Difference between revisions of "Florence" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
 
(101 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 +
{{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}{{Approved}}{{Copyedited}}
 +
 
{{Infobox CityIT
 
{{Infobox CityIT
 
|color            = purple
 
|color            = purple
Line 10: Line 12:
 
|elevation_m          = 50
 
|elevation_m          = 50
 
|area_total_km2  = 102
 
|area_total_km2  = 102
−
|population_as_of  = [[2006-06-02]]
+
|population_as_of  = 31 October 2010
−
|population_total = 366488
+
|population_total = 370,702
−
|population_density_km2 = 3593
+
|population_density_km2 = 3600
 
|timezone          = [[Central European Time|CET]], [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]+1
 
|timezone          = [[Central European Time|CET]], [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]+1
 
|coordinates      = {{coord|43|46|18|N|11|15|13|E|region:IT-FI_type:city(360000)|display=inline,title}}
 
|coordinates      = {{coord|43|46|18|N|11|15|13|E|region:IT-FI_type:city(360000)|display=inline,title}}
Line 21: Line 23:
 
|postalcode        = 50100
 
|postalcode        = 50100
 
|gentilic          = Fiorentini
 
|gentilic          = Fiorentini
−
|saint            = [[St. John the Baptist]]
+
|saint            = [[Saint John the Baptist]]
−
|day              = [[June 24]]
+
|day              = June 24
−
|mayor            = [[Leonardo Domenici]] ([[Democratic Party]])
+
|mayor            = [[Matteo Renzi]] ([[Democratic Party]])
 
|website          = [http://www.comune.firenze.it/ www.comune.firenze.it]
 
|website          = [http://www.comune.firenze.it/ www.comune.firenze.it]
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
'''Florence''' ([[Italian language|Italian]]: ''Firenze'', '''Old Italian''': ''Fiorenza'', [[Latin language|Latin]]: ''Florentia'') is the [[capital]] [[city]] of the [[Italy|Italian]] [[Regions of Italy|region]] of [[Tuscany]], and of the [[provinces of Italy|province]] [[Province of Florence|of Florence]]. It is the most populous city in Tuscany and has a population of approximately 364,779.
+
'''Florence''' ([[Italian language|Italian]]: ''Firenze,'' '''Old Italian''': ''Fiorenza,'' [[Latin language|Latin]]: ''Florentia'') is the [[capital]] and most populous [[city]] of the [[Italy|Italian]] region of [[Tuscany]], and capital of the [[provinces of Italy|province]] [[Province of Florence|of Florence]]. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the [[Kingdom of Italy]]. The Italian language stems from the Florentine dialect.
  
−
The city is known for its [[art]] and [[architecture]]. A centre of medieval [[Europe]]an [[trade]] and [[finance]], the city is often considered the birthplace of the [[Italian Renaissance]]; in fact, it has been called the [[Athens]] of the [[Middle Ages]].<ref>Profs. Spencer Baynes, L.L.D., and W. Robertson Smith, L.L.D., ''Encyclopaedia Britannica''. Akron, Ohio: The Werner Company, 1907: p.675</ref> It was long under the ''de facto'' rule of the [[Medici]] family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the [[Italy|Kingdom of Italy]].  
+
Florence has a legacy that spans more than 2000 years. Initially a small city of [[moneylender]]s and [[textile]] [[merchant]]s, with little political or military power, Florence became a bustling center of [[Europe]]an [[trade]] and [[finance]]. From the [[Middle Ages]] it exerted substantial influence throughout Italy and the European continent. In the fourteenth century, the city's florin, a [[coin]] containing 3.5 grams of [[gold]], became the dominant trade coin of [[Western Europe]], replacing heavier [[silver]] bars.  
  
−
The historic centre of Florence continues to attract millions of [[tourism|tourists]] each year and was declared a [[World Heritage Site]] by the [[UNESCO]] in 1982.  
+
Known for [[art]] and [[architecture]], it is considered the birthplace of the [[Italian Renaissance]]. [[Leonardo da Vinci]], [[Michelangelo]], [[Donatello]], [[Raphael]], [[Dante]], political theorist [[Machiavelli]], astronomer [[Galileo]], the [[Medici]] family, which ruled the city for generations, navigator [[Amerigo Vespucci]], and humanitarian [[Florence Nightingale]] all called Florence home.
 +
{{toc}}
 +
The historic center of Florence attracts millions of [[tourism|tourists]] each year. It was declared a [[World Heritage Site]] by the [[UNESCO]] in 1982 for its "600 years of extraordinary artistic activity." Modern Florence is a testimony to its past. Its buildings are works of art, housing yet more works of art, reflecting the personalities and passions of those who created them.
  
 
==Geography==
 
==Geography==
−
The name ''Florentia'' derives from a Roman family name which itself was derived from the Roman name ''Florentius'', meaning "blossoming."  
+
[[Image:Florence1.jpg|thumb|left|225px|Florence.]]
 +
The name ''Florentia'' derives from a Roman family name which itself was derived from the name ''Florentius,'' meaning "blossoming." Fiesole, in the hills north of Florence, was an ancient stronghold of the [[Etruscans]], whose presence in the region provides the name [[Tuscany]].
  
−
Florence, which is located about 145 miles (230km) northwest of Rome in a basin between the Senese Clavey Hills, lies on [[Arno river]] and three other minor rivers, and is surrounded by hills covered with villas, farms, vineyards, and orchards.
+
Florence, which is located 174 miles (280 km) north of [[Rome]] in a basin between the Senese Clavey Hills, lies on [[Arno river]] and three other minor rivers, and is surrounded by hills covered with villas, farms, [[vineyard]]s, and [[orchard]]s. The [[city]] covers an area 39 square miles (102 square kilometers) and is at an elevation of 164 feet (50 meters).
  
−
The city covers an area 39 square miles (102 square kilometers) and is at an elevation of 164 feet (50 meters).
+
Florence is sometimes classified as having a [[Humid subtropical climate]], with hot, humid summers with little [[rain]]fall and cool, damp [[winter]]s. The average maximum [[temperature]] in July is around 88°F (31°C), and in January is 50°F (10°C). Winter has occasional [[snow]]. Mean annual precipitation is 36 inches (912mm).
  
−
Florence is sometimes classified as having a [[Humid subtropical climate]], with hot, humid summers with little rainfall and cool, damp winters. The average maximum temperature in July is around 88°F (31°C), and in January is 50°F (10°C). Winter has occasional snow. Mean annual precipitation is 36 inches (912mm).
+
Environmental issues have resulted from the city's economic growth, which has meant [[urbanization]] and motor vehicle traffic has intruded on the beautiful countryside of Tuscany. Florence had a high level of [[air pollution]] and traffic congestion in 2008.
−
 
 
−
Environmental issues
 
−
Districts
 
−
 
 
−
{{wide image|Panorama of Florence.jpg|1000px|Night view over Florence}}
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
−
{{main|History of Florence}}
+
[[Image:Giovanni villani 1.JPG|thumb|right|225px|Statue of [[Giovanni Villani]], who was inspired to write a history of Florence after attending [[Jubilee (Christian)|jubilee]] festivities in Rome in 1300.]]
−
[[Image:Michelino DanteAndHisPoem.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''[[Dante Alighieri|Dante]] and the [[Divina Commedia]]''.]]  
+
[[Image:Michelino DanteAndHisPoem.jpg|thumb|right|225px|''[[Dante Alighieri|Dante]] and the [[Divina Commedia]]''.]]  
−
[[Image:Florenz Uffizien.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''the Uffizi'']]
+
[[Image:Florenz Uffizien.jpg|thumb|right|225px|The Uffizi.]]
−
[[Image:Florence1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Florence.]]
+
[[Image:David von Michelangelo.jpg|thumb|right|225px|The "''David di Michelangelo''"]]
−
[[Image:David von Michelangelo.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The "''David di Michelangelo''"]]
+
Florence was originally established by [[Julius Caesar]] in 59 B.C.E. as a settlement for his veteran soldiers. It was named ''Florentia'' and built in the style of an army camp with the main streets, the ''cardo'' and the ''decumanus,'' intersecting at the present Piazza della Repubblica. Situated at the ''Via Cassia,'' the main route between Rome and the North, and within the fertile valley of the [[Arno River|Arno]], the settlement quickly became an important commercial center. Emperor [[Diocletian]] (244-311 C.E.) made Florentia the capital of the province of ''Tuscia'' in the third century.  
−
[[Image:Piazza Repubblica Firenze Apr 2008 (1)-Piazza Repubblica Firenze Apr 2008.jpg|thumb|250px|Piazza della Repubblica.]]
 
−
Florence was originally established by [[Julius Caesar]] in 59 b.c.e. as a settlement for his veteran soldiers. It was named ''Florentia'' (''Flourishing'') and built in the style of an army camp with the main streets, the ''cardo'' and the ''decumanus'', intersecting at the present Piazza della Repubblica. Situated at the ''Via Cassia'', the main route between Rome and the North, and within the fertile valley of the [[Arno River|Arno]], the settlement quickly became an important commercial center. Emperor [[Diocletian]] (244-311 c.e.) made Florentia capital of the province of ''Tuscia'' in the third century.  
 
  
−
Saint Minias was Florence’s first [[martyr]], who was beheaded at about 250, during the anti-Christian persecutions of the Emperor [[Decius]]. According to legend, Minias picked up his disembodied head and walked across the Arno River and up the hill Mons Fiorentinus to his hermitage, where the [[Basilica di San Miniato al Monte]] now stands.
+
[[Saint Minias]] was Florence’s first [[martyr]], who was beheaded around 250, during the anti-[[Christian]] persecutions of the Emperor [[Decius]]. According to legend, Minias picked up his disembodied head and walked across the Arno River and up the hill Mons Fiorentinus to his [[hermitage]], where the [[Basilica di San Miniato al Monte]] now stands.
  
−
The seat of a [[bishopric]] from around the beginning of the fourth century, the city experienced subsequent turbulent periods of [[Ostrogothic]] rule, during which the city was often troubled by warfare between the [[Ostrogoths]] and the [[Byzantines]], which may have caused the population to fall to as few as 1000 people.
+
The seat of a [[bishopric]] from around the beginning of the fourth century, the city underwent turbulent periods of [[Ostrogothic]] rule, during which the city was often troubled by warfare between the [[Ostrogoths]] and the [[Byzantines]], which may have caused the population to fall to as few as 1000 people.  
  
