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Few who visit this most intact of Renaissance centres come away unaffected. Florence was
incredibly influential as a commercial, artistic and architectural centre from the 14th to
17th centuries.
So much remains of this time that in 1982, the historic city centre was declared a world
heritage site by UNESCO. There also remains much evidence of the Medici dynasty, bankers
to the Pope, rulers of Florence for some centuries, great patrons of the arts and credited with
much of the impetus for the Renaissance.
The city contains many galleries of priceless artworks and is home to some of the world's
most significant buildings, among them the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or Florence
Cathedral which, 600 years after its construction, remains the largest brick and mortar dome
in the world.