Garibaldi Area

Garibaldi Area

The Garibaldi Area is another archaeological gem that enthusiasts cannot miss.

The most ancient evidence dates back to the Etruscan period when in the 4th-3rd century BCE, the Etruscans created terraces for easier use of the heavily sloping terrain. Afterward (1st century BCE – 1st century CE), the Romans built a domus in this area, of which part of the peristyle is still visible, consisting of a central basin and a colonnade.

The space, which changed function from the 3rd century AD with the adaptation of the rooms to production facilities, was occupied from the late 6th/early 7th century by an extensive Lombard necropolis. Only excavations completed in 2005 allowed a more thorough study of the area and its subsequent redevelopment as a free and open-air museum route.

Some of the tombs are still visible on the west side of the Garibaldi Area: the grave is lined with stone slabs made from reused materials. Four of the many burials discovered here have been reconstructed inside the Civic Archaeological Museum of Fiesole, where it is possible to observe the grave goods that were laid with the deceased. These are individuals of different ages and sexes, mostly accompanied by grave goods that qualify them as belonging to a rather affluent social class.