Things to do in Fiesole: A Day trip from Florence

Just a less than 10 km (five miles) from the hustle and bustle of Florence, Italy is an underrated town of Fiesole. Uncrowded and surrounded by olive groves, gardens, tree-covered slopes and the countryside, this was also an archaeological gem with some amazing well preserved structures spanning many centuries. See our one-day itinerary, the many things to do in Fiesole on our day trip from Florence.

History of Fiesole

The Etruscans founded Fiesole, known as Vipsul then, around 700 BC. They were part of the ancient civilization from Etruria which was a region between the Tiber and Arno rivers in central Italy. 

Due to its hilltop location, Fiesole became an important Italian powerhouse town. In the 3rd century BC, the Romans came and conquered the Etruscans and renamed the city Faesulae and built their new parts of the town over Etruscan remains. 

They renamed the town to Fiesole in the Middle Ages. Fiesole was a major and powerful rival to Florence for many centuries resulting in several wars. The Florentine armies finally defeated and conquered Fiesole in 1125. They also destroyed many parts of it and built on top of the Etruscan ruins. 

The city eventually became a haven for rich Florentines in the 14th century to build their villas and elegant gardens. 

Piazza Mino or The Square  

We took the bus from Florence to Fiesole which was about 30 minutes. More information on the bus in the tips section below. The bus stopped in front of the square. This is the same stop to get back from Fiesole to Florence. 

From here, we saw the main square, Piazza da Mino di Fiesole. There was hardly anyone around since we were here at about 10 AM.

It wasn’t very big with some stores, historic buildings and restaurants surrounding the square. There is an antiques market here during the first Sunday of the month. 

One side of the square is the 14th century Palazzo Pretoria with a large balcony which is their town hall. Look for several coat of arms on the building’s exterior. The large bronze statue of Italy’s first king along with one of his generals on horseback stands in the center of the square. 

If you have more time, come back here and hang out at one of the cafes overlooking the hills with views of Florence and beyond. 

The Fiesole Duomo 

The most prominent structure on the square with an imposing original 13th-century bell tower was the Cathedral of Fiesole or the Duomo. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go inside.

The 11th century church contains the shrine to St. Romulus, believed to be the town’s first bishop. The pagans killed him in Fiesole during 1028 BC. The cathedral’s crypt has St. Romulus’ relics. 

Fiesole Panoramic Lookout 

Our planned first attraction was going to the popular lookout of the countryside and Florence before the crowds and before it got too hot. The pathway to climb is on Via San Francesco by the Duomo. 

We knew from reading guides and other posts that this was a steep uphill climb to the viewpoint. They weren’t kidding! It really was steep and even my athletic 16-year-old son had to stop and take a breath on this climb. Or maybe he was just waiting for his mom who had to stop a couple of times. 

Power through since it will be worth it! Though, I would think twice of doing this climb in the later summer months at 2 PM.

So, we highly recommend coming here early. After some huffing and puffing, we made it to the lookout point. There were benches here along a wall for resting and to admire the views. 

It was a beautiful panoramic view with the unmissable Florence Duomo in the distance. It was such a wonderful perspective of Florence.

I loved seeing the surrounding areas and countryside around Florence which were mostly cypress trees, olive groves and some vineyards. It was such a classic Tuscan landscape. 

The loud hissing noise of many cicadas almost made for a perfect background noise here. We recommend coming after the fog clears in the morning. It was a bit hazy during our June visit. It was hard to fully capture the breathtaking views here in pictures so just visit Fiesole and see for yourself. 

Convent Complex 

Located a short climb from the lookout point was the Church of Sant’ Alessandro and the 14th century San Francesco monastery. A local family built the chapel here in the 1200s which was once the site of an ancient Etruscan citadel and temple. 

They later built a convent here around the 14th century. Convento di San Francesco is now a complex with a church, three cloisters, 15th century monk cells and the Museo Missionario di Fiesole. The museum houses some Etruscan-Roman, Egyptian and Chinese collection assembled by the missionary brothers over the years. 

St. Francis of Assisi Church

It was free to enter the complex and we were able to explore parts of it. The locals dedicated the church to St. Francis of Assisi.

Its Gothic interior with a single nave was small and simple but with some beautiful paintings that included the “Annunciation” by Raffaellino del Garbo and a Madonna and Child triptych (a picture on three panels, typically hinged together side by side). There were also a beautiful 14th century wooden choir stalls. 

It was just us and another family during our convent visit. So, it really was a joy to walk around the complex especially the cloisters in silence.

Take the stairs that lead to the friars cells and it was easy to imagine why the Franciscan missionaries chose this place for their solitude and to pray. There was also a small gift shop at the complex selling some local and handmade items. 

We walked back down to the town square for more treasures to find in Fiesole. It was so much easier to stop and admire the views when you’re going down the hill. Along the way we passed by a restaurant that I’ve seen several people recommended to eat for the food and the panoramic views. 

Unfortunately, Ristorante “La Reggia” was closed during our Tuesday visit. If you’re in Fiesole during the weekends, check this place out and make a reservation.   

The Archaeological Area 

Fiesole, for many history buffs, is known for its archaeological zone dating back to the Etruscan times and the first settlement here in 11 B.C.  Do not miss visiting this major attraction here.

