Florence

Florence (Italian: Firenze) is a city in central Italy and the capital of the Tuscany region. It lies along the Arno River, in a hilly landscape south of the Apennines. The city proper has a population of about 380,000.

Historically, Florence is regarded as the cradle of the Renaissance. In the 14th to 16th centuries its merchants, bankers, and rulers, especially the Medici, sponsored artists, scientists, and scholars, producing innovations in art, architecture, and humanism. Notable figures associated with Florence include Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Galileo.

Architecturally, the city displays monuments such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with Brunelleschi's dome, the Baptistery with its Gates of Paradise, and Giotto's Campanile. The Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia house world-renowned Renaissance artworks. The Ponte Vecchio spans the Arno, and the Palazzo Vecchio commands the historic center; the nearby Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens reflect later Renaissance and baroque tastes.

The historic center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 for its concentration of Renaissance art and its urban layout.

Today Florence remains a major cultural and tourist hub. It hosts the University of Florence and a long tradition of crafts such as leatherwork and textiles, alongside a diversified economy based on tourism, education, and services.

Transport links include Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station and Florence Airport, Peretola, which handles domestic and European flights.

The city experiences a temperate Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.

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