florence

Florence (Italy)

The Arno River runs through the center of Florence.

Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany, on Italy's north-west coast. The cultural and historical impact （影響力）of Florence is overwhelming. However, the city is one of Italy's most atmospheric and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance（特徵）to the small late-medieval center that contributed so much to the cultural and political development of Europe.

Where Rome is a historical hot-pot （熱點）, Florence is like stepping back into a Fiat and Vespa-filled Renaissance （文藝復興）: the shop-lined （商店林立）Ponte Vecchio, the trademark Duomo, the gem-filled Uffizi Gallery, the turreted （有角塔的,角塔狀的）Piazza della Signoria and the Medici Chapels.

十五至十六世紀時是歐洲最著名的藝術中心，以美術工藝品和紡織品馳名全歐。1865-1871年曾為意大利統一後的臨時首都。工業以玻璃器皿、陶瓷、高級服裝、皮革為主。金銀細工、藝術複製品等工藝品亦很有名。是連接意大利北部與南部鐵路、公路網的交通樞紐。歐洲文藝復興運動的發祥地，舉世聞名的文化旅遊勝地。市區仍保持古羅馬時期的格局。多中世紀建築藝術。全市有40多個博物館和美術館，烏菲齊和皮提美術館舉世聞名，意大利繪畫精華薈萃於此。文化中心，有大學，還有藝術、文學、科學研究院與圖書館等。

Duomo cathedral

The remarkable Duomo （大教堂）, with its pink, white and green marble facade （房屋正面）and characteristic dome （拱頂）, dominates the city's skyline. The building took almost two centuries to build (and even then the facade wasn't completed until the 19th century), and is the fourth-largest cathedral in the world. The enormous dome was designed by Brunelleschi, and its interior features frescoes （在……作壁畫）and stained-glass windows （由各色玻璃拼成的彩畫玻璃窗）by some of the Renaissance-era's best: Vasari, Zuccari, Donatello, Uccello and Ghiberti. Take a deep breath and climb up to take a closer look, and you'll be rewarded by fantastic views of the city and an insight into how the dome was so cleverly constructed - without scaffolding （腳手架）. The dome still defines the scale of the city, and no building in town is taller.

Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus can be found in Piazza della Signoria.

Florence was founded as a colony of the Etruscan city of Fiesole in about 200 BC, later becoming the Roman Florentia, a garrison town （有駐防的城市）controlling the Via Flaminia. In the 13th century the pro-papal（羅馬教皇）Guelphs and pro-imperial （國王）Ghibellines started a century-long bout of （一次）bickering （爭吵，矛盾）, which wound up with（以……而告終）the Guelphs forming their own government in the 1250s. By 1292 Florence eventually becoming a commercial republic controlled by the Guelph-heavy merchant class.In the latter part of the 14th century the Medicis began consolidating （鞏固）power, eventually becoming bankers to the papacy （羅馬教廷）. Florence became capital of the Kingdom, and remained so until Rome took over （控制）in 1875.

Florence used to be badly damged by war (WWII ) and floods (in 1966), fortunately the salvage operation （拯救工作）led to the widespread （廣泛的）use of modern restoration techniques（修復技術）which have saved artworks throughout the country.