Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. [5] It is considered by many academics [6] to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance, becoming a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic and financial center. [7] During this time, Florence rose to a position of enormous influence in Italy, Europe, and beyond. [8] Its turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. [9] From 1865 to 1871 the city served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The Florentine dialect forms the base of Standard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy [10] due to the prestige of the masterpieces by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini. Conde Nast Traveller's guide to shopping in Florence". Cntraveller.com. 11 November 2009. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017 . Retrieved 9 October 2013.

The ZTL – Avoid Restricted Traffic Zones & Fines in Italy – Italy Perfect Travel Blog". Italy Perfect Travel Blog. 16 June 2015 . Retrieved 3 February 2018.The private school, Centro Machiavelli which teaches Italian language and culture to foreigners, is located in Piazza Santo Spirito in Florence. Some tourists are less than respectful of the city's cultural heritage, according to Nardella. In June 2017, he instituted a programme of spraying church steps with water to prevent tourists from using such areas as picnic spots. While he values the benefits of tourism, he claims that there has been "an increase among those who sit down on church steps, eat their food and leave rubbish strewn on them", he explained. [72] To boost the sale of traditional foods, the mayor had introduced legislation (enacted in 2016) that requires restaurants to use typical Tuscan products and rejected McDonald's application to open a location in the Piazza del Duomo. [73] Florence has been a setting for numerous works of fiction and movies, including the novels and associated films, such as Light in the Piazza, The Girl Who Couldn't Say No, Calmi Cuori Appassionati, Hannibal, A Room with a View, Tea with Mussolini, Virgin Territory and Inferno. The city is home to renowned Italian actors and actresses, such as Roberto Benigni, Leonardo Pieraccioni and Vittoria Puccini. Study Abroad in Florence Italy – Florentine artisan courses for school groups". Florenceart.net. Archived from the original on 12 September 2009 . Retrieved 22 January 2010. a b .Hanning, Barbara Russano, J. Peter Burkholder, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. Concise History of Western Music. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010.pg. 182.

Art in Florence". learner.org. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019 . Retrieved 27 September 2010.Why Was Florence Considered Important For Culture And Arts? – Essay – Michellekim". StudyMode.com . Retrieved 14 March 2010. In centuries to come, the city experienced turbulent alternate periods of Ostrogoth and Byzantine rule, during which the city was fought over, helping to cause the population to fall to as low as 1,000 people. [20] Peace returned under Lombard rule in the 6th century and Florence was in turn conquered by Charlemagne in 774 becoming part of the March of Tuscany centred on Lucca. The population began to grow again and commerce prospered. Ryan, Billy (19 August 2020). "The Time When Jesus Was The King Of Florence". ucatholic.com . Retrieved 15 July 2021. Main articles: Republic of Florence and Italian Renaissance Rise of the Medici [ edit ] Leonardo da Vinci statue outside the Uffizi Gallery

Report Quindiciale N. 17" (PDF). Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2012 . Retrieved 11 December 2011. The famous Medici bank was established by Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici in October 1397. [16] The bank continued to exist (albeit in an extremely diminished form) until the time of Ferdinando II de'Medici in the 17th century. [17] But, for now, Giovanni's bank flourished. MeteoAM.it! Il portale Italiano della Meteorologia (20 May 2005). "MeteoAM.it! Il portale Italiano della Meteorologia". Meteoam.it. Archived from the original on 8 October 2006 . Retrieved 22 January 2010.johndeike (3 March 2021). "The Architects and Origins Behind the Italian Language". Italian Sons and Daughters of America . Retrieved 19 June 2023. Florence is a major production and commercial centre in Italy, where the Florentine industrial complexes in the suburbs produce all sorts of goods, from furniture, rubber goods, chemicals, and food. [11] Traditional and local products, such as antiques, handicrafts, glassware, leatherwork, art reproductions, jewellery, souvenirs, elaborate metal and iron-work, shoes, accessories and high fashion clothes also occupy a fair sector of Florence's economy. [11] The city's income relies partially on services and commercial and cultural interests, such as annual fairs, theatrical and lyrical productions, art exhibitions, festivals and fashion shows, such as the Calcio Fiorentino. Heavy industry and machinery also take their part in providing an income. In Nuovo Pignone, numerous factories are still present, and small-to medium industrial businesses are dominant. The Florence-Prato-Pistoia industrial districts and areas were known as the 'Third Italy' in the 1990s, due to the exports of high-quality goods and automobile (especially the Vespa) and the prosperity and productivity of the Florentine entrepreneurs. Some of these industries even rivalled the traditional industrial districts in Emilia-Romagna and Veneto due to high profits and productivity. [11]