History: 5 fast facts about Florence Nightingale

1. La Dolce Vita

Florence’s parents named her after the city of her birth, a lovely reminder of their three-year-long honeymoon around Italy but perhaps a little unfortunate for her sister, Parthenope.

2. Working girl

Flo’s upper-class family were non-too thrilled by what she believed was her ‘calling’ to become a nurse, which at the time was associated with low social status, alcoholism and prostitution.

3. Eau de insensitive

While ‘the Lady with the Lamp’ was nursing on the front-line