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| Florence
History |
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 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) governer, the podestà.
In the 13th century the
pro-papal Guelphs and pro-imperial Ghibellines started a century-long
bout of bickering, which wound up with the Guelphs forming their own
government in the 1250s. By 1292 Florence had had it with the obstreperous
nobles, excluding them from government. The city became increasingly
democratised, eventually becoming a commercial republic controlled
by the Guelph-heavy merchant class.
The great plague
of 1348 cut the city's population by almost half and really messed
with people's heads. 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 flowering 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 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.
Florence was badly
damaged during WWII by the retreating Germans, who bombed 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. The salvage operation led
to the widespread use of modern restoration techniques which have
saved artworks throughout the country.
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Information |
Fiesole
Nestled in the hilly valleys between the Arno and Mugnone rivers,
beautiful Fiesole offers spectacular views of nearby Florence (8km
to the south) and is a welcome fresh-air retreat from the city bustle.
The city readily reveals its Etruscan, Roman and Renaissance past,
and as a summer retreat it has attracted the likes of Boccaccio, Proust,
Gertrude Stein and Frank Lloyd Wright. Fiesole has a duomo, an impressive
art museum and an archaeological site featuring an Etruscan temple
and the remains of a Roman theatre and baths. Fiesole is especially
popular as a picnic spot, and its fascinating winding streets offer
atmospheric walks.
Medici Villas
The Medicis
built several opulent villas throughout the countryside around Florence
 during
the 15th and 16th centuries. The Villa della Petraia, about 3.5km
north of the city, is one of the finest. It was commissioned by Cardinal
Ferdinand de' Medici in 1576, and features magnificent gardens. The
Villa di Castello, farther north, was the summer home of Lorenzo the
Magnificent, and the Villa di Poggio a Caiano was a more permanent
base, built for Lorenzo by di Sangallo about 15km from Florence.
Mugello Region
North-east of Florence, the Mugello features
some of the most original villages in Tuscany. The Sieve River which
winds through the grape-filled valley is popular with canoeists. The
Mugello is very popular with walkers, trekkers, climbers and horse
riders. Sights to look out for include the strategically positioned
Montesenario Convent and the wine town of Rufina, with its viticulture
museum. |
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