Florence Travel Guide

Florence is one of the most picture-perfect towns globally and engaging for wine lovers to know; it has been making wine commercially since 200 BC! Birthplace of Dante and Michelangelo and the cradle of the Renaissance, Florence is almost overwhelming for art and architecture lovers. Like many Tuscan towns, Florence has Etruscan and Roman roots. From early on in the city’s foundation, trade and commerce thrived as Florence was well located on the road to Pisa (a major port), on the way to Rome, and a navigable river (the Arno). Outside Florence, in the hamlet of Fiesole, there are beautiful Roman ruins, including an amphitheater and a museum of Etruscan art.

After Rome’s fall, Florence was caught in the crossfire between the warring Goths and Byzantines and later was invaded by Lombards. In the 8th century, during what is known as the Carolingian Period, Florence became part of the Holy Roman Empire and created a feudal system. The early Middle Ages were a period of battles with archrival Lucca, one of the wealthiest Tuscan cities. In the 12th century, Florence became a commune, extended the city walls, and incorporated surrounding hamlets into the city. The Arno River, which had been outside the city’s walls, became the city’s center.

During this period, there were five main classes of inhabitants – the aristocracy, the merchants and moneylenders, the horse soldiers and army, peasants and clergy. While the nobles held more power, the city grew under the merchants. Trade and increased wealth were the reason why Florence expanded. The late 12th century was a century dominated by the seemingly never-ending (they lasted until the 15th century!) battles between the Guelphs (who supported the Pope) and the Ghibellines (who supported the Holy Roman Emperor). Confusingly, the Guelfs later fractured into the Black Guelphs and the White Guelphs in Florence. The Blacks continued to support the Papacy, while the Whites were opposed to Papal influence. An amusing anecdote is that Dante supported the White Guelphs and was exiled from Florence when the Black Guelphs took Florence over in 1302!

The Black Death was a major catastrophe in Florence’s and Europe’s history. This plague arrived from the East to Italy in 1348, letting loose an absolute rampage of death as never seen before in history. Giovanni Boccaccio wrote about the plague in his book The Decameron after witnessing the spread of its devastation in Florence in 1348. The population of Florence was reduced by more than half! By the 14th century, the city began to recover, and thanks to banking and trade, Florence rose to power again. The Florentine coin “Florin” became a standard currency in Europe, the middle class increased, and many “blue-collar” guilds were formed, such as the wool guild and the tanners’ guild.

Perhaps the most interesting period in the history of Europe came next- the Renaissance. The idea of the Renaissance was a return to classical Greek antiquity and its concept of beauty, a resurgence of interest in philosophy, and a thirst for knowledge, especially in mathematics and sciences. These ideas were spread with the invention of printing machines. Florence is most revered for its Renaissance heritage, largely thanks to the Medici family. Lorenzo Medici, the “Magnificent,” was one of history’s most important patrons of the arts. Under the Medici Family (powerful bankers and traders), Florence became a capital of art, architecture, commerce, philosophical studies, and political intrigue. Artists, sculptors, and architects such as Donatello, Michelangelo, and Brunelleschi (who designed the magnificent Duomo) were all cultivated under the Medicis.

The Medicis always had enemies, though. The fiery priest Girolamo Savonarola, who had political ambitions, succeeded in ousting the Medicis from Florence. However, they quickly made a comeback to power, and Savonarola was subsequently deemed a heretic and burned at the stake in the Piazza Della Signoria in 1498. The last Medici to rule was Grand Duke Gian Gastone, and after he died, Tuscany came under the power of the French-Austrian dynasty, Francis I, Duke of Lorraine. The Austrian Imperial House ruled Tuscany until 1859. Italy was unified one year later, and Florence was even briefly the capital of Italy.

The first half of the 20th century brought general hardship to Italy with two world wars. Florence suffered horrific floods in 1966, and much artistic patrimony was heavily damaged during the floods. As always, the city bounced back and is now one of the most visited cities in Italy. Besides tourism, local industries include artisan glassware, ceramics, wine, Olive Oil production, wrought iron, leatherwork, and fashion. Be prepared to see swarms of tourists in Florence, but it is a small price to pay for the flabbergasting amount of stunning art and architecture on offer. Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.