Certaldo

Certaldo
—  Comune  —
Comune di Certaldo
Certaldo Location of Certaldo in Italy
Coordinates: 43°32′52″N 11°2′28″E / 43.54778°N 11.04111°E / 43.54778; 11.04111Coordinates: 43°32′52″N 11°2′28″E / 43.54778°N 11.04111°E / 43.54778; 11.04111
Country	Italy
Region	Tuscany
Province	Florence (FI)
Frazioni	Bagnano, Fiano, Marcialla (part), Sciano
Government
- Mayor	Andrea Campinoti (Democratic Party)
Area
- Total	75.24 km2 (29.1 sq mi)
Elevation	67 m (220 ft)
Population (1 January 2007)[1]
- Total	16,053
- Density	213.4/km2 (552.6/sq mi)
Demonym	Certaldesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	50052
Dialing code	0571
Patron saint	St. Thomas the Apostle
Saint day	July 3
Website	Official website

Certaldo is a town and comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the province of Florence, located in the middle of Valdelsa. It is about 35 kilometers southwest of the Florence Duomo.

Heading southwest, it is 50 minutes by rail and 35 minutes by car from the city of Florence. Heading north, it is 25 minutes by rail from Siena.

It was the home of the family of Giovanni Boccaccio, who died and was buried here in 1375.

Main sights

• 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.
• 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.

Culture

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

Twin towns

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

References

1. ^ All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.