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| '''Florence''' is an ] city with around 400,000 inhabitants. The history of Florence began with a settlement under the ], and the city flourished during the late middle ages of ]. Indeed it is said by many that that the Italian ] began here. Florence was long ruled by the ] family. | '''Florence''' is an ] city with around 400,000 inhabitants. The history of Florence began with a settlement of under the ], and the city flourished during the late middle ages of ] (largely due to the activities of merchant bankers). Indeed it is said by many that that the Italian ] began here. Florence was long ruled by the ] family and it was host to the first Italian parliament. | ||
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| At the heart of the city is the ], which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminous of a still functioning ] ].The ], which cuts through the old part of the city, is as much a character in Florentine history as many of men who lived there.Historically, the locals have had a love hate relationship with the Arno -- which alternated from nurishing the citywith commerce , and destroying it by flood. Many of the bridges across the Arno were built by the Romans. One in particular, however, stands out as being unique -- The Pontifeccio, whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built on it. First constructed by the ] in ancient times, this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived ] intact. | |||
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| ⚫ | Notable people from the city include: ], ], ] | ||
| Notable structures within the city: | |||
Revision as of 07:07, 5 January 2002
Florence is an Italian city with around 400,000 inhabitants. The history of Florence began with a settlement of under the Roman Empire, and the city flourished during the late middle ages of Europe (largely due to the activities of merchant bankers). Indeed it is said by many that that the Italian renaissance began here. Florence was long ruled by the Medici family and it was host to the first Italian parliament.
Florence was one of the richest & least feudalized of any of the other European cities during 1300-1600, It was probably due to this, that the city would be considered in later years (and even in its heyday) to be the birthplace of (at the very least) the Italian Renaissance. The surge in artistic, literary and scientific investigation that occured in Florence during this time period was precipitated by a preoccupation that Italians had with money and with the display of wealth and leisure. Added to this, were some famously demoralizing excesses of the Catholic church (Especially the controversy over the French Avignon Papacy & the Great Schism) along with the dreadfully demoralizing effects of the Black Death. Because of these factors, Medieval values no longer applied and were replaced by those of classical antiquity. Florence would profit both literaly and culturally from this change in social consciences.
At the heart of the city is the Fountain of Neptune, which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminous of a still functioning Roman aqueduct.The Arno River, which cuts through the old part of the city, is as much a character in Florentine history as many of men who lived there.Historically, the locals have had a love hate relationship with the Arno -- which alternated from nurishing the citywith commerce , and destroying it by flood. Many of the bridges across the Arno were built by the Romans. One in particular, however, stands out as being unique -- The Pontifeccio, whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built on it. First constructed by the Etruscans in ancient times, this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived World War II intact.
Notable people from the city include: Lorenzo de Medici, Michelangelo, Niccolo Machiavelli
Notable structures within the city: