Discovering Florence.

Florence on this side of the Arno and Florence on that side of the Arno.

📌Florence on this side of the Arno📌

Don't be "hurry"...there's a lot to see...trust me!

Ready to walk👟?

If you want to get an idea of how beautiful the historic center, the city and the hills surrounding Florence are, our advice is to start from a panoramic point. You are lucky because you are staying here and can start from the campsite. The first move? Go and discover our terrace! Start from the Reception, quickly walk down the road between the ancient walls of Fiesole and arrive in Piazza Mino from Fiesole. Buy the ticket, stamp it on bus 7.

Path to follow step by step.

At the end of our private road, go right onto Via Corsica and follow it all the way to the fork and go left, via Poeti, via Mari, via di Monte Ceceri, via Verdi and it is right here that a fabulous view of Florence opens up from above: a marvel!! You can see the entire center and the Arno river that divides the city and enters the hills. At the end you arrive in Piazza Mino from Fiesole.

In Fiesole take bus 7 to Florence, grab a seat on the left side to get unique views of the hill and the city. Get off at Piazza della Libertà and take tram T2 and the stop will be in Piazza San Marco, which houses the church, the convent and the museum of San Marco which houses the largest collection in the world of Renaissance works by Beato Angelico, in Via Ricasoli a few steps away is the Galleria Dell'Accademia with Michelangelo's David, to be booked well in advance. I recommend you reach Piazza Duomo from Piazza SS Annunziata . In this square, put your back to the church, on the left is the Palazzo degli Innocenti, up above after the loggia there is "the window always open" no one can close it. Try to count the bees on the statue of Ferdinando I de Medici, it's impossible. Take Via dei Servi where you will begin to "understand" the city. You will arrive at the Duomo and you will not be able to take your eyes off this exceptional monument.

Take a tour around the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, it will be intoxicating, stop and you will discover many things, put your nose up and discover the dome. The wonderful innovation brought by Brunelleschi was to vault it without the use of supporting armatures, no wooden structure could have supported that weight. We Florentines always say "even today we don't know how he was able to do it." (we don't know how he was able to do it).

Look carefully… on the facade there is a bull’s head. Do you want to know more? The head is a tribute to the animals that helped transport the materials for the construction, but legend has it: it speaks of a betrayal. In via Ricasoli there lived a tailor who was very jealous of his wife who instead was happy with a master builder, the tailor discovered the affair and reported them both. The master builder quick quick (fast quick) placed the head of the bovine facing the tailor’s windows to remind him that he was a betrayed husband.

From here you go directly to Piazza della Signoria (the hub of Florentine political life), a beautiful open-air museum: the Loggia dei Lanzi, the Palazzo Vecchio and the statue of the fountain of Neptune by Ammannati, called by the Florentines “Biancone” and built with the precious Carrara marble, it is the whitest statue of all.

Continue towards the Ponte Vecchio passing by the Uffizi ... needless to say what a museum it is!!! News, after years of closure the Vasari Corridor reopens, it will take you walking over the Ponte Vecchio to reach the other side of the Arno, the Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti.

Look at Florence from the Ponte Vecchio , the golden bridge that connects this side of the Arno and that side of the Arno. You will see: the Piazzale Michelangelo (the panoramic terrace over Florence par excellence, built in 1869 by the architect Giuseppe Poggi), the church of San Miniato al Monte ( decorated with green and white marble, Romanesque style interior and the monumental cemetery next to it houses the tomb of Carlo Lorenzini (Collodi), the author of Pinocchio ) , the river with its bridges and its embankments full of fascinating buildings with many stories and characteristics: an example is the church of S. Iacopo Sopr'Arno (for irreverent Florentines, it is called "the church with its bottom in the Arno"): it has an apse that rests on the architectural protuberances that support it and make it jut out over the river.

If you are still in the center eat a homemade ice cream, have an aperitif with a view and wait for the sunset because in the dark the city is different and very beautiful! On Lungarno Acciaioli you can take fantastic photos with really particular lights and shadows.

Cross the Ponte Vecchio, leaving the Duomo behind you and you will find yourself on the Arno .

Before crossing the bridge I would like to point out that this side of the Arno still has many beauties to show you!! I'll tell you then you can see for yourself!

Here is a list (if you don't have much time you can also check them out from outside):

🟡Church of Santa Maria Novella (elegant facade with green and white marble in typical Renaissance style and inside the Crucifix by Giotto, the Crucifix by Brunelleschi, the Trinity by Masaccio and the frescoes by Ghirlandaio)

🟡Basilica of San Lorenzo (Florentine cathedral, consecrated by Sant'Ambrogio in 393 AD and rebuilt by Filippo Brunelleschi in the 15th century. Michelangelo's design for the façade was never realized. Inside there is the Old Sacristy ), the Laurentian Library ( designed by Michelangelo and completed by Vasari and Ammannati, it was commissioned by the Medici family to house their treasure of papyrus, manuscripts and volumes ) and the Medici Chapels (burial place of many members of the Medici family, they include Michelangelo's New Sacristy and the Chapel of the Princes)

