Once home to Dante, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli the streets and squares of the city are teeming with history. It all began in ancient times when the Romans established a colony near the banks of the Arno. After the fall of the Roman empire and a period of political turmoil and warfare, Florence flourished in the later middle ages. By the mid-1200s Florence was minting its own currency; the golden florin became the dominant trade coin all over Europe. Thanks to his economic prosperity, wealthy Florence bankers, merchants and wool makers began to pour huge sums of money into public works, places, churches fueling the renaissance. The city enjoyed its prolific golden age with the rise of the Medici family. Then after a period of decline, the city witnessed a reawakening when it became the capital of Italy for a short time.
Walk to amazing sites like Piazza Santa Croce and Piazza Della Signoria, a square with so much original sculpture, it could be considered an outdoor museum.
