Florence

Florence is famous for its history: a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time,[4] it is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages".[5] A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions.[6] From 1865-71 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence