(Italian Firenze, and in old writers Fiorenza,) a famous city of Italy, capital of the grand duchy of Tuscany, is situated on the river Arno, which divides it into two unequal parts. The important place which this city occupies in history, the beauty of its situation, the treasures of art which it contains, all contribute to its interest and celebrity.

"Girt by her theatre of hills, she reaps Her corn, and wine and oil, and Plenty leaps To languish there, with her redundant horn. Along the banks, where smiling Arno sweeps, Was modern Luxury of Commerce born, And buried learning rose reformed to a new morn."

Childe Harold, Canto iv., 48.

The origin of Florence is not clearly ascertained; but it probably owes its rise to the establishment of a Roman colony here by Octavianus after the victory of Perusia, though there seems some reason to believe that one had been established here about 40 years previously by Sulla. The only important notice of Florence to be met with in the ancient writers is in Tacitus, Annal. i. 79, where it is mentioned among the municipia which, in the reign of Tiberius, sent deputies to Rome to remonstrate against the intended diversion of the course of the Clanis into the Arnum, by which their town and territory would have been rendered liable to inundations. The only remains of the Roman period are some relics of an amphitheatre near the church of Santa Croce, and a few inscriptions. In 406 Florence was besieged by the Goths under Radagaisus and reduced to the last extremity, till the arrival of Stilicho with an army, who defeated the barbarians and relieved the town. It was almost entirely destroyed by Totila, king of the Goths, in 541, and remained in ruins and obscurity till the end of the eighth century, when it was rebuilt by Charlemagne after that monarch had conquered the Lombards. From this time it rose rapidly into importance, and at length assumed a republican form of government. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries it was one of the most opulent cities in Europe; and from the many eminent and learned men who flourished here, under the patronage of the Medici family, at a time when the great nations of Europe were only beginning to emerge into civilized existence, it has justly acquired the designation of "Etruscan Athens." See ITALY, TUSCANY, &c.