−
Peace returned under [[Lombards|Lombard]] rule in the sixth century. Conquered by [[Charlemagne]] in 774, Florence became part of the duchy of Tuscany, with [[Lucca]] as capital. Population began to grow again and commerce prospered. In 854, Florence and [[Fiesole]] united.
+
[[Peace]] returned under [[Lombards|Lombard]] rule in the sixth century. Conquered by [[Charlemagne]] in 774, Florence became part of the duchy of Tuscany, with [[Lucca]] as capital. Population began to grow again and [[commerce]] prospered. In 854, Florence and [[Fiesole]] united.
  
−
[[Margrave]] Hugo chose Florence as his residency instead of Lucca at about 1000. This initiated the Golden Age of Florentine art. In 1013, construction began on the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte. The exterior of the Battistero di San Giovanni was reworked in Romanesque style between 1059 and 1128.  
+
[[Margrave Hugo]] (950-1001), who was the Margrave of Tuscany from 961 until his death, chose Florence as his residence around 1000. This initiated the Golden Age of Florentine art. In 1013, construction began on the [[Basilica di San Miniato al Monte]]. The exterior of the [[Battistero di San Giovanni]] was reworked in [[Romanesque]] style between 1059 and 1128.  
  
−
This period also saw the eclipse of Florence's formerly powerful rival [[Pisa]] (defeated by [[Genoa]] in 1284 and subjugated by Florence in 1406), and the exercise of power by the mercantile elite following an anti-aristocratic movement, led by [[Giano della Bella]], that resulted in a set of laws called the Ordinances of Justice in 1293.
+
This period also saw the eclipse of Florence's formerly powerful rival [[Pisa]] (defeated by [[Genoa]] in 1284 and subjugated by Florence in 1406), and the exercise of power by the [[mercantilism|mercantile]] elite following an anti-aristocratic movement, led by [[Giano della Bella]], that resulted in a set of laws called the Ordinances of Justice in 1293.
  
−
Of a population estimated at 80,000 before the [[Black Death]] of 1348, about 25,000 are said to have been supported by the city's wool 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.  
+
Of a population estimated at 80,000 before the [[Black Death]] of 1348, about 25,000 are said to have been supported by the city's [[wool]] 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.  
  
−
Florence came under the sway, from 1382 to 1434, of the [[Albizzi]] family, who were bitter rivals of the Medici.
+
Florence came under the sway, from 1382 to 1434, of the [[Albizzi]] family, who were bitter rivals of the Medici.  
  
 
[[Cosimo de' Medici]] (1389-1464) was the first Medici to control the city from behind the scenes. Although the city was a democracy of sorts, his power came from a vast [[patronage]] network, an alliance with new immigrants, the [[gente nuova]], and from being bankers to the pope. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero, and shortly thereafter by Cosimo's grandson, Lorenzo in 1469.  
 
[[Cosimo de' Medici]] (1389-1464) was the first Medici to control the city from behind the scenes. Although the city was a democracy of sorts, his power came from a vast [[patronage]] network, an alliance with new immigrants, the [[gente nuova]], and from being bankers to the pope. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero, and shortly thereafter by Cosimo's grandson, Lorenzo in 1469.  
  
−
Lorenzo (1449-1492) was a great patron of the arts, commissioning works by [[Michelangelo]], [[Leonardo da Vinci]] and [[Sandro Botticelli|Botticelli]]. Lorenzo was also an accomplished musician and brought some of the most famous composers and singers of the day to Florence, including [[Alexander Agricola]], [[Johannes Ghiselin]], and [[Heinrich Isaac]]. By contemporary Florentines (and since), he was known as "Lorenzo the Magnificent" (Lorenzo il Magnifico).  
+
[[Lorenzo Medici|Lorenzo]] (1449-1492), known as "Lorenzo the Magnificent" (Lorenzo il Magnifico), was a great [[patron of the arts]], commissioning works by [[Michelangelo]], [[Leonardo da Vinci]] and [[Sandro Botticelli|Botticelli]]. Lorenzo was also an accomplished [[music]]ian and brought some of the most famous [[composer]]s and [[singer]]s of the day to Florence, including [[Alexander Agricola]], [[Johannes Ghiselin]], and [[Heinrich Isaac]].  
  
−
When the French king [[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]] (1470-1498) invaded northern Italy, Lorenzo's successor Piero II initially resisted, but when he realized the size of the French 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.
+
When the French king [[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]] (1470-1498) invaded northern [[Italy]], Lorenzo's successor [[Piero II]] initially resisted, but 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.  
  
−
The Dominican monk [[Girolamo Savonarola]] (1452-1498), who became [[prior]] of the San Marco monastery in 1490, was famous for lambasting what he viewed as widespread immorality and attachment to material riches. He blamed the exile of the Medicis as punishment by God, and carried through political reforms leading to a more democratic rule. But Savonarola publicly accused [[Pope Alexander VI]] (1431-1503) of corruption, and was banned from speaking in public, then excommunicated. The Florentines, tired of his extreme teachings, turned against him and arrested him. He was convicted as a heretic and burned at the stake on the [[Piazza della Signoria]] on May 23, 1498.
+
The [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] monk [[Girolamo Savonarola]] (1452-1498), who became [[prior]] of the San Marco monastery in 1490, was famous for lambasting what he viewed as widespread immorality and attachment to material riches. He defined the exile of the Medicis as [[punishment]] by [[God]], and carried through political reforms leading to a more democratic rule. But [[Savonarola]] publicly accused [[Pope Alexander VI]] (1431-1503) of [[corruption]], and was banned from speaking in public, then [[excommunication|excommunicated]]. The Florentines, tired of his extreme teachings, turned against him and arrested him. He was convicted as a [[heresy|heretic]] and burned at the stake on the [[Piazza della Signoria]] on May 23, 1498.
  
−
Another Florentine, realist political theorist [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] (1469-1527), was commissioned by the Medici to write the [[Florentine Histories]]. Florentines drove out the Medici for a second time and re-established a [[republic]] on May 16, 1527. Restored twice with the support of both Emperor and Pope, the Medici in 1537 became hereditary dukes of Florence, and in 1569 Grand Dukes of Tuscany, ruling for two centuries. In all Tuscany, only the [[Republic of Lucca]] (later a duchy) and the Principality of [[Piombino]] were independent from Florence.
+
Another Florentine, realist political theorist [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] (1469-1527), was commissioned by the Medici to write the [[Florentine Histories]]. Florentines drove out the Medici for a second time and re-established a [[republic]] on May 16, 1527. The Medici in 1537 became hereditary dukes of Florence, and in 1569 Grand Dukes of Tuscany, ruling for two centuries. In all [[Tuscany]], only the [[Republic of Lucca]] (later a duchy) and the Principality of [[Piombino]] were independent from Florence.  
  
−
The extinction of the Medici line and the accession in 1737 of [[Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor|Francis Stephen]] (1708-1765), duke of Lorraine and husband of [[Maria Theresa of Austria]] (1816-1867), led to Tuscany's temporary inclusion in the territories of the [[Austria]]n crown.  
+
The extinction of the Medici line and the accession in 1737 of [[Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor|Francis Stephen]] (1708-1765), duke of Lorraine and husband of [[Maria Theresa of Austria]] (1816-1867), led to Tuscany's temporary inclusion in the territories of the [[Austrian Empire|Austrian crown]].  
  
−
Tuscany became a province of the United Kingdom of [[Italy]] in 1861.
+
Tuscany became a province of the [[United Kingdom of Italy]] in 1861.
  
−
Florence replaced [[Turin]] as Italy's capital in 1865, hosting the country's first parliament, but was superseded by [[Rome]] six years later, after the withdrawal of the [[Second French Empire|French]] troops. After doubling in size during the 19th century, Florence's population tripled in the 20th century with the growth of tourism, trade, financial services and industry.  
+
Florence replaced [[Turin]] as Italy's capital in 1865, hosting the country's first parliament, but was superseded by [[Rome]] six years later, after the withdrawal of the [[Second French Empire|French]] troops. After doubling in size during the nineteenth century, Florence's population tripled in the twentieth century with the growth of [[tourism]], [[trade]], [[financial services]] and [[industry]].  
  
−
During [[World War II]] (1939-1945) the city experienced a year-long German occupation (1943-1944) and was declared an [[open city]]. The Allied soldiers who died driving the Germans from Tuscany are buried in cemeteries outside the city (Americans about {{convert|9|km|mi|0|spell=us}} south of the city<ref>http://www.asgdd.it/amevceme.htm</ref>, British and Commonwealth soldiers a few kilometers east of the center on the right bank of the Arno<ref>[http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/remembrance/remembrance_cwgc6.htm] {{Dead link|date=July 2008}}</ref>)
+
During [[World War II]] (1939-1945) the city experienced a year-long German occupation (1943-1944) and was declared an [[open city]]. The Allied soldiers who died driving the Germans from Tuscany are buried in cemeteries outside the city (Americans about {{convert|9|km|mi|0|spell=us}} south of the city <ref>''The Amerigo Vespucci Committee''. [http://www.asgdd.it/amevceme.htm Florence American Cemetery and Memorial] Retrieved October 28, 2008.</ref>, British and Commonwealth soldiers a few kilometers east of the center on the right bank of the Arno.<ref>''Veterans UK''. [http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/remembrance/remembrance_cwgc6.htm Remembrance] Retrieved December 28, 2007.</ref>
  
−
At the end of the l9th century, the Florence city administration razed the Old Market Square, in favour of a new square, the Piazza della Repubblica, dedicated to [[Victor Emmanuel II]], arguing that the area had decayed from its original medieval splendor. The new square is the location of the literary café Giubbe Rosse, a place where the [[Futurist]] movement blossomed, and which publishes books of famous Italian authors such: [[Mario Luzi]], [[Manlio Sgalambro]], [[Giovanni Lista]], [[Menotti Lerro]], [[Leopoldo Paciscopi]].  
+
At the end of the nineteenth century, the Florence city administration razed the Old Market Square, in favor of a new square, the Piazza della Repubblica, dedicated to [[Victor Emmanuel II]], arguing that the area had decayed from its original [[Middle Ages|medieval]] splendor. The new square is the location of the literary café Giubbe Rosse, a place where the [[Futurist]] movement blossomed, and which publishes books of famous Italian authors such: [[Mario Luzi]], [[Manlio Sgalambro]], [[Giovanni Lista]], [[Menotti Lerro]], [[Leopoldo Paciscopi]].  
  
