Fiesole, Italy Summary

photo by T_r_A_v_E_l

A long-established Florentine retreat from the summer heat and crowds, FIESOLE spreads over a cluster of hilltops 8km northeast of the city. It predates Florence by several millennia: the Etruscans held out so long up here that the Romans were forced to set up permanent camp in the valley below – thus creating the beginnings of the settlement that was to become Florence. The views of Florence, which highlight just how extraordinary Brunelleschi’s cathedral dome is, are unmissable, and the airiness of the place makes it great for kicking back.