Florence (Italian:
Firenze, Old
Italian:
Fiorenza, Latin:
Florentia)
is the capital city of the Italian region of
Tuscany, and of the province of Florence. It is the
most populous city in Tuscany and has a population
of 364,779 (696,767 in the urban area).
The city
lies on the Arno River and is known for its history
and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the
Renaissance, especially for its art and
architecture. A centre of medieval European trade
and finance, the city is often considered the
birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it
has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. It
was long under the de facto rule of the
Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also
the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
The historic centre of Florence continues to
attract millions of tourists each year and was
declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.