Nonfiction. Cultural Writing. Italian Americana. Florida Studies. Italians have figured prominently in the history of Florida. From the earliest Spanish voyages of exploration to the massive migration of second- and third-generation ethnics after World War II, Italians have witnessed and participated in the extraordinary transformation of America's southernmost state. Presented here is an overview of the history of Italians in Florida. Florida's growth and development as a state is inextricably tied to the history of Italians in this part of the United States, the one would be different today without the other.