Palenque

Last January i took a late afternoon (3pm) bus trip up to Fiesole, a famous town overlooking Florence. And though i saw the Roman ruins and walked along the main road from town i never stumbled across the fabled viewpoint for the fine vista over Florence laid out below? I did capture a sweeping view over some Tuscan hills to the north.

As days were getting short in Jan i hopped the bus back when darkness set in.

Q- how do you get to the viewpoint?

I noticed a small paved path going steeply up from the main square and i would have gone up it at first but there were no signs indicating anything was up there. If i had taken that path how far would i have had to go?

any directions appreciated for my next Florence visit.

thanks

Alec

If you look at the following map of Fiésole, there is a place on the left-hand side termed in German 'Aussichtsterrasse' (viewing terrace) in front of Sant'Alessandro church. From where you get off the bus, walk past the Duomo (cathedral) on your right and the Bishop's Palace (Palazzo Vescovile), and you soon come to a small public park with viewing terrace.
http://tinyurl.com/cvwr2m

Palenque

Alec - thank you very much!

tower

Palenque

we took the bus up and walked down....along the way there were several very good viewing points of Florence down below. The Duomo was quite visible as it was a very clear, cloudless day. It's a 6 mile walk down the hill, which made me very happy that we took the bus UP.

stu

ira

Hi Pal,

I think that you saw Etruscan ruins. They predate the Romans.

Palenque

Ira - you no doubt are right - it was late in the day and i only looked at them from above - where they were also very impressive. Thanks for correction.

Apres_Londee

The ruins by the archeology museum are Roman- the remains of a theater and a bath. I think there are some Etruscan tombs a little further along though, outside of the museum grounds.

Palenque

It was the theater that i saw very well from the road above - the main road - i did not think Etruscans built theatres like that or if they did any remained. But i really know didilly about such stuff. But thanks for that info.

The theater and museum is in a wondrous setting - overlooking the verdant Tuscan countryside to the north. There was a pizzeria a bit up the road that had a great patio overlooking those hills as well - was not open when i was there but thinking of it for a future visit.

Apres_Londee

The museum is nicely done and worth a visit. They have a "Lombard Man" on display- full skeleton with burial regalia, and Etruscian, Greek, and Roman artifacts.

It's a bit expensive, I think it was 15 euro per person when we were there a couple of years ago, but that includes admission to the museum and the grounds so you can poke around the ruins. The museum has a cafe with a nice view over the hills.