−
In November 1966, the Arno river flooded parts of the center, damaging many art treasures. There was no warning from the authorities who knew the flood was coming, except a phone call to the jewelers on the [[Ponte Vecchio]]. Around the city there are tiny placards on the walls noting where the flood waters reached at their highest point.
+
In November 1966, the Arno river flooded parts of the center, damaging many art treasures. There was no warning from the authorities who knew the flood was coming, except a phone call to the jewelers on the [[Ponte Vecchio]]. Around the city there are tiny placards on the walls noting the highest points the flood waters reached.
  
 
==Government==
 
==Government==
 +
[[Image:Piazza Repubblica Firenze Apr 2008 (1)-Piazza Repubblica Firenze Apr 2008.jpg|thumb|225px|Piazza della Repubblica.]]
 
[[Italy]] is a republic in which the president is chief of state who is elected by an electoral college for a seven-year term. The prime minister, who is head of government, is appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament. The bicameral ''Parlamento'' consists of a senate of 315 members, and the chamber of deputies of 630 members, both houses elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms.
 
[[Italy]] is a republic in which the president is chief of state who is elected by an electoral college for a seven-year term. The prime minister, who is head of government, is appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament. The bicameral ''Parlamento'' consists of a senate of 315 members, and the chamber of deputies of 630 members, both houses elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms.
  
−
The current Mayor of Florence is [[Leonardo Domenici]] (elected in June 1999) who in February 2008 sued Wikipedia for reporting that his wife is on the board of directors of a company that manages parking in Florence<ref>[http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/03/01/1426201&from=rss Slashdot | Mayor of Florence Sues Wikipedia<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref><ref>{{it}} [http://www.corriere.it/cronache/08_febbraio_29/domenici_sindaco_firenze_querela_wikipedia_658497ee-e6f2-11dc-84b2-0003ba99c667.shtml "The Mayor of Florence Wikipedia Complaint"] from Italian newspaper [[Corriere della Sera]]</ref>
+
The city, or ''comune'', of Florence is the capital of the [[Tuscany]] region, which is one of Italy's 20 regions, and of the province of Florence. Italy's 100 provinces have their own local elections. Each province has a prefect who is appointed by and responds to the central government, which he locally represents.
 +
 
 +
The ''comune'' provides many basic [[civil]] functions. It has a [[registry]] of [[birth]]s and [[death]]s, a [[registry of deeds]], and it contracts for local [[road]]s and [[public works]]. It is headed by a mayor ''(sindaco)'' assisted by a [[council]] of [[aldermen]], the ''Consiglio Comunale.'' The offices of the ''comune'' are housed in a building usually called the ''Municipio,'' or ''Palazzo Comunale.''
  
 
==Economy==
 
==Economy==
−
Overview – Any specialization: For instance, is a manufactured product is associated with particular cities
 
−
a.  Milwaukee—cheese and beer
 
−
b.  Los Angeles—entertainment industry
 
−
c.  Sheffield—coal
 
−
d.  top 20 cities in the U.S. are highly specialized
 
−
 
−
Per capita GDP, rank
 
−
Financial and business services sector
 
−
Tourism
 
−
Manufacturing
 
−
Transport: Road, rail, air, sea
 
−
 
−
[[Tourism]] is the most significant industry within the centre of Florence. On any given day between April and October, the local population is greatly outnumbered by tourists from all over the world. {{Fact|date=July 2007}} The [[Uffizi]] and [[Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno|Accademia]] museums are regularly sold out of tickets, and large groups regularly fill the basilicas of [[Santa Croce]] and [[Santa Maria Novella]], both of which charge for entry.
 
−
 
−
Florence being historically the first  home of Italian fashion (the 1951-1953 soirées held by Giovanni Battista Giorgini  are generally regarded as the birth of the ''Italian school''<ref>[http://www.gbgiorgini.it/italianfashion.htm the birth of italian fashion<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref> as opposed to french ''haute couture'')  is also home to the legendary [[Italy|Italian]] fashion establishment [[Salvatore Ferragamo]], notable as one of the oldest and most famous Italian fashion houses. Many others, most of them now located in [[Milan]], were founded in Florence. [[Gucci]], [[Prada]],  [[Roberto Cavalli]], and [[Chanel]]  have large offices and stores in Florence or its outskirts.
 
−
 
−
Certain textile industries employing largely immigrant populations can be found to the north and north-west of the city, continuing its long tradition as a centre of fine fabrics. {{Fact|date=July 2007}}
 
−
 
−
Food and wine have long been an important staple of the economy. Florence is the most important city in [[Tuscany]], one of the great [[wine]]-growing regions in the world. The [[Chianti]] region is just south of the city, and its [[Sangiovese]] grapes figure prominently not only in its [[Chianti Classico]] wines but also in many of the more recently developed Supertuscan blends. Within twenty miles (32 km) to the west is the Carmignano area, also home to flavorful sangiovese-based reds. The celebrated Chianti Rufina district, geographically and historically separated from the main Chianti region, is also few miles west of Florence. More recently, the Bolgheri region (about {{convert|100|mi|km|-2|disp=/}} southwest of Florence) has become celebrated for its [[Toscana (wine)#Super Tuscans|"Super Tuscan"]] reds such as [[Sassicaia]] and [[Ornellaia]].<ref name=OCW-bol>winepros.com.au. {{Cite web|last= ''Oxford Companion to Wine''| title= Bolgheri |url= http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=369 }}</ref>
 
−
 
−
===Transportation===
 
−
[[Image:Stazione smn interno 1.JPG|thumb|''Inside the principal railway station of Florence, Santa Maria Novella''.]]
 
−
 
−
The principal [[public transport]] network within the city is run by the [http://www.ataf.net/Default.aspx?LN=en-US ATAF and Li-nea] bus company, with tickets available at local tobacconists, bars, and newspaper stalls.  Individual tickets or a pass called the Carta Agile with multiple rides (10 or 21) may be used on buses.  Once on the bus, tickets must be stamped (or swiped for the Carta Agile) using the machines on board unlike the train tickets which must be validated before boarding.  The main bus station is next to Santa Maria Novella train station.  [[Trenitalia]] runs trains between the railway stations within the city, and to other destinations around [[Italy]] and [[Europe]].  The central station, [[Santa Maria Novella Station]], is located about {{convert|500|m|ft|-1|spell=us}} NW of Piazza del Duomo. There is also another important station, Campo Di Marte, but it is not as well-known as Santa Maria Novella; most bundled routes are Firenze-Pisa, Firenze-Viareggio and Firenze-Arezzo (along the main line to [[Rome]]). Other local railways connect Florence with Borgo San Lorenzo and Siena.
 
−
 
−
Long distance buses are run by the SITA, Copit, CAP and Lazzi companies. The transit companies also accommodate travellers from the [[Peretola Airport|Amerigo Vespucci Airport]], which is five kilometers (3.1&nbsp;mi) west of the city center, and which has scheduled services run by major European carriers such as [[Air France]] and [[Lufthansa]].
 
−
 
−
The centre of the city is closed to through-traffic, although [[bus]]es, [[Taxicab|taxis]] and residents with appropriate permits are allowed in. This area is commonly referred to the ZTL (''Zona Traffico Limitato''), which is divided into five subsections. {{Fact|date=July 2007}} 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 seven-thirty at night, or before seven-thirty in the morning. The rules shift somewhat unpredictably during the tourist-filled summers, putting more restrictions on where one can get in and out.
 
−
 
−
Due to the high level of air pollution and traffic in the city, an urban [[tram]] network called the TramVia is currently under construction in the City.<ref>http://www.tramvia.fi.it tramvia.fi.it</ref> It will run from [[Scandicci]] to the southwest through the western side of the city, cross the river Arno at the [[Cascine]] Park and arrive to the main station of Santa Maria Novella. Two other lines are in the final design phase.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
 
−
 
−
 
−
==Demography==
 
−
In 2007, there were 364,710 people residing within Florence's city limits. Approximately 600,000 people live within the first belt of suburbs, while the Metropolitan Area of Florence, Prato, and Pistoia, constituted in 2000 over an area of roughly 4,800 square kilometers, 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 younger) totalled 14.10 percent 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.[http://demo.istat.it/bil2007/index.html] The current birth rate of Florence is 7.66 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.
 
−
 
−
As of 2006, 90.45% of the population was [[Italian people|Italian]]. The largest immigrant group came from other [[European ethnic groups|European]] countries (mostly from [[Albania]] and [[Romania]]): 3.52%, [[East Asia]] (mostly [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] and [[Filipino people|Filipino]]): 2.17%, the [[Americas]]: 1.41%, and [[North Africa]] (mostly [[Moroccan]]): 0.9%.[http://demo.istat.it/str2006/index.html]
 
−
 
−
[[Florentine language|Florentine]] (''fiorentino''), spoken by inhabitants of Florence and its environs, is a [[Tuscan dialect]] and an immediate parent language to modern [[Italian language|Italian]]. (Many linguists and scholars of [[Dante]], [[Giovanni Boccaccio|Boccaccio]], and [[Petrarch]] consider standard Italian to be, in fact, modern Florentine.)
 
−
 
−
Its vocabulary and pronunciation are largely identical to standard Italian, though the hard ''c'' {{IPA|[k]}} between two vowels (as in ''ducato'') is pronounced as a [[Voiceless glottal fricative|fricative]] {{IPA|[h]}}, similar to an English ''h''. This gives Florentines a distinctive and highly recognizable accent (the so-called [[gorgia toscana]]). Other traits include using a form of the [[subjunctive mood]] last commonly used in medieval times, a frequent usage of the modern subjunctive instead of the present of standard Italian, and a reduced pronunciation of the definite article, {{IPA|[i]}} instead of "il".
 
