History Summarized: Florence

Can't start a Renaissance without building a few *Domes*. — You've seen the memes, now learn the history behind the magnificent city of Florence!
It may sound like sacrilege, but many years ago, Florence was the first Italian city that little Blue had a cartoonishly-overblown obsession for — Move over, Venice.
In fact, Florentine history is basically THE reason I ever started caring about History in the first place. So I hope that you find this exquisite chapter in world history as enjoyable as I do.

SOURCES & Further Reading:
Florence: The Biography of A City — Christopher Hibbert
Be Like The Fox: Machiavelli In His World — Erica Benner

Our content is intended for teenage audiences and up.

[theyoungottoman]

Cante dei Gabrielli and the Guelfi Neri: "You're exiled, Dante."

Dante: "Oh yeah? Wait until you see what I write you in as in my fanfiction."

[qify]

Fun Fact: When Anna Maria Louisa de Medici- the last lineal descendant of the House of Medici- died her will donated all of the art the Medici had gained throughout the centuries to Tuscany with the specific condition that they never be removed from Florence thus paving the way for Florence becoming one of the first European cities to have a significant tourism industry

[bobbluered]

Florence: I'm so excited to build the best dome in the history of domes.
Plague: *I'm about to end this man's whole career*

[thealeph]

"I wish I would've put /s at the end of The Prince" - Niccolo Machiavelli

[Hrabns]

“See I’m only biased towards liking Florence so much because I’m right”

We love you Blue you’re such a smartass

[servantprincess]

"Florence...is the freaking coolest!"
Me remembering my study abroad trip there: Heck yeah it is!

[ariavachier-lagravech.]

"era defining self-insert fanfic"
That makes my day more than necessary.

[damedesuka]

Blue: Santa Maria del Fiore.
Me: *Assassin’s Creed nostalgia intensifies*

[stevenchoza]

Last time I was this early, Blue was still sitting on that chair.

Seriously, what happened to that room?

[Nublet]

Blue: *makes video about Florence *

Venice: *starts hanging up "welcome home cheater" sign*

[rickrox]

"This was a grande uff" mi ha fatto ridere più del dovuto

[anti-macro]

Lorenzo de Medici: *Italian man **_LITERALLY_** too angry to die*

Fun fact: The Pazzi conspiracy was such a huge event and Lorenzo's vengeance so great, that *TO THIS DAY* "Pazzi" means "Crazy people" in Italian

[OverlySarcasticProductions]

I goofed at 9:06 — Cosimo I was NOT appointed First Duke of Florence in 1532. Alessandro De Medici was the first Duke in 1532, Cosimo only began to rule 5 years later, in 1537. Thank you to Seth C on Discord for catching that!
Here's the deal: The "Duchy of FLORENCE" existed from 1532 to 1569 (nice) and Alessandro was the first duke. Midway through Cosimo I's rule, the title changed to the "*Grand* Duchy of TUSCANY", which it remained for the next 300 years. My mistake happened because Cosimo I was the first *Grand Duke*, and I forgot about Alexander entirely. Completely my goof.
-B

[moonyasnow]

Red, Blue, I just can’t describe how much I love your channel. History, Anthropology, Literature and M E M E S. What more could anyone ask for?

[joshuamcclung]

“Where else could the renaissance start?”

*Urbino rocking in the corner sad-eating ice cream*

[IlleScrutator]

Eh sì, la Peste Nera fu davvero un grandissimo oof (Yeah, the Black Death was really a very big oof).
Brilliant video, and salutoni from under the tuscan sun!

[myrrdyn]

Every time I hear of the fight between the Medici and Pazzi family, it makes me laugh that in Italian "Medici" means doctors/physicians and "Pazzi" means madmen

[saltmerchant]

Blue loves Florence and Machiavelli almost as much as Rome.

[SanguiphiliaTV]

I went on a trip to Italy years ago and we stopped in Florence for a few days. I hadn't known anything about it other than it's name before getting there but I instantly fell in love with it. Imagine never seeing a picture of the duomo and then seeing it in person, it was incredible! There was so much art, artisans and crafters, and musicians everywhere. It is such a beautiful place.

[toprak]

"I'm only biased because I'm right."
It's a simple spell but quite unbreakable