Florence (in Italian Firenze ) is a town of Italy, Capitale of the area of Toscane and chief town of province (417 386 inhabitants, the Florentins ). Located at the foot of the septentrional Apennin, it is crossed by the river Arno.

Cradle of the Rebirth in Italy, old capital of the Kingdom of Italy (1864-1870), registered with the World heritage of UNESCO, Florence has a very great artistic richness (churches, museums, palate) which attracts each year of the million tourists come from the whole world.

Capital of the Tuscan , the powerful city of the Médicis is not let tame with the first glance. The artistic treasures of the Rebirth hide behind the austere barrier of its strengthened palates or its churches, where the bright light of Italy plays.

History

Florence was founded during the Roman epoch, in 59 av. J. - C., close to the river Arno. It was only one simple village until the 12th century, beginning of its economic advancement and artistic which lasted until the 16th century.

See also: History of Florence

12th at the 14th century, Florence knows deep political and social upheavals with the rise of the rich person families of merchants grouped within the Popolo , and the conflict between the Guelfes and Gibelins which divides Italy and Florence into two. These two processes accompany the development by the common which, as in the other cities of septentrional Italy, indicates the emergence of self governments which acquired their sovereignty after a wild fight leading to the Paix of Constancy, granted by the emperor Frederic I {{er}} in 1183. The Italian communes acquired there sovereign rights which made true city-States of them.

The common florentine is born approximately a century after that from Pisa; it is attested as of 1081. There is it necessary to see the absence of an urban nobility which created the first communes everywhere in Italy? In any case, the Popolo of the merchants quickly seeks to belong to the authorities of the commune: the executive council of the consulate, then Podestat, a deliberative assembly which will have several names. Florence knows the combat of the factions, with Gibelins which triumph in the years 1240, with the imperial vicar Frederic d' Antioche, bastard of the emperor Frederic II. The Guelfes are with the capacity in 1250 then in 1266, when they take Florence with the support of Charles of Anjou, brother of king de France called as king de Naples by the pope. These Guelfes are supported by the popolo : they create the load of Capitaine of the people in 1250, then work out a new institutional form, the Seigneurie, in 1282: a council of priors, pertaining to the corporations of the merchants, famous 7 major arts of the Arti (wool, cloths, changers, judges and notaries, etc), to which are juxtaposed a Gonfalonier justice and gonfalons (standards) of districts, and this whereas the podestat and the captain of the people continue to exist. The faction guelfe structure, even receives, to manage them, the goods of the 4.000 Gibelins which fled the city. The years 1290 into effect, the Lois anti-magnatices come: it is the revenge of the corporations of merchants who prohibit with noble the access to the loads and limit the size of the turns that they had set up.

At the beginning of the 14th century, Florence tests, just like the other towns of Italy (e.g. them Della Scala with Vérone as from 1273), the personal seigniories: Charles of Calabria the control surface in 1323, followed by the duke of Athens in 1343. Florence undergoes a true crisis in the middle of the 14th century: revolt of the people, bankruptcy of the Peruzzi (large bank) in 1343, Black Death which makes disappear half of the population from the city in 1348.

The city is then dominated by various clans which dispute the capacity. In 1434, in fact the Médicis become Masters of the city. In 1569, Florence becomes the capital of the Grand-duché of Tuscany. The city keeps this time of many monuments, of which the church San Miniato Al Assembles (1018), the church Santa Maria Novella, the church Santa Croce, the cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore ( it Duomo , whose cupola are carried out by the architect Brunelleschi), sheltering works of Giotto, Donatello or Michel-Angel (see the references on all these listed monuments by kind).

Florence was the chief town of the Arno, French department created on May 25th, 1808, following the annexation of the kingdom of Étrurie to the French Empire by the Napoleonean troops. The city knew then a period of slow decline until in 1865, date on which it becomes capital Royaume of Italy. It loses this statute in 1870, with the profit of Rome.

November 4th, 1966, a catastrophic rising of the river Arno causes considerable damage in all the city.

May 27th, 1993, an attack strikes the Galerie of the Offices, making several victims and of many damage.

Between the November 7th and 10th 2002, the city accommodated the first European Social forum (FSE).

