Picturesque Florence

Florence is the home of artists, bankers and humanists, a symbol of Humanism and the Italian Renaissance. It was probably founded in the 10th century BC by the Villanovans and later became the home of the Etruscans, who lived in a nearby village, called Fiesole. In fact, evidence of Etruscan civilization dating back to the 9th century has been found. BC It is possible to admire the remains of Etruscan art in the Archaeological Museum, among which there is also the famous Bronze of the Chimera. Some of them settled near the Arno river, which allowed the movement of goods. The Romans later decided to occupy this strategic position, so as to be able to keep both the river and the Via Cassia under control. The city, with the affirmation of Roman supremacy, began to acquire prestige in the 12th century, thanks to its trade. It later became a bishopric, becoming part of the Duchy of Lucca, under the dominion of the Lombards. It was thanks to Charlemagne that it managed to regain its independence and become a county. It became a free municipality, thanks to Countess Matilde of Canossa and, through autonomy, acquired power over the nearby cities of Pisa, Pistoia, Siena and Arazzo. Florence had its rise precisely in the municipal age, becoming an imposing power, as attested by the introduction of the gold florin onto the international market. Numerous civil struggles marked the city, particularly those between the pro-papal Guelphs and the Ghibellines, opposed to the power of the Church. These political struggles were a clear reflection of the contrast that existed between different social groups: that of the major arts, which represented rich merchants and bankers, that of the minor arts, representing the small artisans and the spokesmen of the feudal nobility, called magnates. At the head of the city were merchants and bankers, despite the attempts by the humbler classes to reclaim power, such as that of the Ciompi riot, which was immediately quelled. In 1348 the plague exterminated a large part of the population, and the failure of banking houses, such as that of the Bardi and the Peruzzi, gave rise to a period of great economic and financial crisis. At the end of the century, Florence was committed to preserving its independence under the pressure of the Viscontis, who aspired to political primacy in Italy. The transition from the municipal age to the age of lordship occurred in the fifteenth century, with the arrival of the Medici. The Medici affirmed their power in 1434, after the Pazzi conspiracy, when Lorenzo the Magnificent came to power, who maintained political stability by allying himself with Milan and Naples. During this period Florence earned the nickname "second Athens", with an unparalleled cultural and artistic growth. Following the death of Lorenzo, the city briefly returned to being a republic, and the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola took control of it, who, after being condemned by Alexander IV as a heretic, burned at the stake. After a period of instability, the Medici restored their power. Starting from 1569, with the rise to power of Cosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the city state became a regional state. Having become part of the kingdom of Piedmont in 1860, the grand duchy was annexed to the kingdom of Italy, and Florence became its capital from 1865 to 1871. The Second World War destroyed much of the city's artistic heritage, and, following the bombings of the Germans , only the Ponte Vecchio remained unscathed.