Visiting Historic Florence
Birthplace of the Renaissance
Just as Tuscany is on one of the "must
see" regions in Italy, Florence is the
"must see" city in Tuscany. But,
be forewarned: during the summer months
millions of tourists pour into the City
from all over Europe,
and make sightseeing
difficult. The best time to visit
in the early Spring,
Fall or winter months. In fact,
visiting Florence in November,
January and February are some of the best
times to enjoy this spectacular city for
so many reasons, from cheaper prices in
the restaurants to the eerie romantic feel
that walking over Pontevecchio (the Golden
bridge)
The city center has a pronounced
medieval feel. The buildings are
mostly of hewn grey stone with roofs of
russet colored tiles. The same
stone has been used to cobble the
ancient streets. The author Mary
McCarthy wrote a book about Florence
called "The Stones of Florence"
because of the stone works hard and
refractive qualities. The book, written in
1959, is as apt today as it was then, a
good read that will help you see
Florence through fresh eyes. A
very good idea, that.
Florence is densely packed and busy, its
intersecting streets and alleys
contributing to a sense of befuddlement
for the first time traveler. We
recommend you actually allow yourself
the fun of "getting lost" in this city,
because around most corners, you will
encounter many wonderful, surprising
things. Besides, you can always
pick-out a landmark, like
Brunelleschi's dome on the Duomo
or the tall bell tower, or the Santa Maria
Novella train station to quickly re-orient
yourself.
This is not a suitable place to write at
length about the history of Florence,
but a few quick notes are in order.
The city, on the banks of the Arno
river, originally named Fiesole,
was founded by the Etruscans in about
200 BC. The Romans, who displaced
the Etruscans, called it Florentia,
and used it as a garrison town to
control the Via Flaminia, a major Roman
highway.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, the
city underwent a process of
democratization. First, it evolved
into a free commune. By
1138 AD, it was ruled by a board of 12
consuls, advised by a wealthy group of
merchants, the Council of One Hundred.
This arrangement fell apart because of
infighting, resulting in the "election"
of a foreign governor, the podesta.
Early in the 13th century, bickering
between the Guelphs (pro-papal) and
Ghibellines (pro-monarchy), ultimately resulted in
the formation of a government by the
"winning" Guelphs. During this period, the
plague reduced the the city's population
by half, which accelerated the
democratization process.
By the end of the century, nobles were
excluded from Florentine government, and
the city became a republic, controlled
by Guelph merchants. The DeMedici
family emerged as the leading family,
and the city came more or less under
their control until they went broke in
1494, when Florence fell under the
control of Girolamo Savanorola, a
Dominican munk who enforced a
puritanical regime. He was hanged
and burned for his troubles in 1498.
The enterprising Medici's returned to
power in the early 16th century and
ruled for another 200 years. The
city's fame as a center of art, culture
and science derives principally from the
fact that the Medicis were active
patrons to the best of the best in all
fields. This period, with a legacy
almost unsurpassed in the western world,
is known far and wide as the
Renaissance.
In the 18th century, the Grand Duchy of
Tuscany passed into the control of the
House of Lorraine, and was ultimately
incorproated into the Kingdom of Italy,
of which Tuscany became capital.
With the demise of the monarchy, Tuscany
became just another, if somewhat more
exalted, regional capital.
The two world wars wreaked extensive
damage on Florence, a devastating flood
in 1966 took a big toll on numerous
buildings, including the Ufizi art
gallery, and many works of art.
Restoration continues to this day. |
