History of Florence

The Romans founded the colony of Florentia in 59BC.  Florentia silently prospered until the fall of Rome in AD476.  Florence only re-entered the major historical timelines during the 13^th century struggle between supporters of the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.  From this struggle, individual city-states emerged, and by the 13^th century, Florence had a civic leader, the Podestà, and a number of guilds that represented the interests of the merchant and banker classes.  From the guilds emerged the Medici, a dynastic family that controlled Florence during the crucial years of the Renaissance and were patrons of scholarship and the arts.  By the 16^th century, the Medici were the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, continuing their patronage of the arts.  In 1737, the Medici's could no longer have children, therefore the Medici rule ended and Florence fell into the hands of the House of Lorraine, who, except during the Napoleonic years, ruled Tuscany until 1859.  In 1865, Florence became part of united Italy, serving as the capital briefly until 1870.  Today, it is capital of one of Italy’s richest regions. 

Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance and the creative hub for some of the world’s greatest artistic talents.  The city’s churches and museums contain masterpieces and its narrow streets are lined with great palaces and elegant shops.  "Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration." Built on the site of an Etruscan settlement, Florence, the symbol of the Renaissance, rose to economic and cultural pre-eminence under the Medici in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its 600 years of extraordinary artistic activity can be seen above all in the 13th-century cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), the Church of Santa Croce, the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace, the work of great masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo.

Coat of Arms of Florence, Italy
Stemma del Comune di Firenze

 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is listed by UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance.  Each World Heritage Site is the property of the state on whose territory the site is located, but it is considered in the interest of the international community to preserve each site.  The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. 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 also has a major European impact in music, architecture, education, cuisine, fashion, philosophy, science and religion. The historic centre of Florence contains numerous elegant piazzas, Renaissance palazzi, academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers.

Florence meets five out of the ten World Heritage Criteria including:

         i.            to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

        ii.            to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;

      iii.            to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

      iv.            to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;

       v.            to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.

This UNESCO Youths blog website aims to share Florence’s cultural, artistic, and historical heritage with students by compiling student experiences.  When possible, we will share particular insights we have into places, and give you insider tips of what to see and where to go.  Enjoy!