Florence lies on the Arno River and has a population of around 400,000 people, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000 persons. The greater area has some 956,000 people. A center of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was long ruled by the Medici family. It is also famous for its magnificent art and architecture. It is said that, of the 1,000 most important European artists of the second millennium, 350 lived or worked here. The city has also been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. The historic Center was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1982.
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Florence is in the region Tuscany (Toscana)