Florence is the capital city of the region of
Tuscany, Italy. The city lies on the Arno River and the metropolitan
area has a population of around 950.000 people. A center of medieval
European trade and finance, the city is often considered the
birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was long ruled by the
Medici family. It is said that, of the 1,000 most important European
artists of the second millennium, 350 lived or worked in Florence.
The historic Center of Florence was declared a World Heritage Site
by the UNESCO in 1982.
Numerous are the panoramic places from which is possible to admire
the city, rich in medieval towers, bell-towers, bridges. Of
great interest are the handicrafts ( laceworks, straw, leather
works, goldsmith's art, mosaics), the gastronomy and the cultural
and folkloristic festivals. Many artists from the past such as
Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci left several
works in the city. Florence is an obligatory destination for
millions of tourists arriving from all the world, attracted by the
monuments, churches, museums, and artworks.
Being situated
close to the most important National lines of transportation,
Florence is very easy to reach. Florence airport is
only 5 km away from the historic center and the Autostrada connects
Florence with Bologna and Milan to the North and Rome and Naples to
the South. Through a fast highway Siena is half an hour drive |