−
 
−
Religion
 
−
 
−
Colleges and universities
 
−
 
−
==Of interest==
 
−
{{seealso|Category:Buildings and structures in Florence}}
 
 
{{Infobox World Heritage Site
 
{{Infobox World Heritage Site
 
|Name        = Historic Centre of Florence
 
|Name        = Historic Centre of Florence
−
|infoboxwidth= 250px
+
|infoboxwidth= 225px
 
|Image      = [[Image:CampanileGiotto-01.jpg|200px|Historic Centre of Florence]]
 
|Image      = [[Image:CampanileGiotto-01.jpg|200px|Historic Centre of Florence]]
 
|State_Party = {{ITA}}
 
|State_Party = {{ITA}}
Line 158: Line 112:
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
Florence is known as the “cradle of [[Renaissance]]” (''la culla del Rinascimento'') for its monuments, churches and buildings. The best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city, [[Santa Maria del Fiore]], known as ''The [[Duomo]]''. The magnificent [[dome]] was built by [[Filippo Brunelleschi]]. The nearby [[Campanile]] tower (partly designed by [[Giotto di Bondone|Giotto]]) and the [[Battistero di San Giovanni (Florence)|Baptistery]] buildings are also highlights. Both the dome itself and the campanile are open to tourists and offer excellent views; The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world<ref>Ross King,''Brunelleschi's Dome, The Story of the great Cathedral of Florence'', Penguin, 2001</ref>.
+
The [[Italy|Italian]] 'florin' was struck from 1252 to 1523 with no significant change in its [[design]] or [[metal]] content standard. It had 54 [[grain (measure)|grains]] of gold (3.5g). The "fiorino d'oro" of the Republic of Florence was the first European [[gold]] coin struck in sufficient quantities to play a significant commercial role since the seventh century. Many Florentine banks were international companies with branches across [[Europe]], and the florin quickly became the dominant trade coin for large scale transactions, replacing [[silver]] bars in multiples of the mark (a [[Units of measurement|weight unit]] equal to eight ounces). In the fourteenth century, 150 European city-states and local coin issuing authorities made their own copies of the florin.
−
 
 
−
In 1982, the historic center of Florence (Italian: ''centro storico di Firenze'') was declared a [[World Heritage Site]] by the [[UNESCO]] for the importance of its cultural heritages. The center of the city is contained in medieval walls that were built in the 14th century to defend the city after it became famous and important for its economic growth.
 
−
 
 
−
At the heart of the city in [[Piazza della Signoria]] is [[Bartolomeo Ammanati|Bartolomeo Ammanati's]] [[Fountain of Neptune]] (1563-1565), which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a still functioning Roman [[aqueduct]].  
 
−
 
 
−
The [[Arno river]], 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 &mdash; which alternated from nourishing the city with commerce, and destroying it by flood.
 
−
 
 
−
[[Image:Florenca109.jpg|thumb|left|Facade and Campanile (bell tower) of [[Santa Maria del Fiore]].  The [[Baptistery]] can be seen in the right foreground.]]
 
−
 
 
−
One of the bridges in particular stands out as being unique &mdash; The [[Ponte Vecchio]] (''Old Bridge''), whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts. The bridge also carries [[Vasari Corridor|Vasari's elevated corridor]] linking the Uffizi to the Medici residence ([[Palazzo Pitti]]). First constructed by the [[Etruscans]] in ancient times, this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived [[World War II]] intact.
 
−
 
 
−
The church of [[Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze|San Lorenzo]] contains the Medici Chapel, the [[mausoleum]] of the [[Medici family]] -  the most powerful family in Florence from the 15th to the 18th century. Nearby is the [[Uffizi]] Gallery, one of the finest art museums in the world - founded on a large bequest from the last member of the Medici family.
 
−
 
 
−
The [[Uffizi]] ("offices") itself is located at the corner of [[Piazza della Signoria]], a site important for being the centre of Florence civil life and government for centuries  (Signoria Palace is still home of the community government): the Loggia dei Lanzi was the set of all the public ceremonies of the republican government. Many well known episodes of history of art and political changes were staged here, such as:
 
−
*In 1301, Dante was sent into Exile from here (a plaque on one of the walls of the Uffizi commemorates the event).
 
−
*26 April 1478 Jacopo de'Pazzi and his retainers try to raise the city against the Medici after the plot known as ''The congiura dei Pazzi'' (''The Pazzi conspiracy'') who murdered [[Giuliano di Piero de' Medici]] and wounded his brother [[Lorenzo the Magnificent|Lorenzo]]; the Florentines seized and hanged all the members of the plot that could be apprehended from the windows of the Palace.
 
−
*In 1497, it was the location of the [[Bonfire of the Vanities]] instigated by the Dominican friar and preacher [[Girolamo Savonarola]]
 
−
*On the [[23 May]] [[1498]] the same Savonarola and two followers were hanged and burnt at the stake (a round plate in the ground commemorates the very spot were he was hanged)
 
−
*In 1504,  [[Michelangelo's David]] (now replaced by a reproduction as the original was moved indoors to the [[Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno]]), was installed in front of the [[Palazzo della Signoria]] (also known as Palazzo Vecchio).
 
−
It is still the setting for a number of statues by other sculptors such as  [[Donatello]], [[Giambologna]], [[Ammannati]] and [[Cellini]], although some have been replaced with copies to preserve the priceless originals.
 
  
−
[[Image:Firenze.PalVecchio.Uffizi02.JPG|thumb|Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio.]]  
+
Florence is regarded as the birthplace of Italian [[fashion]], since the 1951-1953 soirées held by [[Giovanni Battista Giorgini]] are considered the beginning of the ''Italian school.'' The city is home to the legendary [[Italy|Italian]] fashion establishment [[Salvatore Ferragamo]]. Many others, most of them now located in [[Milan]], were founded in Florence. [[Gucci]], [[Prada]], [[Roberto Cavalli]], and [[Chanel]] have large offices and stores in Florence or its outskirts.
  
−
In addition to the Uffizi, Florence has other world-class museums. The [[Bargello]] concentrates on [[sculpture]], containing many priceless works of art created by such sculptors as [[Donatello]], [[Giambologna]],  and [[Michelangelo]]. The ''[[Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno]]'' (often simply called the ''Accademia'') collection's highlights are [[Michelangelo's David]] and his unfinished ''Slaves''.  
+
Today Florence depends on [[tourism]], although an [[information technology]] sector has developed, and the region around the city has a modern economy based on small industrial production. Certain [[textile]] industries employing largely immigrant populations can be found to the north and northwest of the city, continuing its long tradition as a center of fine fabrics.  
  
−
Across the Arno is the huge [[Pitti Palace]] containing part of the Medici family's former private collection. In addition to the Medici collection the palace's galleries contain a large number of Renaissance works, including several by [[Raphael]] and [[Titian]] as well as a large collection of modern art, costumes, cattiages, and porcelain. Adjoining the Palace are the [[Boboli Gardens]], elaborately landscaped and with many interesting sculptures.
+
The city is part of an industrial district extending to Prato and Pistoia. Manufacturing in the industrial suburbs includes the production of [[furniture]], [[rubber]] goods, [[chemical]]s, and [[food]]. [[Goldsmith]]s, [[silversmith]]s, and [[jewelry|jewelers]] have manufacturing stores on the Ponte Vecchio bridge, a symbol of Florence.
  
−
The [[Basilica di Santa Croce, Florence|Santa Croce]] basilica, originally a Franciscan foundation, contains the monumental tombs of [[Galileo Galilei|Galileo]], Michelangelo, [[Niccolò Machiavelli|Machiavelli]], Dante (actually a [[cenotaph]]), and many other notables.
+
Food and [[wine]] have long been an important staple of the economy. [[Tuscany]] is one of the great wine-growing regions in the world. The [[Chianti]] region is just south of the city, and its [[Sangiovese]] [[grape]]s figure prominently not only in its [[Chianti Classico]] wines but also in many of the later-developed Supertuscan blends. Within 20 miles (32km) to the west is the Carmignano area, also home to flavorful sangiovese-based reds. The celebrated Chianti Rufina district, geographically and historically separated from the main Chianti region, is also few miles west of Florence. The Bolgheri region (about {{convert|100|mi|km|-2|disp=/}} southwest of Florence) has become celebrated for its [[Toscana (wine)#Super Tuscans|"Super Tuscan"]] reds such as [[Sassicaia]] and [[Ornellaia]].<ref name=OCW-bol>''Winepros.'' [http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=369 Oxford Companion to Wine: Bolgheri] Retrieved October 28, 2008.</ref>
  
−
Other important [[basilica]]s and churches in Florence include [[Santa Maria Novella]], [[Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze|San Lorenzo]], [[Santo Spirito]] and the [[Orsanmichele]], and the Tempio Maggiore [[Great Synagogue of Florence]].
+
Florence’s location at the connecting point of transport lines connecting northern and southern Italy has reinforced its role as a market center. The center of the city is closed to through-traffic, although [[bus]]es, [[Taxicab|taxis]] and residents with appropriate permits are allowed in. Walking remains the best way of getting around in the central city. Due to the high level of [[air pollution]] and traffic congestion in the city, an urban [[tram]] network called the TramVia was under construction in 2008. Long distance buses are run by the SITA, Copit, CAP and Lazzi companies, which also accommodate travelers from the [[Peretola Airport|Amerigo Vespucci Airport]], which is 3.1 miles (5km) west of the city center.
  
−
Florence has been the setting for numerous works of [[fiction]] and [[film|movie]]s, including the [[novel]]s and associated films ''[[Hannibal (movie)|Hannibal]]'', ''[[Tea with Mussolini]]'' and ''[[A Room with a View]]''. 
+
==Demographics==
  
−
Today, the city is so rich in art that some first time visitors experience the [[Stendhal syndrome]] as they encounter its art for the first time. <ref name = "ncjqkw">[http://www.auxologia.com/index3.html Auxologia: Graziella Magherini: La Sindrome di Stendhal (book)] (excerpts in Italian)</ref>
+
In 2006, there were 366,488 people residing within Florence's city limits, while the Metropolitan Area of Florence, Prato, and Pistoia, was home to about 1.5 million people. 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.  
  
