History of the city of Florence Essays -- Italy European History Essay

History of the city of Florence In the entire scope of chronicle there are few civilizations that draw left their own unique imprint upon the rest of the world as well as influencing future generations like the city of Florence. Only a handful of nations can claim the cultural, financial, social, and artistic accomplishments that this city can. Throughout the history of approximately three thousand years Florence has proven to be an impressively resilient civilization that takes pride in itself and has been a leader in Italy and worldwide. From the founding Etruscan people, to Dante and Boccaccio, to the Medici family the Florentine people have proven themselves to be peculiar in many subjects of life. This paper will trace the different stages of the Florentine civilization from its foundations, to its emergence from the Middle Ages, to the period of the Renaissance, and finally to its transition to establish part of the nation of Italy.Early Florence The first peop le to settle the area that was to become Florence were the Etruscans who probably arrived around 1,000 B.C. by sea from Asia Minor.i? Current mean solar day archeologists and historians think fighting was common to the area because the Etruscans settled in walled cities reinforced on high, unapproachable hills which would be hard to attack. Fiesole was one such city which was conquerored by the Romans around 300 B.C. along with the surrounding areas. As is dour out, this defeat was beneficial to the native people because it provided secure trade routes defend by the Roman military. The ability to travel and trade more freely prompted these people to move their civilization to the banks of the Arno River not far from the site of young day Florence.ii... ...ucker, p. 58.xxi Lweis, p. 140.xxii Levey, p. 180.xxiii Levey, p. 236.xxiv? Colonel G.F. Young, The Medici (New York Modern Library, 1933), p. 286.xxv Levey, p. 254.xxvi Levey, p. 256.xxvii Young, p. 332.xxviii Young, p. 364.x xix Levey, p. 321.xxx J. Lucas-Dubreton, Daily Life in Florence In the sentence of the Medici (New York MacMillan, 1961), p.? 287.xxxi Levey, p. 332.xxxii? George Holmes ed., The Oxford History of Italy (Oxford Oxford Univ Press, 1997), p. 115.xxxiii Holmes, p. 115.xxxiv Holmes, p. 116.xxxv Holmes, p. 126.xxxvi Levey, p. 432.xxxvii Levey, p. 440.xxxviii Levey, p. 432.xxxix Levey, p. 456.xl Lewis, p. 182.xli Lewis, p. 183.xlii Levey, p. 456.xliii Lewis, p. 189.xliv Holmes, p. 229.xlv Holmes, p. 215.