The history of Florence begins with the establishing of the Roman Florenzia colony in the mid-1st century BC. However, Florence itself is even older than this. Several centuries before the arrival of the Romans to Florence, the Etruscans, a people originating from central Italy, established themselves in the hills where Fiesole stands today. At the time, the Arno Valley was a big swamp, completely inaccessible to anyone.
In 218 BC, Hannibal attacked Italy, crossing the valley along with his army. His soldiers were annihilated by sickness, while Hannibal himself lost an eye in the process. Meanwhile, not a single Roman soldier attacked him in the dangerous swamp.
The history of Florence starts in the year 63 BC. During a civil war, an ambitious nobleman by the name of Katilina, attempted to gain power. However, his army was defeated near the town of Pistoia. Fiesole, a city which fought of Katilina’s side, was destroyed, and its inhabitants deported from the hills to the valley where the Romans created a fortified village, Florenzia. The village got its name from its creator, a Roman centurion by the name of Fiorinus. The name Florenzia is of Latin origin, meaning “the city of flowers” or “blooming city”. The new village, situated in the fertile valley (the Romans had dried the swamp out) grew quickly and prospered in the centuries to come, up until the invasion of Barbarians, when Florenzia survived the assault and the fall of the Empire. It was only after 1000 CE that Florenzia completely recovered from the blow it experienced at the beginning of the medieval era.
In the late medieval era, Florence regained its economic importance and its administrative autonomy. In 1115, it became a consular municipality, one of the largest “municipalities” (free cities or states), choosing its own institutional and state leaders, but still vowing obedience to the Pope and the Holy Roman Empire.
In the 13th century, a large clash between the Papacy (Guelfs) and the partisans (Ghibellines) shook the Empire. For years, Florence was engulfed by civil wars. After the ultimate defeat of the Ghibellines, families who supported their cause were exiled (the demolition of the Ghibelline Palace was followed by the construction of the new city hall and square, known today as the Piazza della Signoria, in its place). Soon after, however, the Guelfs divided into two separate factions and started clashing with one another. Florence was characteristic for its economic prosperity, as well as its many enemies, but the city gained many friends as well, the most loyal among them being from Arezzo, Pistoia, Pisa and Siena. While Florence was mostly sided with the Guelfs, the rest of Italy was on the Ghibellines’ side.
In 1260, after the great defeat at Montaperti, Florence was defeated, but still managed to defend itself against the forces of Siena. In 1289, Arezo was conquered in the Battle of Campaldino, a battle which saw the participation of the great Florentine poet, Dante Alighieri (1265 – 1321). Dante, a poet and writer, actively participated in Florentine politics, but was forced into exile after the defeat of his faction. In his masterpiece, La Divina Comedia, many historical characters and events from the political turmoil can be seen. This was a time of conflict between Florentine citizens, families who came from villages, nobility and merchants, as well as between the rich and the poor, the workers and the landowners.
In the meantime, a strong banker family accumulated more and more power and money, which let it become the only family who ruled over the city from the year 1434, the House of Medici.
The most important member of this famous dynasty was Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449 – 1492), who ruled over Tuscany for half a century as Italy’s first prince of Renaissance, a protector, poet, humanist, politician and one of the main proponents of Humanism. Respected by all, Lorenzo was a skilled diplomat, capable of maintaining the fragile peace between states. After his death in 1492, the enemies of the Medici family tried to inherit his power.
Girolamo Savonarola (1455 – 1498), a Dominican priest, tried to reveal the corruption happening within the church to the public, criticizing the people in power at the same time. In 1497, Savonarola was imprisoned by the orders of Pope Alexander VI, and was executed the following year at the Piazza della Signoria. The Medici family returned to Florence, but were promptly exiled once again. Florence was still participating in the bloody wars against France and Spain, with both countries fighting for power over Italy. Cesare Borgia, a violent son of a corrupt Pope, attempted to conquer Florence, but was ultimately unsuccessful. After years of conflict, Florence was finally conquered by the Spanish Army under Charles V in 1530. The Medici family finally managed to regain power in Florence after this: Cosimo I Medici (1519 – 1571) became the new Duke of Florence and a loyal Spanish ally. Cosimo finally managed to conquer Siena in 1555, Florence’s historical adversary, thus becoming the Grand Duke of Tuscany. In the following two centuries, Florence experience an era of peace and prosperity, which ended with the last ruler of the Medici Dynasty in 1737, which left the throne without an heir. The new governors, the Austrian Lorraine family, brought about “enlightened” reforms, which banned torture and, in 1785, the death penalty (Tuscany is the first country in the world to ban capital punishment).
After the French Revolution, Florence was under Napoleon’s rule for fifteen years. The city participated in wars, rebellions and was temporarily a part of France. In order to return to their previous state, the Lorraine family regained power in the city, but the political climate changed. Many intellectuals from Florence fought for the independence and unity of Italy. During the First Italian War of Independence (1848 - 1849) many students and professors from the Universities of Florence, Siena and Pisa lost their lives in the battles of Curtatone and Montanara. In 1859, the Lorraine family was exiled and Florence became part of the newly-established Kingdom of Italy.
In 1865, the capital was moved from Torino to Florence and this lasted until the liberation of Rome in 1870. During those years, the medieval city walls were demolished, the city territory expanded and the capital of Tuscany wan industrialized.
During World War Two, Florence was occupied by German troops. The city didn’t suffer any major damage, but its historical bridges, all except the Ponte Vecchio, were demolished. After the war, Florence became one of the most developed and popular tourist sites in Italy.
