Florence Fun Facts

Florence Fun Facts

Florence Region: Tuscany 
Country: Italy 
Florence by the Numbers:
Population of Florence metro region:  696,767  inhabitants
Area of Tuscany:  8,876 sq. miles (about the size of the state of New Jersey)
Average Elevation of Florence:  140 ft
Annual Rainfall:  35 inches
Average Winter Temperature:  55 degrees F°
Average Summer Temperature:  81 degrees F°

Quick Facts: 
Time Zone:  Central European Time Zone (GMT+1)
Country Dialing Code:  39   Area Code:  055
Currency:  Euro (EMU)
Electricity:  220 volts @ 50Hz  Type B-Two Round Pin plug
Major Airport:  Amerigo Vespucci/Peretola  Airport (FLR), and Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA)
English Newspapers:  “The Florentine” & “East Milano”
Italian Newspapers: “Corriere della Sera”, “La Nazione”  & “Metro Florence”
Principal Industries:  Tourism, Fashion, Textiles, Wine, Agriculture
UNESCO World Heritage Site (1982)

Did You Know? 
1. Julius Caesar founded Florence in 59 BC as the retirement location for his veteran soldiers. 

2. People who live in Florence are called “Florentines.” 

3. The Italian name for Florence is “Firenze”. 

4. The city of Florence is considered the “birthplace of the Italian Renaissance” and the “Athens of the Middle Ages”. 

5. Florence was home to the infamous Medici family from the 14th century to the 18th century. 
Leonardo da Vinci, polymath;  Niccolo Machievelli, poet and philosopher;  Galileo Galilei, astronomer and physicist;  Amerigo Vespucci, explorer;  Donatello, sculptor;  Rafael, painter; Robert Cavalla, fashion designer; and Guccio Gucci, fashion designer and founder of the Gucci label all lived in Florence. 

6. In 1339, Florence became the first city in Europe to have paved streets. 

7. Florence Nightingale was born in and named after the city of Florence. 

8. There are 465 steps to the top of Brunelleschi’s cupola. 

9. Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge in Florence to have survived WWII intact.  Hitler declared it was too beautiful to destroy. 

10. Regional dishes include: Crostini Toscani, sliced bread rounds topped with chicken pate; Bistecca alla Fiorentia, a large very rare T-Bone steak cooked over charcoal; and Tagliata, sliced rare beef served on a bed of arugula, topped with slices of Parmesan cheese. 

Places of Interest: 

Piazza della Signoria 
Uffizi Galleries 
Accademia 
The Duomo 
San Marco 
San Lorenze 
Ponte Vecchio 
Giotto Tower 
Piazzale Michelangelo 
Santo Spirito Church 
Santa Maria Novella 
Santa Croce 
Pitti Palace 
Boboli Gardens 

Orientation: 
Located in a basin, among the Senese Clavey Hills, in northwest Italy about 75 miles from the Tyrrhenian coast at  43° 46’18”N, 11° 15′13”E.

Florence is the capital city of the province of Florence and the Italian region of Tuscany.

Rome is 172 miles to the south; Pisa is 65 miles to the west; Venice is 127 miles to the northeast and Milan is 185 miles to the north.

Florence National Holidays: 
1. Capodanno-January 1st

2. Pasqua (Good Friday)-March/April

3. Pasquetta (Easter Monday)- March/April

4. Anniversario della Liberazione (Liberation Day)-April 25th

5. Festa del Lavoro (Labour Day)-May 1st

6. San Giovanni (St. John the Baptist Day-Patron Saint of Florence)-June 24th

7. Ferragosti (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)-August 15th

8. Tutti Santi (All Saints Day)-November 1st

9. Immacolata Concezione (Immaculate Conception)-December 8th

10. Natale (Christmas)-December 25th

11. Santo Stefano (Boxing Day)-December 26th