Florence and its Province [antikvár]

FLORENCE AND ITS PROVINCE The origins of the City of Florence (alt. 236 ft; pop: 444,254) probably go back to several centuries before Christ. Later it became a Román Colony. In Mediaeval times Florence withdrew fairly early from the feudal Government and became a free town, and it was already in a state of vigorous development by the beginning of the 13th Century. From that time the city never ceased to develop, as much in the artistic/cultural as in the juridico/social and political fields. This culminated in the rule of the Medici, which brought splendour to Florence for more than three centuries. We must alsó mention the exceptional development of Florentine trade throughout the whole of Europe, for this is in fact the real origin of the wealth and power of the Medici. It was during this happy period that the city grew prodigiously. Florence lies in the Arno Valley, enchantingly surrounded by hills. To enjoy the view the best places to go are: Piazzale Michelangelo, just above the city; the terrace in front of the Belvedere Fortress; the Hill at Fiesole; Bellosguardo and the approach to the town by way of Via Bolognese, through the narrow gap between Monté Fiesole and Monté Rinaldi. In Florence there is a harmonious marriaqe between the austere grandeur of mediaeval times and the classic serenity of the Renaissance. Florence, city of Dante, Machiavelli, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Donatello, Leonardo and Michelangelo, was the most live centre of thought and art in Italy. This distinguished past has left incomparable traces both in the outer aspect of the city and in her archives, libraries, museums and picture galleries. The centre of the city is the Piazza del Duomo. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was built in the course of the 13th and 14th centuries, in Florentine Gothic style. In the middle of the 14th century rose the Bell Tower, called Giotto's Tower because it was first designed by the great painter. A century later the Cathedral was sublimely crowned with Brunelleschi's dome. In front of Santa Maria del Fiore is the stupendous Baptistry, Dante's