Friends of Florence Foundation
Founder: Contessa Simonetta Brandolini d'Adda
Friends of Florence is a non-profit 501(C)3 international foundation based in the United States. It was created to allow the citizens of the world to participate in the preservation and enhancement of this glorious city and the Tuscany region.
Through carefully selected projects, various works of art, architecture and literature will be restored, safeguarded or finally opened to the public. A committee of internationally respected experts and historians will guide the foundation in the selection of projects that will benefit from the foundation's work.
The great re-awakening of the human spirit from the darkness of the Middle Ages occurred in Florence. In the early 15th century, the study of antiquity - of the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome - became a Florentine passion, and with it carne a new respect for learning and a new-found creativity. The fruits of the great Quattrocento were boundless in Florence, making it the center of Western civilization for arts, architecture, philosophy sciences and political idealism. This small city became the emblem of humanism and gave the world such geniuses as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Galileo, Dante, Giotto and countless others who created works and ideals which continue to inspire the world. As we enter the third millennium, it is ever more important that the legacy of Florence and the Tuscany region be preserved, enhanced where possible, and protected. Many of the unique treasures found in and around Florence are in danger of being ruined from neglect or sporadic preservation.The city itself is a work of art, rich in beautiful palaces, churches, museums, secret corners, and splendid gardens. All must be carefully protected so that Florence and Tuscany will remain a symbol of humanism and man's creativity and genius for centuries to come.
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