Discount Airfares to Florence
Florence (Italian: Firenze) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. From 1865 to 1870 it was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Florence lies on the Arno River and has a population of around 400,000 people, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000 persons. A centre of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was long ruled by the Medici family. Florence is also famous for its fine art and architecture. It is said that, of the 1000 most important European artists of the second millennium, 350 lived or worked in Florence.
At the heart of the city is the Fountain of Neptune, which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the terminus of a still functioning Roman aqueduct. The Arno river, which cuts through the old part of the city, is as much a character in Florentine history as many of the men who lived there. Historically, the locals have had a love-hate relationship with the Arno -- which alternated from nourishing the city with commerce, and destroying it by flood. Many of the bridges across the Arno were built by the Romans.
One of the bridges in particular, however, stands out as being unique -- The Ponte Vecchio, whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built on it. First constructed by the Etruscans in ancient times, this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived World War II intact.
The most famous palace in the city is San Lorenzo, which has become a monument to the Medici family who were one of the most powerful families in Florence during the 15th century. Nearby is the Uffizi Gallery, one of the finest art galleries in the world.
The Uffizi itself is located on the corner of Piazza della Signoria, a site important for three main reasons:
- In 1301, it was where Dante was sent into Exile (a plaque on one of the walls of the Uffizi commemorates the event).
- In 1497, it was the location of the Bonfire of the Vanities (a plaque in the middle of the plaza commemorates that event), followed in 1498 by the execution of its its instigator, Girolamo Savonarola
- In 1504, it was the original location of Michelangelo's David (now replaced by a reproduction as the original was moved indoors to the Accademia dell' Arte del Disegno), in front of the Palazzo della Signoria (aka Palazzo Vecchio).
Airfare Sales to Europe!
| From | To | Valid Departing Dates | Airfares From | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | London | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $939.00 |
| Chicago | Madrid | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $1163.00 |
| Los Angeles | London | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $1125.00 |
| Miami | Frankfurt | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $1210.00 |
| San Francisco | Berlin | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $1258.00 |
| Miami | Rome | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $1567.00 |
| Seattle | Istanbul | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $1363.00 |
| Los Angeles | Rome | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $1516.00 |
| Atlanta | Athens | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $1279.00 |
| Dallas | Amsterdam | 06/01/2008 | - | 08/31/2008 | $1252.00 |
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