🟡 Palazzo Medici Riccardi (Renaissance palace commissioned by Cosimo Il Vecchio de' Medici to Michelozzo around the mid-1400s. Inside, visit the Chapel of the Magi frescoed by Benozzo Gozzoli - religious subject (the Cavalcade of the Magi) where, however, characters from the Medici family and political figures of the time are portrayed)

🟡 Palazzo Strozzi (one of the most significant Renaissance buildings in Florence: it has a large and majestic courtyard accessed by three large arches. Today it hosts important art exhibitions) and Via Tornabuoni (an elegant street full of many high fashion shops)

🟡 Piazza della Repubblica (once, the square was in Roman style, while the current appearance with nineteenth-century buildings and a triumphal arch is the result of the urban redevelopment of Florence, the capital of Italy. Historic cafes overlook the square)

🟡The Porcellino Fountain (even though it is actually a wild boar), created by Pietro Tacca in 1633, is located to the side of the Mercato Nuovo loggia (a few steps from Piazza della Repubblica towards Ponte Vecchio). Popular tradition has it that touching the Porcellino's nose brings good luck. Furthermore, if you put a coin in the animal's mouth and it slips and falls into the grate, your wish will come true. The original is located inside the Bardini Museum.

🟡 Orsanmichele (In 1290 Arnolfo di Cambio, on the site of the church, erected a loggia for grain trading on commission from the municipality. After the fire of 1304 it was rebuilt even larger and the old building was raised by 2 floors. In 1380 the loggia was closed and transformed back into a church, maintaining its original shape, unusual for a religious building).

🟡 Basilica of Santa Croce (in Piazza Santa Croce): in Gothic style, it is one of the largest Franciscan churches. It houses an immense artistic heritage: frescoes by Gaddi and Giotto , burial place of the great and powerful of Florence including: Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli, Vittorio Alfieri, Ugo Foscolo, Gioacchino Rossini and it also houses the memorial to Dante (buried in Ravenna, after his exile from Florence).
The Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce is located inside the old refectory and the wing of the convent that divides the two cloisters. It houses numerous works including the crucifix by Cimabue , symbol of the 1966 flood in Florence.

🟡Bargello Museum

🟡Badia Fiorentina

🟡Biblioteca delle Oblate enter search and notice there what view?

📌Florence by the Arno📌

Walk along Via Guicciardini and at the end of this elegant street, lined with beautiful old buildings, you come out onto Piazza Pitti . Wonder of wonders: it is dominated by the facade of the majestic Palazzo Pitti dating back to the fifteenth century, which bears the name of its first owner, Luca Pitti, a Florentine banker. Later purchased by Cosimo I de' Medici, it was also the residence of the Habsburg-Lorraine and Savoy dynasties. Home to numerous museums (including: the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, the Palatine Gallery , the Royal Apartments, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of Fashion and Costume) and enriched by the Boboli Gardens , one of the greatest examples of an Italian garden. Inside, among the various works, you can admire the Roman amphitheatre with the Egyptian obelisk in the centre, the Buontalenti Grotto, large fountains, such as that of Neptune and the Ocean and the lemon house. Adjacent to the garden is Forte Belvedere …well worth a visit from here too another view of the city)

Halfway across the square, put your back to the palace, slide into Sdrucciolo dei Pitti (a characteristic alley with artisan shops), cross Via Maggio (the street of antique dealers) and you will find yourself in Santo Spirito : a lively and cheerful neighborhood, home to markets and artisan fairs. There are typical trattorias, characteristic bars, small shops where you can eat stuffed schiacciata, artisan workshops and artists' studios. The square is surrounded by beautiful fifteenth-century buildings and the Basilica of the same name. Enter the Church of Santo Spirito: designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1444. The interior contains notable works of art including a wooden crucifix attributed to a young Michelangelo .

Now take Via Sant'Agostino, Via Santa Monaca and you will arrive in Piazza del Carmine where the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine overlooks, so important because it houses…..the Brancacci Chapel (book a visit because it is exceptional: it houses the famous cycle of frescoes depicting stories from the life of St. Peter and the Original Sin, begun by Masolino and Masaccio in 1424 and finished by Filippino Lippi.

On the other side of the Arno look for Piazza della Passera: it is a small square, rich in Florentine history and culture.

In Florence there is a little-known tour route of great cultural interest: the Cenacoli, rich in frescoes and monumental panels with the theme of the Last Supper.

The works are kept in the place for which they were conceived and commissioned between the 14th and 16th centuries.

An itinerary that opens with Taddeo Gaddi in Santa Croce around 1340 and continues with Orcagna, Andrea del Castagno, Ghirlandaio, Perugino, Franciabigio until arriving at the late sixteenth century with Andrea del Sarto and Alessandro Allori, who will close the journey with the Last Supper in the Carmine (1582).

💫LAST SUPPER OF SAN SALVI

In the ancient refectory of the Vallombrosan abbey on the outskirts of Florence, Andrea del Sarto painted the realistic fresco of the Last Supper, his most spectacular masterpiece, one of the most beautiful paintings in the universe (begun in 1519 and completed in 1527).

