Florentine Notebook -- Fiesole

A Florentine Notebook

Fiesole

Fiesole: Saturday, 1:00 PM

iesole's 3,000-seat, semi-circular theatre (see below) dates from about 100 BC, so it feels pretty wild to be sitting on these ancient stones. What a perfect place to gather, too. There's a small grove of olive trees behind the stage and the landscape falls off into a sizable valley. Beyond that, gorgeous green hills rise in the distance, dotted here and there with agricultural plots and villas.

Appropriately, the theatre is still in use. There's a large, modern, stage that's home to many concerts and plays. At the back there's a huge screen that's been erected for a film festival that's currently playing.

The Roman Theatre in Fiesole

What a huge difference there is visiting these ancient ruins compared to the bustle and hype of Florence. Here's it's quiet, even serence, with only the occasional pack of tourists strolling by, talking in hushed tones, consciously or unconsciously affected by the sacredness of this place.

Etruscan ruins from about 600 BC

The spectacular picture below was taken from the patio of the Ristorante La Reggia degli Etruschi. That's Florence sprawled across the valley. All in all, not a bad place for some rigatoni washed down by a Moretti.

Florence from Fiesole

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