Fiesole

Fiesole, 300 m. in altitude in the main Piazza Mino, is not far from the centre of Florence only 5 Km. The landscape is dotted with olive trees, cypresses, from spots of forest and from houses and villas.

Fiesole, 300 m. in altitude in the main Piazza Mino, is not far from the centre of Florence only 5 Km. The landscape is dotted with olive trees, cypresses, from spots of forest and from houses and villas insert in this framework with wisdom secular.

DISCOVER FIESOLE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA
In three hectares of the beautiful hilly landscape you can admire the Etruscan, Roman and the Longobard ruins: The Roman Theatre, built at the end of the first century B.C., exceptionally well preserved in particular in tiers and service areas, the roman baths, built contemporary with the theatre are the pools which remain in evidence, the area which was reserved to the cold and warm baths and the saunas remain visible. The Etruscan temple that was constructed in the IVth century B.C., and was dedicated to Minerva, a goddess therapeutic virtue, from where they come numerous former bronze ex-votos conserved in the Museum. Destroyed at the moment of the roman conquest, it was reconstructed (first century B.C.), in the same place, with the same plan but in greater dimensions. In age of the Longobard all the zone was occupied from an immense cemetery of which is still visible some remaining tombs.

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
The main exhibits come from the city and from the surrounding territory the collection covers an immense arc of time: from the protectoral to the Etruscan civilization, roman, Long bard and to the Middle Ages. Which consist of a rich section composed antiquarianism from bronzes, marbles, sculptures. Of particular value the Constantine Collection that collects Greek ceramics, of the Magna Greece and Etruria.

THE BANDINI MUSEUM
Founded in 1913, which contains the collection of the Canon Angelo Maria Bandini a philologist, antiquarian and librarian of the Laurenziana of Florence, lived between 1726 and 1803. The Museum could be described as small treasure chest of art, conserving Florentine paintings from the two hundred and the three hundred, the so-called “primiti” - Taddeo and Agnolo Gaddi, Nardo di Cione, Lorenzo Monaco - and works of the masters of the four hundred: from Neri of Bicci to Iacopo of Sellaio (splendid its Triumphs) and a delicate Madonna with the Child produced in workshop of the Botticelli. their can also be seen An collection of polychrome terracotta of Della Robbia family, the most famous and important producers in this medium of the Florentine Renaissance.

THE CHAPEL OF SAINT JANES
Originally the oratory of the Bishop’s Palace as such dates back to the frist half of the 11TH century. Renovated and modified various times over the centuries, today it has been completely restored and opened to the public. Besides the great wallfresco by Bicci di Lorenzo (ca. 1440) of “The Coronation of the Virgin with Angels and Saints”, the crape contains a rich collection of precious liturgical objects belonging to the Diocese of Fiesole, one of the largest and oldest dioceses in Italy.

BADIA FIESOLANA
Constructed at the beginning of year 1000 and consecrated by Jacopo il Bavaro. From 1440 until 1778 it passes to the Canonical lateranensi said Roccettini: the facade in white and green marble of Prato is connected to the Florentine baptistery of S. Miniato al Monte.

BASILICA DI S. ALESSANDRO
An early Christian basilica, the tradition wants the church founded on the rests of a roman temple dedicated to Bacchus. The current appearance is the result of a renewal of XI century and other restorations in the XVIII, XIX and XX centuries that have Etruscan trace evidenced under the apse. Today the church is introduced as a great hall with the double central nave in comparison to the lateral ones and from this partition of splendid columns in oriental cipollino marble and in white marble Perhaps of re-use from a roman building.

CATTEDRALE DI SAN ROMOLO
Erected in 1028,in the time of the Bishop Jacopo il Bavaro, the building was expanded in `the 200 as attest the entries with the dates 1201 and 1256, affixed on two tops of a column until enduring a complete restoration in 1800 that gave back to the church the primitive Romanesque shapes. The structure is a basilican plan with three naves and with cover of wood truss. Many and important are the works of art conserved like those of Mino da Fiesole and Bicci di Lorenzo.
www.cattedralefiesole.it

VILLE COLLINE DI FIESOLE

Montececeri Park - Maiano Quarries
The quarries of Fiesole, and of Maiano in particular, exploited until the early 20th century, are famous for their sandstone, the so-called "pietra fiesolana", amply utilised by sculptors since the 15th century. Mentioned by Benvenuto Cellini and Giorgio Vasari, "pietra fiesolana" was most suitable for architectural works and monuments, as well as for more or less refined elements used for civil, religious and urban furnishings. It was so widely used that the Medicean government had to exert a severe policy of control over its exploitation. In the 17th and 18th centuries, in fact, the Fiesole quarries were "banned" and reserved exclusively to Florentine monuments. Among the last works built with "pietra fiesolana" are the columns in the courtyard, the stairway and other architectural elements of the Florence National Central Library. Today the area has become a park, along whose itineraries can be seen the basic features of the ancient quarries: the cut, the open-sky, and the stone quarry "cava ficcata", artificial caves supported by feet.
Montececeri is a "Leonardian place". In a clearing on the top of the hill, a stele bears the prophecy of flight from "Monte del Cigno" (Montececeri) noted by Leonardo on the inner cover of the "Codex on the Flight of Birds" now in the Royal Library of Turin.
Leonardo also mentions "Monte Ceceri" in drawing the contour of the hills around Florence on Folio 20v of tMadrid Ms. II.
In the vicinity of the Il Regresso curve, along the provincial road that links Fiesole to Florence, a plate on the wall of Villa La Torrossa recalls that Leonardo da Vinci decided to attempt human flight here, from Montececeri. Legend has it that Zoroastro da Peretola (the illegitimate son of one of the Rucellai, a pupil of Leonardo in Milan and in Florence, during the period of the wall painting depicting the Battle of Anghiari, who later died in Rome and is recalled as an esoteric personage) attempted to fly from Montececeri, ending in a disastrous fall.
Maiano is also linked to the figure of Temple Leader, the Englishman who rebuilt the castle of Vincigliata in the 19th century.

CASTELLO DI VINCIGLIATA
The first written document about vincigliata is a contract that was registred in the archives of florence in the year 1.031, by the family vinsdomini, then the owners. later, it passed to the family alessandri i who had it for some three hundred years. i the decline started in the 17th century, the castle was sold, gam­bled away and gradually went to rack and ruin. In 1840 lord john temple leader was exploring the hills of fiesole, when he came upon the overgrown ruin of a medieval castle. he in­ stantly fell in love with it and decided to restore it to its former glory. Of the many stories he uncovered, sir john especially coveted the one about donna bianca. sir john decided that vincigliata was a perfect place to host his many noble friends. With help of a young architect fan celli, he started the daunting task of restoration. in pure spirit of renaissance patronage, he commissioned 80 masons, artisans, sculptors, glassmakers andantiquarians and with their help, vincigliata was reborn after 10 years of work. Today, castello di vincigliata continues in the spirit of sir john temple leader, as a place of inspiration ano a centre for all kinds of social ano cul tural gatherings, creating unforgettable evenings within its magic atmosphere.
www.castellodivincigliata.it

CASTEL DI POGGIO
The castle of thirteenth century origins, current aspect is do to restoration carried out in the 1900's.
www.casteldipoggio.it.