According to a document dated 1164, we know that Certaldo was born at the feet of one castle of the family Alberti, but Mr. Alberti, who was captured by Florentine in Pogni, near Marcialla, knocked down the towers. Certaldo was then submitted to Florence. In 1415 it was center of the vicarage of Val di Pesa: where there was the castle of Alberti, there is the Pretorio Palace and other walls are erected. The looting of 1479 doesn’t stop the development and it continues in enlarging itself. In 1748 the vicarage was suppressed by the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo and joined to that of San Miniato. This created decline and regression, also Lord Byron complained this and Certaldo recovered only after the second half of 800
From the train station situated in the new city, you can use the funicular to reach the top of the hill (130 mt. high) where there is the antique village “the Castle” which is surrounded by antique walls and which is characterized by the red color of “cotto” which is present both in buildings and in streets
Interesting medieval buildings are in Boccaccio street (the main street of Certaldo Alto).
Some important buildings:
the Stiozzi Ridolfi Palace (XV cent.), the Giannozzi Palace, the Macchiavelli Palace, Boccaccio's house where according to traditions, Giovanni Boccacio spent the last years of his life.
This house was damaged during the second world war and then rebuilt in 1947. Nowadays it is a National Centre of studies about Boccaccio and has a big library with many editions and translations of the "Decameron".
You can also visit the Church of Santi Jacopo e Filippo (XIII cent.) where there’s Boccaccio's tomb and his bronze bust made by Francesco Rustici (1503) and the tomb of Beata Giulia who closed herself in seclusion in one cell next to the church and died there in 1367. Her cult spread quickly and in 1372 one altar in her honour was erected but it has been lost.
In the church you can also admire some frescos and terracotta by Della Robbia .
The cloister next to the church is very nice and from there you can visit the museum of "Holy Art". There you can admire some paintings (XIII-XVI cent.), gold articles, silver plates and wooden sculptures.
Here you can admire the wooden crucifix which is the masterpiece of this museum.
The Palazzo Pretorio dominates the medieval village.
It was created in XV cent. on the Alberti’s castle. Its facade is full of coats of arms in stone and terracotta from Della Robbia, representing the weapons of antique vicars. The Palace was restored in 1893 and it has several interesting ambiences such as the hall, the prisons, the room od sentences, the room of audiences, the Big Room, the Council Room, the Chapel etc..) where you can admire some frescos of XV and XVI century.
Next to Palazzo Pretorio there is the church of San Tommaso and Prospero, which is desecrated nowadays. There you can admire the Tabernacle of Giustiziati with a series of frescos by Benozzo Gozzoli (1466-67).
Not so far from Certaldo you can visit the Pieve of San Lazaro in Lucardo, built in 1000 and which has some frescos by Cenni di Francesco. It has been recently restored.
Then you can visit the Castle of Santa Maria Novella that is a square planned buildings with towers. It is a nice example of Gothic art especially in the front which was realised in XV century.
Just outside Certaldo there is the San Donnino dome which reproduces Brunelleschi's Dome of the cathedral of Florence, reduced 8 times
Guesthouse Boccaccio - Via Boccaccio, 32 50052 - Certaldo (FI) Apartments
Tel: +39 339 5334566 - P.iva: 13494821005
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