Florence 11525 225824912 2008-07-15T16:00:24Z Korg 263660 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/Pink!Teen|Pink!Teen]] ([[User talk:Pink!Teen|talk]]) to last version by Mark J {{dablink|Firenze, Florentin and Florentine redirect here. For other uses, see [[Florence (disambiguation)]] and [[Firenze (disambiguation)]]. For the Tel Aviv neighborhood, see [[Florentin (Tel Aviv)]].}} {{Infobox CityIT |color = purple |official_name = Comune di Firenze |img_coa = Firenze-Stemma.png |name = Florence |region = [[Tuscany]] |province = [[Province of Florence|Florence]] (FI) |elevation_m = 50 |area_total_km2 = 102 |population_as_of = [[2006-06-02]] |population_total = 366488 |population_density_km2 = 3593 |timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]], [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]+1 |coordinates = {{coor at dms|43|46|18|N|11|15|13|E|region:IT-FI_type:city(360000)}} |mapx = 43.603 |mapy = 11.25 |frazioni = [[Galluzzo]], [[Settignano]] |telephone = 055 |postalcode = 50100 |gentilic = Fiorentini |saint = [[St. John the Baptist]] |day = [[June 24]] |mayor = [[Leonardo Domenici]] ([[Democratic Party]]) |website = [http://www.comune.firenze.it/ www.comune.firenze.it] }} '''Florence''' ([[Italian]]; Firenze, Florentia and Fiorenza) 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. The city lies on the [[Arno River]] and is known for its history and its importance in the [[Middle Ages]] and in the [[Renaissance]], especially 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]]. 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. ==History== {{main|History of Florence}} Florence was originally established by [[Julius Caesar]] in 59 BC 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 (Florence)|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]] made Florentia capital of the province of ''Tuscia'' in the 3rd century AD. Saint Minias was Florence’s first [[martyr]]. He was beheaded at about 250 AD, during the anti-Christian persecutions of the Emperor [[Decius]]. After being beheaded, it is said that he 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 4th century AD, 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 1,000 living persons. Peace returned under [[Lombards|Lombard]] rule in the 6th 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]] were united in one county. [[Margrave]] Hugo chose Florence as his residency instead of Lucca at about 1000 AD. 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 (Florence)|baptistry]] was reworked in Romanesque style between 1059 and 1128. [[Image:Michelino DanteAndHisPoem.jpg|thumb|''[[Dante Alighieri|Dante]] and the [[Divina Commedia]]''.]] [[Image:Florenz Uffizien.jpg|left|thumb|''the Uffizi'']] [[Image:Florence1.jpg|left|thumb|Florence.]] [[Image:David von Michelangelo.jpg|thumb|the "''David di Michelangelo''"]] 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]] (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 in the [[Revolt of the Ciompi]]. After their suppression, Florence came under the sway (1382-1434) of the [[Albizzi]] family, bitter rivals of the Medici. [[Cosimo de' Medici]] was the first Medici family member to essentially control the city from behind the scenes. Although the city was technically a democracy of sorts, his power came from a vast [[patronage]] network along with his alliance to the new immigrants, the [[gente nuova]]. The fact that the Medici were bankers to the pope also contributed to their rise. Cosimo was succeeded by his son [[Piero di Cosimo de' Medici|Piero]], who was shortly thereafter succeeded by Cosimo's grandson, [[Lorenzo de' Medici|Lorenzo]] in 1469. Lorenzo 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). Following the death of Lorenzo in 1492, he was succeeded by his son Piero II. When the French king [[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]] invaded northern Italy, Piero II chose to resist his army. 