A view of the Arno River winding through the heart of Florence.


trade to develop. Tough the empire collapsed in the fifth century A.D., a few mementoes were left in Tuscany as the Goths swept down from the North and took over. It would be a millennium before a Medici family member emerged from the hills of the Mugello, north of Florence. As the 15th century began, Giovanni de’ Bicci de’ Medici was creating a family fortune as a banker. His son, Cosimo de Medici, would soon make his presence known to the Florentine leadership. A humanist, he was enthusiastic about the new art forms emerging in the early Renaissance, and had begun person- ally to purchase the work of the leading painters, sculptors and architects. Florence’s destiny was now set. If the people of Florence are known for their urbanity and contemporary outlook, some 75.5 kilometres (47 miles) to


A streetside cafe in Florence.


The Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence, is a medieval stone structure with shops built along it.


56 • Fall 2016


The Hub


Photo by Monica Volpin.


Photo by Johnny Best.


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