Florence, in Italian Firenze, is a city in Tuscany, Italy.  It is within the Firenze province, on the banks of the Arno River and at the base of the Apennine mountain range. Because of the city’s wealth, Florence grew into a gathering place of artists, intellectuals and authors toward the end of the 13th century. Florence was the political capital of Italy for five years, from 1865 until 1870, but it remained the established center for arts, intellectual pursuit, and literature far beyond its tenure as political capital of Italy. Sometimes, the city is referred to as “the jewel of the Italian Renaissance.” At present, Florence is still a thriving cultural center, highly dependent on tourism, though its manufacturing industry also thrives; and many tourists visit for the sake of viewing cultural artifacts. As of 2001, its population was ~356,118.