I’ve always been intrigued by the possible visual growth rings apparent in various cities. In certain historic cities these can be traced by locating where the defensive walls of the cities were located as the city grew. One city that fits this category is Florence, Italy.
The above drawing illustrates that the size of Florence basically did not grow for approximately 500 years.
Shown below is a plan of the center of Florence as it exists today.
Overlaying on the same contemporary map of Florence above, the image below illustrates where the walls were constructed over time.
The information I used to illustrate Florence’s city walls shown over time can be found in the book titled, Firenze by Giovanni Fanelli, Editori Laterza; 4th edition (January 1, 1988).
Looking@Cities 