Florence

I have a sparkly river that flows right through my middle. My rooftops are all warm and red, like a cozy blanket. High above them all, I wear a giant, round dome like a special hat. It is very big and beautiful. My special hat was finished on March 25th, 1436. I am the city of Florence, and I live in a country called Italy.

My story began a very, very long time ago. A leader named Julius Caesar thought this would be a perfect spot for a new town way back in the year 59 BCE. That was so long ago. Many, many years later, around the 1400s, I became a home for wonderful artists. People with names like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo lived here. They loved to create. They painted beautiful pictures and made amazing statues from stone. You can still see their wonderful art today when you visit me.

Today, friends from all over the world come to see me. They walk on my old stone streets and they cross my famous bridge called the Ponte Vecchio. It has little shops on it. Visitors love to eat yummy ice cream called gelato, too. I love to share my beautiful art and buildings with everyone. I am a place that shows how wonderful things can happen when people create things from their hearts. Come visit me, and maybe you can dream up something wonderful, too.