Category: Histories of countries and key towns and cities around the world

By Tim Lambert Early Florence The great city of Florence was founded by the Romans in 59 BC. It was a colonia, a settlement for retired soldiers and it was called Florentia. The new town flourished and grew under Roman rule. However, in the 4th century, the Roman Empire split into two, East and West.… Continue reading A History of Florence Italy

By Tim Lambert Galway in the Middle Ages Galway was first recorded in 1124 when a fort was built there. However, the town was founded in the 13th century. In 1170-71 the English invaded eastern Ireland and in 1232 a baron named Richard de Burgh took this area and created a town. After 1270 walls… Continue reading A History of Galway

By Tim Lambert Early Gdansk The story of Gdansk begins in the 10th century. At first, it was a small trading settlement but it soon grew. In 1224 it was formally made a town when it was granted certain rights. Then in 1308 the Teutonic Knights (an order of German knights) took over Gdansk. They… Continue reading A History of Gdansk

By Tim Lambert Early Halifax Halifax was founded in Canada in 1749. Colonel Edward Cornwallis led a group of British settlers. They build houses and a stockade. St Paul’s Church was built in 1750. The same year, in 1750 other settlers founded Dartmouth. However, the native people of the area, the Mi’Kmaq objected and they… Continue reading A History of Halifax

By Tim Lambert Viking Limerick The Vikings founded Limerick in 922 AD. It was an obvious place to build a town because it was an island between the Shannon and the Abbey River and so was easily defended. Limerick soon became a thriving little town. However, the Vikings fought each other as well as the… Continue reading A History of Limerick

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Terry and Rhonda Luff Early Melbourne The first Europeans visited the site of Melbourne in 1803. A group of settlers landed at Port Phillip Bay but within a year they moved on to Tasmania. The city of Melbourne in Australia was founded in 1835. In that year a group of… Continue reading A History of Melbourne

By Tim Lambert Early Montreal In 1635 the French explorer Jacques Cartier reached the island of Montreal. Then in 1642, a group of French settlers led by Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve went to Montreal. The new settlement flourished on the fur trade. However, the early settlers met with hostility from the Iroquois until 1701… Continue reading A History of Montreal

By Tim Lambert Ancient Naples The city of Naples was founded by the Ancient Greeks, who settled in southern Italy. Soon Naples became a busy and important port. However, the Romans conquered Naples in 326 BC. Under Roman rule, the port of Naples continued to thrive and rich Romans built holiday villas on the nearby… Continue reading A History of Naples

By Tim Lambert The Foundation of Ottawa Samuel de Champlain visited the area where Ottawa now stands in 1613. Afterwards, the Ottawa River was a major transport artery. However permanent settlement did not begin until Philemon Wright founded a small town he called Wrightstown. (It is now known as Hull). Then in 1826, the Rideau… Continue reading A History of Ottawa

By Tim Lambert The Swan River Colony Perth was founded in 1829 largely because the British feared the French would establish a colony in Western Australia. In 1827 Captain James Stirling (1791-1865) sailed to the Swan River in his ship HMS Success. Stirling believed the area would be ideal for a settlement. He persuaded the… Continue reading A History of Perth Australia