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. During this period, the Dominican monk [[Girolamo Savonarola]] had become [[prior]] of the San Marco monastery in 1490. He was famed for his penitential sermons, lambasting what he viewed as widespread immorality and attachment to material riches. He blamed the exile of the Medicis as the work of God, punishing them for their decadence. He seized the opportunity to carry through political reforms leading to a more democratic rule. But when Savonarola publicly accused [[Pope Alexander VI]] of corruption, he was banned from speaking in public. When he broke this ban, he was 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 [[23 May]] [[1498]]. A second individual of unusual insight was [[Niccolò Machiavelli]], whose prescriptions for Florence's regeneration under strong leadership have often been seen as a legitimisation of political expediency and even malpractice. Commissioned by the Medici, Machiavelli also wrote the [[Florentine Histories]], the history of the city. 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 Duchy of Tuscany|Grand Dukes of Tuscany]], ruling for two centuries. In all Tuscany, only the [[Republic of Lucca]] (later a [[Duchy of Lucca|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]], duke of Lorraine and husband of [[Maria Theresa of Austria]], led to Tuscany's temporary inclusion in the territories of the [[Austria]]n crown. It became a secundogeniture of the [[Habsburg-Lorraine]] dynasty, who were deposed for the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon-Parma]] in 1801 (themselves deposed in 1807), restored at the [[Congress of Vienna]]; 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 made its addition to the kingdom possible. After doubling during the 19th century, Florence's population tripled in the 20th with the growth of tourism, trade, financial services and industry. During [[World War II]] 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 north bank of the Arno<ref>http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/remembrance/remembrance_cwgc6.htm</ref>) A very important role is played in those years by the famous café of Florence [[Giubbe Rosse]] from its foundation until the present day. [[Piazza del Mercato Vecchio]] was destroyed (Old Market Square), and then was renamed [[Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II (Florence)|Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II]]. It is known today as [[Piazza della Repubblica (Florence)|Piazza della Repubblica]], and is the location of the Giubbe Rosse. In those years (the end of the l9th century) the city administration of Florence decided to raze the old neighborhood of Mercato Vecchio to the ground, in favour of a new square dedicated to [[Victor Emmanuel II]]. "Non fu giammai così nobil giardino/ come a quel tempo egli è Mercato Vecchio / che l'occhio e il gusto pasce al fiorentino", claimed [[Antonio Pucci]] (poet) in the fourteenth century, "Mercato Vecchio nel mondo è alimento./ A ogni altra piazza il prego serra". The area had decayed from its original medieval splendor". Nowadays the literary café Giubbe Rosse is publishing books of famous Italian authors such: [[Mario Luzi]], [[Manlio Sgalambro]], [[Giovanni Lista]], [[Menotti Lerro]], [[Leopoldo Paciscopi]]. In November 1966, the [[The Flood of the River Arno in Florence, Italy|Arno 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. ===Florence and the Renaissance=== There was a surge in artistic, literary, and scientific activity in Florence from the 14th to 16th centuries. This was accompanied by significant economic growth and business activity. There was substantial private and public funding to sponsor artistic and scholarly endeavours. There were crises in the [[Roman Catholic]] church (especially the controversy over the French [[Avignon Papacy]] and the [[Western Schism|Great Schism]]). There were catastrophic results from the [[Black Death]] and a some re-evaluation of [[medieval]] values. == Historic Centre of Florence == In 1982, the historic centre of Florence (ita. ''il centro storico di Firenze'') was declared a [[World Heritage Site]] by the [[UNESCO]] for the importance of its cultural heritages. The centre of the city is contained in medieval walls that were built in XIV century to defend the city after it became famous and important for its economic