Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Nineteenth-century travelers on the Grand Tour of the Continent considered Florence the perfect first course in the feast of the senses that is Italy. Nothing like so filling as Rome—the main course—nor so romantically rich as Venice—the dessert, Florence provided just the right amount of high quality art and the flavor of the Renaissance to epitomize the finest Italy had to offer at its finest hour. Christopher Hibbert details the ageless attraction of Florence, tracing Florentine history from its genesis as an Etruscan town that through two millennia has survived foreign invasions, plague, political intrigue, popes, wars, and modern floods. Along the way, it earned the right to represent the pinnacle of Western culture, as the home of Dante and Machiavelli, Michelangelo and the Medici. Hibbert brings the story up to date by describing the art and architecture that continues to draw travelers to what remains a favorite stop on any European itinerary." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 376-383) and index.