dello Strozzino is one of the oldest cinemas in the city. Established from 1920 to 1922[112] in a wing of the Palazzo dello Strozzino, it used to be called theCinema Teatro Savoia (Savoy Cinema-Theatre), yet was later calledOdeon. TheTeatro della Pergola, located in the centre of the city on the eponymous street, is anopera house built in the 17th century. Another theatre is theTeatro Comunale (orTeatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino), originally built as the open-air amphitheatre, thePoliteama Fiorentino Vittorio Emanuele, which was inaugurated on 17 May 1862 with a production ofDonizetti'sLucia di Lammermoor and which seated 6,000 people. There are several other theatres, such as the Saloncino Castinelli, the Teatro Puccini, the Teatro Verdi, the Teatro Goldoni and the Teatro Niccolini.
Florence Cathedral, formally the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, is the cathedral of Florence, Italy. It was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was structurally completed by 1436, with the dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.
Piazza della RepubblicaPanorama composite, overview of Firenze, taken from the Giardino Bardini viewpoint
Aside from such monuments, Florence contains numerous major squares (piazze) and streets. ThePiazza della Repubblica is a square in the city centre, location of the cultural cafés and bourgeois palaces. Among the square's cafés (like Caffè Gilli, Paszkowski or the Hard Rock Cafè), theGiubbe Rosse café has long been a meeting place for artists and writers, notably those ofFuturism. ThePiazza Santa Croce is another; dominated by theBasilica of Santa Croce, it is a rectangular square in the centre of the city where theCalcio Fiorentino is played every year. Furthermore, there is thePiazza Santa Trinita, a square near the Arno that mark the end of theVia de' Tornabuoni street.
Replica of David and other statues, Piazza della Signoria
Other squares include the Piazza San Marco, the Piazza Santa Maria Novella, thePiazza Beccaria and thePiazza della Libertà. The centre additionally contains several streets. Such include theVia Camillo Cavour, one of the main roads of the northern area of the historic centre; the Via Ghibellina, one of central Florence's longest streets; the Via dei Calzaiuoli, one of the most central streets of the historic centre which linksPiazza del Duomo toPiazza della Signoria, winding parallel to via Roma andPiazza della Repubblica; theVia de' Tornabuoni, a luxurious street in the city centre that goes from Antinori square toponte Santa Trinita, acrossPiazza Santa Trinita, characterised by the presence of fashion boutiques; theViali di Circonvallazione, 6-laneboulevards surrounding the northern part of the historic centre; as well as others, such as Via Roma, Via degli Speziali, Via de' Cerretani, and the Viale dei Colli.
Inassociation football, Florence is represented byACF Fiorentina, which plays inSerie A, the top league ofItalian league system. ACF Fiorentina has won two Italian Championships, in 1956 and 1969, and 6 Italian cups,[113] since their formation in 1926. They play their games at theStadio Artemio Franchi, which holds 47,282. The women's team, ACF Fiorentina Femminile, have won the women's association football Italian Championship of the 2016–17 season.
Since 2017 Florence is also represented in Eccellenza, the top tier ofrugby union league system in Italy, by I Medicei, which is a club established in 2015 by the merging of the senior squads of I Cavalieri (ofPrato) and Firenze Rugby 1931. I Medicei won the Serie A Championship in 2016–17 and were promoted to Eccellenza for the 2017–18 season.
Rari Nantes Florentia is a successfulwater polo club based in Florence; both its male and female squads have won several Italian championships and the female squad has also European titles in their palmarès.
The centre of Florence is closed to through-traffic, although buses, taxis and residents with appropriate permits are allowed in. This area is commonly referred to as the ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato), which is divided into several subsections.[116] 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 7:30 pm, or before 7:30 am. The rules shift during the tourist-filled summers, putting more restrictions on where one can get in and out.[117]
ATAF&Li-nea was the bus company that ran the principal public transit network in the city; it was one of the companies of the consortiumONE Scarl[118] to accomplish the contract stipulated with theRegione Toscana for the public transport in the 2018–2019 period. Individual tickets, or a pass calledCarta Agile with multiple rides, are purchased in advance and must be validated once on board. These tickets may be used on ATAF&Li-nea buses, Tramvia and second-class local trains only within city railway stations. The bus fleet consisted of 446 urban, 5 suburban, 20 intercity and 15 tourism buses.
Intercity bus transit is run by theSITA,COPIT, andCAP Autolinee companies. The transit companies also accommodate travellers from theAmerigo Vespucci Airport, which is 5 km (3 mi) west of the city centre, and which has scheduled services run by major European carriers.
