Italy

The cultural and historical impact of Florence (or Firenze) is overwhelming. Close up, however, the city is one of Italy's most atmospheric and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval centre that contributed so much to the artistic and political development of Europe.

Before the 20th century

Florence was founded as a colony of the Etruscan city of Fiesole in about 200 BC, later becoming the Roman Florentia, a garrison town controlling the Via Flaminia. In the early 12th century the city became a free comune (township) and by 1138 it was ruled by 12 consuls, assisted by the Council of One Hundred, a bunch of rich merchants. In 1207, due to intractable problems with faction fighting, the council was replaced by a foreign (and thus allegedly unbiased) governor, the podestà.

In the 13th century the pro-papal Guelphs and pro-imperial Ghibellines started a century-long bout of bickering, which resulted in the Guelphs forming their own government in the 1250s. By 1292 Florentine nobles were excluded from government. The city became increasingly democratised, eventually becoming a commercial republic controlled by the Guelph-heavy merchant class.

The great plague of 1348 halved the city's population, and in the latter part of the 14th century the Medicis began consolidating power, eventually becoming bankers to the papacy. Cosimo Medici - patron of artists such as Donatello, Brunelleschi, Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi - became ruler of Florence. Perhaps the most famous Medici was Lorenzo, grandson of Cosimo, who took power in 1469. His court fostered a great development of art, music and poetry, and Lorenzo sponsored philosophers and artists such as Botticelli, da Vinci and Michelangelo.

In 1494 the Medicis went broke and lost their hold on power. The city fell under the control of Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican monk who led a puritanical republic until he fell from public favour and was hanged and burned as a heretic in 1498. The Medicis returned to Florence in the 16th century, having united themselves by marriage with Emperor Charles V, and ruled for the next 200 years. In 1737 the Grand Duchy of Tuscany passed to the House of Lorraine, which was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. Florence became capital of the Kingdom and remained so until Rome took over in 1875.

Modern history

The 20th century was in many ways disastrous for Florence. WWI left it spent, shocked and vulnerable to Fascist rhetoric. The city was one of Mussolini's most faithful strongholds. Florence was badly damaged during WWII by the retreating Germans, who blew up all its bridges except the Ponte Vecchio. Devastating floods ravaged the city in 1966, causing inestimable damage to its building and artworks, some of which are still being restored. One good thing to come of the disaster, which left the city covered in a mantle of slimy mud and left countless families homeless, was the evolution of modern restoration techniques. The salvage operation led to the refining of methods which have since saved artworks throughout the world.

Recent history

Florence has rarely hit the headlines in recent times. It leads the quiet dignified life of a regional capital under a constant influx of tourists. In 1993 a car bomb killed five people and damaged works in the Uffizi gallery - this attack was attributed to the Sicilian Mafia. Only in 2005 did relatives of the victims finally get civil proceedings against imprisoned Mafia boss Toto Riina under way. Otherwise Florence has been relatively untouched by sensation. Its streets could almost beguile you into thinking you've walked into a former age, untouched by the clamour of the wider world.

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  Villa San Michele

  Florence

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  Villa San Michele

  Florence

  A charming villa hotel

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  2 ratings

  1 review

Florence caters for addicts of caffeine, good food and wine, expensive shoes and cherubs. Walking and cycling is about as pumped-up as it gets.

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Florence's position in a river basin, walled in by hills to the south and the foothills of the Apennines to the north, largely determines its climate. In summer the city is a like a pressure cooker as heat and humidity soar. July is the worst month (closely followed by August) and there are days when there is not a whisper of air. The average highs hover around 31°C (88°F). Occasionally you can enjoy the temporary relief of a cracking good thunderstorm. Winter, on the other hand, is cool and often wet, although mercifully it doesn't last too long. Average temperatures in January range between 1°C (33°F) and 10°C (50°F) and snow is rare.

Average weather

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Transport

Getting around

A SITAbus runs every half-hour between Aeroporto di Firenze and the SITA bus station 4.50; a taxi costs 25.00. There's a train service between the main station and Galileo Galilei airport and Terravision (www.terravision.eu) runs bus services to the airport too.

Traffic is restricted in the city centre, so it's best to park a little out of town and walk around - parking in the more central areas is very expensive.

By far the easiest way to get around Florence is by foot.

Getting there and away

Florence is an important railway hub, and from the city's main train station, Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, you can get direct trains heading in most directions. The train is the most convenient option for reaching Florence from other Italian cities or abroad.

Flying into Florence for most people actually means flying into Pisa's Galileo Galilei airport, 80 minutes away by direct train. Pisa is an important central Italian hub and flights arrive from most main European centres.

Eurolines, in conjunction with local bus companies across Europe, is the main international carrier. Buses run several times a week from London, Paris, Barcelona and other European centres.

Health & Legal Requirements

Dangers and annoyances

Considering the volume of tourist traffic, Florence feels remarkably safe and violent crime is rare. However, you need to be on guard against pickpockets in heavily touristed areas, especially the historic centre and Stazione di Santa Maria Novella. Keep only a limited amount of cash on you, and the bulk of your money in replaceable forms such as plastic or travellers cheques. Valuables should be kept in the hotel safe, women should wear their handbag with the strap across their chest, men should carry their swag in their front pockets only and nobody should make themselves a target by wearing an external money belt.

Never leave valuables or anything visible in your car and don't get a hire car that has any markings to identify it as such.

Locals feel completely relaxed about walking around on their own at night, but you should exercise the usual caution: don't go down dodgy-looking alleys or streets and remember there is safety in numbers.