Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents

Exploring Fiesole | Where to Eat and Stay in Fiesole | Nightlife and the Arts in Fiesole

Getting Here

The simplest way to get to Fiesole from Florence is by public bus: Take the number 7, marked “Fiesole,” which you can pick up at Piazza San Marco. If you decide to drive (the bus is so much easier), go to Piazza Liberta and cross the Ponte Rosso heading in the direction of the SS65/SR65. Turn right onto Via Salviati and continue onto Via Roccettini. Make a left turn to Via Vecchia Fiesolana, which will take you directly into the center of town.

There are several possible routes for a two-hour walk from central Florence to Fiesole. One route begins in a residential area of Florence called Salviatino (Via Barbacane, near Piazza Edison, on the Bus 7 route), and after a short time offers peeks over garden walls of beautiful villas, as well as the view over your shoulder at the panorama of Florence in the valley.

Visitor Information

Fiesole tourism office.
Via Portigiani 3 | 50014 | 055/5961323 | www.comune.fiesole.fi.it.

Exploring Fiesole

A half-day excursion to Fiesole, in the hills 8 km (5 miles) above Florence, gives you a pleasant respite from museums and a wonderful view of the city. From here the view of the Duomo, with Brunelleschi’s powerful cupola, gives you a new appreciation for what the Renaissance accomplished. Fiesole began life as an ancient Etruscan and later Roman village that held some power until it succumbed to barbarian invasions. Eventually it gave up its independence in exchange for Florence’s protection. The medieval cathedral, ancient Roman amphitheater, and lovely old villas behind garden walls are clustered on a series of hilltops. A walk around Fiesole can take from one to three hours, depending on how far you stroll from the main piazza.

Duomo.
The Duomo presents a stark medieval interior. In the raised presbytery, the Cappella Salutati was frescoed by 15th-century artist Cosimo Rosselli, but it was his contemporary, sculptor Mino da Fiesole (1430–84), who put the town on the artistic map. The Madonna on the altarpiece and the tomb of Bishop Salutati are fine examples of the artist’s work. | Piazza Mino da Fiesole | 50014 | 055/59400 | Nov.–Mar., daily 7:30–noon and 2–5; Apr.–Oct., daily 7:30–noon and 3–6.

Anfiteatro Romano (Roman Amphitheater).
The beautifully preserved 2,000-seat Anfiteatro Romano, near the Duomo, dates from the 1st century BC and is still used for summer concerts. To the right of the amphitheater are the remains of the Terme Romani (Roman Baths), where you can see the gymnasium, hot and cold baths, and rectangular chamber where the water was heated. A beautifully designed Museo Archeologico, its facade evoking an ancient Roman temple, is built amid the ruins and contains objects dating from as early as 2000 BC. The nearby Museo Bandini is filled with the private collection of Canon Angelo Maria Bandini (1726–1803); he fancied 13th- to 15th-century Florentine paintings, terra-cotta pieces, and wood sculpture, which he later bequeathed to the Diocese of Fiesole. | Via Portigiani 1 | 50014 | 055/5961293 | €12, includes access to the archaeological park and museums | Apr.–Sept., daily 9:30–7; Oct.–Mar., Wed.–Mon. 10–4:30.

San Francesco.
The hilltop church of San Francesco has a good view of Florence and the plain below from its terrace and benches. Off the little cloister is a small, eclectic museum containing, among other things, two Egyptian mummies. Halfway up the hill you’ll see sloping steps to the right; they lead to a lovely wooded park with trails that loop out and back to the church.

San Domenico.
If you really want to stretch your legs, walk 4 km (2½ miles) toward the center of Florence along Via Vecchia Fiesolana, a narrow lane in use since Etruscan times, to the church of San Domenico. Sheltered in the church is the Madonna and Child with Saints by Fra Angelico, who was a Dominican friar here. | Piazza San Domenico, off Via Giuseppe Mantellini | 50014 | 055/59230 | Mon.–Sat. 9–noon.

