Florence

The beginning of the 9th century was the period of prosperity for Florence. A lot of church buildings were built then. In the 12th Florence became an independent city-state. The 13th century marks the beginning of the desire to flaunt prosperity, hence the construction of the dome and the Palazzo Vecchio. Churches too are richly furnished. From the 13th to the 17th century the Medici family was an influential and powerful family in Florence. The family died out in 1737, which led to Florence's temporary inclusion in the territories of the Austrian crown. In 1860 the city joined a new, united Kingdom of Italy and became its capital until 1871. Nowadays, Florence is the capital city of the Italian region, Tuscany. It keeps an exceptional artistic heritage. Therefore, it is called a "pearl of the Renaissance". It is the second most visited city of Italy. Its historic center was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992. Florence is the opera and art center. A lot of great artists worked there. Every year the opera festival Maggio Musicale Fiorentino takes place. The main symbol of the city is the Ponte Vecchio Bridge over the Arno River. It spans the river at its narrowest point. Its present appearance dates back to the 16th century. The most spectacular square is the Piazza della Signoria. It attracts visitors with several magnificent palaces. In the middle of the square, the Fountain of Neptune stands as well as the copy of Michelangelo's statue David. There are also other statues such as the copy of "Hercules and Cacus" by Bandinelli and the "bronze equestrian statue of Cosimo I" by Giambologna. The dominant of the city is the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore which is among the biggest cathedrals in the world. Its campanile, whose first stone was laid in 1334, was built by Giotto di Bondone. Other famous sights include the Florence Baptistry (the baptismal font of St. John), Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall of Florence), Basilica of San Lorenzo, Basilica of Santa Croce (the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians), Basilica di San Miniato al Monte, Santa Maria del Carmine Church and Basilica of Santa Maria Novella..

GPS: 43.7715276702, 11.2539482117  Edit

Altitude: 66 m  Edit

Population: 370702  Edit

	Giotto's Bell Tower 0.2 km	Add to the plan
	Il Biancone 0.3 km	Add to the plan
	Galleria degli Uffizi Gallery, 0.4 km	Add to the plan
	Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze Museums, 0.7 km	Add to the plan
	Monte Morello Mountains, 12.4 km	Add to the plan

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