💫STOCKING SUPPER

The convent where Franciabigio frescoed the entire back wall with the Last Supper (1514) was called S. Giovanni alla Porta di San Pier Gattolino, later deriving its current name from the hood of the Ingesuati monks.

💫THE FOLIGNO LAST SUPPER

Cenacolo di Foligno: in the refectory of the former convent of the Franciscan Tertiaries of S. Onofrio, known as Fuligno, Perugino painted the Last Supper (ca. 1495). Characterized by the bright Umbrian background, while the figures appear to be from the school.

💫LAST SUPPER OF SAN MARCO Domenico Ghirlandaio's fresco depicting the Last Supper (ca. 1482) decorates the small refectory of the Dominican convent of San Marco.

💫THE LAST SUPPER OF ALL SAINTS At the head of the large refectory of the convent of All Saints is depicted the Last Supper by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1480), and the sinopia of the fresco is also visible.

💫LAST SUPPER IN S. CROCE The Last Supper by Taddeo Gaddi (ca. 1340) with the Tree of the Cross and other scenes above it, fresco. Formerly attributed to Giotto, it is perhaps the first great representation of the 'Supper' in Florence.

💫LAST SUPPER OF SANTO SPIRITO Fragment of the Last Supper (underneath the scene of the Crucifixion) by Andrea Orcagna (ca. 1370), fresco.

💫LAST SUPPER OF SANTA APOLLONIA The Last Supper (before 1450), dominated by the Crucifixion, Deposition and Resurrection, is the fresco masterpiece of Andrea Del Castagno.

Lots of things to do with your family in Florence and its surroundings.

📌 Ancient Tuscan carousel

This carousel is a historical testimony of the ancient chivalric contest.

From 10:00 to 24:00 Piazza della Repubblica

📌 Pinocchio Museum Experience

Visitors will be able to enter Geppetto's laboratory, the belly of the shark that swallows Pinocchio and Geppetto, the Land of Toys and Mangiafuoco's circus. The tour lasts one hour, for the immersive part. Workshops dedicated to children and teenagers can be booked.

From 10:00 to 18:00 Via Ricasoli

📌 Museum of Illusions

Fun and surprising

Illusions, mysterious works of art, riddles, upside down worlds, incredible photos and much more.

From 10:00 to 19:00 Borgo Albizi 29

📌 Leonardo Da Vinci Museum :

The museum is easily accessible and certainly offers an interesting activity for the whole family.

You can explore and touch to understand how the tools and ingenious inventions designed by Leonardo work. The reproductions are faithful. Highly recommended experience!!

April to October: Open daily from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm (last admission at 6:30 pm)
November to March: Open daily from 10:00 to 19:00 (last admission at 18:00)

The Street of the Servants

📌 Specola Museum

The La Specola Museum is the oldest scientific museum open to the public: in 2025 it will be 250 years old! It is a very interesting scientific museum for both adults and children for the zoology section and for the minerals, coming from all over the world. The most interesting rooms are: the Anatomical Waxes room, a unique collection in the world of anatomical wax models and the Skeletons room with 120 display cases that house skeletons of numerous species of Vertebrates, especially Mammals. The approximately 3000 osteological finds on display constitute a great scientific treasure.

The funniest part😊

April 5th Skeleton Hunt

May 3 Animals at play

June 7th Skeleton Hunt

Animals in Play Play-visit to the zoological collections to learn about and observe animals from all over the world. Exploring the museum, among invertebrates and vertebrates, savannah or forest animals, marine animals or those living among the glaciers, we will discover together a great variety of colors, shapes and adaptations of animals.

Skeleton Hunt Skeletons of whales, dolphins, giraffes, horses, hippos and many other animals await us in the Skeleton Hall. Can you identify them through a series of clues? We will discover together what differentiates them, but also what they have in common, and how much information their skeletons can give us.

From 9:00 to 17:00 Via Romana 17

📌 Galileo Museum

Museum of the History of Science

In the museum you can admire the precious instruments and relics of Galileo Galilei

We recommend consulting the website for updates on the many activities offered https://www.museogalileo.it/it/attivita/calendario.html

From 9:30 to 18:00 Piazza de Giudici 1

📌 National Archaeological Museum

It houses numerous finds of great historical and artistic value.

One of the museum's strong points is the variety of thematic itineraries. Each itinerary is designed to stimulate children's curiosity and introduce them to history in a playful and interactive way. Among the most popular itineraries are the one on ancient Egypt, where children can discover the secrets of mummies, and the one on Greek myths, which tells the adventures of gods and heroes.

The museum also hosts special events throughout the year, such as scavenger hunts, theatrical performances, and animated readings.

The Museum Garden: a splendid visit by reservation

Anyone who walks along the initial stretch of Via della Colonna, between Piazza Santissima Annunziata and Via della Pergola, cannot help but notice the beautiful garden full of flowers, aromatic herbs, centuries-old trees, citrus fruits and papyrus, original Etruscan monuments and marble sculptures from the Uffizi Gallery.

