Florence as capital of Italy from 1865 to 1871 was one of the shortest yet most transformative periods in the city’s modern history. For six extraordinary years, Florence became the political centre of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy, home to the king, parliament, ministries, diplomats and a rapidly expanding national administration.
The period known as Firenze Capitale changed far more than Florence’s political status. Medieval walls disappeared, broad avenues replaced old fortifications, new residential districts emerged and Giuseppe Poggi reshaped entire parts of the city. Many features visitors now regard as characteristic of modern Florence are direct consequences of this remarkable period.
Florence became capital: 1865
Previous capital: Turin
Next capital: Rome
King: Victor Emmanuel II
Political background: September Convention of 1864
Royal residence: Palazzo Pitti
Key urban planner: Giuseppe Poggi
Major transformation: Demolition of much of the medieval wall circuit and creation of the Viali di Circonvallazione
Southern expansion: Viale dei Colli and the landscape around Piazzale Michelangelo
Capital period ended: 1871
Why it matters: Firenze Capitale permanently transformed the political and urban history of Florence
Contents – Florence as Capital of Italy
- What Was Firenze Capitale?
- Why Florence Became the Capital of Italy
- From Turin to Florence
- The Royal Court at Palazzo Pitti
- Giuseppe Poggi and the Modernisation of Florence
- The Demolition of Florence’s Medieval Walls
- The Viali di Circonvallazione
- The Expansion of Florence
- Piazza d’Azeglio and the New Florence
- Viale dei Colli and the Southern Hills
- Piazzale Michelangelo and Giuseppe Poggi
- Le Rampe and San Niccolò
- Florence as a Political Capital
- The Social Impact of Firenze Capitale
- From Firenze Capitale to the Risanamento
- Why the Capital Moved to Rome
- The Financial Consequences
- The Legacy of Firenze Capitale
- Where to See Firenze Capitale Today
- Frequently Asked Questions
This guide provides the complete overview of the Firenze Capitale period. For individual aspects, continue with our detailed articles on Why Florence Became the Capital of Italy in 1865, How Firenze Capitale Transformed Florence, Florence City Walls and the Viali di Circonvallazione, Piazzale Michelangelo and Giuseppe Poggi and Piazza d’Azeglio and the New Florence of Firenze Capitale.
What Was Firenze Capitale?
Firenze Capitale refers to the period from 1865 to 1871 when Florence served as capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The country itself was still new: the Kingdom of Italy had been proclaimed only in 1861 after decades of political movements, diplomacy and warfare associated with the Risorgimento.
Turin initially became the national capital because it had been the political centre of the House of Savoy and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Yet one major question remained unresolved. For many supporters of Italian unification, Rome was the natural and symbolic capital of the new nation.
Rome, however, remained under papal rule and was protected by French troops. Florence consequently emerged as an intermediate solution during one of the most delicate phases of Italian unification.
Florence was not chosen simply because of its Renaissance prestige. Its selection was closely connected with international diplomacy, French protection of the pope and the unresolved political status of Rome.
Why Florence Became the Capital of Italy
The story of why Florence became the capital of Italy in 1865 begins with the Roman Question.
The Italian government wanted Rome, but a direct attempt to seize the city risked confrontation with France, whose troops protected Pope Pius IX.
A diplomatic solution emerged with the September Convention of 1864 between Italy and France. France agreed to withdraw its troops gradually from Rome, while Italy undertook to respect the remaining Papal territory and protect it against external attack.
The transfer of the Italian capital away from Turin formed part of this political settlement. Moving the government to Florence provided visible evidence that Italy was not immediately preparing to make Rome its capital.
Florence was also attractive in its own right. Its more central location and associations with Dante, the Italian language, Renaissance humanism and some of the country’s greatest artistic achievements gave the city enormous symbolic prestige.
Florence became a genuine national capital, but Rome remained the ultimate objective for many supporters of the Risorgimento. Firenze Capitale was therefore both an important period in its own right and part of the unfinished process of Italian unification.
From Turin to Florence
The decision to transfer the capital caused a serious political and social crisis in Turin. The city had been the centre of Savoyard power and had naturally expected to remain at the heart of the new kingdom.
News of the planned transfer triggered protests in September 1864. Demonstrations became violent, and clashes involving security forces caused numerous deaths and injuries.
The events demonstrated that moving a capital was far more than an administrative decision. Government institutions generated employment, investment, housing demand, commerce and political influence.
For Florence, the process worked in the opposite direction. Thousands of officials, politicians, diplomats, courtiers and people connected with the new national administration were about to arrive.