growth. ==Landmarks== {{seealso|:category:buildings and structures in Florence}} {{Infobox World Heritage Site |Name = Historic Centre of Florence |infoboxwidth= 250px |Image = [[Image:CampanileGiotto-01.jpg|200px|Historic Centre of Florence]] |State_Party = {{ITA}} |Type = Cultural |Criteria = i, ii, iii, iv, vi |ID = 174 |Region = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Europe|Europe&nbsp;and&nbsp;North&nbsp;America]] |Year = 1982 |Session = 6th }} 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>. At the heart of the city in [[Piazza della Signoria]] is [[Bartolomeo Ammanati]]'s [[Fountain of Neptune]], 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 men 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 carried [[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|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 galleries 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 dei 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]] *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, it was the original location of [[Michelangelo's David]] (now replaced by a reproduction as the original was moved indoors to the [[Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno]]), 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]], [[Cellini]], although some have been replaced with copies to preserve the priceless originals. [[Image:Firenze.PalVecchio.Uffizi02.JPG|thumb|''Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio'']] 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''. 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 [[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. 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]]. The city's principal football team is [[AC Fiorentina]]. 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]]''. 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> ==Geography== Florence is in a beautiful geographic position, in a sort of basin between the Senese Clavey Hills, especially the hills of [[Careggi]], [[Fiesole]], [[Settignano]], [[Arcetri]], [[Poggio Imperiale]] and [[Bellosguardo]]. The city lies on [[Arno river]] and others three minor rivers. ===Climate=== {{Florence weatherbox}} Although usually perceived to have a [[Mediterranean climate]], under the [[Köppen climate classification]] Florence is sometimes classified as having a [[Humid subtropical climate]] (Cfa). It experiences hot, humid summers with little rainfall and cool, damp winters. Due to the geographical position of the city (surrounded by hills in a valley traversed by the [[Arno river]]), Florence can be hot and humid from June to August. Summer temperatures are higher than those along coastlines, due to the lack of a prevailing wind. The small amount of rain which falls in the summer is [[Convection rain|convectional]] in type. Relief rainfall dominates in the winter, with occasional snow. {{wide image|Florence panorama south.jpg|1000px|Panoramic view of Florence to the south of the Duomo's Campanile, including the Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza della Signoria and the Basilica di Santa Croce}} == Historical Evocations == [[Image:Scoppio del carro.jpg|thumb|''Scoppio del Carro'']] === ''Scoppio del Carro'' === [[Image:Brindellone2008.JPG|left|thumb|the ''Brindellone'']] ''Scoppio del Carro'' (“the Explosion of the Cart”) is a celebration of the [[First Crusade]]. During the day of [[Easter]], it is taken in [[Piazza del Duomo]] a cart, which the Florentines call the ''Brindellone'', is lead by four white oxen through the streets before arriving 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''). The cart is connected by a rope to the inside of the church. Near the cart there is a model of a dove: at the end of the Easter's Mass there is an explosion in the cart and the dove is pushed towards the church, passing across the rope. This celebration has a symbolic meaning because, according to legend, the dove brings good luck to Florence. === ''Calcio Storico'' === ''Calcio Storico Fiorentino''' (“Historic Florentine [[soccer|Football]]”), sometimes called “''Calcio in costume''”, is a medieval [[sport]], regarded as an forerunner of soccer, even though the gameplay most closely resembles rugby. It is an important event, begun in the [[Middle Ages]] when in Florence the most important florentine nobles amused themself playing while wearing magnificent costumes. The most important match was done at [[17 February]] [[1530]], during the siege of Florence. That day papal troops besiged the city while the Florentines, with nonchalence, played the game. 