Florence

History of great men

Inhabited from 1000 b.c., the first settlement dates back to Roman times in 59 BC. It has since developed into a small town, Florentia and around the year 1000 it became a free commune and then Lordship. Guelph City divided into Blacks and whites in 1434 was commanded by Cosimo de ' Medici and with him began flourishing during the Renaissance. Another de ' Medici came to power, Lorenzo il Magnifico who transformed the Florentine Republic in the Principality. The Medici family ruled Florence for centuries until 1737 when he was succeeded the Habsburg-Lorraine. In 1860 was annexed by Italy and became capital of the new Kingdom for 7 years.

The story of Florence might be told thanks to famous men who have populated and which have left traces unparalleled artistic: Petrarch, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi Machiavelli, Leonardo da Vinci and many others. The poet Dante Alighieri was born in 1265, which cited repeatedly Florence in his Divina Commedia for nostalgic evocation or controversial.

 

Cradle of the Renaissance

The historic center of Firenze is a treasure trove of monuments, palaces, churches, museums and plazas that bear testimony to the Italian culture and architecture; is an open air museum and this was one of the first cities to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Is the capital of the province and region and is home to a vigorous and strong trade and handicraft industries.

Centuries of cultural and architectural flourish can be felt in one of the most famous Italian piazza, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, where rises the Loggia della Signoria and the Fontana di Piazza o del Nettuno. Florence lies on the Arno, is accessible thanks to the numerous bridges that cross it including the oldest, old bridge, symbol of the city of Firenze.

Each step in the historical center is a discovery: the Galleria degli Uffizi  to the right of the Palazzo Vecchio, contains works from the 13th-18th century; Ponte Vecchio of Etruscan origin; The Duomo or Santa Maria del Fiore, the religious heart of the city with the baptistery and the Bell Tower by Giotto; the Medici chapels, Piazzale Michelangelo, Palazzo Pitti containing the Palatine Gallery with works by Giorgione, Raphael and Tintoretto; the Bargello National Museum; the chapels Peruzzi and Bardi in the Santa Croce Basilica, the Church of Santa Maria Novella and the Giardini di Boboli , a magnificent example of Italian gardens decorated with statues and fountains.

 

Traditions

Events held in Florence the oldest and most striking is the explosion of the cart, a tradition born about 350 years ago which is held in Piazza del Duomo on Easter day.

But also "Festa del Grillo" celebrated on Ascension Day in Parco delle Cascine; "Festa di San Giovanni Battista"  on June 24; Festa delle Rificolone on 7 September; "Maggio musicale fiorentino".

 

Typical products

Flirenze is the city good food and good wine, but also fashion and fun. Among the many delicacies that you can try are: bean soup, ribollita, cabbage with slices, pappardelle with duck, the trippa alla fiorentina, the livers of pork steak, steak, lampredotto, the black mess and much more.

But Firenze is not only food and wine, is also handicraft town where the streets and alleys smell of ancient tradition and trades related to leather processing and leather. Here many craftsmen work the skin as they did at one time, thus preserving this ancient craft. While for lovers of fashion Firenze is a mix of elegant shopping streets.