Between on July 29th and on August 5th, 2006, the city accommodated the 91e world congress of Esperanto.

Sights

Some dates

  • 1059 : Dedication of the Baptistry of Florence.
  • 1232 : Construction of Santa Croce, church of the Franciscain S, in Florence.
  • 1294 : Beginning of the construction of the cathedral of Florence.

Trecento

  • 1330 : Andrea Pisano carves the bronze door gilded of the Baptistry of Florence.
  • 1337 : Death with Florence of the painter and Italian architect Giotto.
  • 1370 : The Card deck arrives of the East to Europe by Florence.
  • 1378 : A revolt of workers succeeds in Florence and involves the creation of a corporation of the workmen of the textile.
  • 1386 : Birth with Florence of the Italian sculptor Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi known as Donatello, died in 1466
  • 1395: Birth with Florence of the Italian painter Guido says Pietro known as FRA Angelico, died in 1455

Quattrocento

  • 1403 : The Italian sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti starts to work on the bronze doors of the Baptistry of Florence.

  • 1406 : The city-State of Pisa is overcome by Florence.
  • 1421 : The first known patent is delivered in Florence.
  • 1429 : With Florence, activity of the workshop of Luca della Robbia (sculptor and ceramist).
  • 1434 : Cosme de Médicis becomes the Master of Florence.
  • 1436 : Brunelleschi finishes the cupola of the Dome of Florence.
  • 1440 : In Florence, Donatello melts bronze David .
  • 1445 : Birth with Florence of the Italian painter Sandro Filipepi known as Sandro Botticelli, died in 1510
  • 1452: Birth with Vinci, not far from Florence, of the painter, sculptor, architect, engineer and Italian writer Léonard de Vinci, died in 1519
  • 1458: The construction of the Palais Pitti starts in Florence.
  • 1466 : Death with Florence of the sculptor Italian Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi, known as Donatello.
  • 1469 : Beginning of the principat of Laurent Splendid the (Lorenzo Medici) with Florence, which lasts until in 1492
  • 1472: Birth with Florence of the Italian painter Bartolomeo beyond Carried known as FRA Bartolomeo, died in 1517
  • 1475: Death with Florence of the painter Italian Paolo di Dono, known as Paolo Uccello.
  • 1485 : The painter Florentin Sandro Botticelli painted in Florence Venus Birth.
  • 1494 : Birth of the Italian painter Francesco d' Ubertino known as Bachiacca in Florence. Success of a popular rising against the Médicis in Florence. Charles VIII, king de France invades Italy and enters to Florence, the wars of Italy start.
  • 1498 : died of Savonarole; with him, Florence defied Roman papacy.

Cinquecento

  • 1503 : Birth with Florence of the Italian painter Agnolo di Cosimo known as Bronzino, died in 1572
  • 1510: Death with Florence of the Italian painter Sandro Filipepi says Botticelli.
  • 1512 : The Habsbourg reinstall Médicis with the head of Florence.
  • 1517 : Death with Florence of the Italian painter Bartolomeo beyond Carried known as FRA Bartolomeo.
  • 1560 : The construction of the Uffizi Gallery starts in Florence.
  • 1563 : Creation by Vasari of the Academy of the drawing of Florence, first artistic academy in Europe.
  • 1572 : Death with Florence of the Italian painter Agnolo di Cosimo known as Bronzino.
  • 1574 : Death of Giorgio Vasari on June 27th. Writer, painter and Italian architect, it initiates the concept of Histoire of Art.
  • 1582 : The Accademia della Crusca , first academy of Italian language is founded in Florence.
  • 1597 : Creation with Florence of Dafne of Perished Jacopo, regarded as the first opera of the history whose music was lost.

Seicento

The contributions of the Rebirth diffusing itself in all Europe, they cease being the prerogative of Italy (and of Florence) and few things are to be said of this time.

The apogee of the hard stone marquetry, the second art Florentin organized by the poor Opificio delle lasts .

