Florence

The Medici ruled Tuscany until their line died out in 1737. They were succeeded by members of the imperial Austrian House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Grand Duke Ferdinand III was driven from his throne by the French in 1799 and restored in 1814. His successor, Leopold II, expelled in 1849, returned with Austrian troops, but he was finally deposed in 1859 during the struggle for Italian independence. Florence was the capital of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II from 1865 to 1871, when Rome became the capital. In World War II most of Florence's monuments escaped damage, but all its bridges (except the Ponte Vecchio) were destroyed in 1944. In 1966 a major flood damaged numerous art treasures in Florence, but many were skilfully restored in succeeding years. Florence was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982.