Florence Was Not Ready to Become a National Capital
In the mid-nineteenth century, Florence remained largely a compact city shaped by its medieval and Renaissance past.
Much of the historic centre was still enclosed by defensive walls, many streets were narrow and the available housing and administrative infrastructure were insufficient for the needs of a modern national government.
Ministries required offices, officials needed accommodation and the royal court brought an entirely new scale of political and social activity.
These pressures accelerated one of the greatest transformations in the modern history of Florence.
The Royal Court at Palazzo Pitti
The new capital already possessed an obvious residence for King Victor Emmanuel II.
Palazzo Pitti, formerly home to the Medici and later the Lorraine grand dukes of Tuscany, became the royal residence during Firenze Capitale.
The choice was practical but also highly symbolic. A palace representing centuries of Tuscan dynastic history now became associated with the monarchy of unified Italy.
Other existing buildings across Florence were adapted for ministries and administrative offices. The arrival of national institutions therefore changed both the functions of historic buildings and the everyday rhythms of the city.
Visitors usually associate Palazzo Pitti with the Medici and the grand dukes of Tuscany. Yet for six years it was also a royal palace of unified Italy and the Florentine residence of Victor Emmanuel II.
Giuseppe Poggi and the Modernisation of Florence
The challenge of adapting Florence to its new role required a comprehensive urban plan. Architect Giuseppe Poggi became the central figure in this transformation.
Poggi envisioned a city capable of functioning as a modern European capital. His plans addressed traffic, infrastructure, residential expansion and the relationship between the historic centre and the surrounding countryside.
The result fundamentally changed Florence. Large sections of medieval fortifications were demolished, broad boulevards appeared and development expanded beyond limits that had constrained the city for centuries.
Our detailed guide to How Firenze Capitale Transformed Florence explores Poggi’s urban revolution in greater depth.
Poggi is often remembered mainly for Piazzale Michelangelo, but his impact extended across the city. Boulevards, squares, new districts and the relationship between historic and modern Florence all reflect his planning.
The Demolition of Florence’s Medieval Walls
Perhaps the most dramatic physical consequence of Firenze Capitale was the destruction of large sections of the medieval city walls.
For centuries, the fortifications had defined the boundary between Florence and the surrounding countryside. By the nineteenth century, planners increasingly regarded them as obstacles to traffic, expansion and modern urban infrastructure.
The transformation of Florence into a national capital provided the political momentum for their removal.
Several important gates survived, but the continuous walls that had connected them disappeared. This explains why Porta San Gallo, Porta alla Croce and other gateways now stand almost isolated within modern streets and squares.
South of the Arno, the terrain encouraged a different approach, and more substantial sections of the defensive system survived around Porta Romana and the Florentine hills.
For the full defensive history, see our Florence City Walls and Fortresses – Complete Guide and Why Florence Demolished Its Medieval City Walls.
The isolated medieval gates around Florence make much more sense once you imagine the continuous defensive walls that originally extended from either side. The walls disappeared; the gates remained.
The Viali di Circonvallazione
In place of much of the demolished northern wall circuit, Poggi created the broad Viali di Circonvallazione.
These tree-lined avenues formed a modern circulation system around the historic centre and connected newly developing neighbourhoods with older areas of Florence.
Their scale contrasts sharply with the dense network of streets inside medieval Florence. That difference remains one of the easiest ways to recognise the boundary between the old city and its nineteenth-century expansion.
A defensive barrier designed to restrict movement had been transformed into infrastructure intended to facilitate it.
The relationship is explored in detail in Florence City Walls and the Viali di Circonvallazione.
When travelling along the Viali di Circonvallazione, you are often following approximately the same boundary once occupied by Florence’s medieval fortifications.
Piazza Beccaria and Piazza della Libertà
Poggi’s new avenue system transformed the spaces surrounding several medieval gateways.
At Piazza Beccaria, Porta alla Croce now stands alone within a broad nineteenth-century urban setting. At Piazza della Libertà, Porta San Gallo provides another striking example of a medieval monument incorporated into the expanding modern city.
The contrast is historically revealing. Poggi did not eliminate every trace of the earlier defensive landscape. Instead, surviving gates became monuments around which new streets, squares and neighbourhoods developed.
Our guide to the Historic Gates of Florence – From Porta Romana to San Niccolò explains how these entrances once functioned as part of a continuous wall circuit.
Florence Expands Beyond Its Historic Centre
The removal of the walls opened Florence physically and psychologically.
Construction expanded into areas that had previously lain beyond the fortified perimeter. New streets and residential districts appeared, while wealthier residents could choose larger houses and more spacious surroundings outside the dense historic centre.
