Timeline of Florence

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

The earliest timeline of Florence, the Annales florentini, was created in the 12th century.

Prior to 14th century

 * 59 BCE – Roman colony founded (approximate date).
 * 1st century CE – Catholic Diocese of Florence established.
 * 285 – Florence becomes seat of Tuscia region.
 * 405 – Siege of Florence (405).
 * 541 – Florence sacked by forces of Ostrogoth Totila.
 * 1078 – City walls built.
 * 1080 – Stone Ponte Vecchio (bridge) built.
 * 1107 – Monte Orlandi and Prato become part of Florence.
 * 1115–16 – Commune form of government adopted; Republic of Florence established.
 * 1128 – Florence Baptistery built.
 * 1138 – "City divided into six wards."
 * 1182 – Arte di Calimala (cloth guild) first mentioned (approximate date).
 * 1201 – Bankers' guild active (approximate date).
 * 1222 – Monte comune (pawnshop) opens.
 * 1230 – allegedly occurs.
 * 1237 – Ponte alle Grazie (bridge) built.
 * 1244 – Venerabile Arciconfraternita della Misericordia di Firenze founded.
 * 1251 – First Capitano del popolo elected.
 * 1252
 * Mint established; Florin (Italian coin) introduced.
 * Santa Trinita bridge built.
 * 1258 – Bargello built.
 * 1261 – Public prison established.
 * 1267 – Charles of Anjou in power.
 * 1269 – Flood.
 * 1282 – "Florence adopts a new system of government by members of a guild."
 * 1284 – Tertio Cerchio (wall) built.
 * 1285 – Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova founded.
 * 1289
 * Slavery abolished.
 * Fire.
 * 1299 – Palazzo Vecchio construction begins.

14th–16th centuries

 * 1312 – Siege of Florence (1312)
 * 1321 – University of Florence founded.
 * 1333 – November: Flood.(it)
 * 1345 – Ponte Vecchio rebuilt.
 * 1348 – Black Death plague.
 * 1353 – Public clock installed in Palazzo Vecchio tower.
 * 1355 – (church) built.
 * 1360 – Cathedral Campanile built.
 * 1375 – War of the Eight Saints
 * 1377 – Medici in power.
 * 1382 – Loggia dei Lanzi built.
 * 1385 – Basilica of Santa Croce built.
 * 1397 – Medici Bank established.
 * 1415 – Bruni's History of Florence issued.
 * 1427 – Catasto tax begins.
 * 1432 – Ufficiali di Notte tribunal begins.
 * 1434 – Cosimo de' Medici in power.
 * 1436 – Duomo consecrated.
 * 1469 – Lorenzo de' Medici assumes power
 * 1471 – Printing press in operation.
 * 1478 – Pazzi conspiracy foiled.
 * 1487 – Medici giraffe arrives.
 * 1488 – Ancient Greek poet Homer first published in print.
 * 1490 – Palazzo Cocchi-Serristori built.
 * 1492 – Lorenzo the Magnificent dies and is succeeded by Piero the Unfortunate
 * 1494
 * Charles VIII of France invades Italy
 * Piero II acquiesces to Charles VIII and is forced to flee Florence
 * Republic of Florence restored, ruled nominally by Girolamo Savonarola
 * 1494 – Salone dei Cinquecento built.
 * 1497 – 7 February: Bonfire of the Vanities.
 * 1498
 * Niccolò Machiavelli becomes secretary.
 * 23 May: Savonarola executed.
 * 1504 – Michelangelo's David sculpture installed in the Piazza della Signoria.
 * 1509 – Militia established.
 * 1512
 * Florentine Republic dissolved after defeat by Papal forces under Medici control.
 * Piero Soderini and Niccolò Machiavelli exiled.
 * 1513
 * Giulio de Medici becomes Archbishop of Florence.
 * Machiavelli publishes The Prince
 * 1517 – Machiavelli publishes Discourses on Livy
 * 1527 – 21 June: Machiavelli dies
 * 1529 – 24 October: Siege of Florence (1529–30) begins.
 * 1532 – Alessandro de Medici becomes duke of the Florentine Republic.
 * 1536 – Charles V visits city.
 * 1537 – Villani's Nuova Cronica published.
 * 1545 – Orto Botanico di Firenze established.
 * 1557 – September: Flood.(it)
 * 1559 – Palazzo Uguccioni built.
 * 1562 – Accademia del Disegno established.
 * 1564 – Vasari Corridor built.
 * 1565 – Fountain of Neptune inaugurated.
 * 1569 – Ponte Santa Trinita (bridge) rebuilt.
 * 1574 – Florentine Camerata active.
 * 1580 – Rules of Calcio Fiorentino sport published.
 * 1581 – Uffizi art museum built.
 * 1582 – State Archives of Tuscany established.
 * 1592 – Theorbo musical instrument invented.
 * 1598 – Premiere of Peri's opera Dafne.
 * 1600
 * 5 October:.
 * Biblioteca Riccardiana founded (approximate date).
 * Premiere of Peri's opera Euridice.

