Fiesole - Main Sights

Main Sights

• Remnants of Etruscan walls.
• Roman baths.
• Roman theatre.
• Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall) of the 14th century.
• The cathedral of Fiesole (Il Duomo), containing the shrine of St. Romulus, martyr, according to legend the first Bishop of Fiesole, and that of his martyred companions, also the shrine of St. Donatus of Fiesole.
• The Badia or ancient cathedral of St. Romulus, built in 1028 by Bishop Jacopo Bavaro with materials taken from several older edifices, at the foot of the hill on which Fiesole stands, supposed to cover the site of the martyrdom of St. Romulus; it contains notable sculptures by Mino da Fiesole. The old cathedral became a Benedictine abbey, which passed into the hands of the regular canons of Lateran. It once possessed a valuable library, long since dispersed. The abbey was closed in 1778.
• The room in the bishop's palace where St. Andrew Corsini lived and died.
• The little church of the Primerana in the cathedral square, where the same saint was warned by Our Lady of his approaching death. Built in 996 and further expanded in medieval times, has maintained the Gothic presbytery from that period. It received a new façade in the late 16th century, with graffito decoration by Ludovico Buti. The interior, on a single hall, has a 13th century panel portraying Madonna with Child. In the transept are two marble bas-reliefs by Francesco da Sangallo, and a terracotta from Andrea della Robbia's workshop.
• The church of S. Alessandro, with the shrine of St. Alexander, bishop and martyr.
• The monastery of S. Francesco on the crest of the hill, with the cells of St. Bernardine of Siena and seven Franciscan Beati.
• San Girolamo, the home of Venerable Carlo dei Conti Guidi, founder of the Hieronymites of Fiesole (1360).
• San Domenico, the novice-home of Fra Angelico and of St. Antoninus of Florence.
• Fontanelle, a villa near S. Domenico, where St. Aloysius came to live in the hot summer months, when a page at the court of Grand Duke Francesco de' Medici.
• Villa Medici in Fiesole.
• Villa Le Balze
• Villa Palmieri
• Villa Schifanoia.
• Fonte Lucente, where a miraculous crucifix is greatly revered.
• Castello di Vincigliata

In the neighbourhood are:

• Monte Senario, the cradle of the Servite Order, where its seven holy founders lived in great austerity and were cheered at their death by the songs of angels
• S. Martino di Mensola, with the body of St. Andrew, an Irish saint, still incorrupt.