Certaldo

Certaldo is a town and comune of Tuscany located in the Metropolitan City of Florence. The city is divided into two distinct zones: the lower part (Certaldo Basso), where the majority of the population lives, and the upper part (Certaldo Alto), which houses the old medieval town. The lower part is marked by modern buildings and streets laid out in a grid, while houses in the upper part are clustered around the Via del Castello.

Etruscan origins

Evidence of human presence in Certaldo dates to the Etruscan period, with traces of tombs found in several locations. However, the first historical document mentioning Certaldo dates to 714 AD. It describes a small village organized around its castle. In the Middle Ages, the area belonged to the Counts of the Alberti family and then, in 1184, Federico Barbarossa surrendered Certaldo to the dominant Florentines. Certaldo became a Vicariate and remained under the Vicar until the late 18th century. 

Boccaccio's hometown

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375), the famous Italian writer and poet, was born and spent most of his adult life in Certaldo. Italian correspondent of Petrarch and an important Renaissance humanist, Boccaccio wrote a number of notable works, including The Decameron and On Famous Women. Today, the Casa di Boccaccio (Boccaccio's Home) is a museum where visitors can learn more about the life and works of one of the most important Italian writers.

Palazzo Pretorio

The city's most important monument is the Palazzo Pretorio. The current town hall was the ancient residence of the Alberti Counts, built around the end of the 12th century on the ruins of the ancient houses of this family. You can admire numerous coats of arms, frescoes and sinopias of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The prisons, the audience hall, the archive, the chapel and the private quarters of the Vicars can still be visited today.