The known history of Florence begins around 59 B.C. with the founding of a village for ROMAN military veterans.
The area was under the domination Bysantia, Ostrogothic, Lombard and France. In 415 B.C. it became an autonomous community. Assisted by its own gold coin, the FIORINO, it became one of the most powerful and prosperous cities in EUROPE. Later under the rule of the MEDICI family, Florence had a period of maximum development.
Florence is known as the cradle of the Renaissance, the great development that took in all fields between the 14th and 16th century.During this period MICHILANGELO, BRUNELLESHI, PICO DELLA MIRANDOLA , POLIZIANO, LEONARDO DA VINCI and many others worked in Florence. Other famous citizens were RAFFAELLO, BOTTICELLI, MACCHIAVELLI, GALILEO GALILEI. In 1861 it was annexed into the KINGDOM OF ITALY, and Turin was the capital in 1865.