The city of Florence is situated in the fertile and well-wooded Valdarno, or vale of the Arno, encircled by the Apennines. The magnificent and stately character of many of its buildings, the numerous bright villas scattered about the vale and on the slopes of the hills, and the fine forms of the mountains which inclose the prospect, have earned for it the title of Firenze la Bella. Behind the city rise hills covered with olive and fig trees and other plants, natives of warmer climates; beyond are chestnut-covered mountains; while in the distance the naked and rugged summits of the lofty Apennines rise to the height of more than 3000 feet above the plain. The city extends along both banks of the Arno, which intersects it from S.E. to N.W. Its form is that of an irregular pentagon, of which the greater portion is on the right or northern side of the river. It is inclosed by old walls nearly six miles in circuit and pierced by eight gates. They are still unbroken, except where the citadels of Belvedere and the Fortezza da Basso have been inserted, but are totally useless as a means of defence; and the towers which ornamented their circuit have generally been demolished or lowered to the level of the curtain. That portion of the Arno within the walls is crossed by four bridges, the finest of which is the Santa Trinita, adorned with statues, and having a central arch of 95 feet span. Beyond the walls, on each side, was a suspension bridge, but one of these was carried away by the great flood of 1844. In the central or older portion of the town the streets are generally narrow and irregular, but in the more modern parts they are wide, straight, and well paved. Florence contains a great number of magnificent edifices and squares, generally adorned with statues, columns, or fountains. First among its public buildings is the cathedral, commenced by Arnolfo in the end of the thirteenth century, and completed in the fifteenth by Brunelleschi. It is 454 feet in length; the transept is 334 feet long; height of nave 153, and of side aisles 96½ feet. The magnificent cupola by Brunelleschi excited the admiration of Michael Angelo, and is said to have served him as a model for that of St Peter's at Rome. It is of an octagonal form, 384 feet high, and 138½ diameter. The interior of the building is rather dark from the smallness of the windows, and the deep and rich colours of the stained glass with which they are filled. The exterior is almost entirely cased in marble, and the pavement is tessellated with red, blue, and white marble. Detached from the cathedral, and like it cased in marble, is the belfry, a light and elegant tower 276 feet in height. In front of the principal entrance of the cathedral stands the baptistery of St John, an elegant octagonal building. These, like most of the other churches and public buildings, are richly adorned with works of art. The church of Santa Croce, called the Pantheon of Florence, is interesting from the number of sepulchral monuments which it contains; among which are those of Michael Angelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Alfieri. The church of San Lorenzo, built by Brunelleschi, contains the mausoleum of the Medici family. Annexed to it is the building begun by Michael Angelo and finished by Vasari, containing the Laurentian library, of above 120,000 volumes, and a valuable collection of MSS., amounting to more than 9000. The Palazzo Vecchio, now occupied by government offices, is a square massive-looking structure, surmounted by a tower 268 feet in height. The Palazzo Pitti, the residence of the grand duke, is enriched by numerous fine statues, busts, and paintings, and has a library of 70,000 volumes and 1500 MSS. Attached to it are the extensive gardens of Boboli, laid out in rectangular walks flanked with cut trees, and having terraces, statues, and fountains. Connected with these gardens is a botanical garden, a museum of natural history, an anatomical collection modelled in wax, and a fine library. The Palazzo Riccardi is used partly for government and partly for literary purposes, and contains a library of about 20,600 volumes and 3600 MSS. The Magliabechi, a library in the Uffizi, obtains a copy of every book published in the Tuscan states, and contains upwards of 150,000 volumes and 12,000 MSS. The Marucellian library contains about 50,000 volumes. The Uffizi, erected after a design of Vasari by Cosmo I., forms three sides of a parallelogram. In the upper floor of this building is the celebrated Florentine gallery, one of the richest existing collections in sculptures, medals, bronzes, paintings, and other works of art. Among its statuary is the famed Venus de' Medici, discovered in the sixteenth century in the Villa Hadriana, near Tivoli. The whole of the left arm and part of the right are modern, having been restored by Bandinelli. The collection of paintings comprises superb specimens of all the best schools, and is said to surpass even that of the Vatican. Florence contains no fewer than 170 churches, 89 convents, 2 ducal and many other palaces, 12 hospitals, and 8 great and small theatres. The literary and educational institutions are numerous and important. Chief among these is the academy Della Crusca, established in 1582, to which is united the University of Florence, founded in 1438. Its grand object is the sifting or purifying of the Italian language, and hence its name Crusca, chaff, or husk of corn. There are also academies of the fine arts and of agriculture, a medico-chirurgical college, an atheneum, and a number of other literary societies. The charitable institutions are numerous and varied, including asylums for the deaf and dumb, blind, orphans, and an association of the higher classes for ministering to the necessities of the sick and infirm poor. The inhabitants of Florence are industrious, cheerful, and hospitable. The chief manufactures are silks, straw-hats, carpets, porcelain, mosaic work, perfumery, and jewellery. The salubrity and beauty of the town and neighbourhood; its libraries, reading-rooms, and collections in the fine arts; its mild and liberal government; and the moderate price of provisions, render this the most pleasant place of residence in Italy, and have attracted to it a great number of English families. It has produced many individuals eminent in arts, science, and literature: among others, Machiavelli the political writer; Dante Alighieri, Luigi Ruccellai, Menzini, and Filicaja, poets; Guicciardini the historian, Michael Angelo Buonarroti the artist, Galileo the astronomer, Amerigo Vespuccio the navigator, Lulli the musician, and the artists of the school of this city. Florence is situated N. Lat. 43° 46' 41", E. Long. 11° 16' 55", and is 182 from Genoa, 186 from Venice, 72 from Bologna, 53 from Pisa, 41 from Siena, and 190 from Rome. It is connected by railways with Pistoja, Pisa, and Siena. Pop. (1854) 115,675.

ancient English gold piece coined by Edward III., of six shillings sterling value.