17th–19th centuries

 * 1625 – Premiere of Francesca Caccini's opera La liberazione di Ruggiero.
 * 1656 – Teatro della Pergola built.
 * 1700 – Fortepiano musical instrument prototyped.
 * 1739 – Academia Botanica established.
 * 1740 – Teatro di Santa Maria built.
 * 1753 – Accademia dei Georgofili established.
 * 1775 – Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze established.
 * 1784 – Galleria dell'Accademia established.
 * 1799 – French occupation begins.
 * 1814
 * French occupation ends.
 * Jewish ghetto abolished.
 * 1817 – Teatro Goldoni opens.
 * 1828 – Teatro Alfieri opens.
 * 1844 – 3 November:.
 * 1847 – Premiere of Verdi's opera Macbeth.
 * 1848
 * Prato-Florence railway begins operating.
 * Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station opens.
 * 1852 – Archivio di Stato di Firenze (state archives) established.
 * 1859 – La Nazione newspaper begins publication.
 * 1861
 * National Library active.
 * Population: 150,864.
 * 1862 – Politeama Fiorentino Vittorio Emanuele amphitheatre opens.
 * 1864 – Florence becomes part of Italy.
 * 1865 – Italian capital relocated to Florence from Turin.
 * 1867 – Società Geografica Italiana headquartered in Florence.
 * 1871
 * Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali built.
 * Population: 167,093.
 * 1879 – Horse-drawn tram begins operating.
 * 1882 – Great Synagogue of Florence built.
 * 1891 – Cathedral Museum opens.
 * 1896 – Firenze Campo di Marte railway station opens.
 * 1897
 * Leo S. Olschki Editore in business.
 * Population: 209,540.

20th century

 * 1901 – Population: 236,635.
 * 1904 – Giardino Tropicale established.
 * 1908 – La Voce magazine begins publication.
 * 1922 – Cinema Teatro Savoia opens.
 * 1925 –  newspaper begins publication.
 * 1926 – (church) built.
 * 1931 – Population: 304,160.
 * 1933 – Maggio Musicale Fiorentino begins.
 * 1934 – Bologna–Florence railway begins operating.
 * 1936 – Cinema Vittoria built.
 * 1943
 * German occupation begins.
 * 25 September: Aerial bombing by Allied forces.
 * 1944
 * 3 August: Bridges bombed by German forces.
 * 11 August: German occupation ends.
 * 1948 – Ponte alla Carraia (bridge) rebuilt.
 * 1954 – 27 October:
 * 1957 – Ponte Amerigo Vespucci (bridge) built.
 * 1959 – Giardino dell'Iris (garden) established.
 * 1961 – Population: 436,516.
 * 1966 – 4 November: 1966 Flood of the Arno River.
 * 1968 – (hospital) built.
 * 1977 – Florence–Rome high-speed railway begins operating.
 * 1978 – Indiano Bridge built.
 * 1982 – Historic Centre of Florence designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 * 1986 – Gran Caffè Doney closes.
 * 1991 – Population: 403,294.
 * 1993 – 27 May: Via dei Georgofili bombing.
 * 1995 – European Rapid Operational Force headquartered in Florence.
 * 1997 – City website online (approximate date).

21st century

 * 2001 – Population: 356,118.
 * 2002 – November: European Social Forum held in city.
 * 2009
 * Bologna–Florence high-speed railway begins operating.
 * Matteo Renzi becomes mayor.
 * 2011 – 13 December: 2011 Florence shootings.
 * 2013 – Population: 366,039 city; 987,354 province.
 * 2014 – Dario Nardella becomes mayor.
 * 2015 – City becomes capital of the newly created Metropolitan City of Florence.