 +
As of 2006, 90.45 percent of the population was [[Italian people|Italian]]. The largest immigrant group, which came from other [[Europe]]an countries (mostly from [[Albania]] and [[Romania]]), constituted 3.52 percent, [[East Asia]] (mostly Han Chinese and Filipino made up 2.17 percent, the Americas 1.41 percent, and [[North Africa]]] (mostly [[Moroccan]]) 0.9 percent.<ref>''ISTAT''.[http://demo.istat.it/str2006/index.html Italy] Retrieved October 28, 2008.</ref>
  
−
[[Image:Scoppio del carro.jpg|thumb|''Scoppio del Carro''.]]  
+
[[Florentine language|Florentine]] ''(Fiorentino),'' spoken by inhabitants of Florence and its environs, is a [[Tuscan dialect]] and an immediate parent [[language]] to modern [[Italian language|Italian]]. Many linguists and scholars of [[Dante]], [[Giovanni Boccaccio|Boccaccio]], and [[Petrarch]] consider standard Italian to be, in fact, modern Florentine. Its vocabulary and pronunciation are largely identical to standard Italian, though the hard ''c'' {{IPA|[k]}} between two vowels (as in ''ducato'') is pronounced as a [[Voiceless glottal fricative|fricative]] {{IPA|[h]}}, similar to an English ''h''. This gives Florentines a distinctive and highly recognizable accent (the so-called [[gorgia toscana]]).
−
== Historical evocations ==
 
  
−
[[Image:Brindellone2008.JPG|left|thumb|the ''Brindellone''.]]
+
Most Florentinos are [[Roman Catholic]]. Every year on June 24, citizens dress up, parade, dance, and celebrate the city's biblical patron, [[John the Baptist]]. Just as [[Christian]] [[theology]] considers John to be the herald of the coming [[Messiah]] and the age of the [[Kingdom of God]], so medieval Florence considered itself to be at the threshold of a new age for humanity.
  
−
=== ''Scoppio del Carro'' ===  
+
The University of Florence (Università degli Studi di Firenze, UNIFI), which evolved from the Studium Generale, established by the Florentine Republic in 1321, is one of the largest and oldest universities in Italy. It consists of 12 faculties and had about 60,000 students enrolled in 2008.
−
The ''Scoppio del Carro'' (“Explosion of the Cart”) is a celebration of the [[First Crusade]].
+
{{readout||left|250px|Florence, well known for [[art]] and [[architecture]], is considered the birthplace of the [[Italian Renaissance]]}}
 +
==Society and culture==
 +
[[Image:Firenze.Palvecchio.Uffizi03.JPG|thumb|right|210px|The Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence.]]
 +
[[Image:Florenca109.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Facade and Campanile (bell tower) of [[Santa Maria del Fiore]]. The [[Baptistery]] can be seen in the right foreground.]]
 +
[[Image:Scoppio del carro.jpg|thumb|right|210px|''Scoppio del Carro''.]]
  
−
During the day of [[Easter]], a cart, which the Florentines call the ''Brindellone'' and which is lead by four white oxen, is taken to [[Piazza del Duomo]] between the Baptistry of [[St. John the Baptist]] (''[[Battistero di San Giovanni (Florence)|Battistero di San Giovanni]]'') and the [[Florence Cathedral]] (''Santa Maria del Fiore'').  
+
Florence has an exceptional artistic heritage and is known as the “Cradle of [[Renaissance]].” [[Cimabue]] and [[Giotto]], the fathers of Italian painting, lived in Florence, as well as Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, renewers of [[architecture]] and [[sculpture]], [[Brunelleschi]], [[Donatello]] and Masaccio, who were forefathers of the Renaissance, as were Ghiberti and the [[Della Robbia]]s, Filippo Lippi and [[Angelico]]. The city was also home to [[Botticelli]], Paolo Uccello, as well as [[Leonardo da Vinci]] and [[Michelangelo]].<ref>''Annenberg Media''. [http://www.learner.org/interactives/renaissance/florence_sub2.html Florentine Art and Architecture] Retrieved October 28, 2008.</ref><ref>''ThinkQuest.org''. [http://library.thinkquest.org/2838/artgal.htm Renaissance Artists] Retrieved October 28, 2008.</ref>
  
−
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's Mass the cart is exploded, and the dove is pushed towards the church, passing across the rope.
+
Florence has a distinctive cuisine, which derives from peasant eating traditions, and features [[antipasti]], that includes ''[[crostini toscani]],'' sliced [[bread]] rounds topped with a chicken liver-based [[pâté]], and sliced meats (mainly [[prosciutto]] and [[salami]], often served with [[melon]]). The most famous main course is the ''[[bistecca alla fiorentina]],'' a large 1.3 pound (600 gram) [[T-bone]] steak of [[Chianina]] beef cooked over hot charcoal and served very rare. Most food is served with local [[olive oil]], also a prime product enjoying a worldwide reputation.<ref>''Tuscany Guide''. [http://www.welcometuscany.it/special_interest/wine_food_olive_oil/olive_oil.htm Olive oil and Tuscany production] Retrieved October 28, 2008.</ref>
  
−
=== ''Calcio Storico'' ===
+
===Places of interest===
  
−
''Calcio Storico Fiorentino''' (“Historic Florentine [[soccer|Football]]”), sometimes called ''Calcio in costume'', is a traditional [[sport]], regarded as an forerunner of soccer, though the actual gameplay most closely resembles rugby.  
+
* The domed [[Santa Maria del Fiore]] cathedral, known as ''The [[Duomo]],'' is the best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence. The magnificent [[dome]] was built by [[Filippo Brunelleschi]], the nearby [[Campanile]] tower (partly designed by [[Giotto di Bondone|Giotto]]) and the [[Battistero di San Giovanni (Florence)|Baptistery]] buildings are also highlights.  
  
−
The event originates from the [[Middle Ages]], when the most important Florentine nobles amused themself playing while wearing magnificent costumes. The most important match was played on [[17 February]] [[1530]], during the [[siege of Florence]]. That day Papal troops besiged the city while the Florentines, with contempt of the enemies, decided to play the game notwithstanding the situation.
+
* At the heart of the city in [[Piazza della Signoria]] is [[Bartolomeo Ammanati|Bartolomeo Ammanati's]] [[Fountain of Neptune]] (1563-1565), which is a masterpiece of [[marble]] [[sculpture]] at the terminus of a still functioning Roman [[aqueduct]].  
  
−
The game is played in the Piazza di [[Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence|Santa Croce]]. A temporary arena is constructed, with bleachers and a sand-covered playing field. A series of matches are held between four teams representing each ''quartiere ''(quarter) of Florence during late June and early July.<ref>[http://www.calciostorico.it/ Calcio Storico Fiorentino (Official Site)], (Italian).</ref>
+
* The [[Ponte Vecchio]] ''(Old Bridge),'' whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts. The [[bridge]] also carries [[Vasari Corridor|Vasari's elevated corridor]] linking the Uffizi to the Medici residence ([[Palazzo Pitti]]). First constructed by the [[Etruscans]] in ancient times, this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived [[World War II]] intact.
  
 +
* The [[Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze|Church of San Lorenzo]] contains the Medici Chapel, the [[mausoleum]] of the [[Medici family]].
  
−
===Art===
+
* The [[Uffizi]] Gallery, near the Basilica di San Lorenzo, is one of the finest art [[museum]]s in the world, and was founded on a large bequest from the last member of the Medici family.
−
[[Image:Firenze.Palvecchio.Uffizi03.JPG|thumb|''the Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio'']]  
 
  
−
Florence keeps an exceptional artistic heritage. [[Cimabue]] and [[Giotto]], the fathers of Italian painting, lived in Florence as well as Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, renewers of architecture and sculpture; [[Brunelleschi]], [[Donatello]] and Masaccio forefathers of the Renaissance, Ghiberti and the Della Robbias, Filippo Lippi and Angelico; Botticelli, Paolo Uccello and the universal genius of [[Leonardo da Vinci]] and [[Michelangelo]].<ref>Art in Florence http://www.learner.org/interactives/renaissance/florence_sub2.html</ref><ref>Renaissance Artists http://library.thinkquest.org/2838/artgal.htm</ref>
+
* The [[Uffizi]] ("offices") itself has been the center of Florence civil life and government for centuries. [[Signoria Palace]] is still home of the community government, and the Loggia dei Lanzi was where public ceremonies of the republican government took place. In 1301, [[Dante]] was sent into exile from there. In 1497, it was the location of the [[Bonfire of the Vanities]] instigated by the Dominican friar and preacher [[Girolamo Savonarola]], and on May 23, 1498, the same Savonarola and two followers were hanged and burned at the stake there.
  
−
Their works, together with those of many other generations of artists up to the artists of our century, are gathered in the several museums of the town: the [[Uffizi]], the most selected gallery in the world, the Palatina gallery with the paintings of the "Golden Ages".<ref>[http://www.virtualuffizi.com/uffizi/ Uffizi Gallery Florence • Uffizi Museum • Ticket Reservation<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
+
* The [[Bargello]] art museum concentrates on [[sculpture]], containing many priceless works of art created by such sculptors as [[Donatello]], [[Giambologna]], and [[Michelangelo]].  
  
−
The [[Bargello]] Tower with the sculptures of the Renaissance, the museum of San Marco with Angelico's works, the Academy, the chapels of the [[Medici]]s , Buonarroti' s house with the sculptures of Michelangelo, the following museums: Bardini, Horne, Stibbert, Romano, Corsini, The Gallery of Modern Art, The museum of the Opera del Duomo, the museum of Silverware and the museum of Precious Stones.<ref>[http://www.italyguides.it/us/florence/palace_of_bargello.htm Palace of Bargello ( Bargello's Palace ), Florence Italy - ItalyGuides.it<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref> 
+
* The ''[[Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno]]'' collection's highlights are Michelangelo's ''David'' and his unfinished ''Slaves.''
  
−
Great monuments are the landmarks of Florentine artistic culture: the Baptistry with its mosaics; the Cathedral with its sculptures, the medieval churches with bands of frescoes; public as well as private palaces: Palazzo Vecchio, [[Palazzo Pitti]], [[Palazzo Medici Riccardi]], [[Palazzo Davanzati]]; monasteries, cloisters, refectories; the "Certosa". In the archeological museum includes documents of Etruscan civilization.<ref>[http://www.italyguides.it/us/florence/pitti_palace.htm Inner court of Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti), Florence Italy - ItalyGuides.it<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
+
* The [[Pitti Palace]] contains part of the Medici family's former private collection, as well as a large number of [[Renaissance]] works, including several by [[Raphael]] and [[Titian]] as well as a large collection of modern art, costumes, cattiages, and porcelain. Adjoining the palace are the [[Boboli Gardens]], elaborately landscaped and with many interesting sculptures.
  
