Exploring Figline Valdarno: Hidden Treasures of Tuscany

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Hello dear friends,

It's with immense pleasure that I return to share here in the community my discoveries, especially in my beloved Tuscany. This time, I'm sharing a place that I hope I haven't already shared, but in reality, I checked the map, and it doesn't seem like I have reviewed it even though I've passed through these parts several times. But you know what happens, sometimes there's never enough time for a thorough exploration of a place.

Today, I want to talk to you about Figline Valdarno, in my opinion, a beautiful and architecturally stunning historic center. It's probably another place less known to the mainstream tourist crowd, which is why I want to introduce it to people.

Firstly, a disclaimer: if you look closely at some photos, you'll see cars parked everywhere. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but it's something I dislike, and it seems to happen only in Italy. In my opinion, in historical and artistic places, cars should be kept out, and these areas should be made pedestrian-friendly.

Anyway, I took my usual stroll through this beautiful historic center, and I must say that this lovely town is located at the center of three important cities: Florence, Arezzo, and Siena. What struck me as soon as I arrived were its walls and its castle dating back to 1100, all very well maintained and in excellent condition.

The square was also very beautiful, bustling with people enjoying coffee at the bar. I was particularly impressed by the palaces surrounding the square, perfectly decorated, creating a beautiful atmosphere.

I managed to visit some historic monuments in the city, including an ancient church where I could go inside. Here, like in other villages, I saw many cats, curious little animals peeking out even from windows, which, being a cat lover, drove me crazy.
As you can see from the photos I took, this village is quite populated, with a population of around 14,000 inhabitants. Two important places I visited were the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria and the Monastery of Santa Croce.

In the Collegiate Church, I saw several interesting works, including various terracottas by Andrea della Robbia, whom I had talked about in a previous post. But in reality, it seems that this church was founded by Pope Alexander VI Borgia, a very famous and controversial pope.

Let's say that in Tuscany, but also in Italy itself, it seems impossible, but in every corner, there's always something artistic, some memory of the history of this country. Sometimes, as happened in this village I visited, you discover things only on the third visit, even though I'm a very attentive person, and you know how much I love art.

Anyway, to conclude this post, I must say that it's worth visiting this place. I highly recommend it! I hope my photos, as usual, have virtually taken you with me. See you in the next post, and I wish you all a good day!