Florence, Italy
Lorenzo The Magnificent
The great Florentine historian of the 16th-century Francesco Guicciardini wrote 'that it would not have been possible for Florence to have had a better or a more pleasant tyrant', and certainly Lorenzo stands out amongst his contemporaries and is striking even today as a splendid, versatile personality.
Why Dirty David Needs a Wash - or at Least a Dry Clean
Michelangelo's masterpiece David is causing a dispute in the international art world as experts bicker over how the statue should be cleaned ahead of its 500th birthday next year.
Florence Divided Over £500m Tram Scheme
Florence, the city that houses a large part of Italy's - and Europe's - cultural heritage, is bitterly divided over plans for new tram lines that would slice through its famous Piazza del Duomo, the cathedral square.
Florence: Free Pocket Travel Guide from Flashbooking
Flashbooking is a growing youth hostels and hotels directory specializing in budget accommodation for independent travellers, students, backpackers, families and all the ones that travel on a pocket.
American cemetery in Florence - Paying a homage while on holiday
There are two American cemeteries in Italy and one of them is located on the outskirts of Florence, commemorating the thousands of soldiers who lost their lives during World War II in Italy.
The discovery of a well in the Tower of the Pulci in Florence
Florence had never been hit by the Mafia before. The explosion caused death and destruction. And an unexpected discovery.
Italy’s magical city of Florence - the capital of the exquisite Tuscan region
Italy is a beautiful country of majestic mountains, tranquil lakes, enchanting cities and wonderful walled villages. Florence is a beautiful encapsulation of this...
Travel to Florence: An Ever-Blooming Retreat
In the first century BCE, the Romans appropriately renamed this former Etruscan town Florentia, or destined to flower. With this blessing, Florence (Firenze) remained faithful to its namesake to become the unrivaled authority of Renaissance art, literature and culture.
Florence In A Day
Discover the best of the sights of Florence Italy, even if you only have a day to spare.
Art Detective Exposes Hidden Images to Fuel Da Vinci Code Conspiracies
Amid the obsessive scholars and scheming prelates who inhabit Dan Brown's global blockbuster, The Da Vinci Code, there is a real person. Maurizio Seracini works in a high-ceilinged, colourfully frescoed palazzo just across the river from the Uffizi gallery in Florence.
The city of Florence and its past
The city of Florence, or Florentia according to its Italian name, was founded in the first century B.C. by the Romans.
New Lead in Hunt for Lost Leonardo
Hopes of finding a long-lost work by Leonardo da Vinci have been fired by the discovery of a tiny cavity in a wall in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
Tales From the Crypt That Bury Medici History in Ever Deeper Mystery
Donatella Lippi calls it a "terrible problem". She and other researchers who have spent the past 10 months prising open the tombs of one of Europe's most illustrious families, the Medicis of Florence, have got more than they bargained for.
Spectre of Closure Haunts the Uffizi
Heritage minister lays down gauntlet to Berlusconi by warning he will resign if spending cuts strike at world-renowned Florence gallery.
Medicis' Secret Crypt Exposed
A long-rumoured secret crypt of Italy's mighty Medici family was discovered by scientists yesterday after a hunt reminiscent of an Indiana Jones movie. The vaulted chamber was found under a stone floor behind the main altar of the Medici chapels in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence....
Carving of Christ Goes on Show
A small but anatomically perfect wooden Christ on the cross appears in Florence for the first time, billed as a hitherto unknown masterpiece by Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Leonardo's Car Brought to Life
It has taken more than 500 years to get from the drawing board to the showroom, but today the first working model of the "car" conceived by Leonardo da Vinci is to go on display at an exhibition in Florence.
Uffizi's Tries to Outdo Louvre
Italy is to try to turn the Uffizi gallery in Florence into Europe's premier art museum, with an ambitious 56m euro (£38m) scheme to double its exhibition space. Giuliano Urbani, Italy's culture minister, said the enlarged gallery would surpass "even the Louvre". By the...
Work Begins on Flood-damaged Masterpiece
Giorgio Vasari's Last Supper is to be restored, 38 years after it was severely damaged by floods which killed 30 people in Florence. Experts at the city's Opificio restoration institute will begin a preliminary inspection of the work tomorrow. The restoration is expected to be...
Florence Accused of Neglecting Churches
Church officials in Florence have intervened to turn down the heat of a blazing row with the city's administration, set off by the American canon of Florence's Duomo cathedral who accused leftwing councillors of turning a blind eye to the "trashing" of religious monuments.
New Lease of Life for Michelangelo's Secret Drawings
Experts in Florence are restoring drawings Michelangelo doodled on the walls of a cell-like room in which the artist hid for six weeks while the Medici family wanted him dead. Mould had sprouted and salts had risen up the walls of the dank room under the Medici chapel. It was there that...
