March 25, 2017 Comments Off on 5 cool things about Florence – the city that always flourish Views: 3004 Looking Back, Nostalgia, Urban Trekker

In 200 BC the ancient Italian civilization of the Etruscans initially formed a small settlement known as Fiesole, which was destroyed under the dictatorship of Lucius Cornelius Sulla after only 120 years. The present city of Florence was established by Julius Ceasar in 59 BC. The city first served as a settlement for his veteran soldiers and was originally called “Fluentia” as it was built between two rivers. The name was later changed to Florentia which translated to “flowering”.

#1 Florence was one of the wealthiest cities in medieval times

Back in medieval days, Florence emerged as the heart of European trade and finance. A home to the politically powerful Medici families, the city virtually financed the industrial growth all over Europe. The Florentine money, that was made in the form of gold florin, were used from 1252 to 1533 and had 72 grains of normally pure or fine gold. In today’s money, a coin would be worth approximately $140. Florence is also considered the birthplace of the Renaissance and it also claimed the title of the capital city from 1865 to 1871 in then newly formed Kingdom of Italy.

#2 Florence had a widespread homosexual culture

Little known fact is that Florence had a flourishing homosexual culture as well and age-structured relationships were very common. However, homosexuality was soon regarded as “sodomy” and in 1432 the city employed “The Officers of the Night”. Until 1502, the number of men charged with sodomy surpassed 17,000, out of whom 3,000 were convicted. The number included heterosexual sodomy as well. It was during this period that common people came with a number of proverbs too, for instance: “If you crave joys, tumble some boys.”

#3 Nearly a third of the world’s art treasures reside in Florence

The list of artists who lived and prospered in Florence in its golden days is endless. Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting resided in Florence, as well as Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, renewers of architecture and sculpture. Then, there were the forefathers of the Renaissance, Donatello, Masaccio and Brunelleschi; then, Ghiberti and Filippo Lippi, Botticelli and Paolo Uccello. These are just a few of the names, and of course not to forget Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, who was born on April 15, 1452, in the lower valley of the Arno River that dissects the city in two.

#4 Florentines were one of the driving forces behind the Age of Discovery

Not only in art, but Florence prospered in science and research. Florentine bankers financed Henry the Navigator and plenty other Portuguese explorers who pioneered the route around Africa to India and all the way to the Far East. A notable name is Florentine Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanneli who was renowned for his observation of comets, and who also draw a map which helped Christoper Columbus start his voyage out into the unknown.

“Meanwhile, Florence was increasingly becoming, for different reasons that not were not foreign to one another nor opposed – artistic and cultural on the one hand and political on the other – the Mecca of travelers and foreign residents.”

― Franco Cardini, A Short History of Florence

#5 Florence ranks top 15 in the fashion capitals of the world

Last but not least, Florence is regarded by some as the birthplace and earliest center of the post-WWII fashion industry in Italy. The Florentine “soirées” of the early 1950’s organized by Giovanni Battista Giorgini were events where several now-renowned Italian designers participated in group shows and for the first time gained international attention. Since 1928, this city is also the home of the Italian fashion company Salvatore Ferragamo, and not to mention that brands like Gucci and Roberto Cavalli are still headquartered in Florence.

One last fun fact: Florence is the city that got the first paved streets in Europe in 1339.

Tags: Art, Culture, Florence, Italy, LGBT