Florence

Florence (Italian Firenze [fiˈrεnʦe]) is a major Italian city with a population of 372,038 (as of 31 December 2019). It is the eighth largest city in Italy by population. Florence is the capital as well as the largest city of the Tuscany region and the Metropolitan City of Florence, which is home to about one million people.

Florence is famous for its history. As the center of late medieval European trade and finance, it was one of the richest cities of the 15th and 16th centuries. Florence is considered the cradle of the Renaissance. Due to its cultural importance - especially for the fine arts - it was also called the "Italian Athens" as early as the 19th century.

Due to the powerful dynasty of the Medici family, Florence rose to become one of the most flourishing metropolises in Europe during the Renaissance. Numerous artists and clergymen were at home here: Leonardo da Vinci spent large parts of his youth in Florence, Michelangelo found shelter in the Medici church, Galileo Galilei lived as a court mathematician in the Medici palaces. From 1865 to 1870, the city was the capital of the newly founded Kingdom of Italy.

The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists year after year. Euromonitor International ranks the city as the 40th most visited city in the world, with almost 4.2 million visitors in 2015. The historic city center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Due to its artistic and architectural heritage, Forbes Magazine has selected Florence as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The richness of museums, palaces and monuments is particularly noted.

Geography

Florence lies on the Arno, which flows through the old town, and on the Mugnone, which, coming from the north, flows into the Arno west of the old town. Coming from the south, the Ema joins the Greve at Galluzzo, together they then flow into the Arno in the urban area of Florence. The Arno was also important for the supply of the people by the trade, but it also caused destruction and suffering by floods. To the north of Florence is the range of hills of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, and to the south the hills of Chianti border the city.

Climate

Florence is still in the temperate climate zone with very warm summers and cold and wet winters. Due to its location and the resulting lack of ventilation, Florence is noticeably warmer in the summer than on the coast.

The highest temperature recorded was 44 °C in July 1983. The lowest temperature recorded was -23 °C in January 1985.