HISTORY: Florence (in Italian, Firenze) was founded by Julius Caesar in 59 BC in the fertile Arno Valley, as a Roman colony. In 541 AD, the city was subdued by the Ostrogoths, but towards the end of the 6th century it found peace under the Lombard rule. In 774, it was conquered by Charlemagne, and became part of the Duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca as capital. Read More [...]
Between the 15th and 18th centuries, Florence was ruled by the Medici family. The Medici produced four popes and two queens of France, and became Dukes of Florence in 1532. In 1569, their dominion became the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, which lasted until 1737, when the last member of the Medici family, Gian Gastone, died.
After 1737, Tuscany was ruled by the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, and then, starting with 1801, by the House of Bourbon-Parma. From 1801, Florence was the capital of the Kingdom of Etruria, and later, between 1865 and 1871, the city was the capital of the Kindom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY: Today, Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, 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. Read More [...]
Florence is situated 62 kilometers north of Siena, 70 kilometers east of Lucca, 72 kilometers northwest of Arezzo, 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, arriving at the Amerigo Vespucci International Airport, located about 10 kilometers away from the city center. Another nearby airport is the Galileo Galilei Airport, located about 77 kilometers away, in Pisa. From the Florence Airport, you can use the tramway Line T2 to get to the city center, more precisely to the Santa Maria Novella railway station. A ticket costs 1.50€ and the trip takes about 20 minutes. Read More [...]
You can also get to Florence by train, arriving at the Santa Maria Novella railway station. A trip from Rome takes between one hour and a half and four hours, and the cheapest ticket costs 21.75€. From Venice, a trip takes between 2 and 5 hours, and the cheapest ticket costs 20.35€. From Milan, the trip takes between 2 hours and 5 hours and a half, and the cheapest ticket costs 25.50€.
LANDMARKS: In the 14th century, the city 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. For its monuments, churches, palaces and squares, many of them built during these centuries, Florence is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Read More [...]