The change also altered the social geography of Florence. New neighbourhoods developed according to nineteenth-century ideas about housing, greenery, traffic and urban order.
Florence was gradually becoming a city in which the historic centre formed only one part of a much larger urban landscape.
Piazza d’Azeglio and the New Florence
Piazza d’Azeglio provides one of the clearest examples of the residential Florence that emerged beyond the former walls.
The elegant square and surrounding streets belong to the expansion associated with the capital period and the new bourgeois neighbourhoods developing around the historic centre.
The district offered a very different environment from the narrow medieval streets nearby. Larger residences, greenery and a more regular urban layout reflected contemporary ideas about comfortable city living.
Today, Piazza d’Azeglio feels thoroughly established, but its urban form belongs directly to the transformation accelerated by Firenze Capitale.
Viale dei Colli and the Southern Hills
South of the Arno, Poggi responded differently to the landscape.
Instead of extending a regular boulevard system across the steep hills, he created the Viale dei Colli, a panoramic route following the contours of the terrain.
The road connected areas around Porta Romana with the hills above San Niccolò through curves, gardens and carefully staged viewpoints.
Poggi treated the surrounding landscape almost as an enormous urban composition. Florence itself became part of the scenery.
North of the Arno, Poggi opened the city through boulevards and new districts. South of the river, he worked with the hills to create panoramic roads and landscaped viewpoints.
Piazzale Michelangelo and Giuseppe Poggi
The most famous expression of Poggi’s vision is Piazzale Michelangelo.
Today, visitors know it primarily for its panoramic view of the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce, the Arno and the surrounding hills. Yet its importance goes far beyond the view.
The piazzale belongs to Poggi’s broader concept for the southern landscape. He created a place from which historic Florence itself could be presented as a complete panorama.
The Renaissance city therefore became part of the visual experience of modern nineteenth-century Florence.
At Piazzale Michelangelo, look beyond the panorama. The viewpoint itself is part of Giuseppe Poggi’s wider nineteenth-century reinvention of Florence.
Le Rampe and San Niccolò
Poggi’s transformation extended down the hillside towards the Arno.
Le Rampe combine terraces, stairways, grottoes, vegetation and water features within the steep landscape above San Niccolò.
The project helped manage the terrain while creating a dramatic pedestrian connection between the lower city and the panoramic routes above.
Nearby Porta San Niccolò provides an extraordinary contrast: a tall medieval defensive tower survives at the foot of a landscape reshaped during the nineteenth century.
Florence as a Political Capital
Urban transformation was only one side of Firenze Capitale. For six years, Florence stood at the centre of Italian political life.
Parliamentarians, ministers, diplomats, civil servants and journalists arrived from across the new kingdom. Debates concerning administration, finance, relations with the Church and the continuing process of national unification took place in Florence.
The city became a meeting point for people from regions that had only recently belonged to separate states.
Piedmontese officials, Tuscan administrators, southern politicians and representatives from other parts of Italy now worked within common national institutions.
Florence therefore became one of the places where political unification had to be transformed into functioning national government.
The Social Impact of Firenze Capitale
The sudden influx of residents changed everyday life in Florence.
Demand for accommodation increased, rents rose and new businesses appeared to serve politicians, officials and visitors. Hotels, restaurants, cafés, shops and entertainment venues benefited from the presence of the government and royal court.
Florentine elites interacted with diplomats, politicians and officials arriving from elsewhere in Italy and abroad. Florence became more cosmopolitan at precisely the moment when the new kingdom was attempting to create a common national political culture.
Rapid modernisation also created tensions. Urban redevelopment involved demolition, displacement and substantial public expenditure. Not every Florentine welcomed the destruction of historic structures or the economic costs associated with becoming a capital.
Firenze Capitale was not simply an age of elegant boulevards and royal ceremonies. Modernisation created winners and losers, and several changes later accepted as part of Florence’s identity were controversial when they occurred.
Florence Between Renaissance Heritage and Modern Ambition
The transformation created a fundamental tension.
Florence’s international prestige rested largely on its medieval and Renaissance heritage, yet becoming a modern capital required precisely the kind of redevelopment capable of threatening that historic fabric.
Urban planners wanted wider streets, better traffic circulation, improved sanitation and new housing. At the same time, growing interest in conservation encouraged people to recognise the historical value of inherited buildings and neighbourhoods.
This conflict between preservation and modernisation continued long after Firenze Capitale ended and remains relevant whenever Florence debates how a historic city should adapt to contemporary needs.
From Firenze Capitale to the Risanamento
The modernising ambitions associated with Firenze Capitale did not disappear when the national government moved to Rome.
