Certaldo

Certaldo is a town and comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Florence, in the middle of Valdelsa. It is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of the Florence Duomo.[3]

Certaldo
Comune
Comune di Certaldo
Coat of arms
Location of Certaldo
Certaldo
Location of Certaldo in Italy
Certaldo
Certaldo (Tuscany)
Coordinates: 43°32′52″N 11°2′28″E
CountryItaly
RegionTuscany
Metropolitan cityFlorence (FI)
FrazioniBagnano, Fiano, Marcialla (part), Sciano
Government
 • MayorGiacomo Cucini (PD)
Area
 • Total75.28 km2 (29.07 sq mi)
Elevation
67 m (220 ft)
Population
 (30 June 2017)[2]
 • Total16,004
 • Density210/km2 (550/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Certaldesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
50052
Dialing code0571
Patron saintSt. Thomas the Apostle
Saint dayJuly 3
WebsiteOfficial website

It is 50 minutes by rail and 35 minutes by car southwest of Florence, and it is 40 minutes by rail north of Siena.

It was home to the family of Giovanni Boccaccio, author of the Decameron. He died at his home inside the town and was buried here in 1375. The actor Ernesto Calindri was also born in Certaldo.

Geography

The town of Certaldo is divided into upper and lower parts. The lower part is called Certaldo Basso, whilst the medieval upper part is called Certaldo Alto. Certaldo Alto has limited vehicular access, for use by residents only. Visitors can park outside the walls or in the lower part and go to Certaldo Alto by the Certaldo funicular.

History

Etruscan-Roman period

Certaldo had Etruscan-Roman origins, as shown by the numerous archaeological finds that are scattered around the city's territory, including ceramics, utensils and Etruscan tombs, some of which were found just recently.[4] The Etruscan origins were discovered mostly thanks to the toponymy of some localities and streams, for example the Agliena and the Elsa river (which flow near Certaldo), and the foodstuffs deposits in the hills. There are two hills in Certaldo where Etruscan tombs have been found, Poggio del Boccaccio and Poggio alle Fate. There was also a necropolis. All of the finds of Etruscan-Roman origin are today kept in the ground floor of the Palazzo Pretorio, in the medieval part of the town.

  • Boccaccio's house, of red brick, like the other old houses here, was restored in 1823 and furnished with old furniture. A statue of him was erected in the main square in 1875.
  • The Palazzo Pretorio, or Vicariale, the residence of the Florentine governors, recently restored to its original condition, has a picturesque facade adorned with ceramic coats of arms, and in the interior are various frescoes dating from the 13th to the 16th century.

Culture

The town hosts several festivals a year. The largest and most famous is Mercantia,[5] a week-long party in Certaldo Alto. It involves numerous street performers from across Italy, Europe and even the Americas.

Twin towns

References
  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Istat. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.
  3. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Certaldo" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 762.
  4. De Marinis. Topografia Storica della Val d'Elsa in periodo etrusco.
  5. "Mercantia". Archived from the original on 2013-07-26. Retrieved 2013-09-07.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.