Florence (Italy)

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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.

The central band was widened in 1995. Red recalls the previous flag of the Kharijite Muslims. Effective date: 18 November 1995. >>