−
In fact the city is so rich in art that some first time visitors experience the [[Stendhal syndrome]] as they encounter its art for the first time.<ref name = "ncjqkw"/>
+
* The [[Basilica di Santa Croce, Florence|Santa Croce Basilica]], originally a [[Franciscan]] foundation, contains the monumental tombs of [[Galileo Galilei|Galileo]], [[Michelangelo]], [[Niccolò Machiavelli|Machiavelli]], Dante (actually a [[cenotaph]]), and many other notables.
  
−
===Giubbe Rosse===
+
The ''Scoppio del Carro'' (“Explosion of the Cart”), which takes place every [[Easter]] Sunday, celebrates the [[First Crusade]] (in 1095). ''Calcio Storico Fiorentino''' (“Historic Florentine Football”), sometimes called ''Calcio in costume,'' a traditional [[sport]], regarded as an forerunner of [[soccer]], which originated in the [[Middle Ages]], when the most important Florentine nobles amused themselves playing while wearing magnificent costumes, is played in the Piazza di [[Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence|Santa Croce]] during late June and early July each year.
−
A very important role is played in those years by the famous café of Florence [[Giubbe Rosse]] from its foundation until the present day. The Giubbe Rosse was the place where the Futurist movement blossomed, struggled and expanded; it played a very important role in the history of Italian culture as a workshop of ideas, projects, and passions.
 
  
−
===Cuisine===
+
==Looking to the future==
−
[[Image:Crostini Toscani.jpg|thumb|Crostini toscani served at an [[osteria]] in Florence.]]
 
  
−
Florentine food grows out of a tradition of peasant eating rather than rarefied high cooking. The vast majority of dishes are based on meat. The whole animal was traditionally eaten; various kinds of [[tripe]], (''trippa'') and (''[[lampredotto]]'') were once regularly on the menu and still are sold at the remaining food carts stationed throughout the city. [[Antipasti]] include ''[[crostini toscani]]'', sliced bread rounds topped with a chicken liver-based [[pâté]], and sliced meats (mainly [[prosciutto]] and [[salami]], often served with melon when in season). The typically saltless Tuscan bread, obtained with natural [[levain]] frequently features in Florentine courses, especially in its famous soups, ''[[ribollita]]'' and ''pappa al pomodoro'', or in the salad of bread and fresh vegetables called ''[[panzanella]]'' that is served in summer. The most famous main course is the ''[[bistecca alla fiorentina]]'', a large (the customary size should weigh around 600 grams) [[T-bone]] steak of [[Chianina]] beef cooked over hot charcoal and served very rare with its more recently derived version, the ''[[tagliata]]'', sliced rare beef served on a bed of [[arugula]], often with slices of [[Parmesan cheese]] on top. Most of these courses are generally  served with local [[olive oil]], also a prime product enjoying a worldwide reputation.<ref>[http://www.welcometuscany.it/special_interest/wine_food_olive_oil/olive_oil.htm tuscany italy tuscany tourists guide,travel tips extra virgin olive oil wines and foods of the most beautiful land in the world<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref>
+
Despite problems associated with largely unplanned growth over centuries, and a high level of [[air pollution]] and traffic congestion, Florence has a huge legacy. The city stands on more than 2000 years of history, is known for its [[art]] and [[architecture]], and was a center of medieval [[Europe]]an [[trade]] and [[finance]]. The city is often considered the birthplace of the [[Italian Renaissance]], and has been called the ''[[Athens]] of the [[Middle Ages]]''.<ref>Profs. Spencer Baynes, L.L.D., and W. Robertson Smith, L.L.D., ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' (Akron, Ohio: The Werner Company, 1907), 675</ref> This legacy, with its famous buildings and status as a [[World Heritage Site]], plus a world-wide reputation for [[food]] and [[wine]], means Florence should continue to attract millions of [[tourism|tourists]] every year.
−
 
 
−
===Notable residents===
 
−
{{seealso|Category:People from Florence}}
 
−
<!--Please leave this is a small and varied collection of the very prominent. The category is the place for a comprehensive list.—>
 
−
 
 
−
*[[Leonardo da Vinci]], [[polymath]], famous for his [[Mona Lisa]] and other paintings, inventions, and scientific experiments.
 
−
*[[Niccolò Machiavelli]], poet, philosopher and political thinker, the first Machiavellian.  
 
−
*[[Galileo Galilei]], Italian physicist, astronomer, and philosopher.
 
−
*[[Dante Alighieri]], poet.
 
−
*[[Giovanni Boccaccio]], poet.
 
−
*[[Amerigo Vespucci]], explorer and cartographer, [[Americas#Naming|naming the America]].
 
−
*[[Michelangelo Buonarroti]], [[sculptor]], painter, also famous for the ceiling of the [[Sistine Chapel]] and [[David (Michelangelo)|David]].
 
−
*[[Leone Battista Alberti]], polymath.
 
−
*[[Filippo Brunelleschi]], architect.
 
−
*[[Giotto di Bondone]], early 14th century painter
 
−
*[[Lorenzo Ghiberti]], [[sculptor]].
 
−
*[[Donatello]], [[sculptor]].
 
−
*[[Masaccio]], painter.
 
−
*[[Raphael]], painter.
 
−
*[[Giorgio Vasari]], painter, architect, and historian.
 
−
*[[Antonio Meucci]], [[Invention of the telephone|inventor of the telephone]].
 
−
*[[Medici]] family.
 
−
*[[Frescobaldi Family]], notable bankers and wine producers.
 
−
*[[Robert Browning]] and [[Elizabeth Barrett Browning]], 19th century English poets.
 
−
*[[Florence Nightingale]], pioneer of modern nursing, and a noted statistician.
 
−
*[[Oriana Fallaci]], journalist and author.
 
−
*[[Salvatore Ferragamo]], "shoemaker to the stars".
 
−
*[[Sandro Botticelli]],  painter.
 
−
*[[Roberto Cavalli]], fashion designer.
 
−
*[[Guccio Gucci]], founder of the [[Gucci]] label.
 
−
 
 
−
<!-- *[[Girolamo Mei]], historian and humanist. —>
 
−
<!-- *[[Vincenzo Galilei]]. —>
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
==See also==
 
−
* [[:Category:Buildings and structures in Florence|Buildings and structures in Florence]]
 
−
* [[Chancellor of Florence]]
 
−
* [[Florentine School]]
 
−
* [[Guilds of Florence]]
 
−
* [[Hexadecimal time]]:&nbsp; The [[Meridian (geography)|meridian]] of Florence, situated at 11° 15' East of Greenwich, is defined as the new [http://www.flickr.com/photos/hexadecimal_time/2241942331/ hexadecimal prime meridian].
 
−
* [[Historical states of Italy]]
 
−
* [[List of Florentine churches]]
 
−
* [[Stendhal syndrome]]
 
−
* [[University of Florence]]
 
−
* [[European University Institute]]
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
−
{{reflist}}
+
<references/>
−
<div class="references-small">
 
−
* Ferdinand Schevill, ''History of Florence: From the Founding of the City Through the Renaissance'' (Frederick Ungar, 1936) is the standard overall history of Florence
 
−
</div>
 
  
−
==Further reading==
+
==References==
−
* {{cite book|first=Gene A.|last=Brucker|title=Renaissance Florence|year=1983}}
+
* Brucker, Gene A. ''Renaissance Florence.'' University of California Press, 1983 (original 1969). ISBN 978-0520046955
−
*{{cite book|first=Gene A. |last=Brucker|title=The Society of Renaissance Florence: A Documentary Study|year=1971}}
+
* Capellini, Lorenzo, Domenico Cardini, and Carlo Cresti. ''Architectural guides: Florence.'' Torino: Umberto Allemandi, 2006 (original 1998). ISBN 978-8842207900
−
* {{cite book|first=Richard A.|last= Goldthwaite|title=The Building of Renaissance Florence: An Economic and Social History|year=1982}}
+
* De Simonis, Paolo, and Antony Shugaar. ''Florence: a complete guide to the Renaissance city, the surrounding countryside, and the Chianti region.'' (The heritage guide.) Milano, Italy: Touring Club of Italy, 1999. ISBN 978-8836515189
−
* {{cite book|first=Christopher |last=Hibbert|title=The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall|year=1999}}
+
* Goldthwaite, Richard A. ''The building of Renaissance Florence: an economic and social history.'' Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982. ISBN 978-0801829772
−
* {{cite book|first=R.W.B.|last= Lewis|title=The City of Florence: Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings|year=1996}}
+
* Goldthwaite, Richard A. ''The economy of Renaissance Florence.'' Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011. ISBN 978-1421400594
−
*{{cite book|first= John |last=Najemy|title=A History of Florence 1200-1575|year=2006}}
+
* Hibbert, Christopher. ''The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall.'' New York, NY: Morrow, 1975. ISBN 978-0688003395
−
*{{cite book|first= Ferdinand |last=Schevill|title=History of Florence: From the Founding of the City Through the Renaissance|year=1936}}
+
* Lewis, R. W. B. ''The City of Florence: Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings.'' New York, NT: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1995. ISBN 978-0374124045
−
*{{cite book|first= Richard C. |last=Trexler|title=Public Life in Renaissance Florence|year=1991}}
+
* Machiavelli, Niccolò. ''Florentine histories.'' Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1988. ISBN 978-0691055213
 +
* Najemy, John M. ''A history of Florence 1200-1575.'' Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2006. ISBN 978-1405119542
 +
* Parks, Tim. ''Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-century Florence.'' New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2005. ISBN 978-0393058277
 +
* Schevill, Ferdinand. ''History of Florence, From the Founding of the City through the Renaissance.'' New York: F. Ungar Pub. Co., 1961. {{ASIN|B002FAW7FY}}
  
−
===Primary sources===
+
==External links==
−
 
+
All links retrieved March 28, 2024.
−
* Niccolò Machiavelli. ''Florentine Histories'' numerous editions
 
