Florence (Firenze), Italy:

Overview of Florence:

Florence is the embodiment of the Italian Renaissance, one of the greatest art cities in the world, and a getting place to get a taste of Tuscan life.  While there was a nearby village Villanovan (Etruscan) as early as the 8th century BC, Florence got its real start when Julius Caesar founded an army settlement here in 59 BC.  Named Florentia after the Roman Goddess of flowers Flora, the Roman town governed Tuscany (Tuscia) and grew powerful when the rival Etruscan town of Volterra fell in the 300s.

After Rome fell in the 400s, Florence was sieged a number of times which eventually led to the Lombards taking over in 570 and ruling Tuscany out of Lucca.  By the early-Middle Ages Florences started to get its swagger back and regained strength through textile trading and banking.  In the heart of Medieval Times, the city became the cradle of the Renaissance as the home to influential authors (Machiavelli & Dante), master artists (Donatello, Leonardo DaVinci, Botticelli & Michelangelo), groundbreaking architects (Michelozzo & Brunelleschi), religious leaders (Pope Clement VII & Pope Leo X), along with many wealthy plutocrats and bankers (Medici, Pitti, Pazzi & Martelli).

On our travel guide, we walk you through the ups-and-downs of Florence’s history from wars and famines to the great heights of power under the rule of the tyrannical Medici family.  Enjoy our Florence travel guide!