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> === Other Historical Evocations === Not only in Florence there are important evocations. In a lot of towns near the city there are others religious manifestations. One of these towns is [[Signa]], placed to the [[west]] of Florence, where is celebrated the ''Feast of Blessed Jane" ("''Festa della Beata Giovanna''"). ==Cityscape== ===Buildings=== [[Image:Firenze-palazzovecchio.jpg|thumb|Palazzo Vecchio]] [[Palazzo Vecchio]] is the town hall of Florence in the [[Piazza della Signoria]], Place of the Senators. Inside the Palazzo Vecchio, Old Palace, there is a museum with many works of art by [[Michelangelo Buonarroti]] and [[Giorgio Vasari]]. [[Palazzo Medici Riccardi]] is in Via Cavour (Cavour Street) also known as Via Larga (Large Street). The building is used as the headquarters of the Consiglio Provinciale (Provincial Council) and house of the Prefect of Florence. Inside the Palazzo Medici Riccardi is the Presidential Suite used by the President of the Italian Republic when visiting Florence. [[Palazzo Pitti]] is in the Piazza Pitti in the southern part of Florence. It is near the (Giardino di Boboli), [[Boboli Garden]]. The [[Galleria degli Uffizi]], called simply Uffizi, is one of the most famous art galleries of the world, with an incredibile number of [[Renaissance]] works of art. It contains many works by [[Botticelli]]. The [[Galleria dell'Accademia]] is world famous because of [[Michelangelo]]’s famous statue, [[David]]. The [[Corridoio Vasariano]] is an art gallery that connects Palazzo Vecchio to Ponte Vecchio, crossing the art gallery of Uffizi. This passage was built by the Gran Duke [[Cosimo I]]. ===Churches and synagogues=== [[Image:Picture 040.jpg|thumb|left|The Duomo]] [[Image:Piazza santa croce 11.JPG|thumb|left|Basilica di Santa Croce]] *[[Santa Maria del Fiore]] or Duomo di Firenze is the Cathedral of Florence with a famous towering cupola known as [[Brunelleschi’s Dome]]. This is the fourth biggest church in [[Europe]], after San Pietro in Vaticano (Saint Peters) in [[Rome]], Saint Pauls in [[London]] and the Cathedral of Milan (Duomo di Milano) in [[Milan]]. *The [[Battistero di San Giovanni]] has three sets of heavily ornamented doors, the most famous being the east doors by [[Lorenzo Ghiberti]] (Porta del Paradiso), (The Gates of Paradise). *The [[Basilica di Santa Croce]] is one of the largest churches in Florence. It contains tombs and memorials of famous Florentines and Italians. *The [[Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence|Basilica di San Lorenzo]] was the local church of the [[Medici]] dynasty. *The [[Santissima Annunziata, Florence|Basilica della Santissima Annunziata]] is a small Roman Catholic basilica and the mother church of the Servite order. It is on the northeastern side of the Piazza Santissima Annunziata. *The [[Chiesa di San Marco]] has an adjacent historical monastery containing an important art collection and individual frescoes by Fra Angelico in the monastic cells. *The magnificent Tempio Maggiore [[Great Synagogue of Florence]] is an artistically notable building that manages to blend the traditions of Islamic and Italian architecture. ===Bridges=== [[Image:Ponte Vecchio visto dal ponte di Santa Trinita.jpg|thumb|250px|Ponte Vecchio.]] The [[Ponte Vecchio]] (Old Bridge) is a symbol of Florence. First constructed by Romans at the narrowest point of the [[Arno river]]. It is the only bridge that wasn’t destroyed by the Nazis during their Italian withdraw in 1944. [[Ponte Santa Trinita]] takes its name from the nearby church. It is one of the most beautiful bridges in [[Italy]] and [[Europe]]. Other bridges in Florence are [[Ponte alle Grazie]] (Bridge to the Graces), [[Ponte