Photo (c) James Lawson
The "town" of Florence
FLORENCE,
capital of the region of Tuscany, with a population of around
half a million inhabitants, spreads on the banks of the
Arno, between the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian seas, almost
in the middle of the Italian peninsula. It is a city which
bustles with industry and craft, commerce and culture, art
and science. Being on the main national railway lines, it is
easily accessible from most important places both in Italy
and abroad. The Florence "Vespucci" airport, where both
national and international airlines stop, is located 5 Km.
from the city center. The main motorway, A1, connects
Florence with Bologna and Milan in the North and Rome and
Naples in the South. The motorway A11 to the sea joins Florence to
Prato, Pistoia, Montecatini, Lucca, Pisa and all the resorts
on the Tyrrhenian sea. There is also a motorway which connects
Florence to Siena. The climate is temperate but rather
variable, with breezy winters and hot summers.
The
Chianti area, between Florence and Siena, is one of the
most beautiful countryside in Italy and a famous wine
production area.
more on
Chianti... >>>
HISTORY OF FLORENCE
Founded
by the Romans in the first century B.C., Florence began
its rebirth after the decadence of the barbaric ages, in
the Carolingian period, and reached its highest pinnacles
of civilization between the 11th and 15th centuries, as a
free city, balancing the authority of the Emperors with
that of the Popes, overcoming the unfortunate internal
dispute between Guelfs and Ghibellines. In the 15th
century, Florence came under the rule of the Medici family, who
later became the Grand Dukes of Tuscany. This in fact was
the period when Florence was at the height of its glory in
art and culture, in politics and economic power. The Grand
Duchy of the Medici was succeeded, in the 18th century,
by that of the House of Lorraine, when in 1860 Tuscany
became part of the Kingdom of Italy of which Florence was
the capital from 1865 to 1871. In this century, Florence
has once more taken up its role as an important center for
culture and the arts.
more on history of Florence... >>>
ART AND CULTURE IN FLORENCE
Florence
contains an exceptional artistic patrimony, glorious
testimony to its secular civilization.
Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting,
lived here, along with Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano,
reformists of architecture and sculpture;
Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, founders of the
Renaissance; Ghiberti and the Della
Robbia; Filippo Lippi
and l'Angelico; Botticelli and Paolo Uccello; the
universal geniuses
Leonardo da Vinci and
Michelangelo. Their works, along with those of many
generations of artists up to the masters of the present
century, are gathered in the Florence's many museums. In
Florence, thanks to
Dante, the Italian language was born; with Petrarca and
Boccaccio literary studies were affirmed; with
Humanism the philosophy and values of classical
civilization were revived; with Machiavelli modern
political science was born; with Guicciardini, historical
prose; and with Galileo, modern experimental science. Up
to the time of Charlemagne, Florence was a university
town. Today Florence includes many specialized institutes and is
an international cultural center. Academies, art schools,
scientific institutes and cultural centers all contribute
to Florence's intense activity.
more on art and culture of Florence... >>>
Florence - Photo (c)
LucaP
MONUMENTS IN FLORENCE
Florence has an exceptional artistic patrimony, glorious testimony to its civilization through the centuries.
The monuments that the artistic past left as heritage are spread all over Florence.
Visiting Florence means visiting different areas of the city.
The four historical districts of Florence are:
- Santa Maria Novella,
- San Giovanni,
- Santa Croce,
- Santo Spirito.
THE ECONOMY OF FLORENCE
The economy of Florence is based mainly on the services sector, as the city is an important commercial centre. The traditional centuries-old banking and financial sector continues to flourish. Tourism and crafts (jewelry, embroidery, footwear, leatherwork, ceramics, wrought-iron and basket work, lace and reproduction furniture) provide considerable sources of income. The city of Florence is an active centre of culture, and organizes periodical exhibitions and art festivals. Industry, though consisting generally of small and medium-sized firms, has fairly important precision engineering, optical, pharmaceutical, chemical, metallurgical, publishing and textile sectors.
more on economy of Florence... >>>
EVENTS IN FLORENCE
International Crafts Fair (April-May), Antiques Biennial,
Music Festival in May, Opera and Theatre Seasons, Fashion
shows (famous "Pitti" fairs, spring and autumn), Festival
dei Popoli (December).
more on events in Florence... >>>
FLORENCE FOLKLORE
The most
important Folkloristic events in Florence are The "Burst of
the Cart" (Easter), the Feast of St. John (June) and The
"Historic Football in Costume" (June, July).
more on
folklore in Florence... >>>
PEOPLE OF FLORENCE
Giovanni Cimabue (artist, 1240-1302),
Dante Alighieri (poet, 1265-1321),
Giovanni Boccaccio (poet, 1313-1375),
Filippo Brunelleschi (architect, 1377-1446), Lorenzo
Ghiberti (sculptor, 1378-1455), Donato dei Bardi, called
'il Donatello' (sculptor, 1386-1466), Luca della Robbia
(sculptor, 1400-1482), Filippo Lippi (artist, 1406-1469),
Antonio Pollaiolo (sculptor, 1432-1498), Alessandro
Filipepi called 'il Botticelli' (artist, 1445-1510),
Domenico Bigordi called 'Ghirlandaio' (artist, 1449-1494),
Lorenzo the Magnificent (the most famous of the Medicis, 1449-1492),
Leonardo da Vinci (artist, 1452-1519), Amerigo
Vespucci (explorer who gave the name to the continent of America, 1454-1512),
Michelangelo Buonarroti (artist, 1475-1564), Francesco
Guicciardini (historian, 1483-1540), Andrea del Sarto
(artist, 1486-1530), Niccolò Machiavelli (politician and
historian, 1489-1527), Benvenuto Cellini (goldsmith,
1500-1571).
Text courtesy in part of
www.aboutflorence.com |
|
