The first essays of the same type were published in the ‘Nauchnoe Slovo’ Magazine as early as in 1903, under the title “The Research Walks through the Historical Centres of Italy”. Articles of that book give a general survey of the history of Florence in the ancient and medieval times. Observing the history of shaping the Florentine Republic, G. went back to the classic period, including that one of the so called ‘Etruscan Florence’. He shows that in the Roman period the city got broad rights of the local self-governing. He argues that the ritual piety was fed with Etruscan legends and Greek religious practices. The people of Florence knew about the cults of the Near East, particularly, about the cults of Isis and Serapis. But mainly the citizens adored Italic gods. For the long period, they kept festivities known as compitalia in honour of patrons of various districts of the city. The earliest mentioning about a Christian community there is dated to 250. The author described the development of Christianity in old Florence, including the establishment of the bishop’s see. Taking into account the influence of the German culture in the Middle Ages, G. rejected the fact of forgetting the Roman traditions in the city. As for the medieval religious culture, he noted a specific of Northern Italy, especially, the cult of St John the Baptist spread under the influence of Lombards. In the medieval history of Florence he put attention at the religious and political activity of local bishops.