John Vidal: Florence Builds a Bridge to a Brave New Social Paradise
Anti-globalisation is not a nine-day wonder that ended on September 11. In 1425, the powerful wool merchants' guild of Florence commissioned the artist Lorenzo Ghiberti to construct a door for the baptistry of St John in the city.
Florence, the city that houses a large part of Italy's - and Europe's - cultural heritage, is bitterly divided over plans for new tram lines that would slice through its famous Piazza del Duomo, the cathedral square.
Florence: Free Pocket Travel Guide from Flashbooking
Flashbooking is a growing youth hostels and hotels directory specializing in budget accommodation for independent travellers, students, backpackers, families and all the ones that travel on a pocket.
American cemetery in Florence - Paying a homage while on holiday
There are two American cemeteries in Italy and one of them is located on the outskirts of Florence, commemorating the thousands of soldiers who lost their lives during World War II in Italy.
The discovery of a well in the Tower of the Pulci in Florence
Florence had never been hit by the Mafia before. The explosion caused death and destruction. And an unexpected discovery.
Italy’s magical city of Florence - the capital of the exquisite Tuscan region
Italy is a beautiful country of majestic mountains, tranquil lakes, enchanting cities and wonderful walled villages. Florence is a beautiful encapsulation of this...
Travel to Florence: An Ever-Blooming Retreat
In the first century BCE, the Romans appropriately renamed this former Etruscan town Florentia, or destined to flower. With this blessing, Florence (Firenze) remained faithful to its namesake to become the unrivaled authority of Renaissance art, literature and culture.
Florence In A Day
Discover the best of the sights of Florence Italy, even if you only have a day to spare.
Art Detective Exposes Hidden Images to Fuel Da Vinci Code Conspiracies
Amid the obsessive scholars and scheming prelates who inhabit Dan Brown's global blockbuster, The Da Vinci Code, there is a real person. Maurizio Seracini works in a high-ceilinged, colourfully frescoed palazzo just across the river from the Uffizi gallery in Florence.
The city of Florence and its past
The city of Florence, or Florentia according to its Italian name, was founded in the first century B.C. by the Romans.
New Lead in Hunt for Lost Leonardo
Hopes of finding a long-lost work by Leonardo da Vinci have been fired by the discovery of a tiny cavity in a wall in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
Tales From the Crypt That Bury Medici History in Ever Deeper Mystery
Donatella Lippi calls it a "terrible problem". She and other researchers who have spent the past 10 months prising open the tombs of one of Europe's most illustrious families, the Medicis of Florence, have got more than they bargained for.
Spectre of Closure Haunts the Uffizi
Heritage minister lays down gauntlet to Berlusconi by warning he will resign if spending cuts strike at world-renowned Florence gallery.
Medicis' Secret Crypt Exposed
A long-rumoured secret crypt of Italy's mighty Medici family was discovered by scientists yesterday after a hunt reminiscent of an Indiana Jones movie. The vaulted chamber was found under a stone floor behind the main altar of the Medici chapels in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence....
Carving of Christ Goes on Show
A small but anatomically perfect wooden Christ on the cross appears in Florence for the first time, billed as a hitherto unknown masterpiece by Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Leonardo's Car Brought to Life
It has taken more than 500 years to get from the drawing board to the showroom, but today the first working model of the "car" conceived by Leonardo da Vinci is to go on display at an exhibition in Florence.
Uffizi's Tries to Outdo Louvre
Italy is to try to turn the Uffizi gallery in Florence into Europe's premier art museum, with an ambitious 56m euro (£38m) scheme to double its exhibition space. Giuliano Urbani, Italy's culture minister, said the enlarged gallery would surpass "even the Louvre". By the...
Work Begins on Flood-damaged Masterpiece
Giorgio Vasari's Last Supper is to be restored, 38 years after it was severely damaged by floods which killed 30 people in Florence. Experts at the city's Opificio restoration institute will begin a preliminary inspection of the work tomorrow. The restoration is expected to be...
Florence Accused of Neglecting Churches
Church officials in Florence have intervened to turn down the heat of a blazing row with the city's administration, set off by the American canon of Florence's Duomo cathedral who accused leftwing councillors of turning a blind eye to the "trashing" of religious monuments.
New Lease of Life for Michelangelo's Secret Drawings
Experts in Florence are restoring drawings Michelangelo doodled on the walls of a cell-like room in which the artist hid for six weeks while the Medici family wanted him dead. Mould had sprouted and salts had risen up the walls of the dank room under the Medici chapel. It was there that...
John Vidal: Florence Builds a Bridge to a Brave New Social Paradise
Anti-globalisation is not a nine-day wonder that ended on September 11. In 1425, the powerful wool merchants' guild of Florence commissioned the artist Lorenzo Ghiberti to construct a door for the baptistry of St John in the city.