Florence

Florence is the most populous city in Tuscany and has a population of 364,779 (696,767 in the urban area).

The city lies on the Arno River and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture.Florence was originally established by Julius Caesar in 59 BC as a settlement for his veteran soldiers.

The best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city, Santa Maria del Fiore, known as The Duomo. The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world.

At the heart of the city in Piazza della Signoria is Bartolomeo Ammanati's marble sculpture, the Fountain of Neptune.

Florence is cut in two by the Arno river. The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) crosses the Arno and is famous for its housing of gold and silver merchants.

Famous Florentines:

* Leonardo da Vinci
* Niccolò Machiavelli
* Galileo Galilei
* Dante Alighieri
* Michelangelo
* Giotto
* Donatello
* Raphael
* Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning
* Florence Nightingale
* Sandro Botticelli
* Guccio Gucci, founder of the Gucci label.