During the later Risanamento, large sections of the old Mercato Vecchio district were demolished and replaced by what became modern Piazza della Repubblica. The former Jewish ghetto also disappeared during this transformation.
It is important, however, not to collapse these events into the six capital years. The major demolition of Mercato Vecchio occurred later, particularly during the 1880s and 1890s.
The two developments belong to the same broader nineteenth-century culture of urban modernisation, but they were not the same project.
The vanished Jewish quarter is explored in Jewish Florence – The Synagogue and the Ghetto.
Firenze Capitale and the later Risanamento are closely connected, but they should not be treated as identical. Much of Piazza della Repubblica’s transformation occurred after Florence had ceased to be Italy’s capital.
Why the Capital Moved to Rome
Despite the enormous investment in Florence, Rome never disappeared from national ambitions.
For many supporters of the Risorgimento, Italian unification remained incomplete while Rome remained outside the kingdom. The principal obstacle was French protection of Pope Pius IX.
The decisive turning point came in 1870. The Franco-Prussian War forced Napoleon III to concentrate French military resources elsewhere, and French protection of the Papal States effectively collapsed.
Italian forces advanced towards Rome and entered the city through the breach at Porta Pia on 20 September 1870. A plebiscite followed, and Rome was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy.
In 1871, the government, parliament and royal court moved to Rome. Florence’s period as national capital ended after only six years.
Turin became the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, Florence the second in 1865 and Rome the permanent capital from 1871.
The Financial Consequences
The departure of the government was economically painful for Florence.
The city had invested heavily in roads, infrastructure, housing and urban expansion during the capital years. Businesses and property owners had also adapted to the presence of thousands of government employees, politicians and officials.
When many of these residents moved to Rome, some expectations of continued growth suddenly disappeared. Florence nevertheless remained responsible for much of the financial burden associated with its ambitious programme of modernisation.
This was one of the paradoxes of Firenze Capitale. The period gave Florence much of its modern urban structure but also imposed considerable economic costs.
Yet the city could not return to its earlier form. The walls had been demolished, the Viali created, new districts laid out and construction extended well beyond the former medieval boundary.
The Legacy of Firenze Capitale
The legacy of Firenze Capitale is enormous despite the brevity of the period.
Without the capital years, the Viali di Circonvallazione would not exist in their familiar form, medieval gates would be understood within a very different urban context and the development of neighbourhoods beyond the former walls would have followed another path.
The southern landscape shaped by Giuseppe Poggi also changed how Florence was experienced. The Viale dei Colli and Piazzale Michelangelo transformed the historic city itself into a panorama.
Most importantly, Florence was forced to reconsider its identity. For centuries, the city had defined itself through the medieval republic, the Medici and the Renaissance. Suddenly, it had to represent a modern national state.
The tension between preservation and modernisation that emerged during these years continued to influence Florence long after the capital moved away.
Florence served as capital for only a brief period, but the decisions made around those years permanently altered the city’s streets, neighbourhoods, traffic routes and relationship with its historic centre.
Where to See Firenze Capitale in Florence Today
The nineteenth-century transformation is remarkably easy to trace once you know what to look for.
| Place | What It Reveals |
|---|---|
| Palazzo Pitti | The royal residence of Victor Emmanuel II during Firenze Capitale |
| Porta San Gallo | A medieval gate isolated after demolition of the surrounding walls |
| Porta alla Croce | A surviving gateway incorporated into Piazza Beccaria |
| Viali di Circonvallazione | The broad boulevards replacing much of the northern wall circuit |
| Piazza d’Azeglio | The new residential Florence expanding beyond the historic centre |
| Viale dei Colli | Poggi’s panoramic transformation of the southern hills |
| Le Rampe | The landscaped connection between San Niccolò and the hills above |
| Piazzale Michelangelo | The most famous panoramic expression of Poggi’s urban vision |
| Piazza della Repubblica | The later continuation of nineteenth-century modernisation into the medieval centre |
A Firenze Casa Route Through Firenze Capitale
A good way to understand the period is to compare several different parts of Florence rather than searching for a single monument.
Begin at Porta San Gallo or Porta alla Croce. Notice how the medieval structure stands without the walls that once extended from either side.
Follow a section of the Viali di Circonvallazione to experience the new urban boundary created in place of the fortifications.
On another walk, start at Porta San Niccolò and climb through Le Rampe towards Piazzale Michelangelo. This route brings medieval Florence and Poggi’s nineteenth-century landscape into direct contact.
