Florence - the History
Day 11, 12 & 13 - Exploring Florence A History of Florence The First 1000 Years Founded by Julius Ceaser and settled by the Romans in 59BC in central Italy, it was a perfect stop-off between Rome and the North, and the large Arno River nearby made it perfect for travel and trade. First called "Florentine" which meant "flourishing", it was raided countless times with power shifting among the Goths, Byzantines and Lombards. Construction began on some of the churches and basilicas that still exit today such as San Lorenzo (393 AD) and the Baptistry of San Giovanni dating back to the 7th C. Year 1000 - 1400's Often called an open-air museum because of the beauty of its buildings and squares, its architectural style is a mix of Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance and Romanesque. Most of the buildings, bridges, churches, convents, monasteries and cloisters that we admire today come from this period. Often, the work was started in one century and fin...