Florence, Italy-Day 2

Our second day saw us headed out of town. We had been told of a nice hilltop town which had great views of Florence.

Easy access via the local bus system. Looking down on Florence, with the cathedral in the background, from the town of Fiesole.

On the grounds of a local monastery.

Overlooking the valley on the other side of the hill.

The remains of an old Roman road.

The town of Fiesole was founded around 900 B.C. It was an important community during the Etruscan reign, which preceded the Romans. The town was conquered by the Romans in 283 B.C.

The site of some original Etruscan and Roman ruins is now a museum. These walls were once the site of an Etruscan, then a Roman temple.

The ovens which heated the water for the Roman Baths.

Overlooking the baths from the top of the hill.

The Roman Theater.

Some of the archaeological finds are from hundreds of years before Christ.

Some of the pottery on display is 2700 years old.

More 2700 year old pottery.

We had heard about a hike down the hill. We found the route and now are looking back towards Fiesole.

At the bottom of the hill is an old community where this monastery was built in the 11th century. In the 1450s the green and white marble façade was added.

Back in Florence at the Republic Plaza. This column is what remains of an old Roman crossroads.

Local artists drawing with chalk on the street.

Built as a market during the renaissance, it is still an open air market, mainly selling leather goods.

We made it back to the Pitti Palace to tour the inside. But outside are the Boboli Gardens. We didn't have time to tour both.

A reproduction of a Roman wine press. If you look in the left lower corner you see the jars where the pressed grape juice ran from the press.

Another cathedral.

The Santa Maria Novella was across the street from the train station.

Our next stop was Sorrento and the Mediterranean.