Overview

Florence - The Gem on Arno

Set like a rare gem in the heart of Tuscany is Florence - perhaps the world’s first Retirement Community! It was originally established by Julius Caesar in 59 BC as a settlement for his veteran soldiers and was called Florentia. This is the city that gave birth to the Renaissance and changed our world-view. It has since long captured the imagination of travelers, it has enamored everyone who has walked its streets with its subtle beauty, its unprepossessing architecture and its wonderful artwork and rich cultural heritage.

Florence is sewn to the banks of the Arno River, surrounded by olive-planted hills on the north and south, giving it a pleasant climate that doubles the pleasures of the attractions it offers. The city is easily accessible from all large cities in Europe and offers limitless entertainment choices to its visitors. Once you get over its wonderful chapels, galleries and museums there are hundreds of modernistic and traditional restaurants offering traditional and fusion cuisines and lot of shopping choices with Ponte Vecchio ruling the roost.

But the city’s best feature is that despite having all the trappings of a large tourist city, it still feels like a small city. All of the major sites are within walking distance of one another, and despite its status as a city of global importance, it doesn't feel overwhelming. Have a long leisurely meal outside, or get some gelato and relax by the Fountain of Neptune at the heart of the city and you'll learn as much about Italy as with any sightseeing tour.

How Florence Grew
A brief timeline in history

Giovanni Villani – Who wrote the history of Florence

59 BC – Julius Caesar establishes the city of Florentia and the city is designed as a Roman camp
541-4 AD - Byzantine walls added to the Roman walls, as protection against the Ostrogoths.
570 - Tuscany is overtaken by the Lombards, who set up shop in Pavia and Lucca
781 and 786 - Charlemagne, King of the Franks, visits Florence, which has become part of the Carolingian Empire ruled by Margraves based in Lucca
1115 – The last Margrave ruler, Matilda passes away; the first Comune is formed in which Florence is run by a 100-strong assembly
1235 - The birth of the Florin – it is first minted in silver, and then in 1252, in gold; the Florin is used as a standard coin in Europe
1250-60 - the Primo Popolo regime is dominated by the trade guilds
1265 - Birth of Dante Alighieri in Florence
1296 - Construction of the Duomo, Florence's cathedral, is begun under Arnolfo di Cambio
1302 - Dante is exiled by Charles of Valois
1340s - Economic crisis, due in part to the bankruptcy of the Peruzzi and Bardi family bankers by Edward III of England and also partly to the Black Death (plague), after which the population of Florence is reduced by half
1378 - Uprising of the Ciompi (wood carders), high point of labor unrest
1406 - Florence captures Pisa, gaining direct access to the sea
1458 - Cosimo de' Medici recognized as ruler of Florence
1469 - Birth of Machiavelli
1469-92 - rule of Lorenzo the Magnificent, artistic highpoint
1475 - Birth of Michelangelo
1478 - Pazzi conspirators scheme to have Giuliano and Lorenzo de' Medici murdered in the cathedral. Giuliano is killed but Lorenzo escapes by hiding in the sacristy
1494 - Surrender of Florence to Charles VIII of France at Sarzana
1498 - Savonarola burned at the stake in Piazza della Signoria after four years of rule
1502 - Republic of Florence retakes Pisa
1570 - Cosimo I creates Tuscan state free from Pope and Holy Roman Empire
1743 - Death of Anna Maria Luisa, last of the Medici, the Medici inheritance is bequeathed to Florence and becomes the basis of the Uffizi Gallery collection. Florence is then ruled by the house of Lorraine under Francis Stephen, who becomes Emperor I of Austria.
1799-1814 - Tuscany is occupied by Napoleon's troops
1865-1870 - Florence is made capital of the newly united Kingdom of Italy. King Vittorio Emmanuele is installed in Palazzo Pitti
1944 - On August 4, Germans blow up all the bridges in Florence except Ponte Vecchio
1966 - On November 4, the Arno River bursts its banks and Florence is flooded
1993 - Bombing of the Uffizi Gallery

When to Pack up

The best time to visit Florence is from April to June and in September/October. You get the best of all worlds in this time - the weather is usually good, hotel and food prices are lower and there are fewer tourists to joust with for hotel space and in museum queues. July and August are hot and humid and this is the time to avoid Florence. Early winter, in December, can also be surprisingly pleasant, with crisp air and sunny days and far, far fewer people clogging up the piazzas.

Beautiful Florence – with rare icing on top!

All that said, the charms of the Uffizi are far too great than any surprises the weather might throw at you. Florence has some percentage of tourists at any given time of the year, braving the heat, cold or humidity – whatever is the flavor of the season – to savor the best of the city.