The tourist office, by the bell/clock tower, sells the tickets to the complex. The archaeological area is a decent size enough to explore that you should dedicate at least an hour.

The Museo Civico Archeologico or Civic Archaeological Museum is a wonderful first stop. It makes for a great orientation of the archaeological zone.

This historic building, that looks like a temple, houses many artifacts from the pre-historic, Etruscan, Roman and Medieval periods. It highlights the various cultures and civilizations that founded and lived in Fiesole.

The Romans made their mark in this archaeological zone during their reign here for many years. Our next stop was the Roman Baths. These were built in the 1st century B.C. and were later restored. Three arches that represented the division between the rooms marked this area. 

Roman baths consisted of many rooms used for relaxing, bathing and congregating. They included swimming pools to various rooms with varying temperatures. Think of how our modern spa resorts look and you get the idea.

The arches were restored during the 14th century. While some rooms were now unrecognizable, some parts of a pool and a staircase were evident. 

There were some shaded areas and a couple of benches which provided much needed heat relief as we explored. Cypress trees surrounded the site along with some grassy areas and wildflower growth sprinkled in between.  

Roman temple 

There was a large open area of what used to be the site of several temples reflecting Fiesole’s history. Structures were destroyed or built upon as the rulers changed. The oldest and first temple here was an Etruscan temple followed by a Hellenistic temple and finally, the Roman temple, built on the ruins of the others, dedicated to the Goddess Minerva. 

The only structure that remained from the Hellenistic period was an altar and a couple of rooms. Much of the other structures including the staircases were all parts of the Roman temple.

Roman Amphitheater 

Our last stop was the Roman Amphitheater. This was surprisingly restored well since it dated all the way back to the 1st century BC. This was the first structure here to be excavated and reconstruction occurred in the 14th century. 

The theater was modeled after the Greek style theaters. The cavea (Latin for “enclosure”) are the theater’s seating sections and this stacked seating was built on a small hill. Only the lower part of the cavea was restored which gave a more intimate feel to the amphitheater.   

Today, the theater is used for plays and events. During our visit, the stage was set up for the Estate Fiesolana summer program.

This is a multi-art festival of musical and theater events that include comedy shows, concerts, theater performances that occurs from June to September. This looked like such a great venue to watch a show with fresh air and under the stars. 

The Etruscan Walls 

Explore the street of Via delle Mure Etrusche behind the archaeological zone to see the remains of the ancient Etruscan walls. These walls, which were massive square stones joined together,  were used for when Fiesole was a fortified city on a hill. 

Their incredible workmanship shows with these walls still standing here and withstood elements of time and weather for many centuries. 

Where to eat in Fiesole

The square has several restaurants offering local Tuscan and Florentine dishes. We ended up at The Vinandro restaurant. We ordered the tagliatelle with boar ragu, pork cheek with mashed potatoes and parsley and Macheroni with asparagus and crispy bacon.

All our food was fresh and delicious for reasonable prices too. We highly recommend this restaurant when in Fiesole. 

Coincidentally, we later found out that the owners were also the same people who ran the pensione my college daughter stayed at for two months in Florence during her summer study abroad program. Read more about her experience and recommended things to do in Florence.

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Tips for Visiting Fiesole 

Getting to Fiesole from Florence

We took the ATAF bus #7 to Fiesole from Florence. This was such an easy way to travel there for tourists who usually don’t have cars or those who don’t want to deal with parking.

Buses stop near the Santa Maria Novella train station or San Marco Square. Use Google Maps which will tell you the nearest bus  stops from your location and what time it arrives.

The bus ride took about 30 minutes and buses run every 20 minutes. Visitors can buy bus tickets from any of the tabacchi (Italy’s convenience store versions) in Florence.

The most important thing to remember is to validate your ticket upon entering the bus. Look for the validation machines right by the entrance. Ticket enforcement agents boarded our Fiesole bus and ticketed people and they showed no mercy or understanding to tourists or locals. The bus ended on Fiesole’s main square which is where you’ll catch on the way back to Florence. 

If you are doing the Hop-on/Hop-Off tour on the double decker red Florence Sightseeing bus, it also stops in Fiesole.

It is also possible to walk to Fiesole. The route looks very scenic passing through some beautiful villas and panoramic views of Florence and the surrounding area. It does include a steep hike from San Domenico to Via Vecchia Fiesolana. Google Maps estimates about 1.5 hour from Santa Maria Novella Train Station.

More Useful Tips

The tourist information office/visitor’s center is next to the Archaeological Park entrance on Via dei Partigiani. Ask for a map of Fiesole’s attractions. 

• We spent about 5 hours in Fiesole including eating here for lunch. It was a good amount of time to explore its main attractions and get a feel of this historic town. 
• Restrooms are available and are free to use by the Visitor’s center and near the gates to the archaeological zone by the bell tower.
• Wear comfortable walking shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking including that steep hike to the panoramic viewpoint. 
• If you’re visiting during the summer, come early to avoid the heat and crowds. Stay hydrated and bring your own bottled water, a hat or umbrella. Wear sunscreen too. 

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