Badia Fiesolana.
From the church of San Domenico it’s a five-minute walk northwest to the Badia Fiesolana, which was Fiesole’s original cathedral. Dating to the 11th century, it was first the home of the Camaldolese monks. Thanks to Cosimo il Vecchio, the complex was substantially restructured. The facade, never completed owing to Cosimo’s death, contains elements of its original Romanesque decoration. The attached convent once housed Cosimo’s valued manuscripts. Its mid-15th-century cloister is well worth a look. | Via della Badia dei Roccettini 11 | 50014 | 055/46851 | Weekdays 9–6, Sat. 9:30–12:30.

Where to Eat and Stay in Fiesole

La Reggia degli Etruschi.
$ | ITALIAN | If you want a breath of fresh air—literally—this lovely little eatery is worth a detour. Stamina is necessary to get here, as it’s on a steep hill on the way up to the church of San Francesco. The rewards upon arrival, in the form of inventive reworkings of Tuscan classics, are well worth it. The mezzaluna di pera a pecorino (little half moon pasta stuffed with pear and pecorino) is sauced with Roquefort and poppy seeds. Slivers of papaya—a rare commodity on restaurant menus in these parts—anoint the tasty carpaccio di tonno affumicato (smoked tuna carpaccio). The wine list and the attentive service help make this a terrific place to have a meal. When it’s warm, you can sit on the little terrace outside. | Average cost: €40 | Via San Francesco | 50100 | 055/59385 | www.lareggiadeglietruschi.com.

Le Cave di Maiano.
$$ | TUSCAN | If you’re looking to get out of town, hop in your car (or take a taxi) to this simple trattoria in the hills just outside Florence. Italians flock here for the buon rapporto fra qualità e prezzo (the good rapport between quality and price). Tuscan staples are on hand, as is a fine plate of spaghetti with truffled asparagus. They grill well here, so consider something from the grill to follow. By all means leave room for dessert. Though the food is typical, they do it exceedingly well: the zuppa cotta should not be missed. | Average cost: €35 | Via Cave di Maiano 16 | 50135 | 055/59133.

Villa Aurora.
$$ | The attractive hotel on the main piazza takes advantage of its hilltop spot, with beautiful views in many of the rooms, some of which are on two levels with beamed ceilings and balconies. The building, constructed as a theater in 1860, was transformed into a hotel in the late 19th century. It’s fit for queens, and quite a few of them—Queen Victoria and Margherita di Savoia among others—have stayed here. Pros: some rooms have pretty views, air quality better than in Florence. Cons: a little worn at the edges. TripAdvisor: “great location,” “stay if only for the views,” “magnificent old villa.” | Rooms from: €150 | Piazza Mino da Fiesole 39 | 50014 | 055/59363 | Fax055/59587 | www.villaaurora.net | 23 rooms, 2 suites | Breakfast.

Villa San Michele.
$$$$ | The cypress-lined driveway provides an elegant preamble to this incredibly gorgeous (and very expensive) hotel nestled in the hills of Fiesole. The 16th-century building was originally a Franciscan convent designed by Santi di Tito. Not a single false note is struck in the reception area (formerly the chapel), the dining rooms (a covered cloister and former refectory), or by the tasteful antiques and art that decorate the rooms. The open-air loggia, where lunch and dinner are served, provides one of the most stunning views of Florence—a good thing, too, as the food is overpriced and bland. Pros: exceptional convent conversion. Cons: money must be no object. TripAdvisor: “the view of Florence is breathtaking,” “simply the best,” “stunning romantic hotel.” | Rooms from: €970 | Via Doccia 4 | 50014 | 055/5678200 | Fax055/5678250 | www.villasanmichele.com | 21 rooms, 24 suites | Closed Nov.–Easter.

Nightlife and the Arts in Fiesole

Estate Fiesolana.
From June through August, Estate Fiesolana, a festival of theater, music, dance, and film, takes place in Fiesole’s churches and in the Roman amphitheater—demonstrating that the ancient Romans knew a thing or two about acoustics. | Teatro Romano | 50014 | 055/5961323 | www.comune.fiesole.fi.it.

Previous Chapter | Beginning of Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents