AGENZIA PER IL TURISMO FIRENZE florence Florence can boast many histories – artistic, financial, religious, the central point of the city’s political and cultural development. cultural, political. These are so rich that it is impossible to sum By virtue of its geographic position and social climate, Florence them up in a few short lines. One word, however, has always dis- exercised a function of equilibrium in the history and art of the pe- tinguished the city in the eyes of the world: the Renaissance. riod known as the Renaissance. After various vicissitudes involving the Florentine Republic and history Medici restorations, another historic era started for Florence in a brief 1530 with the establishment of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The The early Etruscan settlements sprang up on the hill of Fiesole, power of the city grew, reaching a peak with the defeat of arch-ri- while the Romans established themselves (in 59 BC) on the plain val Siena in 1555. The House of the Medici died out in the 18th around the Arno. The Forum of Roman Florentia was situated where century, giving way to the rule of the Habsburg-Lorraine, under Piazza della Republica stands today, and the inner circle of walls whom Florence also conquered Lucca (1847). Finally, the Duchy ran along today’s Via Tornabuoni, Via Cerretani and Via del Pro- entered the Kingdom of Italy in 1859 following a plebiscite. consolo. Florence was the capital of unified Italy from 1865 to 1870, dur- Miniato and Reparata were the first patron saints of Florence, ing which time Giuseppe Poggi produced an urban planning proj- which became an episcopal see in the 4th century. The city was ect that deeply modified the appearance of the city and involved the granted the right to independent government by Countess Matilde, pulling down of the city walls. thus paving the way for its subsequent economic supremacy as a The beginning of the 20th century was also marked by the start of Guelph city with strong papal ties, in competition first with Fiesole industrial development in the city, which meshed with the existing and then with Siena and Pisa. Guelphs and Ghibellines, Bianchi and craft businesses in an original way, leading to the creation of a Neri, nobles, the bourgeois and trading classes all vied for power multitude of family-run enterprises. The post-war period, with the in Florence, leading to social unrest and strife, conquests, alliances reconstruction of what had been destroyed and the expansion of and even to requests by the comune for foreign intervention. the city until it joined up with other nearby centres (Scandicci, After the establishment of a people’s government of sorts and the Sesto, Bagno a Ripoli) is contemporary history. conquest of Pisa, Florence achieved dominion over the whole of Today, Florence does not just live on its glorious civic and cultur- Tuscany, with the exception of Siena and Lucca. al past. It is also an important centre for craft and commercial, in- The year 1434 marked the beginning of Medici rule, which became dustrial and artistic activities. florence florence florence city centre city centre VISITING THE CITY: villa petraia villa gamberaia ITINERARIES villa di castello stibbert One day in Florence 6 Two days in Florence 10 Longer stays 14 orto in Florence botanico villa s.marco Thematic itineraries porta il ventaglio 18 a prato s.s.annunziata in Florence stazione centrale s. maria novella galleria Parks and gardens 22 dell’accademia in Florence cappelle medicee Ideas for visiting le cascine palazzo museo archeologico the surrounding area 24 medici riccardi spedale degli innocenti Visiting the city 26 independently s.maria duomo novella s.maria del fiore Museums 27 s.lorenzo Guided tours of the city 28 battistero museo s.giovanni dell’opera del duomo campanile CITY SERVICES di giotto museo palazzo di antropologia Information offices 30 strozzi museo Protecting porta orsanmichele del bargello porta 31 beccaria the rights of tourists s.frediano palazzo vecchio Getting around loggia dei lanzi in the city 32 galleria degli uffizi Getting around in chiesa s.croce the surrounding area 34 del carmine museo Health information 36 s.spirito horne ponte vecchio Post offices, banks and bureau de change 38 palazzo Internet points 40 pitti giardino fiume arno Public lavatories 41 bardini museo bardini porta s.niccolò CITY LIFE forte Major events 42 giardino di boboli belvedere piazzale michelangelo Florence for children 46 Food and drink 50 porta romana s.miniato Shopping 54 Arts and crafts 56 Nightlife 58 one day one day in florence in florence s. maria del fiore giotto’s campanile 1 One day in Florence: atory of San Michele. It became a place of worship due to the baptistery the city deserves a little munificence of