Florence is one of the most popular cities in the world for visitors. It is the capital city of Tuscany, which is a region in Italy. It is also the largest city in all of Tuscany and home to about 1.5 million. While it is large by Tuscan standards, that’s still quite a small city by some standards in North America. Yet the scale of what’s available to do in Florence, the history, the culture and the vast number of amazing things for tourists to do.
Florence, or Firenze in Italian, has a long and rich history dating back many centuries. Florence is near the River Arno. It played major roles in both the Middle Ages and is noted as the birthplace of the Renaissance. The history of Florence is somewhat familiar to many, as its many high points are top aspects of general history courses. All of this amounts to the fact that Florence is home to many spectacular sites where history comes to life for many.
Florence is known for its vast architecture and for its art. It’s also a primary hot spot for the cultural heritage of Italy, which is noted as a hub of culture around the world. But that’s not all. Florence even has many other accolades to its name. In fact, Forbes Magazine called it one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
The city has many monuments, art galleries and tons of museums. In fact, a trip just to Florence could occupy one’s itinerary on a tour of Tuscany, so it’s wise to do research ahead of your trip to select the things you really want to see vs. those that may have to wait until next time. Some of the most popular spots in Florence include the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, yet there are many more that are open to the public and worth exploring – depending upon your time and travel allowance.
Fashionistas also will be interested in the style aspect of Florence. It remains one of the hottest cities in the world for fashion, style and designers. Gucci was founded here in Florence among many other top style brands.
Looking back over time, Florence has been an important center. From the 14th Century to 16th Century, Florence was one of the most important cities in Europe for politics, the economy and culture. That time period had a great impact on Florence, and today there are still many wonderful things to explore and savor.
An important influencer in the history of Florence is the Medici family, which was a noble family with considerable wealth and influence. The family included popes, royalty and important political figures of the day. The Medici family commissioned many of the great works that we still recognize today as some of the most important works of art. These important figures played a vital role in making Florence a key center for art and culture and the reason it still continues to attract many visitors each year.
