Florence is the capital of the Toscana region, known for its evocative green hills and unspoilt beauty of historic towns such as San Gimignano, Montepulciano and Siena.
The Rinascimento [The Renaissance] sprang up in Florence. Here was the seat of the Medici family whose patronage inspired and promoted Florentine artists, architects and writers.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Florence holds many of Italy's cultural treasures: the Uffizi gallery, art by Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Donatello, Bruselleschi's dome and the beloved Ponte Vecchio.
