Situated at some 140 kilometers from Monterosso, Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. While not as old as other nearby cities, Florence is perhaps best known for the important historical and cultural figures that lived here.
The Medici family, great patrons of the arts, arose in this city 15th century. Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Botticelli were among the artists often commissioned by “Lorenzo the Magnificent”, as Lorenzo di Medici was called, to bring beauty into the life of the city.
The Dominican monk Savonarola had also become famous during his stay in Florence. Due to his extreme teachings, of which the people of Florence got tired after a while, he was burned at the stake on Piazza dela Signoria.
Niccolo Machiavelli also spent a great deal of time in Florence, being “sponsored” by the Medici family. While he is known for Il Principe (a political book which legitimizes malpractice for the greater good), he also wrote The Florentine History, the history of Florence.
Another important figure to which the name of Florence is related is Dante, who was exiled in Palazzo dela Signoria. Obviously, the city of Florence has a very rich history, and only by visiting it, Florence can be appreciated for its true value.
Tourists who depart from any of the villages of Cinque Terre to Florence must change trains in either Pisa or La Spezia. Changing trains in Sarzana is a further alternative. For complete information on these trains, ticket prices, schedules and the like, visit Trenitalia.
Taking the A12 Motorway (Autostrada Azzura) and head southeastwards to Pisa, and then taking the A 11 Motorway (Autostrada Firenze-Mare) is the most straightforward manner of getting from Cinque Terre to Florence by car.