📌 Football Museum:

The Football Museum is located inside the FIGC Technical Center in Coverciano and collects the past and present of the Italian National Football Team. See up close and learn about the places where the Azzurri train, and where the greatest champions of Italian football have passed.

Monday-Sunday, with continuous opening hours 10 - 18 Via Aldo Palazzeschi 20

📌Adventure parks around Florence

Adventure park "The Giant"

6 routes to experience strong emotions on the treetops with cableways up to 100 meters long. Tibetan bridges and suspended passages up to 20 meters high. 12 treetop routes suitable for children aged 3 and up.

Via Bolognese, in front of the Villa Demidoff park.

Villa Demidoff Medici Park of Pratolino

There are many attractions that the Park can offer to the visitor: in addition to hosting the Colossus of the Apennines (a work by Giambologna for which the Park is perhaps best known), it houses the works and artifacts of Buontalenti (Chapel, Cupid's Cave, Stables, Villa Paggeria, Gamberaie), it hosts two Italian gardens and is surrounded by a romantic-style landscape garden, it offers woodland trails for trekking enthusiasts, or simply... to regenerate in nature. Finally, the Park is also an ideal destination for fauna enthusiasts (99 different species live in the park) and flora, with valuable tree species such as the silver fir, large oaks and other monumental trees.

For information, please contact parcomediceodipratolino@cittàmetropolitana.fi.it

Public bus n° 25 or extra-urban line 307/a Via Fiorentina, 276

Vincigliata Adventure Park

8 adventure courses, 15-meter jumps into the void, Tibetan bridges, lianas, nets with inflatable balls and infinite pulleys! All the courses of the Vincigliata Adventure Park are carried out in complete safety and are perfect for all ages.

Always open Via Vincigliata, 21

To visit in Tuscany

📌Other theme parks in Tuscany

Pistoia Zoological Garden

There are many ways to explore the garden, you can follow the itinerary or get lost among the paths to be amazed by every hidden corner, or… test yourself by following the stages of a fun journey! Collect the “Traveler's Passport” at the entrance and collect all the stamps.

I recommend a night visit😊Walking in the natural light of the moon among the rustling of branches, roars and squeaks we will stop in front of the masters of the darkness: lynxes, wolves, red pandas to amaze us with their beauty.

Every day (Monday to Sunday) from 9.30 to 17.00 Via Pieve a Celle 160 Pistoia.

Pinocchio Park Collodi

The land of toys

It is a journey in stages, with sculptures, buildings and greenery where adults and children interact together to recall the Adventures of Pinocchio, up to the Great Dogfish.

The entire Historic Garzoni Garden is populated by symbols and statues that stand out among the greenery or hide there… try to spot the Turk.

The butterfly house is inhabited by hundreds of butterflies originating from tropical or equatorial areas...🦋. alive and free to fly in a tropical garden, lush with plants, flowers and fruits thanks to the perfect reconstruction of the original environment.

Open every day, visit the website for opening hours. Via San Gennaro n. 5 Collodi (Pescia – Pt)

Peccioli Prehistoric Park

The park is made up of about 3 hectares of greenery with 22 life-size dinosaur reproductions🦖

Inside the park there is a go-kart for the kids

Via dei Cappuccini 70/72 – 56037 Peccioli (PI)

Welcome

Fiesole is located on a hill about 7 km from the historic center of Florence.

The city has very ancient origins dating back to the Etruscan era, it was a flourishing Roman colony and it is from this settlement that the city of Florentia seems to have originated: for this reason Fiesole is considered the "mother" of the city of Florence.

The great attraction of the Fiesole area derives partly from the charm of the itineraries through woods and hills, and partly from the density of monuments and vestiges of its ancient past.

What to see in Fiesole

The city is built around Piazza Mino da Fiesole, the focal point of the municipality: from Piazza Mino it extends over a vast territory made up of monuments, historic villas, nature trails and historic villages such as Maiano and Vincigliata.

💫The archaeological area of Fiesole

It is a precious jewel of the city and one of the most important in Tuscany. It includes a Roman theater, an Etruscan-Roman temple and an archaeological museum. It will allow you to discover the beauty and culture of the Etruscan, Roman and Lombard peoples through the traces they left there. The first documented archaeological discoveries in the area date back to the end of the eighteenth century, but it was not until 1877 that systematic excavations were carried out to bring to light and simultaneously restore the Roman theater first, the Roman baths then and, finally, the Etruscan-Roman temple. The temple, located on the west side of the area and probably dedicated to the goddess Minerva, is the oldest building. It had several phases of life, the first of which dates back to the Etruscan era and was still being excavated in the 1960s. The area occupied by the temple was then the most extensively used in the Lombard era as a necropolis, with the construction of numerous tombs, arranged according to a precise orientation.

