tourist information
An interesting choice of guided tours can be proposed. For further details and advanced booking, please contact Key Congressi (email florence2009@keycongressi.it - fax +39 040 660353). On-site requests for tours are welcome but cannot be guaranteed
Founded by the Romans in the first century BC, and after the decadence of the barbaric age, Florence began its revival in the Carolingian period and reached its highest peaks of civilization between the 11th and 15th centuries as a free city, balancing the authority of the Emperors with that of the Popes, and overcoming the unfortunate internal dispute between Guelfs and Ghibellines. In the 15th century, it came under the rule of the Medici family, and later became the Granducato di Toscana (Grand Duchy of Tuscany). This was the period when the city reached the height of its glory in art and culture, in politics and economic power. The Grand Duchy of the Medicis was succeeded, in the 18th century, by that of the House of Lorraine and in 1860 Tuscany became part of the Kingdom of Italy: Florence was its capital from 1865 to 1871. In this century, the city has once more taken up its role as an important centre for culture and the arts.
Florence has a unique artistic heritage, a glorious testimony to its secular civilization. Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting, lived here, along with Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, reformists of architecture and sculpture; Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, founders of the Renaissance; Ghiberti and the Della Robbia dynasty; Filippo Lippi and Fra Angelico; Botticelli and Paolo Uccello; the universal geniuses Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. Their works, along with those of many generations of artists up to the masters of the present century, are gathered in the city's many museums. It was in Florence that the Italian language was born, thanks to Dante; with Petrarch and Boccaccio, literary studies were affirmed; with Humanism, the philosophy and values of classical civilization were revived; with Machiavelli, modern political science was born; with Guicciardini, historical prose; and with Galileo, modern experimental science. At the time of Charlemagne, Florence was a university town. Today it includes many specialized institutes and is an international cultural centre. Academies, art schools, scientific institutes and cultural centres all contribute to the city's intense activity.
The Uffizi, (1560-1580) intended as an officio (office) for magistrates, judges, technicians and merchants of Florence, saw the top floor turned into a private gallery for the pleasure of the ruling family of Florence, the Medicis, and their guests. In addition to paintings, statues and jewellery, scientific instruments and even weapons were displayed there, and it was one of the most interesting and precious collections in the whole world. Since 1865, it has been a museum, now with 50 rooms housing paintings dating from between the 13th and 18th century. Highlights include the famous "Madonna enthroned" by Giotto, the "Battle of San Romano" by Paolo Uccello, the double portrait by Piero della Francesca of "Federico da Montefeltro", the "Birth of Venus" by Botticelli , in addition to three works by Leonardo, one by Michelangelo, a few by Raphael and many by Titian. All the paintings are displayed chronologically, so it is possible fully to appreciate the innovations in art through the centuries.
The Galleria dell'Accademia. A former hospital in the 14th century and subsequently an Academy of Fine Arts, it houses "David", the famous masterpiece by Michelangelo, a must for all visitors to Florence. Sculpted between 1501-1504 as an adornment for the exterior of the Duomo of Florence, it became instead a symbol of the commitment of the Florentine State to freedom and independence, as well as a symbol of the Medici's defeat in 1494. It still personifies energy, vigour and courage, symbolising mankind's struggle for survival. His anatomy, later reproduced by Michelangelo's contemporaries, was carefully depicted, thanks to the in-depth studies carried out by the great artist. In addition to the David, there are the four statues of the Slaves commissioned by Pope Julius II as a decoration for his tomb, the "Lamentation of Christ" and "St. Matthew". The museum houses an interesting collection of paintings from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and early 17th century.
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