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Ancient History of Florence
Home » Italy » Florence Overview and History » Ancient History of FlorencePosted by Your Guide on May 4, 2006 7:07 PM
The Etruscans first settled the region of Tuscany around the 7th century B.C. They established hill top settlements as a way of protecting themselves from approaching enemies. Those settlements formed the basis for the hill towns that dot the region even to this day. Farther south in Rome, the Romans began to rebel against the leadership of the Etruscan kings, and they eventually overthrew them, establishing the Roman Republic. The leadership of the Republic moved their powerful forces north and eventually took control of Tuscany from the Etruscans as well.
After the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, a series of groups ruled Tuscany including the Lombards, Byzantines, and Holy Roman Emperors. Over time, leadership and control was unclear, so city-states began to form in the region to self-govern. Two of the groups vying for power were the Guelphs (who supported the Pope) and the Ghibellines (who supported the Holy Roman Emperor). Florence was loosely under the Guelph reign, but nearby Siena was ruled by the Ghibellines. This led to years of bloody battles, but by the 13th century the Guelphs were firmly in control of the area.
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