Opening days and times to the public, always updated, on: www.museidifiesole.it

The Roman Theatre

The Roman theater of Fiesole was built in the 1st century BC for theatrical performances, with a capacity of 3,000 spectators. The arena is surrounded by semicircular steps and a stage that overlooks the surrounding valley, offering a splendid panoramic view. Today the Roman theater of Fiesole, in addition to being an important tourist attraction, is still used for cultural events and theatrical performances that are scheduled during the summer, including the "Estate Fiesolana" festival.

Portigiani Street 1
Visits: April-September, 10am-7pm; March and October, 10am-6pm; November-February, Wednesday-Monday, 10am-2pm.

The Civic Archaeological Museum

The Museum preserves archaeological finds, testifying to human settlements since the Bronze Age. The museum houses a rich collection of findings that cover the entire Etruscan period and the long Roman domination. Among the exhibits there are statues, vases, coins, jewels and finds of various kinds that allow us to better understand the history of ancient Tuscany.

Portigiani Street 1
Visits: April-September, 10-19; March and October 10-18; November-December, Tuesday-Sunday 10-14; January-February Monday, Wednesday-Sunday 10-14.

Etruscan walls

The walk along the route of the Etruscan walls is an experience not to be missed. You will have the opportunity, given the exceptional nature of their high position, to have a view of the entire city of Fiesole and a 360° view of the Arno plain to the south and the Mugnone valley to the north, extending the view to the Apennine passes. The construction of the walls, evidence of the Etruscan past of this territory, is probably associated with the 4th century BC, also by virtue of the expansion that involved Fiesole and the centers of Etruria in this period. Defined as 'cyclopean', the walls were built with large square blocks of pietra serena, laid dry and with the pseudoisodomic technique. Little is known about the gates that opened in the walls. Today, walking along the route, remains of wall fragments are visible on the north side in via delle Mura etrusche and on the east side in via Mari.

Portigiani Street 1
Visits: April-September, 10am-7pm; March and October, 10am-6pm; November-February, Wednesday-Monday, 10am-2pm.

💫The Cathedral of Fiesole

The Duomo of Fiesole, or Cathedral of San Romolo, is the main Catholic place of worship in Fiesole, the episcopal seat of the diocese of the same name. Dating back to 1028 , the cathedral has a Romanesque style with a bell tower crowned by Guelph battlements.

The facade of the Cathedral is decorated with a Gothic rose window and various bas-reliefs, while the interior is made up of a central nave and two side naves.

Inside the church there are paintings, frescoes and sculptures by great artists such as Mino da Fiesole, Andrea della Robbia and Cosimo Rosselli.

Transformations and embellishments took place over the centuries, until at the end of the 19th century, with state funding, a radical restoration was carried out, which involved the complete reconstruction of the façade. The bell tower dates back to 1213, but was rebuilt in the 18th century and equipped with a crown with protruding battlements.

The Cathedral of Fiesole is an important place of worship that attracts many visitors every year for its beauty and historical and artistic importance.

Cathedral Square 1
Visits: summer, 8-12 and 14.30-18, Sundays and holidays 7.30-12 and 15-18; winter, 8-12 and 14.30-17, Sundays and holidays 8-12 and 15-17.

💫 Bandini Museum

The Museum houses a collection of works of art collected by the Bandini family over the centuries.

The collection includes paintings, sculptures, furniture and art objects from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, with works by artists such as Filippo Lippi, Giovanni Bellini, Bartolomeo Vivarini and others.

Via G. Duprè 1
Visits: April, Friday-Sunday 10am-7pm; March, Friday-Sunday 10am-6pm; January-February 10am-5pm.

💫Church and Convent of San Francesco

Nestled on the Fiesole hill from where you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Florence.

On this hill stood, in Etruscan times, the acropolis of an ancient city. A Florentine benefactor built a chapel and a small house for a community of Benedictine nuns, who then abandoned it because of the war.

In 1399 the Friars Minor arrived and began to build the small convent next to the church. The lovely cloister looked after and guarded by the friars is one of the memories of that first period of the Friars Minor's stay in Fiesole. Over the years the convent expanded and the friars built another cloister and the large refectory. In 1418 San Bernardino da Siena was the guardian of the convent of Fiesole.

The Convent is an ancient religious complex located on the hill of Fiesole. Founded in the 13th century , the convent has been an important center of Franciscan spirituality and theological studies over the centuries. The main building of the convent is the church of San Francesco , with its Romanesque-Gothic façade and Renaissance frescoes inside. The cloister of the convent is another important architectural element, with its double-arched porticoes and the remains of ancient frescoes. Today the convent of San Francesco is run by Franciscan friars and hosts a religious community, as well as being a place of spirituality open to visitors. The complex is also home to art exhibitions and cultural events. In the oldest part of the convent, the small cell of the saint is still preserved and can be visited.

Via San Francesco 13 Visits: summer, Monday-Saturday 7.30-12 and 15-19, Sunday and holidays 7.30-11 and 15-19; winter, Monday-Saturday 7.30-12 and 15-17; Sunday and holidays 7.30-11 and 16-17.

