|
Florence  Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Florence, Italy. Building began in 1296 under Arnolfo de Cambio, on the site of the 12th-century cathedral of Santa Reparata. The exterior façade is clad in green, red, and white marble, and dates from 1875.  The baroque interior of the Anunziatta Church, Florence, Italy. The church was built in 1250 for the Servants of Mary, a religious order founded in the 13th century. The Italian sculptor and engraver Benvenuto Cellini is buried here, in the Chapel of St Luke, in the Cloisters of the Dead.  Interior of the Dante House Museum in Florence, Italy. Capital of Tuscany, northern Italy, on the River Arno, 88 km/55 mi from the river's mouth; population (1992) 397,400. It has printing, engineering, and optical industries; many crafts, including leather, gold and silver work, and embroidery; and its art and architecture attract large numbers of tourists. Notable medieval and Renaissance citizens included the writers Dante and Boccaccio, and the artists Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. Features Florence's architectural treasures include the Ponte Vecchio (1345); the Pitti and Vecchio palaces; the churches of Sta Croce and Sta Maria Novella; the cathedral of Sta Maria del Fiore (1314); and the Uffizi Gallery, which has one of Europe's finest art collections, based on that of the Medicis. History Florentia was founded by Julius Caesar in the 1st century BC on the site of the Etruscan town of Faesulae. It was besieged by the Goths in AD 405 and visited by Charlemagne in 786. In 1052, Florence passed to Countess Matilda of Tuscany (1046–1115), and from the 11th century onwards gained increasing autonomy. In 1198 it became an independent republic governed by a body of 12 citizens, and had new city walls. In the 13th–14th centuries, the city was the centre of the struggle between the Guelphs (papal supporters) and Ghibellines (supporters of the Holy Roman Emperor). Despite this, Florence became immensely prosperous and went on to reach its cultural peak during the 14th–16th centuries. From the 15th to the 18th century, the Medici family, originally bankers, were the predominant power, in spite of being twice expelled by revolutions. In the first of these in 1493, a year after Lorenzo de' Medici's death, a republic was proclaimed (with Machiavelli as secretary) which lasted until 1512. From 1494 to 1498, the city was under the control of religious reformer Savonarola. In 1527, the Medicis again proclaimed a republic, which lasted through many years of gradual decline until 1737, when the city passed to Maria Theresa of Austria. The city was ruled by the Habsburg-Lorraine imperial dynasty 1737–1861, and was then the capital of Italy 1865–70. The city was badly damaged in World War II and by floods in 1966. Florence was the birthplace of the writers Dante and Machiavelli, the sculptors Donatello and Ghiberti, and the founder of nursing, Florence Nightingale. Architecture Six bridges cross the River Arno, replacing those destroyed in World War II. The only bridge to escape destruction was the Ponte Vecchio, which is lined with jewellers' shops, and links the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti. The bridge of Sta Trinita has been rebuilt to its original plan. |
| The city's churches include S Lorenzo, begun by Brunelleschi (c. 1420), near to which are the Medici Chapels: the Princes' Chapel (17th–18th centuries), and the New Sacristy, begun in 1520 by Michelangelo. Sta Maria del Carmine contains frescoes (1427) by Masaccio; and S Marco, a convent (c. 1436), has frescoes by Fra Angelico, and was the home of Savonarola and Bartolommeo. |
| The streets are renowned for their splendid medieval and Renaissance palaces and mansions, once the residences of Florentine nobles. The Palazzo Vecchio has statues by Donatello and Michelangelo, and a campanile (bell-tower), the Torre di Arnulfo (1299–1314), 94 m/308 ft high ; the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi was the home of the Medicis until 1540; the Palazzo Pitti and the Palazzo degli Uffizi contain works by Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, Botticelli, Fra Filippo Lippi, and Filippino Lippi. There are many important libraries, including the Biblioteca Nazionale (1747) and the university library. The university, founded in 1321, is one of the oldest in Italy. |
Struggle for power In the 12th century the Florentines formed themselves into arti (trade guilds), and restricted the tenure of public office to their members. The citizens waged war against the feudal lords whose castles were in the neighbourhood, forcing them to become citizens and to live in the city for at least three months in the year. The rule of the emperors was gradually eroded and, after the death of Frederick (I) Barbarossa in 1190, Florence was proclaimed a republic in 1198. |
| In the 13th and 14th centuries, during the struggles between the pro-papal Guelphs and pro-imperial Ghibellines, Florence was chiefly Guelph. With other cities it formed the Tuscan League to fight against Pisa, Siena, and other Ghibelline adherents. The nobles were now excluded from government by the rich burghers and their guilds, and power was transferred under the Ordnances of Justice to the Priori (a committee of eight) and the gonfaloniere of justice (chief magistrate). At the beginning of the 14th century, the city was torn by feuds between the Neri and Bianchi (‘Blacks’ and ‘Whites’), two Guelph factions. Dante was one of the Priori, and was banished with the Bianchi faction in 1302. |
| In spite of the constant fighting entailed by these feuds, Florence grew in splendour and prosperity. Fine churches, palaces, and libraries were built; Florentine cloth merchants, jewellers, and goldsmiths visited foreign markets and established banks; about 400,000 golden florins were minted every year; and the city was a centre of art and letters. All this was made possible by the solidarity of the trade guilds. In 1348 the city was decimated by the Black Death, and plague put an end to the internal strife. |
The Medicis From 1434 to 1527 the Medici family reigned supreme; under their direction Florence became the centre of the Italian Renaissance, and attained the summit of its magnificence and power. They patronized arts and letters, and a school of painters emerged, represented by Cimabue, Leonardo, Giotto, the Lippis, and Andrea del Sarto. After Lorenzo de' Medici's rule, his successors gained a reputation for degeneracy, along with the Florentines to some extent. Savonarola, who in the late 15th century tried to reform the manners and morals of the citizens and re-establish a democratic government, was eventually burnt at the stake for preaching against the corrupt practices of Pope Alexander VI. In 1532 Alessandro de' Medici was installed as the hereditary duke of Florence, but was murdered in 1537 and succeeded by Cosimo de' Medici. In 1569 Cosimo was declared Grand Duke of Tuscany, with Florence as its capital. The line died out in 1737, passing to the House of Lorraine, and the Habsburgs. |
Florence| City and administrative headquarters of Lauderdale County, northwest Alabama, USA, on the Tennessee River near the Tennessee Valley Authority's Wilson Dam, 175 km/109 mi northwest of Birmingham; population (1990) 36,400. Industries include agricultural and poultry products, building materials, lumber, and fertilizers. The University of North Alabama (1872) is in Florence. |
| Florence was founded in 1818 and incorporated as a city in 1889. The birthplace (1873) of composer W C Handy is a museum. |
Florence| City and administrative headquarters of Florence County, northeast South Carolina, USA, 98 km/61 mi northwest of Myrtle Beach; population (2000) 30,200. It is a centre of the trucking industry, serving as a terminus for many companies. Other industries include electronic equipment, dairy products, fertilizers, film, furniture, machined goods, and clothing. Francis Marion College (1970) and a technical college are in the city. |
| The community was founded in 1853 as a railroad junction, and was incorporated in 1890. During the American Civil War it had a major prison camp, and now has a national cemetery. |
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
?Sign in  |
|---|
|
|
|
)
)
)