The capital region of Tuscany, Florence is located in the north-east of the territory. With over 354,710 inhabitants, Florence covers an area of 102.41 km², is situated in the middle of a valley between the hills of Cecina and the hills of Fiesole and is crossed by the Arno River.

The main city in Tuscany, Florence is internationally considered the Italian centre of culture, art and Renaissance architecture. With an immense wealth of monuments and buildings, its historic centre has, since 1982, been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. As a result, the centre is closely protected and safeguarded to ensure its beauty, charm and importance remain intact for centuries to come.

The capital of the Kingdom of Italy following its proclamation in 1865 until 1871, Florence lost its crown to the city of Turin and then finally to Rome. However, the city remains today an important hub not only for the country’s historical heritage but also for its economy. With ancient origins that begin in Roman times, Florence was founded in the 59 BC as primitive village known as Florentia. Over the following centuries, the city was controlled by the Byzantines, the Ostrogoths, the Lombards and Franks. In the tenth century, Florence became a free municipality and in 1200 witnessed violent clashes between those who supported and opposed separation and the faction of Ghibelline Guelph. However, the city continued to experience a period of intense development, both commercially and socially, during this time and became incredibly prosperous thanks largely to policy implemented by the Medici family.

The most famous section of the city is the Piazza della Signoria and its Vecchio Palazzo, a building which dates back to 1300 and was once the headquarters of the board of professional guilds, the heads of government in Florence during the fourteenth century. An important political centre in the city’s rich past, the piazza is also home to Uguccione’s Palace, built in the second half of 1500, the Loggia della Signoria, which is also known as the Loggia dei Lanzi because it was used as a refuge from Lansquenets, and finally the 14th century Court of Mercanzia.

Luckily for Florence its beauty is not confined to one small square. A city full of gems, Florence gained UNESCO World Heritage recognition thanks to its extreme wealth of beautiful monuments scattered all over. These monuments include the very famous Uffizi Gallery; the Ponte Vecchio Bridge, a bridge as romantic for its place on the Arno River as for its stalls of priceless jewels; the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the second largest church in the city; the Medici-Riccardi Palazzo, once home to the Medici family; Bianca Cappello Palazzo; Strozzi Palazzo; and finally the Rucellai Palace, which dates back to the fifteenth century and was designed by architect Leon Battista Alberti.

Then, of course, there are Florence’s many visually stunning and architecturally astounding churches. One of the city’s many claims to fame, the Duomo is a major European church and was once the family church for the Medici family and the Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity. However, the Duomo is not the only beautiful church in the Florence. There is also the Church of Santa Croce, designed by a Franciscan; the Church of Carmine, whose chapel was painted by artists’ Masaccio and Masolino; the Baptistery of San Giovanni, with its famous frescoes; the church of Santa Maria Novella, the symbol of Florence’s art history; the Church di San Marco; the Church of San Gaetano, built in Baroque style; the Church of the Santissima Annunziata, rich in works of art dating back to between 1300 and 1800; the Church of the Holy Spirit, designed and built by Filippo Brunelleschi: the Church of All Saints, which was originally the church of Amerigo Vespucci’s family; and finally the Church of Santa Maria del Fiore.