Modern Times

The River Arno

The Napoleonic wars ensued from 1769-1799 with the campaign ending in the Peace of Campo Formio in 1797, in which France annexed Italy and Florence was occupied. Under Napoleonic reforms, Florence became the capital of the 'Kingdom of Etruria', a gift by Napoleon to the Bourbons from Parma. At this time Tuscany was divided into three districts and was officially annexed to the French Empire, later to be reunited into a Grand Duchy and given by Napoleon to his sister, Elisa Baciocchi.

The second Napoleonic campaign from 1800-1801, lead to the foundation of an Italian Republic with Tuscany becoming the Kingdom of Etruria. Later in 1805-6 Napoleon proclaimed himself King of Italy and gave various family members responsibilities for Italy and Tuscany.

The collapse of the Napoleonic empire in 1814-15 and the Congress of Vienna confirmed the end of French domination and the beginning of Austrian control. In 1814 the returning Ferdinand III took over the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. He was followed in 1824 by Leopold II, and in 1859 by Ferdinand IV.

In 1860 Tuscany entered into a united Italy for the first time and it was Florence that established itself as a city of vital importance becoming a temporary capital from 1865 to 1870, taking over from Turin.

The 20th century has seen a huge growth in population and the movement of people to the cities in search of work as the country, like the rest of Europe, evolved with the industrial revolution.

Fascism under Mussolini took a grip of the whole of Italy prior to the Second World War and it was the Nazis and Allied bombing that damaged much of the Florentine and Tuscan towns and art treasures.

In 1948 Italy was divided into 20 self-governing administrative regions including Tuscany. Tuscany was then divided into 9 provinces which later, in 1994, increased to 10 provinces with the addition of Prato.

Some recent notable events were when the river Arno burst its banks in 1966 following 40 days of rain. This resulted in much of Florence being flooded. In 1986 Florence was voted European city of Culture and in 1988 cars were banned from the centre of certain major cities including Florence, Lucca, Siena and Volterra. Then in 1996 Florence hosted the G7 summit.

Home | People | Geography | History | Events | Food & Wine | Accommodation | Links | Site Map