…that the locals call their city Firenze?
…that you can be fined up to 2000 euros when caught buying a fake Gucci or Prada bag (or other big Italian brand) on the streets?
…that the official Italian langue is based on the Florentine dialect that the famous poet Dante Alighieri used to write his literary masterpieces?
…that about one third of Florence’s population was killed during the raging Black Plague epidemic of 1348?
…that this disaster laid the foundation for the renaissance by increasing wages and the demand for high quality religious art?
…that Florence’s cultural identity is severely endangered by the influx of tourists and immigrants?
…that the most famous painting in the world - Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa - was painted in Florence?
…that Florence used to be the most fashionable city in Europe before Milan became Italy’s fashion capital?