  
−
==External links==
+
* History World, [http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa69 History of Florence]  
−
{{commons|Panorami di Firenze|Panoramic Views of Florence|Firenze}}
+
*[http://web.math.unifi.it/archimede/archimede_NEW_inglese/index.html Archimedes Garden] A museum for Mathematics
−
{{sisterlinks|Florence}}
+
* Lonely Planet, [http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/florence Introducing Florence]
−
*{{wikitravel}}
+
* Frommers, [http://www.frommers.com/destinations/florence/ Florence]
−
*[http://www.comune.fi.it/ Città di Firenze] Official site {{it}}
+
* Italy Guides, [http://www.italyguides.it/us/florence/florence_italy.htm Virtual travel to Florence Italy]
−
*[http://www.lamma.rete.toscana.it/eng/aria/index.html Air Quality in Florence]
 
−
*[http://statistica.comune.fi.it/ Statistics on Florence] {{it}}
 
−
* Museums :
 
−
**[http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/ Polo museale Fiorentino] Official site for the state museums, including the Uffizi Gallery
 
−
**[http://web.math.unifi.it/archimede/archimede_NEW_inglese/index.html Archimede's Garden] A museum for Mathematics
 
  
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Cities]]
 
[[Category:Cities]]
 +
[[Category:Europe]]
  
−
{{credit|Florence|245194164|}}
+
{{credit|Florence|245194164|Florin_(Italian_coin)|250670918}}

Latest revision as of 17:40, 28 March 2024


Comune di Firenze
View of Florence skyline with Palazzo Vecchio and Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore
View of Florence skyline with Palazzo Vecchio and Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore
Coat of arms of Comune di Firenze
Municipal coat of arms
Regions of Italy.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Florence in Italy
Country Flag of Italy Italy
Region Tuscany
Province Florence (FI)
Mayor Matteo Renzi (Democratic Party)
Elevation 50 m (164 ft)
Area 102 km² (39 sq mi)
Population (as of 31 October 2010)
 - Total 370,702
 - Density [n.a.]
Time zone CET, UTC+1
Coordinates 43°46′18″N 11°15′13″E / 43.77167, 11.25361Coordinates: 43°46′18″N 11°15′13″E / 43.77167, 11.25361
Gentilic Fiorentini
Dialing code 055
Postal code 50100
Frazioni Galluzzo, Settignano
Patron Saint John the Baptist
 - Day June 24
Website: www.comune.firenze.it

Florence (Italian: Firenze, Old Italian: Fiorenza, Latin: Florentia) is the capital and most populous city of the Italian region of Tuscany, and capital of the province of Florence. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The Italian language stems from the Florentine dialect.

Florence has a legacy that spans more than 2000 years. Initially a small city of moneylenders and textile merchants, with little political or military power, Florence became a bustling center of European trade and finance. From the Middle Ages it exerted substantial influence throughout Italy and the European continent. In the fourteenth century, the city's florin, a coin containing 3.5 grams of gold, became the dominant trade coin of Western Europe, replacing heavier silver bars.

Known for art and architecture, it is considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Dante, political theorist Machiavelli, astronomer Galileo, the Medici family, which ruled the city for generations, navigator Amerigo Vespucci, and humanitarian Florence Nightingale all called Florence home.

The historic center of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year. It was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1982 for its "600 years of extraordinary artistic activity." Modern Florence is a testimony to its past. Its buildings are works of art, housing yet more works of art, reflecting the personalities and passions of those who created them.

Geography

Florence.

The name Florentia derives from a Roman family name which itself was derived from the name Florentius, meaning "blossoming." Fiesole, in the hills north of Florence, was an ancient stronghold of the Etruscans, whose presence in the region provides the name Tuscany.

Florence, which is located 174 miles (280 km) north of Rome in a basin between the Senese Clavey Hills, lies on Arno river and three other minor rivers, and is surrounded by hills covered with villas, farms, vineyards, and orchards. The city covers an area 39 square miles (102 square kilometers) and is at an elevation of 164 feet (50 meters).

Florence is sometimes classified as having a Humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers with little rainfall and cool, damp winters. The average maximum temperature in July is around 88°F (31°C), and in January is 50°F (10°C). Winter has occasional snow. Mean annual precipitation is 36 inches (912mm).

Environmental issues have resulted from the city's economic growth, which has meant urbanization and motor vehicle traffic has intruded on the beautiful countryside of Tuscany. Florence had a high level of air pollution and traffic congestion in 2008.

History

Statue of Giovanni Villani, who was inspired to write a history of Florence after attending jubilee festivities in Rome in 1300.
Dante and the Divina Commedia.
The Uffizi.
The "David di Michelangelo"

Florence was originally established by Julius Caesar in 59 B.C.E. as a settlement for his veteran soldiers. It was named Florentia and built in the style of an army camp with the main streets, the cardo and the decumanus, intersecting at the present Piazza della Repubblica. Situated at the Via Cassia, the main route between Rome and the North, and within the fertile valley of the Arno, the settlement quickly became an important commercial center. Emperor Diocletian (244-311 C.E.) made Florentia the capital of the province of Tuscia in the third century.

Saint Minias was Florence’s first martyr, who was beheaded around 250, during the anti-Christian persecutions of the Emperor Decius. According to legend, Minias picked up his disembodied head and walked across the Arno River and up the hill Mons Fiorentinus to his hermitage, where the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte now stands.

The seat of a bishopric from around the beginning of the fourth century, the city underwent turbulent periods of Ostrogothic rule, during which the city was often troubled by warfare between the Ostrogoths and the Byzantines, which may have caused the population to fall to as few as 1000 people.

Peace returned under Lombard rule in the sixth century. Conquered by Charlemagne in 774, Florence became part of the duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca as capital. Population began to grow again and commerce prospered. In 854, Florence and Fiesole united.

Margrave Hugo (950-1001), who was the Margrave of Tuscany from 961 until his death, chose Florence as his residence around 1000. This initiated the Golden Age of Florentine art. In 1013, construction began on the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte. The exterior of the Battistero di San Giovanni was reworked in Romanesque style between 1059 and 1128.

This period also saw the eclipse of Florence's formerly powerful rival Pisa (defeated by Genoa in 1284 and subjugated by Florence in 1406), and the exercise of power by the mercantile elite following an anti-aristocratic movement, led by Giano della Bella, that resulted in a set of laws called the Ordinances of Justice in 1293.

Of a population estimated at 80,000 before the Black Death of 1348, about 25,000 are said to have been supported by the city's wool 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.

Florence came under the sway, from 1382 to 1434, of the Albizzi family, who were bitter rivals of the Medici.

Cosimo de' Medici (1389-1464) was the first Medici to control the city from behind the scenes. Although the city was a democracy of sorts, his power came from a vast patronage network, an alliance with new immigrants, the gente nuova, and from being bankers to the pope. Cosimo was succeeded by his son Piero, and shortly thereafter by Cosimo's grandson, Lorenzo in 1469.

Lorenzo (1449-1492), known as "Lorenzo the Magnificent" (Lorenzo il Magnifico), was a great patron of the arts, commissioning works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. Lorenzo was also an accomplished musician and brought some of the most famous composers and singers of the day to Florence, including Alexander Agricola, Johannes Ghiselin, and Heinrich Isaac.

When the French king Charles VIII (1470-1498) invaded northern Italy, Lorenzo's successor Piero II initially resisted, but 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.

The Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498), who became prior of the San Marco monastery in 1490, was famous for lambasting what he viewed as widespread immorality and attachment to material riches. He defined the exile of the Medicis as punishment by God, and carried through political reforms leading to a more democratic rule. But Savonarola publicly accused Pope Alexander VI (1431-1503) of corruption, and was banned from speaking in public, then excommunicated. The Florentines, tired of his extreme teachings, turned against him and arrested him. He was convicted as a heretic and burned at the stake on the Piazza della Signoria on May 23, 1498.

Another Florentine, realist political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), was commissioned by the Medici to write the Florentine Histories. Florentines drove out the Medici for a second time and re-established a republic on May 16, 1527. The Medici in 1537 became hereditary dukes of Florence, and in 1569 Grand Dukes of Tuscany, ruling for two centuries. In all Tuscany, only the Republic of Lucca (later a duchy) and the Principality of Piombino were independent from Florence.

The extinction of the Medici line and the accession in 1737 of Francis Stephen (1708-1765), duke of Lorraine and husband of Maria Theresa of Austria (1816-1867), led to Tuscany's temporary inclusion in the territories of the Austrian crown.

Tuscany became a province of the United Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Florence replaced Turin as Italy's capital in 1865, hosting the country's first parliament, but was superseded by Rome six years later, after the withdrawal of the French troops. After doubling in size during the nineteenth century, Florence's population tripled in the twentieth century with the growth of tourism, trade, financial services and industry.

During World War II (1939-1945) the city experienced a year-long German occupation (1943-1944) and was declared an open city. The Allied soldiers who died driving the Germans from Tuscany are buried in cemeteries outside the city (Americans about 9 kilometers (6 mi) south of the city [1], British and Commonwealth soldiers a few kilometers east of the center on the right bank of the Arno.[2]

At the end of the nineteenth century, the Florence city administration razed the Old Market Square, in favor of a new square, the Piazza della Repubblica, dedicated to Victor Emmanuel II, arguing that the area had decayed from its original medieval splendor. The new square is the location of the literary café Giubbe Rosse, a place where the Futurist movement blossomed, and which publishes books of famous Italian authors such: Mario Luzi, Manlio Sgalambro, Giovanni Lista, Menotti Lerro, Leopoldo Paciscopi.

In November 1966, the Arno river flooded parts of the center, damaging many art treasures. There was no warning from the authorities who knew the flood was coming, except a phone call to the jewelers on the Ponte Vecchio. Around the city there are tiny placards on the walls noting the highest points the flood waters reached.

Government

Piazza della Repubblica.

Italy is a republic in which the president is chief of state who is elected by an electoral college for a seven-year term. The prime minister, who is head of government, is appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament. The bicameral Parlamento consists of a senate of 315 members, and the chamber of deputies of 630 members, both houses elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms.

The city, or comune, of Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region, which is one of Italy's 20 regions, and of the province of Florence. Italy's 100 provinces have their own local elections. Each province has a prefect who is appointed by and responds to the central government, which he locally represents.

