Fiesole

Fiesole is a town with 13,968 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012) in the Province of Florence, Region of Tuscany, Italy. It is rich in art treasures from various periods, seat of the European University Institute and a Catholic bishop.

Geography

The site covers about 42 km ². It is located about 8 km northeast of Florence on the river Mugnone.

At its districts include Pian di San Bartolo, Pian del Mugnone and Caldine.

The neighboring municipalities are Bagno a Ripoli, Borgo San Lorenzo, Florence, Pontassieve, Sesto Fiorentino and Vaglia.

History

The ancient Faesulae was founded by the Etruscans. The city wall was started in the 5th century BC and expanded in the 3rd century BC. For this time Faesulae is first mentioned in written sources: in 225 BC the Romans suffered there a defeat against the Celts, during the Second Punic War 217 BC Hannibal encamped temporarily in Faesulae. In the Social War, the city was destroyed 90 BC by Lucius Porcius Cato the Roman general. Some years later, the dictator Sulla moved there to a colony of veterans. 63 BC Faesulae involved in the uprising of Catiline.

During the time of Augustus, a theater and thermal baths were built. 405 Stilicho defeated at Faesulae the Visigoths. 1125 the city of Florence was conquered and destroyed by the cathedral and the bishop's palace.

Attractions

• . Cathedral of S. Romolo, located on the central Piazza Mino da Fiesole, the ancient Roman Forum, begun in 1028, after several extensions throughout the 13th and 14th centuries profound restoration 1878-1883 The Romanesque building is inside - although in much simpler design - marked by forms that are typical of the Florentine Renaissance Proto. The slim, the townscape influential and widely visible Campanile from the beginning of the 13th century with revisions in the 18th and 19th centuries
• Church of St. Alexander
• Monastery of San Francesco
• Convent of San Domenico
• Badia Fiesolana
• Archaeological Zone with a Roman theater, a bath complex and the remains of the Etruscan city wall and the archaeological museum (Museo Civico )
• Museo Bandini
• Villa Medici

Villa Medici

Monastery of San Francesco

Theater in the archaeological zone

Piazza Mino

Twinning

• United States Tucson, United States

Sons and daughters of the town

• Andrea Barzagli ( b. 1981 ), football player
• Dacia Maraini (* 1936), writer
• Emiliano Viviano ( born 1985 ), football player