For centuries, March 25 marked the beginning of the new year in Florence. The date was the feast of the Annunciation, deeply rooted in the city’s religious and civic identity.
This ancient way of counting the years, known as the Florentine style, remained in use until the eighteenth century. Understanding it helps us read Florence’s history more accurately and explains why the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata has such a special place in the city’s memory.
Why did the Florentine year begin on March 25?
In medieval and Renaissance Florence, the civil year began on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, rather than on January 1. The choice reflected the importance of the moment when the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would become the mother of Christ.
For historians, this old dating system is especially important. A Florentine document dated between January 1 and March 24 can carry a year number that is one year behind our modern calendar, so historical dates sometimes need to be converted when studying Florentine sources.
The Florentine New Year and Santissima Annunziata
The heart of this tradition is the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata. According to an ancient legend, in the thirteenth century a painter was working on an image of the Annunciation but could not complete the Virgin’s face. After falling asleep, he awoke to find the face miraculously finished.
The image became one of the most revered works in Florence. Over the centuries, the basilica attracted pilgrims, offerings and acts of devotion, becoming a particularly important place for the celebration of March 25.
Florence, the Annunciation and the Renaissance
The theme of the Annunciation is everywhere in Florentine art. From medieval painting to the great masters of the Renaissance, the encounter between Gabriel and Mary offered artists an opportunity to explore space, perspective, light and emotion.
This close relationship between religious feast, civic calendar and artistic culture helps explain why March 25 was much more than a date in Florence: it was a symbolic point where faith, public life and the visual identity of the city met.
When did Florence abandon the March 25 New Year?
The Florentine system remained in use until 1750, when under Grand Duke Francesco Stefano di Lorena Florence adopted January 1 as the official beginning of the civil year.
The change ended a centuries-old custom, but it did not erase the memory of the old Florentine New Year.
March 25 in Florence today
Today the Florentine New Year is remembered as one of the city’s historical traditions. March 25 offers an opportunity to rediscover the old calendar, the devotion to the Annunciation and the special relationship between Florence and Santissima Annunziata.
The celebration is also a reminder that the history of Florence is not found only in its monuments and museums, but also in the customs, dates and rituals through which the city has defined itself over the centuries.
A date that helps us understand Florence
Knowing that the Florentine year once began on March 25 changes the way we look at old documents, works of art and some of the city’s most important places. The Capodanno Fiorentino is more than a historical curiosity: it is another key to understanding Florence and the way its civic and religious history are intertwined.
