Known as the
cradle of the Renaissance era, the historic center of Florence was declared as a World Heritage Site
by the UNESCO in 1982. In fact, the centro storico is home to some of the most
beautiful monuments, churches and museums of the world and attracts millons of
tourists to the city each year. The historic city lies within medeival walls
built around it in the 14th century after Florence began to grow due to its economic
growth. Some of its most prominent sights include the Duomo, the Uffizi museum,
the Galleria dell’Accademia where the statue of David is held and the Ponte
Vecchio.
The saying goes that all roads lead to Rome. But the Eternal City wasn’t the first city to have actual roads. In 1339, Florence became the first city in all of Europe to have paved streets.
Did you know
that some of Italy’s finest and most famous artists and
celebrities came from or made Florence their home? The artistic inspirations
of the great sculptor Donatello and painters Rafael and Michelangelo were born in
Firenze. Other important historic figures who
lived in Florence include Amerigo Vespucci the explorer,
Niccolo Macchiavelli the philosopher, Galileo Galilei the astronomer and haute
couture fashion designers such as Guccio Gucci, Roberto Cavalli and Salvatore
Ferragamo.
When it comes
to eating, the Fiorentini definitely know good food. Tuscany, the region where Florence is located is home to the best wine
and cheese; so you can just imagine what the rest of the food is like. Some
typical regional dishes include: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a large rare T-Bone
steak cooked over charcoal; Crostini Toscani, sliced pieces of crunchy bread
with chicken pâté spread on top; and the Tagliata, sliced rare beef served on a
bed of arugula, topped with slices of Parmesan cheese.
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