In 1966, the Arno river flooded the city, flowing through the city center and damaging various art treasures that Florence has. However, a restoration soon began and Florence regained the status of one of the most beautiful and visited cities of the world.
The city of canals and alleyways, numerous islands and bridges, the city of gondolas and wondrous vistas, jaw dropping architecture, postcard - perfect palaces, the city of the carnival and the masks, in a nut shell – a city one can fall in love with quite easily. All of these words seem to describe Venice as one of the most well-known tourist destinations in the world. Venice offers loads to visitors: stunningly beautiful palaces and superb buildings that will take you on a trip through the rich history of this unique city, numerous canals to cross either on foot or by a gondola, a number of islands that still seem to stay hidden to most tourists, as well as a huge number of tourist sights and museums. As the saying goes, even the Venetians get lost in Venice.
The eternal city, a city of glorious past, a city of chequered history, the cradle of Roman Catholic Church - are just some attributes that distinguish Rome from other popular tourist destinations. Tourists will be able to take a peek at the beauty and glory of once the most important city in the world and to enjoy its more modern architectural marvels, mostly built by a number of different popes in quick or slow succession. Don’t just visit Colosseum and Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Rome has so much more to offer.
Ravenna is a city of history, numerous monuments that stand in silent testimony of its turbulent past as well as its fame and glory as the capital city of many an empire and kingdom. The main attractions of Ravenna are certainly its churches and mosaics that all date back to the 5th and 6th century and the early Christian societies in Europe. The scale and splendour of colorful Byzantine mosaics, their historical significance as well as monuments that date back to the Ostrogoths were even recognized by UNESCO who included eight sites in this small city on their World Heritage list. Ravenna is a city which lets its visitors to embark on a journey through history and especially through the history of Byzantine, from the civilization of which only but a faint remnant has survived throughout the world.
Milano is a city of fashion, a city fascinated with the idea of beauty, a city of stunningly beautiful Gothic architecture, a city of compelling culture, a city of the young, city of fabulous fairs and architectural accomplishments. All of these attributes seem to describe Milan, which is the business capital of Italy, which oozes its charm to its visitors in a matter of seconds. To a contemporary tourist Milan offers grand, awe inspiring buildings, a multitude of museums, riveting religious buildings, its culture as a mixture of the modern trends and the tradition that goes all the way back to the Roman Empire, glitz and glamour of its shopping malls and different nightlife zones that will appeal to the tastes of all visitors.
This is the page dedicated to Lake Garda on which you can find a complete tourist guide and suggestions about what to visit while planning your trip to the lake. Lake Garda is one of three great lakes in the northern Italy. Its lovely little towns on the shores of the lake draw an incredible number of tourists each year, who flock there for its mild and mellow climate, strolls on the lake shores, traditional Italian cuisine and of course to stand in awe before the heritage of this region laid bare for us to gaze at in a host of castles, wondrous villas and picturesque villages and dainty little towns.
The city of Pisa rises above the docks of Arno river. Pisa is one of the most important cities in Tuscany and it is well known in the world thanks to the city’s famous symbol, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We could say that Pisa is both, an ancient city, proud of it’s middle ages past, when Pisa was one of the leading naval force in Europe, and a modern city, full of positive energy that comes from its numerous students, as Pisa has three of the most important universities in Italy. Even if most famous monument in Pisa is the leaning Tower, it is not the only one in this city. Bell Tower of San Nicola Church and the church of San Michele of Scalzi are the other two leaning towers in Pisa.
With its gardens with a riot of colour, wonderful villas and splendid panoramic views Lake Como has become one of the most visited tourist places in Italy. The compellingly beautiful Lake Como seems to have enchanted artists and travelers for centuries: from famous Giuseppe Verdi and Vicenzo Bellini who apparently wrote his opera “Norma” here, to Gioacchino Rossini and a French writer Flaubert.
Lake Maggiore represents the most beautiful jewel of Piemonte region in Italy. Located between mountains and valleys, Lago Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy (after Lago di Garda), covering the surface of 212km². Almost 80% of the lake’s surface is located on Italian territory, between regions Piemonte and Lombardy, while the remaining 20% belongs to Switzerland. Here, you will have a chance to enjoy such artistic landscapes that everyone should see at least once in a lifetime. Between the emerald green vegetation and the shining blue sky stand numerous castles, sumptuous palaces and prestigious Italian gardens. These monuments testify about the link between the two noble families, which, for years, marked the history of the lake: families Visconti and Borromeo.
The city of Palermo was founded in the 7th century BC by the Phoenicians. They named the city Zyz, after a flower, dedicated to the beauty of this area surrounded by mountains and four rivers: Kemania, Oreto, Pannaria and Papireto. Later on, the Greeks tried several times to conquer the city, but all their attempts were thwarted. Finally, only the Romans succeeded to occupy Palermo, during the First Punic War in the 3rd century BC.
Florence is the capital of the Italian region of Tuscany, a city of over 400 thousand inhabitants. This city is famous for its art, its priceless and unique art heritage, which includes cultural monuments of various styles, rich museums such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, as well as magnificent villas, most of which used to belong to the famous Florence Medici family.
Bari is the capital of the Italian region of Puglia, in southern Italy. The city is facing the Adriatic Sea. After Naples, Bari is the most important economic center in southern Italy. Bari is a port city and an important university center. Bari is the city of Saint Nicholas, with a population of about 350,000 people. It is made up of four urban parts of the city, each of which is special in its own way - the old town (citta vechia di Bari), two modern ports on the peninsula, the southern district of Murat and the commercial district with a promenade by the sea.
