| Site | What to see | |
|---|---|---|
Ripoli Where Tommaso trained as a scribe. |
Nothing left here, really, except atmosphere of decay. |
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| Fiesole, Medici villa | In private ownership. | |
Fiesole, Badia You need to get permission to enter the cloisters, and the church isn’t always open. |
The road to the Badia begins at the church of San Giovanni. It’s
worth visiting here if you can, since this is where the Dominicans were
before Cosimo rebuilt San Marco.
There is a modern fountain opposite celebrating all the great men associated with Fiesole. The facade is Romanesque, but the church of the Badia
(abbey) was remodelled in the fifteenth century and is a transcendental
piece of architecture. Architect unknown, but Michelozzo and Alberti are
both contenders. Cloisters. Library. |
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| Fiesole, Poliziano's villa | When you leave the Badia, having taken in the view of Florence from the car park, and are facing the road back up to the main road, you will see a lane rising beside a small house opposite. This is a steep but very atmospheric walk up to the town at the top. Towards the top, just before Fontelucente, you will see the Villa Diana on the right. This was the home of Poliziano and Maria. Private residence. The photo was taken many years ago when I used to visit the Conte Gatteschi. |
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| Fiesole, Fontelucente | A few steps further on from the Villa Diana, pause by the fountain and listen to the waters trickling. If you can get inside the church, you will see a stream running down the centre of the nave. Lovely. |  |
Fiesole Where Ficino walked with Pico |
Down the hill to the church of San Domenico and then left into the Via Fontanelle. | Fiesole, town | If you’ve got any puff left, it’s worth going right to the top and the monastery of San Francesco. Otherwise visit the amphitheatre and call it a day. The best eateries are the ones without the views! |
| Careggi | It is possible to walk from Fiesole to Careggi. It takes about an hour
and a half. You take the road running down into the valley from the Badia,
past the Villa Salviati. |
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Careggi, Villa Medici. Now the administrative centre of the hospital. Access by appointment. [Lorenzo’s chamber and sala by special permission only at certain times. Saturday afternoon is best.] |
Courtyard. |
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Careggi, Via Fontanelle Ficino's villa
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Ficino’s villa is a private residence.
To see it on the hillside, when you come out of the Villa Medici, cross
the road to the carpark opposite, and go along the road beside it a little
way. Look up at the hillside until you can match the picture – it’s
the terracotta-coloured little tower in the centre. |
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