Claim: The Renaissance started in Florence.

Florence -LRB- -LSB- ˈflɒrəns -RSB- ; Firenze -LSB- fiˈrɛntse -RSB- -RRB- is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the Metropolitan City of Florence . It is the most populous city in Tuscany , with 383,083 inhabitants , expanding to over 1,520,000 in the metropolitan area .   Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time . It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance , and has been called `` the Athens of the Middle Ages '' . A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions . From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy .   The Historic Centre of Florence attracts 13 million tourists each year , and Euromonitor International ranked the city as the world 's 89th most visited in 2012 , with 1.8 million visitors . It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982 . The city is noted for its culture , Renaissance art and architecture and monuments . The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries , such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti , and still exerts an influence in the fields of art , culture and politics . Due to Florence 's artistic and architectural heritage , it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world .   Florence is an important city in Italian fashion , being ranked in the top 15 fashion capitals of the world ; furthermore , it is a major national economic centre , as well as a tourist and industrial hub . In 2008 , the city had the 17th highest average income in Italy .