Giotto Bell tower Florence

Giotto Bell tower Florence

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with about 370.000 inhabitants.
The city lies on the River Arno and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the richest and wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and its artistic, historic and cultural heritage and impact in the world remains vast up to this day. The city has also a major European impact in music, architecture, education, cuisine, fashion, philosophy, science and religion. The historic centre of Florence contains numerous elegant squares, Renaissance palazzi, academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers.
The city boasts a wide range of collections of art, especially those held in the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi. Florence is arguably the last preserved Renaissance city in the world and is regarded by many as the art capital of Italy. It has been the birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures, such as Dante, Boccaccio, Botticelli, Niccolò Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo Galilei, Catherine de' Medici, Antonio Meucci, Guccio Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, Florence Nightingale and Emilio Pucci.
The Florence main sights are: Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, San Giovanni Baptistery, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Basilica of Santa Croce, Uffizi, Vasari corridor, Galleria dell'Accademia, Pitti Palace, Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Strozzi, Ponte Vecchio, Giardino di Boboli.
The Florence Patron saint is John the Baptist .