Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Two-Hour Walk through Fiesole
The village of Fiesole stands in the foothills of the
Mugello region, 8 km (5 miles) north of Florence, and
has substantial Roman and Etruscan remains. The area
has been a popular summer retreat since the 15th
century, thanks to its fresh breezes and hilltop position.
undisturbed until excavation in
the 1870s. The Teatro, built in
the 1st century BC, is used for
the annual Estate Fiesolana
festival
(see pp38-9)
. Its tiers
of stone seats can hold 3,000
spectators. Next to the
theatre is the
Museo Faesulanum
6
From here, walk up
the square to the
front of the 14th-
century Palazzo
Comunale
3
. Here
there is a bronze
statue of King
Vittorio Emanuele II
and Garibaldi,
called
Incontro di
Teano
(Meeting at
Teano)
4
. Return-
ing to the church,
take the first turning right,
down Via Dupre, to the
Roman theatre
5
and into the
archaeological park.
After its defeat by Florence
in 1125, Fiesole went into a
decline, and many Etruscan
and Roman remains went
, built in 1912-14.
Inside are finds from
the Bronze Age
onwards: coins,
jewellery and
ceramics, bronzes
and marble sculp-
ture. The building
is a copy of the
1st-century Roman
temple whose
remains are in the northern
part of the complex. It is built
on Etruscan foundations, and
part of the Roman frieze
dating from the 1st century
BC is still intact. There are
some partly restored Roman
baths close by
7
, and, at
The bronze statue
Incontro di Teano
4
The belltower of the Duomo
2
Piazza Mino da Fiesole
The No. 7 bus arrives at its last
stop, in Fiesole's main square
1
, after a 30-minute journey
from Florence through country-
side dotted with villas. Settled
in the 7th century BC, Fiesole
was a powerful force in central
Italy by the 5th century BC.
It began to decline after the
Romans founded Florence in
the 1st century BC, but kept
its independence until 1125,
when Florentine troops razed
most of the city. The Duomo
of San Romolo
2
in the
piazza was begun in 1028 and
has a massive belltower. The
bare Romanesque interior has
columns which are topped
with reused Roman capitals.
Roman theatre complex
5
TIPS FOR WALKERS
Starting point:
Piazza Mino da
Fiesole.
Length:
1.5 km (1 mile). Allow
2-3 hours for the walk to include
time to visit the various
museums. Note that Via di San
Francesco is steep.
Badia Fiesolana:
Open Sunday
morning for services.
Getting there:
No. 7 bus from
Piazza di San Marco in Florence.
Stopping-off points:
There are
several cafés around Piazza Mino
da Fiesole. The tiny ice-cream
parlour Il Tucano (Via Gramsci 8)
is also worth a stop.
Badia
Fiesolana
M
KEY
H
Walk route
Viewpoint
0 metres
250
0 yards
250
