Nestling in a gentle hill landscape dotted with olive, pine and cypress trees, Fiesole offers wonderful views of Florence, with an atmosphere and cultural attractions that are truly memorable. A visit to Fiesole offers an opportunity to appreciate the area's many works of art but also the natural beauties, the quiet tranquillity of the countryside and the discreet fascination of its villas, the pleasures of its olive oil and wine. Hermann Hesse, who often stayed in Fiesole, said: «...from the Roman ruins to Böcklin's villa, Fiesole offers a host of fascinating attractions, a heritage of different historic ages. But the most beautiful thing about it is its enchanting position, spread out as it is along the slopes and tops of two imposing hills overlooking Florence and clad with orchards and country houses […] Anyone seeking refuge on this hilltop from the bustle of Florence will find rest and gratification for the eyes and spirit by tracing the green contours of the hills and the clusters of cypresses in the gardens.» (Hermann Hesse, Dall'Italia, 1901).
And Le Corbusier commented: «...yesterday evening at sunset we went up the hill that overlooks Florence, where Fra Angelico was born and Böcklin lived for so long. We climbed up to Fiesole. It was marvellous, a revelation, and I understood why the great 15th-century masters were as their works show them to be: they were nothing other than true artists overwhelmed by a nature worthy of the gods. They understood and were capable of using it to advantage.» (Le Corbusier, letter to his parents in Il Viaggio in Toscana, 1907).
The Florentine merchant classes saw to the complete reorganization of the agrarian landscape. Estate were divided into sharecropping units with the main farmhouse in the middle, and most of the feudal castles and villages were eliminated or remodelled.
Typical crops of this agricultural system, which was based on the self-sufficiency of peasant families, were graminaceous, fodder and leguminous plants grown in rotation, often right alongside vines, olives and fruit trees or leafed plants for animals.
The cypress, said to have been introduced by the Etruscans, was in fact intensely propagated by Romantic culture, and was used widely by the upper classes as a decorative element for their villas and houses.
The Renaissance saw the embellishment of the area's houses and churches, the building of villas and laying out of gardens, and the creation of an abundance of sculptural and pictorial works, many of which can still be found today in their original locations.
Visitors can roam the length and breadth of the valleys and hills, taking to the minor roads as well in order to fully appreciate the position of farmhouses, churches and noble residences, the land use pattern, and its characteristic features: farm roads linking scattered houses, springs, dry-stone terracing walls, ditches to regulate water flow or to channel it to mills. The place names often date back to the Etruscan civilization and to the period of Roman colonization, recalling episodes in ancient and medieval history or production activities that have now died out. At crossroads there are often tabernacles of various kinds, signs of religious devotion and features of a social, cultural and environmental order built up and consolidated over a number of centuries.
The variety of views are a constant source of surprise, especially for travellers tired of the urban scene. It is worth making a trip to the quarry on Monte Ceceri, now organized into a historic park, in order to gain an idea of the scale of this extractive activity. Pietra serena was of fundamental importance for the prestigious architecture and decor of the Renaissance, and was used extensively for innumerable items of both an artistic and everyday nature (paving stones, stairs, door frames, shelves, fountains, fireplaces, benches, basins, revestment, etc.) throughout the Florence area and in many Italian and foreign cities.
The magic of the landscape, described and depicted over the centuries by painters, writers, poets and artists of all kinds, has weathered time and still casts a spell on even the most distracted tourist.
From the summit of the hill of San Francesco there are superb views of Florence. To the west lies the Mugnone Valley with Monte Morello and the Via Bolognese in the distance. Here the landscape is more rugged and severe, while in the opposite direction, towards Settignano, it is gentler and more serene, covered with olives and cypresses. Further down is the mouth of the Sambre (described by the Etruscans as the "river of the dead", and explored and drawn by Leonardo da Vinci), and then the Arno Valley, a habitat for herons, cormorants, kingfishers...
In spring the hills of Fiesole, with the green hues of its woods, cypresses, olives and vines, and the bluish grey of the local rock are ablaze with the colours of irises, anemones, roses and a host of orchid varieties that grow spontaneously in these parts, or in autumn, with those of the saffron crocus or "zima di Firenze".
Over the centuries, Fiesole has succeeded in preserving its views and hills, which have remained unspoilt.
In the Middle Ages the ancient street pattern and the churches were used as the basis for the civic, administrative and ecclesiastical organization of the area.
© 2011 Comune di Fiesole — Via Portigiani, 3 — Fiesole (FI) // design by kidstudio — firenze