💫 The Medici Villa - The Palace of Fiesole

It is one of the historic residences of the Medici , one of the most powerful and influential families in Italian history. Situated on the hills, the villa offers a panoramic view of Florence and the surrounding hills.

The villa was built in the 15th century and was used as a summer residence by the Medici until the 16th century. During this period, the villa was decorated with works of art and luxurious furnishings, making it one of the most sumptuous residences of the time.

Today the Villa Medicea in Fiesole is open to the public as a museum and place of historical interest.

Visitors can explore the beautiful Italian gardens , decorated rooms and admire the works of art that once adorned the villa.

Via Beato Angelico 2
Visits: garden: Monday-Friday 9am-1pm, on request.

🟡 St. Francis Walk

It is a route that goes from the historic center to the church of San Francesco at the top of the hill.

Along the way you can admire splendid views of the Tuscan countryside or walk in the woods.

The walk is quite steep but offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the surrounding landscape.

Once you arrive at the church of San Francesco, you can visit the interior of the church and enjoy a breathtaking view of Florence and the surrounding hills.

🟡Monte Ceceri Park

Monte Ceceri is 415 meters high and from up there you can enjoy views of Florence and the hills of the Arno valley.

It has three entrances to the trails A Prato ai Pini B Via degli Scalpellini C Via Doccia

We recommend entrance A which is located 200 meters from the campsite.

The park has CAI paths and is under municipal jurisdiction.

📌Monte Ceceri and Leonardo

He turned the Dream into Reality.

Monte Ceceri Park is known for being the place chosen by Leonardo da Vinci in 1506 to test his Flying Machine, a pioneering project in the field of aviation.

📌The Fiesole quarries

They were exploited until the beginning of the twentieth century, they are famous for their sandstone, the so-called "pietra fiesolana", widely used by sculptors since the fifteenth century. Mentioned by Benvenuto Cellini and Giorgio Vasari, the pietra fiesolana was perfectly suited for architectural and monumental works, but also for more or less refined elements of civil, sacred and urban furniture, so much so that it pushed the Medici government to implement a severe policy of control of exploitation. Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in fact, the quarries of the Fiesole area were "banned" and reserved exclusively for Florentine monuments. Among the last works made with the pietra fiesolana, we remember the columns of the atrium, the staircase and other architectural elements of the National Central Library of Florence. Today a park has been set up in the area, whose paths show the fundamental types of the ancient quarries: the tagliata, open-air, and the latomia or cava ficcata, artificial caves with their own support feet.

🟡The path of Stilicho

📌Fiesole -Olmo, Olmo-Fiesole to be covered on foot or by MTB.

Departure from the campsite, Itinerary Time 6.30 approximately 20 Km difficulty E.

The Bargellino (252m) - Santa Margherita a Saletta (400 m) - Sant'Ilario a Montereggi (441m) - Olmo (444 m) - L'Alberaccio (543 m) - Monte Fanna (615 m) - Monte Muscoli (566 m) - Fiesole (295 m).

Along the path you come across two ancient churches, Sant'Ilario in Montereggi and Santa Margherita in Saletta.

🟡Mount Senario

📌Nature trail lasting about half a day, the walk takes 2.30 minutes.

1) Departure by car from the campsite to the main road on the right towards Olmo, following the entire length of Via dei Bosconi.

2) Once you reach the crossroads, continue straight towards Bivigliano.

3) after about 3 km turn right, a sharp bend with signs for Convento Monte Senario and continue.

4) The road ends with the beginning of the pedestrian street that will take you to the Convent, there are large parking lots. Now begins our Trekking, let's say a nice walk the route is simple but not banal. The sanctuary of Monte Senario It is one of the most important sanctuaries in Tuscany. The places of charm of the place go beyond the structure which in itself is beautiful. There are 3 caves the cave (and source) of San Filippo Benizi the cave of Sant'Alessio Falconieri the cave of San Manetto.

From here, at about 700 m above sea level, in fact, our circular route begins…

We go up along the Via Crucis, which reaches the monastery along a beautiful tree-lined avenue, a wide path in the thick of the woods, characterized by fir trees and larches. Along the way we come across the cemetery of the Friars or of San Martino and some indications of other paths and especially of the caves of Saints. Follow the last sign, which indicates to turn right to visit the cave of Sant'Alessio and San Filippo and the source of the latter. Almost arrived at the monastery, therefore, we skirt the lower part, and we reach the first cave and then the second. We immediately notice a beautiful view of the surrounding hills and mountains ... The main attraction, however, is the Source of San Filippo, which sprung up by a miracle from the prayers of the saint in 1254; decorates and protects a beautiful little temple, built in 1629. We continue the tour around the monastery and emerge at the adjacent parking lot: from here we can directly take the path to continue the trek or, following the asphalt road on the left, visit the sanctuary so rightly famous. Have you ever tasted the “Gemma d'Abeto”? Guess where and who produces it?

The friars of Monte Senario have been producing a liqueur with fir extracts called "Gemma d'Abeto" in the convent distillery since 1865. The distillery was once a pharmacy. You can also get a sandwich with local products (cold cuts and cheeses) and stop at the monastery shop to buy typical products.

