!!!Florence

by Dmitry Moiseenko and Stanislav Sedov,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

25 November 2013

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

As any other ancient city, Florence has a lot to offer to tourists.
However, its distinguishing feature is not presented in architectural
elements, but rather in continuous connection with history and culture
of the world.

First settlements on the shores of Arno River are recorded in 59 B.C.
From the XII till XVI centuries the city has been a capital of the
independent Republic of Florence. By the XIV century economic
development of the region was ahead of almost all other countries in
Italy, as well as in Europe. This was also where Italian Renaissance has
originated shaping the human culture for future centuries.

[{Image src='01_Over the Arno River.jpg' caption='Over the Arno River' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo,
Machiavelli, and many other great Masters lived and worked in Florence.
"Law of Perspective", an essential part of the modern visual arts
studies, was invented here. Two continents (North and South Americas)
are named after Italian seaman, Amerigo Vespucci.

[{Image src='02_Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower.jpg' caption='Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='600'}]

All Florence attractions are connected to its famous citizens one way or
another. Great Italian sculptor, an artist, an architect, a poet, a
thinker, and one of the greatest Masters of the Renaissance period,
Michelangelo is buried in the Basilica of Santa Croce. Many of
Michelangelo's masterpieces, including famous "David", which became a
symbol of Republic of Florence, were created here.

[{Image src='03_Giotto_s Campanile.jpg' caption='Giotto_s Campanile' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='533'}]

Michelangelo participated in the creation of the Basilica of Santa
Croce, which became one of the oldest temples of the city and the
resting place of the legendary Medici dynasty.

[{Image src='04_Florence.jpg' caption='Florence' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='573'}]

The Uffizi Gallery is the largest museum of European art and the most
visited museum in Italy. It is based on a collection of the Medici
family.

[{Image src='05_Basilica di Santa Croce.jpg' caption='Basilica di Santa Croce' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

Florence Fine Art Academy was the first painting academy in Europe. This
is where Leonardo da Vinci's artistic talent was revealed. As a student
of Andrea Verrocchio, the most famous painter of his time, Leonardo was
tasked to finish a painting of an angel on a large canvas. He did it
with such excellence that his teacher Verrocchio dropped his paintbrush
and never touched it again.

[{Image src='06_Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower.jpg' caption='Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='587'}]

Ponte Vecchio, the oldest Florentine bridge surrounded by houses on both
sides, is considered a meeting place of Dante and beautiful Beatrice,
who became a muse of the great poet. The story of their romance saved
Ponte Vecchio during World War II, as German army spared the bridge
while destroying all other bridges over Arno River. On top of that,
Germans made a deal with advancing American forces: they would not blow
up the bridge if Americans promise not to use it. For the sake of saving
the cultural heritage not a single soldier set foot on Ponte Vecchio.

[{Image src='07_Ponte Vecchio Bridge.jpg' caption='Ponte Vecchio Bridge' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='527'}]

Florence rightfully takes place among most important attractions of
Italy. With the size of 100 square kilometers (which is 25 times smaller
than Moscow, and 12 times smaller than New York City), Florence is a
home for such a great number of monuments and museums, that an
unprepared visitor often experiences a culture shock. French writer
Stendhal first described this psychosomatic disorder (now called
"Stendhal syndrome"), which was later confirmed by psychiatrists in
multiple cases.

[{Image src='08_Piazza San Firenze.jpg' caption='Piazza San Firenze' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='545'}]

Fortunately for us, photographs of Florence cannot fully convey the
legendary atmosphere of Florence, and so we invite you to the
breathtaking, but safe, flight over the cradle of Renaissance and the
greatest cultural treasure of mankind.

\\ \\
[8 Panoramas of Florence|Geography/Europe/Italy/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Florence]









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