Founded by the Romans in the first century B.C., Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany. Italy's Tuscany region is a great starting point for exploring the northern half of the country. Tuscany is renowned as one of the most beautiful regions in the world, and inhabits a number of fascinating destinations within easy reach of Florence including Pisa, a collection of charming hill towns, and the many other cities and sights of Northern Italy.

Florence has managed to grow into today's world without losing the personality and flavor of a medieval village. Amazingly, Florence manages to be both, as its beautifully preserved buildings and stunning Renaissance art mix seamlessly with trendy boutiques and cafes. This makes Florence a rich environment for studying Italian language and culture, as the past consistently meets the future, and the progression can be truly seen and appreciated.

Florence contains an exceptional artistic patrimony, glorious testimony to its secular civilization. Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting, lived here, along with Arnolfo and Andrea Pisano, reformists of architecture and sculpture; Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, founders of the Renaissance; Ghiberti and the Della Robbia; Filippo Lippi and l'Angelico; Botticelli and Paolo Uccello; the universal geniuses Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Their works, along with those of many generations of artists up to the masters of the present century, are gathered in the city's many museums. In Florence, thanks to Dante, the Italian language was born; with Petrarch and Boccaccio literary studies were affirmed; with Humanism the philosophy and values of classical civilization were revived; with Machiavelli modern political science was born; with Guicciardini, historical prose; and with Galileo, modern experimental science. Up to the time of Charlemagne, Florence was a university town. Today it includes many specialized institutes and is an international cultural center. Academies, art schools, scientific institutes and cultural centers all contribute to the city's intense activity.

In conclusion, Florence is not the sort of city to limit student’s interests. Florence's intrigue extends to many areas including theater, cinema, dance, and more. The city is therefore rich in activity and cultural events as well as attractions. Operas, ballets, special guest performances, plays, concerts, shows, and any other type of exhibition you can imagine entertain visitors and residents year round.