alla Carraia]] (Bridge to the Driveway) and [[Ponte di San Niccolò]] (Bridge of St. Nicolaus). ==Other points of interest== *[[College and Museum of the History of Biology]] *[[Giardino Botanico Tropicale dell'Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare]] *[[Giardino dell'Iris]] *[[La Specola]] *[[Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze]] *[[Orto Botanico di Firenze]] *[[Palazzi Medici Riccardi]] ==Demography== In 2007, there were 364,710 people residing in Florence (in which 1 million live in the greater Bologna area), located in the province of Florence, [[Tuscany]], of whom 46.8% were male and 53.2% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 14.10 percent of the population compared to pensioners who number 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]] countries (mostly from [[Albania]] and [[Romania]]): 3.52%, [[East Asia]] (mostly [[Chinese]] and [[Filipino]]): 2.17%, the [[Americas]]: 1.41%, and [[North Africa]] (mostly [[Moroccan]]): 0.9%.[http://demo.istat.it/str2006/index.html] ==Culture== ===Art=== [[Image:Firenze.Palvecchio.Uffizi03.JPG|thumb|''the Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio'']] Florence keeps an exceptional artistic heritage which is a marvelous evidence of its aged culture. [[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> 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]] 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> 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> 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"/> ===Language=== {{main|Tuscan dialect}} The [[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 modern Italian to be, in fact, modern Florentine.) Its vocabulary and pronunciation are largely identical to 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, which may be viewed as incorrect in comparison to standard Italian, and a reduced pronunciation of the definite article, {{IPA|[i]}} instead of "il". ===Cuisine=== [[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> ===Notable residents=== :''See also [[: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]]. --> ==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}} ==Economy== [[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 Supertuscan reds like Sassicaia. {{Fact|date=July 2007}} ==Administration== {{see also|List of mayors of Florence}} 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> ==Twinning== [[Town twinning|Sister cities]] include: {|style="width: 100%; align:top" |- |valign=top| * {{flagicon|Lebanon}} [[Beirut]], [[Lebanon]]. * {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Gemlik]], [[Turkey]]. * {{flagicon|Serbia}} [[Voždovac]], [[Serbia]]. * {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Kraków]], [[Poland]]. * {{flagicon|Greece}} [[Athens]], [[Greece]]. * {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Dresden]], [[Germany]]. * {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Kassel]], [[Germany]]. * {{flagicon|UK}} [[Edinburgh]], [[United Kingdom]]. * {{flagicon|Russia}} [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russia]]. * {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Granada]], [[Spain]]. * {{flagicon|France}} [[Reims]], [[France]]. |valign=top| * {{flagicon|Latvia}} [[Riga]], [[Latvia]]. * {{flagicon|Finland}} [[Turku]], [[Finland]]. * {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]. * {{flagicon|Morocco}} [[El Aaiún]], [[Morocco]]. * {{flagicon|Eritrea}} [[Asmara]], [[Eritrea]]. * {{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Malmö]], [[Sweden]]. * {{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Fes]], [[Morocco]]. * {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Gaziantep]], [[Turkey]]. * {{flagicon|Iran}} [[Isfahan (city)|Isfahan]], [[Iran]]. * {{flagicon|Ukraine}} [[Kiev]], [[Ukraine]]. * {{flagicon|Kuwait}} [[Kuwait City]], [[Kuwait]]. |valign=top| * {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kyoto]], [[Japan]]. * {{flagicon|China}} [[Nanjing]], [[People's Republic of China|China]]. * {{flagicon|Israel}} [[Nazareth]], [[Israel]]. * {{flagicon|United States}} [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[United