They subsequently became the Granduchy of Tuscany. This was the city's most splendid period, for art, culture, politics and economics. The Granduchy of the Medici was followed by that of the Lorena in the eighteenth century, until in 1860 Tuscany joined the Kingdom of Italy, with Florence as the capital from 1865 to 1871.

Public Transportation
The most convenient way to travel in Florence is without a doubt the buses, which allow one to reach the historical center, closed to private traffic. Tickets can be acquired at bars, tobacco stands, or the urban ATAF bus offices; prices are low and are valid throughout the urban transport system.

By Taxi
The radio-taxi service is convenient, but naturally much more expensive than public transportation, especially where traffic is intense. Authorized taxis are white with yellow signs and the fare is indicated only by the meter. There is a supplement for night travel and for baggage. The telephone numbers for calling radio-taxis are the following: 4798, 4242, 4390.

The center of Florence is crowded with shops selling everything from stylish clothing to used books. Generally stores are open from 9 to 13 and from 15:30 to 19:30 in the winter; in summer afternoons they open at 16:00 and close at 20:00.

Most larger stores accept credit cards and Eurochecks, while smaller shops prefer cash.

Big fashion names like Gucci and Coveri are found in via de' Tournabuoni, but also in via della Vigna Nuova, where Armani and Valentino have opened up shops.There are also many shops for shoes and leather goods, from the classy and always elegant Ferragamo, in via de' Tornabuoni 14r, to the more affordable Cresti, in via Roma 9r. Across the Arno, in via di Santo Spirito 62r, one finds the little shop Francesco, with hand-made shoes and sandals at low prices. The Piazza Santa Croce area is rich in shops for leather goods.

Besides shops, Florence is rich in open-air markets. The Market of San Lorenzo, situated at the center of the city, is the preferred destination of tourists. The New Market, where one can acquire leather goods and souvenirs, is sheltered under the sixteenth-century Loggia del Porcellino (pig) . At the Flea Market one can make good deals on small antique items. The last Sunday of every month except July, the market expands into the adjacent streets.

Throughout the year a series of exhibitions to satisfy the most varied interests takes place in Florence. Above all, in the city where modern melodrama was born, are musical events ranging from Florence's "May of Music" (Maggio Musicale) to its summer and winter lyric seasons.

The Florentine center of "la Moda Italiana" organizes many commercial exhibitions throughout the year. There are international shows for ancient as well as contemporary art. Characteristic traditional exhibitions include the Soccer Games in Costume and the Festival of San Giovanni. Florence is famous for high-class handicrafts and elegant creations. From straw, a typical Florentine product used for pretty and original clothes and decorative objects, to leatherwork renowned for its refinement and skilled workmanship, from ceramics to glass, from woodwork to metalwork, a large number of desirable objects offer the opportunity to make purchases adapted to all tastes, ages and interests.

Florence's handicrafts and fashionable apparel are of exceptional grace and originality; notable are its linens and precious embroideries.
Especially appreciated, in the town where Benvenuto Cellini was born, are silver and gold products, filigrees and typical stone mosaics.
Particularly sought out are objects from large and small antique shops, for which Florence is a major trading center.

Florentine food is praised for its solid peasant traditions: It is based on a few fundamental genuine ingredients: olive oil, tomatoes, beans, herbs, ham and salami.
Among the first courses of the "poor style" cuisine worth mentioning are "ribollita" (a soup based on black cabbage, beans, and other vegetables), "bruschette" (toasted bread with garlic and olive oil, sometimes covered with liver patč , anchovy paste or olives), beans "Uccelletta" style, minestrone soup with boiled beans, cooked in oil with tomato sauce and sage.
Among the second courses, the most famous is surely the "beefsteak Florentine style", cooked rare, without salt, flavored with herbs. Among the less noble second courses the most characteristic is "tripe Florentine style," covered with tomato sauce and an abundant sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese. Game dishes worth mentioning include boar and rabbit with their typical sauces.
The most common cheeses are pecorino and ricotta.
Desserts are simple; in Italian they are called "poor," the most characteristic being "cantucci" (cookies sweetened with almonds, for dunking in "Vin Santo") and "schiacciata Florentine style" (a pastry covered with vanilla sugar and flavored with lemon).
Tuscany is a region famous also for its wines, reds and whites ranging from table wines to wines of great prestige and universal fame. The most famous reds are "Brunello di Montalcino," "Nobile di Montepulciano" and Chianti produced in the hills and bottled by the Sangiovese vinyards. Most of the white wines come from Trebbiano vinyards, like the light and sparkling "Galestro" and the simple "Tuscan white." The "Vernaccia of San Gimignano," obtained from Vernaccia grapes, is very flavorful, as is the "Montecarlo," from the Lucca region. Among the characteristic sweet wines is the "Vin Santo" made with raisins from Trebbiano and Malvasia, aged for several years in small casks and then bottled.