Florence was founded by the Romans in 59 BC when Julius Caesar through the Lex Iulia, decided to reward with lots of ground the soldiers of his many wars.

Florence was built at the narrowest point of the Arno river, exactly where it is easier both to cross and to control. It was built as all other Roman cities: two main streets (cardo and decumanus) with the Forum at their intersection, the temples of Jupiter and Juno nearby and all other streets arranged in perpendicular so to form a checkerboard.

The ceremony for the founding of the city coincided with the Roman celebrations for the arrival of spring. These festivities, in honor of the goddess Flora, which took place from April 28th to May 3rd, were called Ludi Florales and from these public competitions was named the city: Florentia. 

The Florentine area during the spring was (and still is) characterized with the presence of a particular type of flower: the white Florentine iris (erroneously called by everybody lily). It has been therefore quite natural to associate this flower to this city and to take it as its symbol. At first the coat of Florence had a white flower on a red field, but, after the final defeat of the Ghibellines in 1251, it was transformed by changing the colors: red flower on white field.

This is the lily that we can recognize on the many monuments of Florence including the most famous ones, like Palazzo Vecchio and… the Duomo which, not by coincidence, is called Santa Maria del Fiore (S. Mary of the Flower).