Certaldo

Certaldo
Comune
Comune di Certaldo
Coat of arms
Location of Certaldo
Certaldo Location of Certaldo in Italy Show map of Italy Certaldo Certaldo (Tuscany) Show map of Tuscany
Coordinates: 43°32′52″N 11°2′28″E
Country	Italy
Region	Tuscany
Metropolitan city	Florence (FI)
Frazioni	Bagnano, Fiano, Marcialla (part), Sciano
Government
• Mayor	Giovanni Campatelli (PD)
Area [1]
• Total	75.28 km^2 (29.07 sq mi)
Elevation	67 m (220 ft)
Population  (30 June 2017)[2]
• Total	16,004
• Density	210/km^2 (550/sq mi)
Demonym	Certaldesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	50052
Dialing code	0571
Patron saint	St. Thomas the Apostle
Saint day	July 3
Website	Official website

Certaldo (Italian pronunciation: [tʃerˈtaldo]) is a town and comune (municipality) of Tuscany, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Florence, located in the middle of Valdelsa. It is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of the Florence Cathedral (50 minutes by rail and 35 minutes by car from the city), and 40 minutes by rail north of Siena.

It was home to the family of Giovanni Boccaccio,[3] author of the Decameron, who was possibly born and died at his home in Certaldo, being buried there in 1375. It is also the birthplace of actor Ernesto Calindri and of coach Luciano Spalletti, who has been the manager of Italy national football team since 2023.[4]

Geography

The town of Certaldo is divided into upper and lower parts. The lower part is called Certaldo Basso, whilst the medieval upper part is called Certaldo Alto. Certaldo Alto has limited vehicular access, for use by residents only. Visitors can park outside the walls or in the lower part and go to Certaldo Alto by the Certaldo funicular.

History

Etruscan-Roman period

Certaldo had Etruscan-Roman origins, as shown by the numerous archaeological finds that are scattered around the city's territory, including ceramics, utensils and Etruscan tombs, some of which were found just recently.[5] The Etruscan origins were discovered mostly thanks to the toponymy of some localities and streams, for example the Agliena and the Elsa river (which flow near Certaldo), and the foodstuffs deposits in the hills. There are two hills in Certaldo where Etruscan tombs have been found, Poggio del Boccaccio and Poggio alle Fate. There was also a necropolis. All of the finds of Etruscan-Roman origin are today kept in the ground floor of the Palazzo Pretorio, in the medieval part of the town.

• Boccaccio's house, of red brick, like the other old houses here, was restored in 1823 and furnished with old furniture. A statue of him was erected in the main square in 1875.[3]
• The Palazzo Pretorio, or Vicariale, the residence of the Florentine governors, recently restored to its original condition, has a picturesque facade adorned with ceramic coats of arms, and in the interior are various frescoes dating from the 13th to the 16th century.[3]

Culture

The town hosts several festivals a year. The largest and most famous is Mercantia,[6] a week-long party in Certaldo Alto. It involves numerous street performers from across Italy, Europe and the Americas.

Twin towns

• Neuruppin, Germany
• Kanramachi, Japan
• Canterbury, United Kingdom

References

1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
2. All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.
3.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Certaldo". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 762.
4. TG24, Sky (2023-08-18). "Luciano Spalletti, chi è il nuovo ct dell'Italia. FOTO". tg24.sky.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-06-14.
5. De Marinis. Topografia Storica della Val d'Elsa in periodo etrusco.
6. "Mercantia". Archived from the original on 2013-07-26. Retrieved 2013-09-07.