HISTORY: Florence, or in Italian, Firenze, was founded in 59 BC in the fertile Arno Valley, as a Roman colony. In the 14th century, it was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and between the 14th and 16th centuries, Florence became one of the most important cities in the world, politically, economically and culturally.
After 1737, Tuscany and, along with it, Florence, was ruled by the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, and then, from 1801, by the House of Bourbon-Parma. Starting with 1801, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Etruria, and later, in 1807, Tuscany was annexed by France. In 1861, Florence, along with Tuscany, became part of the Kindom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY: Now, Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, situated in central Italy, and lies in a basin formed by the beautiful hills of Careggi, Fiesole, Settignano, Arcetri, Poggio Imperiale and Bellosguardo. The Arno river cuts the city in half, with many interesting buildings on its banks and beautiful bridges crossing over it.
Florence is situated 78 kilometers east of Pisa, 104 kilometers south of Bologna, 230 kilometers southeast of Genoa, 252 kilometers southwest of Venice, 283 kilometers north of Rome, 317 kilometers southeast of Milan and about 500 kilometers northwest of Naples.
TRANSPORT: You can get to Florence by plane, landing at the Amerigo Vespucci International Airport, about 10 kilometers from the city center. Another nearby airport is Galileo Galilei Airport, located about 77 kilometers away, in Pisa. From the Florence Airport, you can use the Vola in Bus (Fly by bus) service to get to the city center. A bus ticket costs 6€ and the trip takes about 30 minutes.
You can also get to Florence by train, arriving at the Firenze Santa Maria Novella, the main railway station of the city. A trip from Rome takes between one hour and a half and four hours, and the cheapest ticket costs 21.65€.
LANDMARKS: For its monuments, churches, buildings and squares, Florence is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Florence Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, Ponte Vecchio, the beautiful bridge over river Arno, Palazzo Vecchio overlooking Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Pitti, Church of Santa Croce, Uffizi Gallery are only a few... It's up to you to discover them all!
MORE INFO: Touristic Portal | Florence Airport | Pisa Airport | Car Hire | Train Timetables & Fares | Bus Timetables & Fares | Hotels in Florence | City Pass | Hop-On Hop-Off