Free- Certaldo old and new ,Tuscany
Free- Certaldo old and new ,Tuscany
Judy Witts Francini
Certaldo is a personal favorite of mine, not just because it is my hometown. I live in the hills outside town. This was the home to Boccaccio, the author of the Decameron. It is one of the less touristy hilltowns, so you get a real feel of what it was like. There is the larger lower city which was buildt in the 1800's and then the original village from Medieval times, made entirely of red bricks, it is truly beautiful.
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Certaldo Alto
@Diva
This is one of the more untouched villages in Chianti.
I live outside this town.
Market day is Wednesday.
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Grocery shopping and Market Day
The best place to stock up and shop is our local COOP grocery store.
The large weekly market on Wednesday which is down on the main road in front of the COOP for several blocks is where the mall comes to town. You can find everything from purses to plants and pijama's as well as kitchen supplies, tablecloths and shoes. Then there is also a food section ( right in front of where the COOP is). Several larger food trucks selling roasted foods, cheeses, Sicilian specialties, coffee and candy and more. Then are the farm stands.The smaller food market is Saturday in front of the Post office.
Coop
@Diva
This is our large city grocery store. Lot's of parking.
Opening hours:
Sunday 8am to 1pm
During the week: 7:30am to 8:30pm
They take credit cards.
Everyone is still wearing their masks shopping.
Lovely meat, fish and bakery. Also some precooked items.
We don't have ziplock bags, so those often come in handy to bring from home.
Wednesday is market day and the main entrance is blocked by the outdoor market but there is a secondary road you can take to get there too.
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Getting up to the old city
It's an easy walk from the train station to the funiculare to reach the old town. Buy a round trip ticket ( andata/ritorno).
Funicolare di Certaldo
@Diva
My favorite way to get up to Certaldo Alto. IF you want to walk, they just redid the old road up. it's to the right of the funivia, down the street on the right. You will see the stone road going up.
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Bike Tours
If you want to have a great day in the countryside, you can book an ebike tour. It can also include wine tasting, lunch and gelato!
Events
One of the most famous street artist festivals go early and stay late.
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Eat
Osteria La Saletta
@Diva
Located in lower Certaldo, not far from the main piazza,behind their pastry shop, Dolce Follie,this is where we go for a special meal. The food is incredible and a great wine list. Giampiero is the perfect host.
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Pasticceria Dolci Follie
@Diva
Local pastry shop and coffee shop. Also savory panini with an outdoor dining space across the street. Their biscotti are delicious and the orange onion jam!
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Jam Cafè
@Diva
I adore this cafe' /bar. Right at the train station, All pastries are baked on site. The owner is a pastry chef.
You can also get savory breakfast pastries /panini and it's open for aperitivi as well.
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RISTORANTE bar caffetteria Boccaccio
@Diva
Not just a coffee shop/bar. This is also a full dining restaurant. Lovely tables outside in nice weather.
The owner chef, has won several times for her onion soup. Certaldo is famous for it's red onion.
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Ristorante A Casa Tua
@Diva
Love their pasta dishes and desserts. In Summer you can also eat out on the streets, but do check out the inside as well. Guests sign the walls!
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Hotel Bar Il Castello
@Diva
Lovely patio dining at the Hotel Cestello. They just changed the chef/owner. I haven't been yet!
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SHOP
Artesia Ceramiche Artistiche
@Diva
I adore ceramics. One of the nice things is searching out the artisans in various towns and their different styles. Some ceramics reflect colors traditionally used in an area and others are more modern interpretations and more personal.
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See
Palazzo Pretorio - Comune di Certaldo
@Diva
The old city hall, Lots of interesting affrescos, the old jail and a back garden as well. Upstairs there is often an art show by a guest artist.
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Museo d'Arte Sacra a Certaldo
@Diva
I love religious art. But the best part here is going downstairs and seeing another layer of Certaldo
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Museo Del Chiodo
@Diva
When I moved here Beppe was still alive. This is his eclectic collection. Not always open.
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* * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judy Witts Francini
I moved from California to Florence, Italy in 1984, it was love at first sight. First with the city of Florence and then with a Florentine.
What I do:
Curate Culinary Tours
Italian Life Coach
Cooking Teacher
Market Maven,
I now live with my husband and cats in the countryside between Florence and Siena.
For the past twenty years, I have designed and accompanied culinary tours around Italy, including Puglia, Sicily, Emilia Romagna, and Venice.
This year, I am celebrating 40 years in Italy!
Have any questions? Click on the Contact Me button.
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