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TOSCANA |
Tuscany (Toscana) is a region in Italy. It has an area of 23,000 km² and a population
of about 3.61 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence. Tuscany is known
for its landscapes and its artistic legacy. Six Tuscan localities have been UNESCO
protected sites: the historical center of Florence , the historical center of Siena, the
square of the Cathedral of Pisa, the historical center of San Gimignano, the historical
center of Pienza and the Val d'Orcia.
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FLORENCE |
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Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, and of the province of Florence. 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. |
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The historic centre of Florence continues to attract millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1982. |
The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral church (Duomo) of Florence, Italy, begun in 1296 and with major construction completed in 1436. The basilica is notable for its dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, its exterior facing of polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white.
The Boboli Gardens, form a famous park in Florence, that is home to a distinguished collection of sculptures dating from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, with some Roman antiquities.
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The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence. This massive, Romanesque, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany. Overlooking the Piazza della Signoria with its copy of Michelangelo's David statue as well the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi, it is one of the most significant public places in Italy.
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| Michelangelo returned to Florence in 1499–1501. He was asked by the consuls of the Guild of Wool to complete an unfinished project begun 40 years earlier by Agostino di Duccio: a colossal statue portraying David as a symbol of Florentine freedom, to be placed in the Piazza della Signoria, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Michelangelo responded by completing his most famous work, the Statue of David in 1504. |
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