FLORENCE CIVITAS

Florence has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the CITY OR CIVITAS category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the the aeternitas and the future of Europe.

Florence is one of the most ancient cities of the history of European integration, signed in great part by Christianity. The Civitas Florence was founded in 59 B.C. by Romans, who assigned the name of flower and established a new Colonia inhabited by families of Latins veterans which received large pieces of the public land (Ager Romanus) of the Roman Respublica to share with the local people. Florence is located in a strategic point at the crossing of ancient roman ways: the Claudia Augusta Way starting from Florence towards the North through the civitas of Bologna and Verona up to Augsburg to end in Milan; the Cassia Way starting from Rome and connecting with the Aurelia Way to reach the port of Genoa. Within the reform of Augustus (see Roman Empire), Florence was included into the Regio VII Etruria of the Italiae province and elevated as capital because became rapidly an important commercial centre and could control the fertile valley of Arno river, while with the reform of Constantine I (see Christian Empire), Florence became part of the imperial Italiae Diocesis and became one of the most populated christian community.

After the Gothic War and the invasion of Lombards, Florence was included in the Duchy of Tuscia until the conquer by Charlemagne who included into the Regnum Italiae assigning the March of Tuscia to the homonimous family. They transferred the residency in Florence around 1000 A.D. so the city restarted the commercial and craftsmanship activities, exploiting the Arno river to join the international trade protected by the Pisa mariner republique and developing the textile industry and merchant banking skills that made the fortune of the 'Comune' and the élite growing power. The urban people grew up such as the rural population at the middle of XIV century A.D., when riots began among the oligarchic families (started during the 'Guelfi&ghibellini' war) divided in "blacks and whites" parties, won by the banker family of Medici who took the control of Florence for centuries.

Under the Medici government, Florence became a rich and populated republic and could extend its control onto the sourronding rural areas, being the dominus of the ancient Tuscia Mark, once defeated the rival city of Siena. Thanks to Lorenzo 'said the magnificient', in 1492 A.D. Florence became the italian centre for culture, arts and finance, by starting the 'Reinassance epoque' that spreaded all around Europe on the basis of the christian culture of Humanism, developed in the same city by the most famous literates and poets of Middle Age (such as Petrarca, Dante and Boccaccio) and throughout the city university. The commissioning works of Lorenzo and his successors made the fortune of Florence and its magnifient city centre, thanks to the operas of the masters Michelangelo, Leonardo and Botticelli.

Always allied to the Roman Church, the Medici family entered the European genalogies in XVI century A.D. thanks to the new Reich emperor Charles V who permitted them to have two popes and confirmed their political power in Tuscia region and northern Italy by assigning the title of Duchy of Florence. Afterthat, the Medici family became allied of the French kings by giving two queens to Borbone dinasty, that ruled the Kingdom of Etruria created in 1801 A.D. by Napoleon I before the annexion of Tuscany to his empire. With the Wien Congress of 1815 A.D., Florence and Tuscany got back to the Hapsburg-Tuscany dinasty (originated from the imperial Reich family) and ruled the Great-Duchy of Tuscany until its annextion to the Italy kingdom under the Savoy dinasty, who moved the capital to Florence in 1864 A.D. until the 'capture of Rome'.

Nowadays, Florence is one of the most tourists visited city of the world. Why Florence is so famous un the world? Thanks to the Uffizi Museum, the unique architectural monuments and arts manufactured, the rich collections of Medieval and Reinassance pieces of art (the famous 'David of Donatello' sculpture) and the large number of art-filled churches (as the Florence duomo) densely concentrated in 'the historic centre of Florence' enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage. Elevated capital of the metropolitan city and of the Tuscany region within the Italian Republic, the patron of Florence is St. John the Baptiste, the prophet who baptized Jesus and recognized him as 'the Christ'.

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