Settecento

  • In 1737, the extinction of the dynasty of Médicis and the rise of François II of Tuscany, duke of Habsbourg-Lorraine and husband of Marie-Therese of Austria, takes along Tuscany like satellite territory of the Austrian crown, while remaining geographically separate. The large-ducal dynasty Lorraine-Habsbourg reigns calmly on the city, by granting liberalities to him: while Leghorn becomes a Port-franc among more active of the Mediterranean, the large-duke Pierre-Léopold starts the agricultural reform and is the first reigning in Europe to abolish torture and the capital punishment. The reputation of enlightened monarch saved to him the regard of the Age of Enlightenment.

Ottocento

  • 1808 : Annexation of Étrurie by the Napoleonean troops and constitution of the department of the Arno with for chief town the town of Florence
  • 1826: Birth with Florence of Carlo Lorenzini known as Carlo Collodi, the author of Pinocchio.
  • In second half of the 19th century, the foreign community manages to represent the quarter of the population and of this period goes up the romantic vision of the city by the writers like James Irving and of the artists préraphaélites and which leaves in heritage at the town of many villas of tycoons (especially English) with their eclectics collections of art, who today are museums: the Museum Horne, the Museum Stibbert, the Villa Pietra, etc
  • 1890: Death with Florence de Carlo Collodi, buried with the cemetery of San Miniato Al Assembles.

Novecento

  • population of Florence which had doubled at the previous, triple century at the 20th century with the growth of tourism, the trade, the finance departments and industry.
  • During the Second world war the city is occupied Germans between 1943 and 1944. It resists the occupation Nazi and fascist, with his culminating point with the insurrection of August 1944 and in the battle supported by the forces of the partisans for the release of the city on August 11th, 1944.

  • 1966 : the catastrophic Inondations of the city by overflow of Arno involve the international solidarity.

  • 1993 : Attack with the Gallery of the Offices.

Culture

Y were born the first academies in Europe:
  • Academy of the Néoplatonisme médicéen, philosophical school of Laurent splendid the (1434)
  • Academy of the drawing of Florence, Accademia dell' Arte del Disegno become Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze (1563)
  • Accademia della Crusca, academy of the Italian language (Tuscan initially) (1583)
  • Accademia del Cimento, the academy of the Experimentation, first scientific academy in Europe (1630)

The city and its monuments

Classified by type of building.

Bridges

  • the Ponte Vecchio is one of the symbols of the town of Florence. It crosses the Arno in its narrowest point. The first timber construction goes up at the time Roman. Destroyed in 1333 by the river, it was rebuilt out of stone in 1345. Its characteristic lies in the fact that it has shops (mainly jewelleries) on all its length. The Corridor of Vasari overhangs one of the 2 lines of shops and made it possible Médicis to join the Pitti Palate since Palazzo Vecchio and the Offices without the dangers of the street.

  • the Laying santa Trinita.
  • the Laying Grazie Ale.
  • the Ponte went Carraia.
  • the Laying di San Niccolò.
  • the Ponte Amerigo Vespucci
  • the Ponte went Vittoria
  • the Ponte ale Indiano

Only the Vecchio Big shot has escaped with the destruction of the Second world war (German bombardments). The others all were rebuilt since, more or less with the identical one.

Churches

  • the Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore is Duomo (the Cathedral) of Florence. It is the fourth larger church of Europe behind the Basilique Saint-Pierre of Rome, the Cathédrale Saint-Paul of London and the Dôme of Milan. It is with the Big shot Vecchio, one of the symbols of the city.

  • the Baptistère Midsummer's Day ( battistero di San Giovanni ) is regarded as the oldest building of the city. Located vis-a-vis Duomo, it is known for its splendid bronze doors.

  • the Basilica of Santa Croce ( Basilica di Santa Croce ), whose construction began on May 3rd, 1294 on the foundations of a small church, is located on the Piazza Santa Croce . It is the largest church franciscaine in the world and it is a kind of the Pantheon, in comparison with the famous characters who rest there: Michel-angel, Machiavel, Galileo…

  • the church San Lorenzo started with Brunelleschi, continued by Antonio Manetti, interior frontage of Michel-Angel. The Biblioteca laurenziana is accessible by its cloister.

  • the Église Santa Maria Novella is the first large basilica of Florence. Built at the 13th century by the Dominican ones, it has a remarkable marble frontage, and inside, superb frescos.

