Florence, Firenze in Italy, originates from a Latin name, Florentia. A name that has always reminded of flowers, and meadows covered with flowers. Hypothesizing therefore that the land it was built on had been one particularly rich of flowers, especially irises, everyone has always considered this explanation straightforward, so much that the symbol of Florence has aways been an iris since the very inception of the city. The symbol even got coined on the strong currency of pure gold that the city produced, called Fiorino, or little flower. However, this is not why Florence is called as such.
Who funded the city? The Etruscans of Fiesole (now this is an Etruscan name!), a well developed center on the hills above Florence which still today exists, 150 years before Christ decided that they needed a closer access to a waterway. The river Arno was flowing just few kilometers down the bare valley, on a flat land that run for kilometers in the four directions. What better place? Therefore the first nucleus of Florentia started and was developed, but soon encountered the fury of Rome, that tired of having to deal with the unruly Etruscans that would not subject to the imperial power, decided to destroy the city, kill everyone, and plow the land it used to be so that only cultivated fields would be in its place. To make this a sure deed, the land got sold in plots to Roman officials and high charges of the empire.
However, the new owners of the land did not like the country life and soon entered an agreement with the Etruscans of Fiesole to rebuild the city just a few hundred meters down the river, on its right bank. The former rebel Roman emperor Catilina, escaped to Fiesole, and many of the former centurions that had razed the city few years before, became the new citizens of Florentia, which preserved the name. Rome got word of what was going on, and sent other legions to raze the city again. After a strenuous defense and a large bloodshed of more that 3000 killed, the Romans wanted to raze the city, but the valor of the defense graced the city and kept it standing.
The origins of Florence, Italy help to understand why the name of Florence has a Latin root instead of an Etruscan one, and why it does not imply flowers. The Etruscans that lived in the area had always been in close touch with the Romans pilgrims and merchants that passed by the area. Therefore they must have picked up their definition of this land as a florents, meaning a lush, fertile, flourishing land. Therefore the word Florentia comes from the Latin word for flourishing. And its history has indeed been one of a flourishing people and culture!
Fri
4
Jun '10
Interesting read! I didn’t know most of this information. Thanks for the great post!
Thanks! There is a lot more “secrets” about Florence to come. It’s funny how at times history is made of underestimated details…