States]]. * {{flagicon|United States}} [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]], [[United States]]. * {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Salvador Bahia|Salvador]], [[Bahia]], [[Brazil]]. * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Sydney]], [[Australia]]. * {{flagicon|Albania}} [[Tirana]], [[Albania]]. * {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Valladolid]], [[Spain]]. * {{flagicon|Armenia}} [[Yerevan]], [[Armenia]]. * {{flagicon|Palestine}} [[Nablus]], [[Palestine]]. |valign=top| * {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]]. |}<!-- Unverified, please confirm or delete: * {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Kassel]], [[Germany]]. * {{flagicon|Armenia}} [[Yerevan]], [[Armenia]]. * {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Grenada]]. --> ==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]] ==References== {{reflist}} <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> ==Bibliography== * Gene Brucker, ''Renaissance Florence,'' (1983) * Richard A. Goldthwaite. ''The Building of Renaissance Florence: An Economic and Social History'' (1982) * Christopher Hibbert. ''The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall'' (1999) * R.W.B. Lewis. ''The City of Florence: Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings'' (1996) * John Najemy. ''A History of Florence 1200-1575'' (2006) * Ferdinand Schevill, ''History of Florence: From the Founding of the City Through the Renaissance'' (1936) * Richard C. Trexler. ''Public Life in Renaissance Florence'' (1991) * ===Primary sources=== * Gene A. Brucker, eds. ''The Society of Renaissance Florence: A Documentary Study'' (1971) 132 original documents in English * Niccolò Machiavelli. ''Florentine Histories'' numerous editions ==External links== {{commons|Panorami di Firenze|Panoramic Views of Florence|Firenze}} {{sisterlinks|Florence}} *{{wikitravel}} *[http://www.comune.fi.it/inglese/ Città di Firenze] Official site {{en}} *[http://www.lamma.rete.toscana.it/eng/aria/index.html Air Quality in Florence] {{en}} *[http://statistica.comune.fi.it/ Statistics on Florence] * Museums : **[http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/ Polo museale Fiorentino] Official site for the state museums, including the Uffizi Gallery {{en}} **[http://www.math.unifi.it/archimede Archimede's Garden] A museum for Mathematics {{it}} ** {{dmoz|Regional/Europe/Italy/Regions/Tuscany/Localities/Florence/Arts_and_Entertainment/Museums_and_Galleries/|Listing of museums and Galleries in Florence}} {{Template group |list = {{Regional capitals of Italy}} {{European Capital of Culture}} {{World Heritage Sites in Italy}} }} <!--As featured article--> <!--Categories--> [[Category:Florence| ]] [[Category:Former national capitals]] [[Category:Major Cities in Italy]] {{Link FA|it}} <!--Other languages--> [[af:Florence]] [[als:Florenz]] [[ar:فلورنسا]] [[an:Florenzia]] [[be-x-old:Флярэнцыя]] [[bs:Firenca]] [[br:Firenze]] [[bg:Флоренция]] [[ca:Florència]] [[cs:Florencie]] [[co:Firenze]] [[cy:Fflorens]] [[da:Firenze]] [[de:Florenz]] [[et:Firenze]] [[el:Φλωρεντία]] [[eml:Fiuränza]] [[es:Florencia]] [[eo:Florenco]] [[eu:Florentzia]] [[fa:فلورانس]] [[fr:Florence]] [[fy:Florâns]] [[ga:Flórans]] [[gl:Florencia - Firenze]] [[ko:피렌체]] [[hi:फ्लोरेन्स]] [[hr:Firenca]] [[io:Firenze]] [[id:Firenze]] [[is:Flórens]] [[it:Firenze]] [[he:פירנצה]] [[jv:Firenze]] [[pam:Florence]] [[ka:ფლორენცია]] [[sw:Firenze]] [[kv:Флоренция]] [[la:Florentia]] [[lv:Florence]] [[lt:Florencija]] [[hu:Firenze]] [[mk:Фиренца]] [[ml:ഫ്ലോറന്‍സ്]] [[nl:Florence (stad)]] [[ja:フィレンツェ]] [[nap:Sciorenza]] [[no:Firenze]] [[nn:Firenze]] [[oc:Florença]] [[pms:Firense]] [[nds:Florenz]] [[pl:Florencja]] [[pt:Florença]] [[ro:Florenţa]] [[qu:Firenze]] [[ru:Флоренция]] [[sc:Firenze]] [[sq:Firenca]] [[scn:Firenzi]] [[simple:Florence]] [[sk:Florencia]] [[sl:Firence]] [[sr:Фиренца]] [[sh:Firenca]] [[fi:Firenze]] [[sv:Florens]] [[tl:Lungsod ng Firenze]] [[th:ฟีเรนเซ]] [[vi:Firenze]] [[tr:Floransa]] [[uk:Флоренція]] [[vec:Firenzse]] [[vo:Firenze]] [[vls:Firenze (stad)]] [[zh-yue:翡冷翠]] [[bat-smg:Florencėjė]] [[zh:佛罗伦萨]]