Florentia is founded
Traditionally dated to 59 BC, the Roman colony was laid out on a grid that still shapes the streets around Piazza della Repubblica.
Art History & Travel Quiz
Bing Florence Quiz – Test Your Knowledge of Italy’s Renaissance City
Restore the fresco, one answer at a time
Twelve questions about the Medici, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi’s dome and the bridge that survived a war. Every right answer brings a patch of our Florentine fresco back to life.
Begin the restorationFew cities have shaped the way the world sees art and ideas as profoundly as Florence. In the space of roughly two centuries, this merchant city on the Arno produced Giotto, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, along with the bankers who paid for their work and the writers who changed the Italian language. UNESCO describes its historic centre as the symbol of the Renaissance and a birthplace of modern humanism.
This Bing Florence Quiz invites you to restore a fresco of the city. Each correct answer reveals a patch of color; each miss leaves behind the reddish sinopia, the preparatory drawing that Renaissance painters sketched on the wall before applying fresh plaster. Three questions ask you to dial in a year, with points for getting close. After the quiz, the guide explores the city’s history, the Medici, Brunelleschi’s dome, its masterpieces and daily life.
Please note: this is an independent educational quiz. It is not created by, affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft, Bing or any Florentine museum or authority.
ArnoThe river that flows through the city
1982Historic centre added to the UNESCO World Heritage List
1865–71Years Florence served as capital of the Kingdom of Italy
TuscanyThe region of which Florence is the capital
IThe quiz
Take the Bing Florence Quiz
Nine multiple-choice questions are worth 10 points each. Three “dial the year” questions award 10 points if you land within 5 years, 5 points within 25 years, and restore their patch of the fresco if you get within 25.
RESTORED0 / 12POINTS 0
Welcome to the workshop
Your fresco is still under fresh plaster. Answer correctly to reveal it.
- Nine multiple-choice questions
- Three “dial the year” questions with partial credit
- Maximum score: 120 points
IIHistory59 BCRoman era 1252Medieval 1265Medieval 1296Gothic 1345Medieval 1436Early Renaissance 1469High Renaissance 1504High Renaissance 1565Grand Duchy 1865Unified Italy 1944World War II 1982Today
A Florentine Chronicle: from Roman camp to Renaissance capital
Florence began as a Roman settlement and grew into one of the richest cities in medieval Europe, thanks to wool, cloth, silk and, above all, banking. Scroll sideways through the key moments.
The gold florin
Florence mints its gold florin, which becomes one of the most trusted coins in Europe and a symbol of the city’s financial power.
Dante is born
The poet of the Divine Comedy is born in Florence. He is later exiled and dies in Ravenna, where his tomb remains.
A new cathedral
Work begins on Santa Maria del Fiore under Arnolfo di Cambio, on the site of the older church of Santa Reparata.
Ponte Vecchio rebuilt
After a devastating flood in 1333, the “Old Bridge” is rebuilt in stone with shops lining both sides.
The dome is consecrated
The cathedral is consecrated after Brunelleschi completes his revolutionary dome, built without traditional wooden centering.
Lorenzo the Magnificent
Lorenzo de’ Medici takes the lead of the family and becomes a celebrated patron of artists, poets and scholars until his death in 1492.
David unveiled
Michelangelo’s marble David is placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio as a symbol of the Florentine Republic.
The Vasari Corridor
Cosimo I de’ Medici has Giorgio Vasari build a raised passageway linking the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi and the Palazzo Pitti across the Ponte Vecchio.
Capital of Italy
Florence replaces Turin as capital of the young Kingdom of Italy, a role it holds until the capital moves to Rome in 1871.
A bridge is spared
Retreating German forces destroy Florence’s bridges, but the Ponte Vecchio is spared, the only one left standing.
World Heritage
UNESCO inscribes the Historic Centre of Florence, covering more than 500 hectares, on its World Heritage List.
Scroll sideways for more →
IIIPatrons
The Medici: Bankers, Patrons, Popes and Queens
The Medici rose from wealthy bankers to the rulers of Florence and, later, Grand Dukes of Tuscany. Their coat of arms, a cluster of red balls, or palle, on a gold shield, still decorates buildings across the city.
1389–1464
Cosimo the Elder
Built the family’s political power and funded projects such as the monastery of San Marco and the Medici palace.
1449–1492
Lorenzo the Magnificent
A poet and diplomat who supported artists including Botticelli and a young Michelangelo.
16th century
Two Medici Popes
Leo X and Clement VII both came from the family, extending Medici influence to Rome.
1519–1589
Catherine de’ Medici
Married into the French royal family and became Queen of France, a powerful figure for decades.
1519–1574
Cosimo I
Became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany and commissioned the Uffizi offices and the Vasari Corridor.
1667–1743
Anna Maria Luisa
The last of the line. Her 1737 “Family Pact” left the Medici art collections to Florence, on condition they never leave the city.
IVEngineering
How Brunelleschi Built the Impossible Dome
For decades the cathedral stood with a gaping hole where its dome should be: the space was too wide to span with the wooden centering normally used to support a dome during construction. In 1418 the city held a competition, and goldsmith-turned-architect Filippo Brunelleschi proposed a bold solution.