  • the Église Santa Maria del Carmine is a church of Florence containing of the frescos of Masolino, Masaccio and Filippino Lippi.

  • the basilica San Miniato Al Assembles and its monumental cemetery (strengthened enclosure of Michel-Angel and falls from Collodi)

  • the church Santa Maria Assuntanella (of the Assumption) known as Badia Fiorentina and its Appearance of the Virgin with Saint-Bernard of Filippino Lippi. Older Benedictine abbey of Florence, built into 978.

  • the church of the Very Holy Annunciation ( Basilica della Santissima Annunziata ): Vault dei Puccio de San Sebastiano , the Cloister of Dead the Chiostro dei Morti , the first cloister Chiostrino dei Voti .

  • the old church Orsanmichele, become then loggia and warehouse then vault and its statues of the protective saints of the Arti on the circumference of its walls external including 4 crowned saints of Nanni Di Banco.

  • the church San Michele has San Salvi and its cloister.

Palates

  • the Bargello ( Palazzo Bargello ) is a palate built into 1255 which shelters since 1865 a national museum, the Museo Nazionale del Bargello . This austere building, which is overhung by a tower of 60 m, was at its origin the palate of the podestat, then court, prison and finally museum since 1859.

  • the Palazzo Vecchio which is on the Piazza della Signoria, is the Town hall of Florence. Built at the end of XIIIe century by Arnolfo di Cambio, it was inter alia, the seat of the House of Commons of the Kingdom of Italy during seven years when the city was the capital of the country. The palate also shelters a museum.

  • the Palais Pitti ( Palazzo Pitti ) is today more the large palace of the city. Its construction began in 1458, for the account of a banker of the name of Lucca Pitti, and was drawn by Filippo Brunelleschi. Médicis acquired the palate in 1560, and moved in there.

  • the palate shelters in particular the Palatine Galerie, the modern Art gallery and the apartments royal.

  • the Palais Bartolini ( Palazzo Bartolini O Palazzo degli Sportici ) is the oldest hotel of the city (first mention in 1386). The current palate was built by Baccio d' Agnolo around 1520, with the same site that it probably occupied since the 12th century. It shelters in its walls a tower of the 12th century, the torre Monalda '', canopies of Ulisse de Matteis of the beginning of the 20th century. It is in addition in full center of the city, in a district prestigious, and surrounded by other historical palates ( Palazzo Davanzati, Palazzo Strozzi, Palazzo Strozzino… )

Gardens

  • the Jardin of Boboli ( Giardino di Boboli ) is adjacent with the Pitti Palate and the Forte View-point . The garden, built for Éléonore de Tolède is remarkable for its collection of sculptures, which go from Roman Antiquity to.

  • the Jardin of simple the ( Giardino dei Semplici ) is a department of the Museum of natural history of the University of Florence.

  • Parco delle Cascine .

  • Giardino Bardini in Oltrarno.

Museums

  • the Galerie of the Offices ( Galleria degli Uffizi ) is without question the most beautiful museum of painting of Italy, and one of principal in the world. The palate which accommodates it was built between 1560 and 1581 on order of Cosme 1st to centralize the administration. One finds in his collections the fabrics of large Masters of the Rebirth like the Birth of Venus and Spring of Botticelli, the Annunciation of Léonard de Vinci, or the Venus d' Urbin of Titien, of the tables of Cimabue and Piero della Francesca. The Piazzale of the Offices, its gallery of the great men Tuscan.

  • the Gallery of the Academy ('' Galleria dell' Accademia '') is one of the museums impossible to circumvent of Florence. It is sheltered by the Académie of the drawing of Florence created in 1562, transferred in its buildings in 1784 and comprises, since 1873, several works of Michel-Angel, in particular celebrates it David, the four prisoners and Pietà da Palestrina .

  • the Loggia dei Lanzi (cabin of Lansquenets) which includes/understands many statues (originals or copies) of which the Persée of Cellini, the Enlèvement of Sabines and Hercules fighting with the Centaur of Giambologna, the rape of Polyxène of Pio Fedi.

