Fiesole

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Overview

The bijou hilltop village of Fiesole has seduced for centuries with its cooler air, olive groves, scattering of Renaissance-styled villas and spectacular views of the plain. Boccaccio, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein and Frank Lloyd Wright, among others, raved about it. Perched in the hills 9km northeast of Florence, Fiesole makes an easy escapade when a break from city life beckons.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Area Archeologica

Fiesole

Make the Area Archeologica your first stop. A pretty site to stroll, the archaeological area ensnares an Etruscan temple (Fiesole was founded in the 7th…
Museo Primo Conti

Fiesole

From Fiesole's central square, a 400m walk along Via Giovanni Dupré brings you to this quaint house-museum where the eponymous avant-garde 20th-century…
Chiesa e Convento di San Francesco

Fiesole

Make your way up steep walled Via San Francesco and be blown away by the staggeringly beautiful panorama of Florence that unfolds from the terrace…
Museo Bandini

Fiesole

The collection of early Tuscan Renaissance works inside this tiny art museum includes fine medallions by Giovanni della Robbia (c 1505–20) and Taddeo…
Cattedrale di San Romolo

Fiesole

Fiesole's cathedral, begun in the 11th century, stands sentry over the central square. Look out for the glazed terracotta statue of San Romolo by Giovanni…