🟡ON FOOT FROM FIESOLE TO FLORENCE (WITH RETURN TO FIESOLE)

📌The route is 3.5 km long and 1.30 hours

The descent from the “mother” to the “daughter”, with the legendary reference to the Etruscans who saw the new city being born from the hill below, Florence, at the confluence of the Mugnone river with the Arno.

The walk begins from Piazza Mino da Fiesole, the city center. You go around the apse of the Cathedral on the protected pedestrian street that runs alongside the archaeological area. After the crossroads for the cemetery, you leave on the right, at a hairpin bend, Via Primo Conti that descends along the Etruscan walls and take the solitary Via Duprè. Following it, you soon look out onto the northern side of the Fiesole hill, with beautiful views of Monte Rinaldi, Pian di Mugnone and Caldine. Via Duprè descends gently, touching panoramic villas in the woods. You come across Villa 'Le Coste', home to the artist Primo Conti's Foundation and his Museum dedicated to the historical avant-gardes of the twentieth century. Further on is Villa Giovanni Duprè with the statue of the Tuscan sculptor that presides over the entrance. A little further on, in the San Francesco area, is the crossroads with Via di Fontelucente, closed to cars. We descend steeply to the right along this narrow street between the walls and picturesque for the landscape of rocks and cypresses. We reach the square in front of the Church of Fontelucente,

Inside the church, a water source flows from the rock incorporated into the right wall. Also noteworthy is the gilded wooden antependium with the Madonna della Cintola, attributed to Mariotto di Nardo. We now continue along Via delle Palazzine, among beautiful villas where artists and writers lived. The Villa 'La Pagliaiuola' is now home to the Robert Schuman Advanced Studies Center. A few more steps and we reach

the Badia Fiesolana.

The ancient cathedral of Fiesole, with its beautiful marble façade in Florentine Romanesque style. The European University Institute has its headquarters in the adjacent monastery.

From the terrace of the churchyard, you can see, beyond Ponte a Badia, the large Villa Salviati which today houses the historical archives of the European Union. We set off on the protected pedestrian path of Via dei Roccettini which leads us in front of the church and convent of San Domenico.

Beato Angelico also lived in San Domenico and left some of his frescoes there. If you are tired, you can stop your walk here.

Bus 7 provides a connection to Fiesole.

🟡FROM FIESOLE TO SETTIGNANO

📌The CAI 1 trail starts from Fiesole and arrives in Settignano.

This excursion is simple and suitable for families, along the typical Tuscan landscapes: it is an urban trekking on asphalt.

We take advantage of the route to visit the small village of Settignano dating back to the Bronze Age. In the Roman and Etruscan era there was already a real village that, thanks to the roads of the middle of the mountain, connected with Compiobbi and Fiesole. In this small village many illustrious people have followed one another over the centuries including Margherita Hack and Mark Twain.

You leave the main square of Settignano and walk along Via del Rossellino, a street that takes its name from the two famous sculptors, the Rossellino brothers. Via del Rossellino winds through olive groves and beautiful views of Florence and its Duomo, up to the large villa Gamberaia.

This huge villa recalls the great Renaissance past

Continuing along the road you reach a large cross and from there you arrive at the cemetery of Terenzo. This part is very pretty; a narrow path paved with stone and the pretty little church of San Martino in Terenzo accompany us on the descent towards Compiobbi.

Here and there you can see large villas and, if you train your eyes, you can see ancient towers, transformed into houses, built in the early Middle Ages to patrol the Arno and the valley. Along the excursion there are many opportunities to stop for a picnic or have fun guessing the various hills or mountains that surround us.

You can cut back to return to Settignano: avoiding going down to Compiobbi, once you arrive at Via di Bagazzano. Just go up following the road and at the end turn left to return to Settignano.

The most beautiful are:

🌳🌷🌼The Cascine Park.

Green lung of the city: it is the largest public park in Florence with a surface area of over 130 hectares that runs along the Arno River. From the center you can reach it on foot walking along the Arno or take Tram 2. (T2) Characterized by rich vegetation, large lawns, avenues and paths.

🔆"Le Cascine" is also a market place (every Tuesday morning) and the 4 Sundays before Easter: 03/30/25 - 04/06/25 04/13/25. 🔆

The park's arboreal heritage is very rich: in the Vittorio Veneto square you can admire the Atlas cedars, in the Cascine square there are stone pines, plane trees and a spectacular Ginkgo Biloba, on the edge of the Arno there are white poplars and in the Quercione meadow there are holm oaks, and finally in the Catena garden (horse chestnuts and cedars).

There are many species of birds that inhabit the Park: in addition to the most common ones (sparrows, swifts, blackcaps, starlings, blackbirds, robins, parrots, etc.) you can also see grey herons and egrets.

The first nucleus of the Park consisted of the Cascine dell'Isola estate, purchased by Duke Alessandro I de' Medici (1531-1537) and increased by Cosimo I (1537-1574) with the acquisition of other lands, all used for agricultural purposes and for hunting.

