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 Welcome to UnifiThe city of Florence

The city of Florence

Last
update
18.03.2024
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Florence is the capital of Tuscany, located on the banks of the river Arno, in the central-northern part of the Italian peninsula. It is easily accessible from every part of Italy and abroad, by plane, car and train. Florence is located on the main national railway lines; the international airport "Amerigo Vespucci" is only 5 km from the city centre; the A1 tollway (autostrada) connects Florence to Bologna and Milan, to the north, and to Rome and Naples, to the south. Read more on Travelling to and in Florence.

Besides boasting a glorious past, Florence is today an important cultural, manufacturing, commercial and industrial centre. The city is a destination for tourists from all over the world.

Read more in Welcome Service. A practical guide for international academics staying in Florence as guests of the University (pdf)

Art and culture

Florence boasts an exceptional artistic heritage, a glorious testimony of its centuries-old civilization. Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting, lived here.
The city is the cradle of the Renaissance, with Brunelleschi, Donatello, Masaccio, Ghiberti, the Della Robbias, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Their works, together with those of many other artists, are collected in the numerous museums of the city.

In Florence, thanks to Dante, the Italian language was born; Petrarch and Boccaccio gave impulse to literary studies. During Humanism Florence played a central role.

With Machiavelli, modern political science was born, with Guicciardini the historical prose and with Galileo the modern experimental science.

Florence today is an important international cultural centre, renowned for its academies, art schools and scientific institutes. The city is an active and lively cultural centre with many exhibitions and art festivals taking place every year.

Economy

The economy of Florence is mainly based on the service industry, in particular on tourism, which provides a significant source of income. Trade and crafts (jewelery, embroidery, footwear, leather, ceramics, furniture) also play a major role. The industry, although generally made up of small and medium-sized enterprises, is developed in key sectors such as precision engineering, optics, pharmaceuticals, chemistry, metallurgy and textiles.

Climate

The climate of Florence is generally mild: winters are not too cold and summers are warm and humid.

Average temperatures (in Celsius degrees)

  • January: 0 - 6
  • February: 1 - 7
  • March: 2 - 11
  • April: 5 - 16
  • May: 8 - 19
  • June: 11 - 21
  • July: 17 - 32
  • August: 20 - 35
  • September: 10 - 21
  • October: 7 - 15
  • November: 3 - 19
  • December: 0 - 15

National holidays

  • 1 January (New Year's Day)
  • 6 January (Epiphany)
  • Easter
  • Easter Monday
  • 25 April (Anniversary of the Liberation)
  • 1 May (Labor Day)
  • 2 June (Republic Day)
  • 24 June (St John's day, Patron of Florence)
  • 15 August (Feast of the Assumption)
  • 1 November (All Saints)
  • 8 December (Immaculate Conception)
  • 25 December (Christmas)
  • 26 December (Boxing Day)

Consult the scheduled closing days of the University offices and facilities for 2024.

 

 
Last
update
18.03.2024
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