dove e il bagno/where is the bathroom, dove e venticinque via maria/where is 25 Maria Street. Maria street is not the street I will be staying in. I should commit that address to memory.
Some history of Florence:
Florence, it could be said was founded by Julius Caesar who in 59 BC rewarded veterans of his army, plots of fertile land in the Arno Valley. With the fall of the empire Florence suffered through centuries of siege, destruction and chaos during what some refer to as the great migration. Um? Migration? Sounds ominous.
There was some calm from 570 to 774 when Charles the Great made it a French colony. Florence began to show its love of beauty with the construction of the Baptistery and church of S. Miniato al Monte during the 11th century. In 1082 surviving a siege Florence began its independence as a republic and soon flexed it muscles annexing territory. An important personage during this period was Countess Matilda; loved by the florentines she worked hard for independence and the formation of the republic. During the 12th century enormous wealth was amassed through the city's banking enterprises and the manufacturing of textiles. In 1252 the city minted its first gold coin which soon became the most sought after and stable currency in Europe.
Banking was the engine that made Florence the center of the Renaissance. Initially there were two families the Bardi and the Peruzzi but their banks failed in the 1340s when Edward the third of England failed to repay a loan of 1.5 million florins. The Medici then moved center stage because of its success in banking. Thanks to Cosimo the elder who created the ledger system of debits and credits. Cosimo's grandson Lorenzo 'the magnificent' [so called because he loved pomp and ceremony], 1449-1492, is the figure most associated with Florence. He ruled the city during its golden age: The Renaissance.
Enough for today.
Gracie & you respond, prego.
The Gold Florin.