The first opening of the Cascine Granducali to the public is due to Pietro Leopoldo di Lorena, even if limited to exceptional occasions and events (shows organised by the court and Ascension festivities).
The first architectural intervention of great commitment was the construction of the Palazzina Reale, in the Cascine square, built in 1785 by the architect Giuseppe Manetti, who was also responsible for the pyramid-shaped ice house.
During the Napoleonic period, Elisa Baciocchi, Grand Duchess of Tuscany from 1807 to 1815, definitively transformed the Cascine into a public park, demonstrating a conception of rare modernity.
Giuseppe Poggi was the one who came up with the idea for the large access square to the Park, from which the current layout of Piazzale Vittorio Veneto derives, albeit with reductions and modifications.
At the end of the 1930s, architect Raffaello Fagnoni built the air warfare school, commissioned in 1935 and completed in 1938. This was the last significant architectural intervention in the entire Park.

🌳🌷🌼The Boboli Gardens are a UNESCO heritage site. It belonged to the Medici family and is located inside Palazzo Pitti. It could easily be defined as a true open-air museum for the quantity of statues, sculptures, fountains and grottos.

Open every day from 8.15am to 4.30pm (November to February), 5.30pm (March), 6.30pm (April to May, September to October) and 7.30pm (June to August). Closed on the first and last Monday of the month.

🌳🌷🌼The Bardini Garden

An enchanted garden. Four hectares of woods, vegetable garden and orchard nestled between the medieval walls of the city. A nature without equal. Today there are about two hundred pieces of sculpture, thirteen fountains, three caves, an exceptional “fountain wall”, a botanical heritage composed largely of centuries-old trees such as holm oaks and phillyrea, olive trees and numerous collections of plants such as hydrangeas, roses, camellias, azaleas and the splendid wisteria pergola.

Closed every first and last Monday of the month. Costa San Giorgio 2 or Via de Bardi 1

🌳🌷🌼The Rose Garden

It is located right under Piazzale Michelangelo. An exceptional combination of view and scent of roses. This “small” rose garden is composed of over 800 species and is a true oasis of relaxation. Obviously the best time to visit the garden is May. In the garden there is also a corner of Japan! The Japanese garden was donated to the Municipality of Florence by the twin city of Kyoto.

Open daily from 9am to 8pm in summer. Free admission.

🌳🌷🌼Garden of Villa Strozzi

Florentines love it and call it Il Boschetto. This is one of the most popular gardens for those who live in Florence: there are picnic tables, a play area and many spaces where you can relax. Open every day from 8 to 17

🌳🌷🌼The horticulture garden

This garden is located near Liberty Square, just outside the tourist area. It is a 19th century garden that is transformed into an event space for the summer months where it also hosts national and prestigious exhibitions in the field of floriculture such as the beautiful “Flower Festival” at the end of May.

The most beautiful piece is the wonderful glass and steel greenhouse by Roster called “the crystal palace”, which will transport you to an enchanted world. In 1990, in the upper and more panoramic part, the snake-shaped fountain with multi-material decorations, the dragon fountain, was completed. Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 4

🌳🌷🌼 The Stibbert Museum Park

At the same time as the house was being enlarged, the park was renovated and, designed by the architect Poggi, transformed from a simple garden into the romantic English park that can still be admired today, enlivened by small temples, grottos and water features.

The Limonaia where the citrus fruits and the most delicate plants were stored was built by the architect Giuseppe Poggi who created an elegant neoclassical building.

The stables were commissioned by Stibbert and his mother, who were passionate about highly valuable horses, and were renovated in 1858.

The Hellenistic temple is inspired by classical examples with a central plan surmounted by a dome covered in flaked majolica tiles.

The Egyptian Temple, built by Stibbert between 1862 and 1864 at the height of his Egyptomania, overlooks the lake in the lower part of the park.

The Park is open to the public free of charge at the following times:

April-October 8.00-19.00 November-March 8.00-17.00 The park is closed every Thursday,

🌳🌷🌼Garden Villa il Ventaglio

In the fifteenth century the building and the park were an innkeeper's house with a farm located on the Forbici hill, offering the opportunity for a stopover to pilgrims who went from Porta a Pinti to San Domenico di Fiesole.

Over the years it had many transformations and owners.

The estate with mulberry and olive trees was transformed into the current romantic park: with lime trees, elms, horse chestnuts and hackberries with views towards the city of Florence.

Characterising elements are the romantic lake, with a small island and a small bridge, in the entrance lawn.

1st and 2nd Monday of the month and from Tuesday to Sunday, with different seasonal hours.
March 8.15am – 6.30pm
April and May 8.15am – 6.30pm
June 8.15am – 7.30pm
July and August 8.15am – 7.30pm
September and October 8.15am – 6.30pm.
Closed: 3rd, 4th, 5th Monday of the month

via Giovanni Aldini, 10/12 - 50131 Florence +39 055 580283 museitoscana.cultura.gov.it/