Finally, walk through Piazza della Repubblica. Its later architecture demonstrates how the modernising ambitions that accelerated during Firenze Capitale eventually transformed even the heart of the historic centre.
Firenze Capitale is one of the best themes for understanding modern Florence. Look beyond Renaissance monuments towards boulevards, isolated gates, planned residential squares and panoramic roads – they reveal the city’s second great transformation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Firenze Capitale
When was Florence the capital of Italy?
Florence served as capital of the Kingdom of Italy from 1865 until 1871. Turin had been the first capital, and Rome replaced Florence after becoming part of the kingdom.
Why did Florence become the capital of Italy?
The transfer was closely connected with the unresolved Roman Question and the September Convention of 1864 between Italy and France. Moving the capital away from Turin helped demonstrate that Italy was not immediately preparing to seize Rome.
Why was Rome not the capital from the beginning?
Rome remained under the rule of Pope Pius IX and was protected by French troops. An Italian attempt to take the city risked military confrontation with France.
Who redesigned Florence when it became capital?
Architect Giuseppe Poggi prepared the major urban expansion plan associated with Firenze Capitale. His projects included the Viali di Circonvallazione, the Viale dei Colli and the wider transformation of the hills around Piazzale Michelangelo.
Why were Florence’s medieval walls demolished?
Large sections of the fortifications were considered obstacles to urban expansion, traffic and infrastructure. Broad avenues were subsequently created along much of their former route.
Was Palazzo Pitti a royal palace of Italy?
Yes. During the years when Florence was capital, Palazzo Pitti served as the principal Florentine royal residence of King Victor Emmanuel II.
Was Piazza della Repubblica created during Firenze Capitale?
No. The large-scale demolition of Mercato Vecchio and creation of the modern square occurred mainly later in the nineteenth century. It nevertheless developed within the wider culture of modernisation accelerated during Firenze Capitale.
Why did Florence stop being the capital?
After French protection of the pope weakened during the Franco-Prussian War, Italian forces entered Rome in 1870. Rome subsequently became the national capital in 1871.
What remains from Firenze Capitale today?
The Viali di Circonvallazione, Piazzale Michelangelo, Viale dei Colli, Piazza d’Azeglio, surviving medieval gates and numerous nineteenth-century neighbourhoods are among the most visible legacies of the period.
Why Firenze Capitale Is Worth Understanding
Florence as capital of Italy is worth exploring because the period explains a part of the city that cannot be understood through Renaissance history alone. The Florence of broad avenues, panoramic roads and elegant nineteenth-century neighbourhoods was shaped to a remarkable degree by the ambitions of a modern national capital.
The story also connects local history with the creation of modern Italy. Florence stood between Turin and Rome not simply geographically but politically, serving as the centre of a nation whose unification was still incomplete.
Giuseppe Poggi’s projects permanently altered the relationship between the historic centre and the surrounding city. The demolition of the walls, creation of the Viali and development of new residential and panoramic districts gave Florence a new urban form.
The capital lasted only six years. Its physical legacy has lasted for more than a century and a half.
The Renaissance created the Florence the world came to admire. Firenze Capitale created much of the modern city through which visitors experience it today.
Further Reading on Firenze Casa
Continue exploring the political decisions, urban projects and places that transformed Florence during and after Firenze Capitale:
- Why Florence Became the Capital of Italy in 1865
- How Firenze Capitale Transformed Florence
- Florence City Walls and the Viali di Circonvallazione
- Piazzale Michelangelo and Giuseppe Poggi
- Piazza d’Azeglio and the New Florence of Firenze Capitale
- Florence City Walls and Fortresses – Complete Guide
- Why Florence Demolished Its Medieval City Walls
- The Historic Gates of Florence – From Porta Romana to San Niccolò
- Palazzo Pitti – Grand Ducal Palace of Florence
- History of Florence – Complete Guide
References
- Senato della Repubblica Italiana – Historical Documentation on the September Convention
- Camera dei Deputati – Historical Documentation on Florence as Capital of the Kingdom of Italy
- Comune di Firenze – Historical Documentation on Firenze Capitale and the Enlargement of Florence
- Comune di Firenze – Historical Documentation on Giuseppe Poggi and the Viali di Circonvallazione
- Comune di Firenze – Historical Documentation on Mercato Vecchio and the Later Transformation of the Historic Centre
- Treccani – Historical Studies on Florence, the Risorgimento and the Kingdom of Italy
- Poggi, Giuseppe – Sui lavori per l’ingrandimento di Firenze, 1864–1877
- Mack Smith, Denis – The Making of Italy, 1796–1870
- Duggan, Christopher – The Force of Destiny: A History of Italy Since 1796