The comune provides many basic civil functions. It has a registry of births and deaths, a registry of deeds, and it contracts for local roads and public works. It is headed by a mayor (sindaco) assisted by a council of aldermen, the Consiglio Comunale. The offices of the comune are housed in a building usually called the Municipio, or Palazzo Comunale.

Economy

Historic Centre of Florence*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Centre of Florence
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference 174
Region** Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 1982  (6th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Italian 'florin' was struck from 1252 to 1523 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard. It had 54 grains of gold (3.5g). The "fiorino d'oro" of the Republic of Florence was the first European gold coin struck in sufficient quantities to play a significant commercial role since the seventh century. Many Florentine banks were international companies with branches across Europe, and the florin quickly became the dominant trade coin for large scale transactions, replacing silver bars in multiples of the mark (a weight unit equal to eight ounces). In the fourteenth century, 150 European city-states and local coin issuing authorities made their own copies of the florin.

Florence is regarded as the birthplace of Italian fashion, since the 1951-1953 soirées held by Giovanni Battista Giorgini are considered the beginning of the Italian school. The city is home to the legendary Italian fashion establishment Salvatore Ferragamo. Many others, most of them now located in Milan, were founded in Florence. Gucci, Prada, Roberto Cavalli, and Chanel have large offices and stores in Florence or its outskirts.

Today Florence depends on tourism, although an information technology sector has developed, and the region around the city has a modern economy based on small industrial production. Certain textile industries employing largely immigrant populations can be found to the north and northwest of the city, continuing its long tradition as a center of fine fabrics.

The city is part of an industrial district extending to Prato and Pistoia. Manufacturing in the industrial suburbs includes the production of furniture, rubber goods, chemicals, and food. Goldsmiths, silversmiths, and jewelers have manufacturing stores on the Ponte Vecchio bridge, a symbol of Florence.

Food and wine have long been an important staple of the economy. Tuscany is one of the great wine-growing regions in the world. The Chianti region is just south of the city, and its Sangiovese grapes figure prominently not only in its Chianti Classico wines but also in many of the later-developed Supertuscan blends. Within 20 miles (32km) to the west is the Carmignano area, also home to flavorful sangiovese-based reds. The celebrated Chianti Rufina district, geographically and historically separated from the main Chianti region, is also few miles west of Florence. The Bolgheri region (about 100 miles/200 kilometers southwest of Florence) has become celebrated for its "Super Tuscan" reds such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia.[3]

Florence’s location at the connecting point of transport lines connecting northern and southern Italy has reinforced its role as a market center. The center of the city is closed to through-traffic, although buses, taxis and residents with appropriate permits are allowed in. Walking remains the best way of getting around in the central city. Due to the high level of air pollution and traffic congestion in the city, an urban tram network called the TramVia was under construction in 2008. Long distance buses are run by the SITA, Copit, CAP and Lazzi companies, which also accommodate travelers from the Amerigo Vespucci Airport, which is 3.1 miles (5km) west of the city center.

Demographics

In 2006, there were 366,488 people residing within Florence's city limits, while the Metropolitan Area of Florence, Prato, and Pistoia, was home to about 1.5 million people. 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.

As of 2006, 90.45 percent of the population was Italian. The largest immigrant group, which came from other European countries (mostly from Albania and Romania), constituted 3.52 percent, East Asia (mostly Han Chinese and Filipino made up 2.17 percent, the Americas 1.41 percent, and North Africa] (mostly Moroccan) 0.9 percent.[4]

Florentine (Fiorentino), spoken by inhabitants of Florence and its environs, is a Tuscan dialect and an immediate parent language to modern Italian. Many linguists and scholars of Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch consider standard Italian to be, in fact, modern Florentine. Its vocabulary and pronunciation are largely identical to standard Italian, though the hard c [k] between two vowels (as in ducato) is pronounced as a fricative [h], similar to an English h. This gives Florentines a distinctive and highly recognizable accent (the so-called gorgia toscana).

Most Florentinos are Roman Catholic. Every year on June 24, citizens dress up, parade, dance, and celebrate the city's biblical patron, John the Baptist. Just as Christian theology considers John to be the herald of the coming Messiah and the age of the Kingdom of God, so medieval Florence considered itself to be at the threshold of a new age for humanity.

The University of Florence (Università degli Studi di Firenze, UNIFI), which evolved from the Studium Generale, established by the Florentine Republic in 1321, is one of the largest and oldest universities in Italy. It consists of 12 faculties and had about 60,000 students enrolled in 2008.

Did you know?
Florence, well known for art and architecture, is considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance

Society and culture

The Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence.
Facade and Campanile (bell tower) of Santa Maria del Fiore. The Baptistery can be seen in the right foreground.
Scoppio del Carro.

Florence has an exceptional artistic heritage and is known as the “Cradle of Renaissance.” Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting, lived in Florence, as well as Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, renewers of architecture and sculpture, Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, who were forefathers of the Renaissance, as were Ghiberti and the Della Robbias, Filippo Lippi and Angelico. The city was also home to Botticelli, Paolo Uccello, as well as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.[5][6]

Florence has a distinctive cuisine, which derives from peasant eating traditions, and features antipasti, that includes crostini toscani, sliced bread rounds topped with a chicken liver-based pâté, and sliced meats (mainly prosciutto and salami, often served with melon). The most famous main course is the bistecca alla fiorentina, a large 1.3 pound (600 gram) T-bone steak of Chianina beef cooked over hot charcoal and served very rare. Most food is served with local olive oil, also a prime product enjoying a worldwide reputation.[7]

Places of interest

  • The domed Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, known as The Duomo, is the best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence. The magnificent dome was built by Filippo Brunelleschi, the nearby Campanile tower (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery buildings are also highlights.
  • At the heart of the city in Piazza della Signoria is Bartolomeo Ammanati's Fountain of Neptune (1563-1565), which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a still functioning Roman aqueduct.
  • The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts. The bridge also carries Vasari's elevated corridor linking the Uffizi to the Medici residence (Palazzo Pitti). First constructed by the Etruscans in ancient times, this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived World War II intact.
  • The Uffizi Gallery, near the Basilica di San Lorenzo, is one of the finest art museums in the world, and was founded on a large bequest from the last member of the Medici family.
  • The Uffizi ("offices") itself has been the center of Florence civil life and government for centuries. Signoria Palace is still home of the community government, and the Loggia dei Lanzi was where public ceremonies of the republican government took place. In 1301, Dante was sent into exile from there. In 1497, it was the location of the Bonfire of the Vanities instigated by the Dominican friar and preacher Girolamo Savonarola, and on May 23, 1498, the same Savonarola and two followers were hanged and burned at the stake there.
  • The Bargello art museum concentrates on sculpture, containing many priceless works of art created by such sculptors as Donatello, Giambologna, and Michelangelo.
  • The Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno collection's highlights are Michelangelo's David and his unfinished Slaves.
  • The Pitti Palace contains part of the Medici family's former private collection, as well as a large number of Renaissance works, including several by Raphael and Titian as well as a large collection of modern art, costumes, cattiages, and porcelain. Adjoining the palace are the Boboli Gardens, elaborately landscaped and with many interesting sculptures.
  • The Santa Croce Basilica, originally a Franciscan foundation, contains the monumental tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante (actually a cenotaph), and many other notables.

The Scoppio del Carro (“Explosion of the Cart”), which takes place every Easter Sunday, celebrates the First Crusade (in 1095). Calcio Storico Fiorentino' (“Historic Florentine Football”), sometimes called Calcio in costume, a traditional sport, regarded as an forerunner of soccer, which originated in the Middle Ages, when the most important Florentine nobles amused themselves playing while wearing magnificent costumes, is played in the Piazza di Santa Croce during late June and early July each year.

Looking to the future

Despite problems associated with largely unplanned growth over centuries, and a high level of air pollution and traffic congestion, Florence has a huge legacy. The city stands on more than 2000 years of history, is known for its art and architecture, and was a center of medieval European trade and finance. The city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages.[8] This legacy, with its famous buildings and status as a World Heritage Site, plus a world-wide reputation for food and wine, means Florence should continue to attract millions of tourists every year.

Notes

  1. ↑ The Amerigo Vespucci Committee. Florence American Cemetery and Memorial Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  2. ↑ Veterans UK. Remembrance Retrieved December 28, 2007.
  3. ↑ Winepros. Oxford Companion to Wine: Bolgheri Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  4. ↑ ISTAT.Italy Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  5. ↑ Annenberg Media. Florentine Art and Architecture Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  6. ↑ ThinkQuest.org. Renaissance Artists Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  7. ↑ Tuscany Guide. Olive oil and Tuscany production Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  8. ↑ Profs. Spencer Baynes, L.L.D., and W. Robertson Smith, L.L.D., Encyclopaedia Britannica (Akron, Ohio: The Werner Company, 1907), 675

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Brucker, Gene A. Renaissance Florence. University of California Press, 1983 (original 1969). ISBN 978-0520046955
  • Capellini, Lorenzo, Domenico Cardini, and Carlo Cresti. Architectural guides: Florence. Torino: Umberto Allemandi, 2006 (original 1998). ISBN 978-8842207900
  • De Simonis, Paolo, and Antony Shugaar. Florence: a complete guide to the Renaissance city, the surrounding countryside, and the Chianti region. (The heritage guide.) Milano, Italy: Touring Club of Italy, 1999. ISBN 978-8836515189
  • Goldthwaite, Richard A. The building of Renaissance Florence: an economic and social history. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982. ISBN 978-0801829772
  • Goldthwaite, Richard A. The economy of Renaissance Florence. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011. ISBN 978-1421400594
  • Hibbert, Christopher. The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall. New York, NY: Morrow, 1975. ISBN 978-0688003395
  • Lewis, R. W. B. The City of Florence: Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings. New York, NT: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1995. ISBN 978-0374124045
  • Machiavelli, Niccolò. Florentine histories. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1988. ISBN 978-0691055213
  • Najemy, John M. A history of Florence 1200-1575. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2006. ISBN 978-1405119542
  • Parks, Tim. Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-century Florence. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2005. ISBN 978-0393058277
  • Schevill, Ferdinand. History of Florence, From the Founding of the City through the Renaissance. New York: F. Ungar Pub. Co., 1961. ASIN B002FAW7FY

External links

All links retrieved March 28, 2024.

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

Retrieved from https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Florence&oldid=1140157

Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.
Copyright Logo
Powered by MediaWiki