Florence is the capital of Tuscany. It's an incredible city with a stunning natural beauty and inspirational history.

It's also one of the most important Renaissance architectural towns in Italy. The Duomo and Bapistry are simply magnificent, as is the large Piazza. Then there's the Medici palaces and gardens.

No visit to Florence would be complete without visiting the Chianti area, between Florence and Siena. It's one of the most beautiful landscapes in Italy and a famous wine production area.

Florence is home to several fascinating museums that house many world famous paintings and sculptures. Thanks to the brilliant art and literary works that have emerged from the city, it has become widely recognized as the birthplace of the Renaissance. Although it's a city steeped in history, modern day Florence bustles with industry, craft, culture and science.

Florence has a population of around half a million people. It's located right in the centre of the Italian Peninsula, between the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Sea. The climate is temperate but quite changeable. It's characterized by breezy winters and hot summers.

Florence is very accessible. It's on the main railway line, which makes it easy to get to from most parts of Italy and abroad. The main airport 'Vespucci' caters to both national and international flights and is just five kms from the city centre. To get here by road take the A1 motorway which connects Florence with Bologna and Milano in the North and Rome and Naples in the South. Or alternatively, the A11 motorway joins it to Prato, Pistoia, Montecatini, Lucca, Pisa and all the resorts on the Tyrrhenian Sea.