- Two shells, not oneA thick inner dome and a lighter outer dome reduced weight while protecting the structure from the weather.
- Herringbone brickworkBricks laid in a zigzag pattern helped lock each new course in place as the dome rose.
- Built without full centeringThe dome was raised without the massive wooden scaffold that would normally support it from below.
- Inventive machinesBrunelleschi designed hoists powered by oxen to lift materials to the work platforms.
- Still a record holderCompleted in the 1430s, it is often described as the largest masonry dome ever built. Visitors who climb to the top take roughly 460 steps.
VMasterpieces
Piazza del Duomo Piazza del Duomo Piazza della Signoria On the Arno Oltrarno Santa Croce
Masterpieces and Where to Find Them
A favorite quiz trick is asking where a famous work is kept today. This table is a quick reference to some of Florence’s most celebrated pieces.
| Work | Artist | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|
| The Birth of Venus | Sandro Botticelli | Uffizi Gallery |
| Primavera | Sandro Botticelli | Uffizi Gallery |
| Annunciation | Leonardo da Vinci | Uffizi Gallery |
| David (marble original) | Michelangelo | Galleria dell’Accademia (a replica stands in Piazza della Signoria) |
| David (bronze) | Donatello | Bargello Museum |
| Gates of Paradise | Lorenzo Ghiberti | Original panels in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo; copies on the Baptistery |
| Perseus with the Head of Medusa | Benvenuto Cellini | Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria |
| Holy Trinity fresco | Masaccio | Basilica of Santa Maria Novella |
Landmarks every quiz-taker should know
Santa Maria del Fiore
The cathedral, crowned by Brunelleschi’s dome. Its colorful marble façade was only completed in the 19th century.
Giotto’s Bell Tower
The campanile begun by the painter Giotto, clad in white, green and pink marble.
Palazzo Vecchio
The fortress-like town hall with its tall tower, still home to the city government.
Ponte Vecchio
The medieval bridge lined with jewelers’ shops, with the Vasari Corridor running above.
Palazzo Pitti & Boboli Gardens
A vast palace bought by the Medici, with a famous landscaped garden behind it.
Basilica of Santa Croce
Burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli, sometimes called the Temple of Italian Glories.
VIDaily life
Language, Food and Festivals
The birthplace of Italian
Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio wrote in the Florentine dialect, which became the basis of standard Italian. That is why Dante is often called the father of the Italian language.
The florin
First minted in 1252, the gold florin bore the Florentine lily and became a standard coin for European trade.
Tuscan table
Florence is famous for bistecca alla fiorentina, a thick T-bone steak, hearty ribollita bread soup, and lampredotto, a tripe sandwich sold from street carts.
Festivals
On Easter Sunday, the Scoppio del Carro sets off fireworks from an ornate cart outside the cathedral. In June, teams play calcio storico, a rough historic form of football, in Piazza Santa Croce.
VII1966
The Flood of 1966 and the “Mud Angels”
On 4 November 1966, after days of heavy rain, the Arno burst its banks and poured into the historic centre. Water and thick mud filled churches, workshops, libraries and museums, damaging thousands of artworks and millions of books and manuscripts.
Volunteers from across Italy and around the world rushed to help, pulling books and paintings from the mud. They became known as the angeli del fango, or “mud angels.” The disaster also transformed art conservation, as restorers developed new techniques to save damaged paintings, frescoes and documents.
Marker plaques around the city still show how high the water rose
✦Study notes
Tips for Acing Florence Questions
- Don’t mix up the Davids. Michelangelo’s marble original is in the Accademia; the one in Piazza della Signoria is a copy. Donatello’s bronze David is in the Bargello.
- Remember the river. Florence sits on the Arno, not the Tiber, which flows through Rome.
- Know the dome’s architect. Brunelleschi designed the dome; Giotto designed the bell tower.
- Check the capital dates. Florence followed Turin as Italy’s capital from 1865 until Rome took over in 1871.
- Tombs and cenotaphs. Michelangelo and Galileo are buried in Santa Croce, but Dante’s tomb is in Ravenna.
Fancy a change of scene? Try our Movies Entertainment Quiz for daily questions on films, TV and stars, or test your grasp of the headlines with our News Quiz.
VIIIQuestions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bing Florence Quiz?
It is a free, 12-question educational quiz about the history, art, architecture and culture of Florence, Italy. It includes multiple-choice and “dial the year” questions, with an explanation after each answer. It is independent and not affiliated with Microsoft or Bing.
Why is Florence called the birthplace of the Renaissance?
In the 15th and 16th centuries, wealthy patrons such as the Medici supported a remarkable concentration of artists, architects and thinkers in Florence, including Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo, whose work transformed European art and ideas.
Where is Michelangelo’s David?
The marble original has been in the Galleria dell’Accademia since 1873. A full-size replica stands in its original location in Piazza della Signoria.
Who built the dome of Florence Cathedral?
Filippo Brunelleschi designed and oversaw the dome, which was completed in the 1430s, with the cathedral consecrated in 1436.
Was Florence ever the capital of Italy?
Yes. Florence was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy from 1865 to 1871, after Turin and before Rome.
Is Florence a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Yes. The Historic Centre of Florence was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.