the trade guilds which, between the 14th and palazzo della signoria 2 longer than that, but a loggia dei lanzi one-day visit will at least the 16th centuries, adorned it with sculptures and paintings 1 orsanmichele 3 3 give you an idea. With just of the highest standard. There are sculptural works by Do- uffizi gallery 2 ponte vecchio 4 4 one day at your disposal, natello, Verrocchio, Ghiberti and Nanni di Banco, amongst 6 palazzo pitti you will want to see 5 others. At the far end of Via dei Calzaiuoli you come to Piaz- boboli gardens the main sites and walk s. spirito 6 za della Signoria, the political heart of the city. 5 around the heart of the historic city centre. PALAZZO DELLA SIGNORIA, or Palazzo Vecchio, which is the seat of Florence City Council besides housing a museum, was built at the end of the 13th century. As you walk into the in- 6 terior courtyard, you can admire a putto-decorated fountain 7 Start from Piazza del Duomo, where the Baptistery and the BRIEF BRIEF by Verrocchio and frescoes by Vasari. Also in the piazza is the ITINERARIES cathedral of SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE face each other. The ITINERARIES 14th-century LOGGIA DEI LANZI, which displays famous stat- cathedral was begun by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296, but it was ues such as Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus and Gi- not until 1436 that it was crowned by the Cupola, Filippo ambologna’s Rape of the Sabines. Adjoining Brunelleschi’s masterpiece. The dome is the symbol of Flo- .it Palazzo Vecchio is the imposing UFFIZI o rence, a bold and majestic piece of architecture that affords m GALLERY. Designed by Vasari in the 16th is fantastic views of the city (and of the cathedral interior). r century as the Medici secretariat, it is On the façade side of the cathedral is the boldly coloured u now one of the most important mu- t campanile of Giotto, which also has fine views of the city. In e seums in the world. The gallery con- front of the Cathedral stands the older, Romanesque-style z tains paintings ranging from early n BAPTISTERY of San Giovanni, embellished with bronze e masters (Cimabue, Giotto) through to r doors by Ghiberti and Andrea Pisano. i f Mannerism, with a splendidly repre- . Walking along the lively Via dei Calzaiuoli, you sentative selection of Renaissance art by w will pass by ORSANMICHELE, a 14th-century the likes of Botticelli, Filippo Lippi, Paolo w building that started out life as a granary w Uccello, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. situated on the site of the ancient or- one day in florence A visit to the gallery requires sever- where you can soak up the lively atmosphere of this corner al hours. If you do not have time, of the city. The neighbourhood is packed with craft trades, continue on foot towards PONTE and has a very authentic feel to it. Piazza Santo Spirito, one VECCHIO, another symbol of of the few piazzas in the city with trees in it, is overlooked by the city, which has survived beautiful palazzos and by the church of Santo Spirito, which wars and flooding. Since the was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1444. Besides the 16th century, the buildings pure architectural lines of the façade, the church also boasts on the bridge have been oc- a number of important artworks. cupied by goldsmiths. Crossing the bridge, you find yourself di là d’Arno, that is, turismo.it 8 ‘beyond the Arno’, an important notion in Florence. Of the 9 BRIEF BRIEF ITINERARIES four historic neighbourhoods, three (San Giovanni, Santa ITINERARIES Maria Novella and Santa Croce) are north of the river, while firenze just one, Santo Spirito, is on the left bank. The main thoroughfare continuing on from Ponte Vecchio will bring you to Piazza Pitti, which is dominated by the www. façade of the majestic PALAZZO PITTI. Of 15th-century origin, it was acquired by Eleonora, the wife of Cosimo I, and be- came the new residence of the Medici family, who had previously been in Palazzo della Signoria. It was en- larged and embellished with a magnificent park, the The double-vaulted Boboli Gardens. Palazzo Pitti houses a cluster of dome of the Baptistery different museums, one of which are the was studied carefully by Filippo Brunelleschi gardens themselves. If you still before he erected have some time, head towards the Cupola Piazza Santo Spirito, of Santa Maria del Fiore. two days two days in florence in florence train station 1 If you have two days ful rooms are used for art exhibitions, and it has a large in- s. maria novella 2 1 6 to visit Florence, 5 ternal courtyard that is always open. palazzo strozzi 3 4 7 you can obviously 2 palazzo Continuing on towards Piazza della Repubblica you arrive in medici riccardi 4 cover more.