  • the Palatine Gallery ( Galleria Palatina ), is a museum located at the Pitti Palate. Built on order of Ferdinand II of Médicis, it was decorated by Pierre de Cortone. It gathers works of the collections Médicis and Lorraine. Exposed works cover mainly the period ranging between XVIe and the XVIIIe century.

  • the modern Art gallery in one of the galleries of the Pitti palate.

  • the Museum of the Convent San Marco which shelters works of FRA Angelico, in particular its frescos in each cell of the monks and his Annonciation in Marie.

  • the '' Museo di Storia della Scienza '' (History of science): Scientific instruments (like a Sphere armillaire of Antonio Santucci, a Perspectographe), the Médicis collections and Lorraine dynasty, laboratories and exposures sets of themes, permanent and temporary. In one of the windows devoted to Galileo, one can see the momifiée relic of the index of Galileo, that one even having indicated the stars which he saw with his telescope at the time of his first presentation.

  • the Museum of the Work of Duomo ('' Museo dell' Opera del Duomo '') which contains original sculptures of the frontages of Duomo, preliminary models and tools of its construction.
  • the central National library of Florence whose funds were constituted since Médicis in 1747 following the legacy of Antonio Magliabechi.
  • the museum and coterie of San Salvi ( chiesa di San Michele in San Salvi ).
  • the national archaeological Museum and its collections Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman.
  • the poor museum of Opificio delle lasts, left the Institute of restoration of works of art of Florence.

Loggias

Opened building, the Loggia accommodates many the activities of Florentins, markets hall or open places of exposure day and night:

Fountains

Places

  • Piazza della Signoria

  • Piazza LED Dyes with carmine
  • Piazza San Giovanni
  • Piazza Santa Croce
  • Piazza del Duomo
  • Piazza di Castello
  • Piazzale Michelangelo
  • Piazza Ognissanti
  • Piazza della Passera
  • Piazza della Repubblica : a release obtained at the 19th century after the destruction of the Mercato Vecchio and the ghetto during the Risanamento .
  • Piazza San Felice in Piazza
  • Piazza San Firenze
  • Piazza San Marco
  • Piazza San Lorenzo
  • Piazza Santa Maria Novella
  • Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
  • Piazza Santo Spirito
  • Piazza Santa Trinita
  • Piazzale of the Offices: a small place, the passage through the cortile of the Offices, a gallery of the great men Tuscan and their statues.

Military architecture

  • the Fortress of Basso
  • the Strong View-point
  • the fortifications surrounding the city, the Walled di Firenze (what it remains about it since the urban refitting of the city at the 19th century, the Risanamento).
  • the main doors in the city of the time of the integrity of the fortifications, some remain truths doors as the Porta Romana or the Porta San Giorgio; others became monuments in the center of the recent places along the ring roads ( Viali di Circonvallazione ) as the Porta San Gallo on the Piazza della Libertà, the Porta San Niccolò on the Piazza Giuseppe Poggi, the Porta went Croce on the Piazza Beccaria,…

Art in the city

The English article indicates that it is considered that of the thousand larger European artists of the second millenium, 350 lived or worked in Florence .

See also: Art of Florence

Festivals

  • the Festival of French film of Florence intended to support the exchanges of the film production of France and Italy between these two countries.
  • the Biennial Internazionale dell' Arte Contemporanea , 6th edition in 2007 with the Fortress of Basso.

Blazon

The red lily ( it Giglio ), distinct from the model of kings de France, symbolizes the city of Florence. It is named “florencée flower of lily” and is similar to the piece of furniture present in the weapons of Lille. This symbol is reproduced on the old currency of the city-State, the Florin ( fiorino to be brought closer so much to fiore - flower - that of Fiorentia - old name Toscan of the city), and gives him its literary nickname, the City with the red lily.

Administration

Hamlets

Galluzzo, Settignano.

Communes bordering

Bagno has Ripoli, Campi Bisenzio, Fiesole, Impruneta, Scandicci, Sesto Fiorentino.

Twinnings

See too

External bonds

  • Official site of the town of Florence
  • Florence, on Wikitravel

Beats-smg: Florencėjė Be-X-old: Флярэнцыя Simple: Florence

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