Capital of Tuscany, N Italy, 88 km/55 mi from
the mouth of the river Arno; population
(1988) 421,000. 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. The Roman town of Florentia was
founded in the 1st century BC on the site of
the Etruscan town of Faesulae. It was
besieged by the Goths AD 405 and visited by
Charlemagne 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, with new city walls,
and governed by a body of 12 citizens. 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 their having been 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) that 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. From 1737 the city was
ruled by the Habsburg imperial dynasty. The
city was badly damaged in World War II and by
floods 1966. features Florence's
architectural treasures include the Ponte
Vecchio, 1345; the Pitti and Vecchio palaces;
the churches of Santa Croce and Santa Maria
Novella; the cathedral of Santa Maria del
Fiore, 1314; and the Uffizi Gallery, which
has one of Europe's finest art collections,
based on that of the Medici.