PlanetEye

I have to tell everyone, I think I have found the perfect excursion from Florence for a day. Yesterday I took the 53-minute train ride from Florence (or 35 min by car) to the fascinating town of Certaldo. The train ride alone is worth it, sweeping Tuscany hills, vineyards and hilltop medieval villages. I’ve never been to a city that had the upper and lower versions (Certaldo Alto e Basso). The bottom portion (alto) is like any modern city in Tuscany, with many shops, bars and restaurants. The jewel of this city is the Certaldo Alto, where you can ride a funicular (runs every 10 minutes from the main road) up the tiny, captivating village on the hill. The second you step off the tram, you find yourself back in time. Cobblestone streets, ivy covered buildings, a long, steep strada leading towards the Palazzo Pretorio, where the Florentine governors resided, has a picturesque faade and court adorned with coats of arms, and in the interior are various frescoes dating from the I3th to the 16th century. As I walked along with a friend from Certaldo, the streets were lined with the locals, sitting and chatting, their “Ciao!” ringing down the street. Here you’ll find the accent to be quite amusing, and for anyone learning Italian, note that they drop their hard “C”s quite often. For example, “American” becomes “Amerian”. For the first few minutes I was thinking “Am I missing something?” Well, in a way, yes, but you don’t have to miss out. The people here were incredibly kind, talkative and eager to hear my story. And the gelato in centro was delicious, yet another reason to make the climb!

Certaldo was the home of the family of Giovanni Boccaccio, who died and was buried here in 1375. His house (of red brick, like the other old houses of the town) was restored in 1823 and fitted up with old furniture. A statue of him was erected in the principal square in 1875.

Certaldo hosts a crafts fair / flea market on Sundays. Special festivals include a song festival called Certaldo Sotto le Stelle held in early September and the Mercantia Festival in Alto during the last days of July. The Mercantia Festival is a mix of theatre, music and market, all done with a medieval flair. My friend Giuseppina is the local chef who cooks for this event for the last 8 years. She plans on having nearly 600 people for the event on July 21^st this year. Tables will line the street, tourists and locals rub elbows and eat as they did hundreds of years ago...no forks, no knives, just a leg of lamb and your fingers! If you’re able to make it for the dinner event starting at 8pm, be sure to come early to walk around the medieval wall for stunning views of the Tuscan countryside the tall towers of the nearby San Gimignano.

With a recent visit from friends this last weekend who are big antique fans, they suggested a trip to the nearby town of Pistoia. Although I’ve passed it many times on the train, I was always under the impression there wasn’t much to see there. How wrong I was!

Although not as visited as other towns in Tuscany, mostly due to the industrial environs, Pistoia presents a well-preserved and charming medieval city inside the old walls. This charming town was filled with people for market day, and street after street was filled with folding booths and vans with all types of goodies to buy. Although not a food market, you can find something for everyone. The market is located on Via Cigliegiale, every Wednesday and Saturday.  Even if you aren’t into shopping, the city offers a fantastic Bell Tower in the Piazza Duomo, the Ospedale del Ceppo and the octagonal baptistery. While friends searched for their antiques (sadly the antique market was the following weekend) I wandered around, ducking into the glorious court house, enjoyed a glass of wine and enjoyed my people watching for the day. Roghly 38 minutes from Florence, if you are market fans, this is a great day trip out of the city!

Located just 2 minutes on foot from the ever popular Accademy Gallery in Florence, the San Marco Museum and Cathedral should be included on the must see museums in the city. The architecture alone is stunning: a former Dominican convent restored for one of the Medici family members in 1443. The museum offers the visitor an example of a perfectly preserved fifteenth century convent, its rational and harmonious plan based on Brunelleschi's innovations. Everything is designed to coordinate and simplify the monastic life within its walls as much in its calm cloister as in the light-filled library, one of the finest interiors of the Renaissance.

Inside, you can also see works by Fra’Angelico, with interior fresoes that would make any art history teachers eyes widen in delight. Among the works, you can find the most famous, Angelico’s “Cricifixion” painted in the chapter house. There is also another version of the Last Supper by Ghirlandaio (not to be confused with the Da Vinci’s masterpiece in Milan). A perfect stop to see some amazing works of art and historical architecture without waiting in line with the rest of the tourists, San Marco Museum will not disappoint.

Piazza San Marco, 1

Open from 8:15 a.m. - 1:50 p.m. Monday through Friday, closes at 6:50 p.m. on Saturdays and at 7 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month

Closed 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday of each month

Entrance fee: € 4,00 

Next week on March 12th, the city of Pisa will be hosting their annual "Pisa Dolcemente" at the Stazione Leopolda. This traditional Tuscan event is a must for those with a sweet tooth, boasting traditional cakes, nuts, wine, coffee, chocolate and all types of delicious, mouth-watering treats. You’ll also enjoy your sultry snacks with some live Jazz music and activities for the younger crowd if you can tear them away from the candy!

Children under 11 enter for free, for everyone else there’s a fee of 5.00€ per person.  Open from the 8th of March from 4-8pm, Friday March 9th from 10am-8pm, Saturday the 10th of March from 10am-10pm and Sunday the 11th of March from 10am-8pm.

For more information, have a look at the official website: http://www.dolcemente.info