In an effort to reduce air pollution and car traffic in the city, a multi-line tram network calledTramvia is under construction. The first line began operation on 14 February 2010 and connects Florence's primary intercity railway station (Santa Maria Novella) with the southwestern suburb ofScandicci. This line is7.4 km (4+5⁄8 mi) long and has 14 stops. The construction of a second line began on 5 November 2011, construction was stopped due to contractors' difficulties and restarted in 2014 with the new line opening on 11 February 2019. This second line connects Florence's airport with the city centre. A third line (fromSanta Maria Novella to the Careggi area, where the most important hospitals of Florence are located) is also under construction.[120][121][122][circular reference]
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Florence, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 59 min. 13% of public transit riders ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 14 min, while 22% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 4.1 km (2.5 mi), while 3% travel for over 12 km (7.5 mi) in a single direction.[123]
Parts of this article (those related to the status of high-speed rail to Florence) need to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2023)
Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station is the main national and international railway station in Florence and is used by 59 million people every year.[124] The building, designed by Giovanni Michelucci, was built in theItalian Rationalism style and it is one of the major rationalist buildings in Italy. It is located inPiazza della Stazione, near theFortezza da Basso, a masterpiece of the military Renaissance architecture, and theViali di Circonvallazione, and in front of theBasilica of Santa Maria Novella's apse from which it takes its name. As well as numerous high speed trains to major Italian cities Florence is served by international overnight sleeper services to Munich and Vienna operated by Austrian railways ÖBB.
Train tickets must be validated before boarding. The main bus station is next to Santa Maria Novellarailway station.Trenitalia runs trains between the railway stations within the city, and to other destinations around Italy and Europe. The central railway station,Santa Maria Novella, is about 500 m (1,600 ft) northwest of the Piazza del Duomo. There are two other important stations:Campo di Marte andRifredi. Most bundled routes are Firenze–Pisa, Firenze–Viareggio and Firenze–Arezzo (along the main line to Rome). Other local railways connect Florence withBorgo San Lorenzo in theMugello area (Faentina railway) andSiena.
The high-speed train connecting Florence withRome takes 90 minutes. Cities inUmbria are also connected to Florence and Rome.[125] A new high-speed rail station in Florence, originally scheduled to open in 2015, is currently under construction and now expected to be completed by 2028.[126][127] Known as Firenze Belfiore or Firenze Foster, the station is designed to serve high-speed trains and reduce congestion at Santa Maria Novella station. It is planned to be connected to the city centre, Santa Maria Novella, and Florence’s Vespucci Airport via Line 2 of the Tramvia.[128] The station was designed byFoster + Partners in collaboration with Lancietti Passaleva Giordo and Associates with Arup serving as the engineering partner.[129]
^Gasca Queirazza, Giuliano; Marcato, Carla; Pellegrini, Giovan Battista; Petracco Sicardi, Giulia; Rossebastiano, Alda (2006).Dizionario di toponomastica: storia e significato dei nomi geografici italiani (in Italian). Turin: UTET. pp. 322–323.ISBN88-02-07228-0.
^defeated byGenoa in 1284 and subjugated by Florence in 1406
^Peters, Edward (1995). "The Shadowy, Violent Perimeter: Dante Enters Florentine Political Life".Dante Studies, with the Annual Report of the Dante Society (113):69–87.JSTOR40166507.
^Day, W.R. (3 January 2012). "The population of Florence before the Black Death: survey and synthesis".Journal of Medieval History.28 (2):93–129.doi:10.1016/S0304-4181(02)00002-7.S2CID161168875.
^Megargee, Geoffrey P.; Overmans, Rüdiger; Vogt, Wolfgang (2022).The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume IV. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. p. 333.ISBN978-0-253-06089-1.
^Borchi, Emilio; Macii, Renzo (2011).La neve a Firenze (1874–2010) [Snow in Florence (1874–2010)] (in Italian). Florence: Pagnini.ISBN978-88-8251-382-5.
^abHanning, Barbara Russano, J. Peter Burkholder, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. Concise History of Western Music. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. pg. 182.
^Grout, Donald Jay, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1973.
^Bonds, Mark E., Etd. Kassell, Richard (2010). A History of Music in Western Culture. Combined Volume. 3rd edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.ISBN978-0-205-64531-2.
Trexler, Richard C. (1991).Public Life in Renaissance 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.
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