Meet your driver at your hotel lobby and departure to Certaldo. What you will experience today is an authentic journey to discover the hidden gems of Tuscany. Forget crowds and long lines at the tourist attractions and dive into the real Tuscan atmosphere. The charming ancient village of Certaldo dates back to the Etruscan and Roman times and is located on top of a hill near Via Francigena. Take your time to stroll on the historical center, walking through the main street “Via Boccaccio” adorned by the principal buildings of the town. You will find the hometown of Giovanni Boccaccio, the author of The Decameron and one of the exponents of the Renaissance literature. Its house has been rebuilt after the Second World War damages and nowadays it hosts a museum. At the end of Via Boccaccio you will find the imposing Palazzo del Pretorio that, since the Florentines’ conquer in, hosted a long succession of Vicars. Its faced is very evocative thanks to the several coats of arms, many of which has been created by the Florentine ceramic’s craftsman family Della Robbia. Your day trip will continue to another hilltop town along the Via Francigena: San Miniato. Its position has been strategic from its Roman origins to the current ones. San Miniato is very rich in history, craftsman traditions of leather and local food (the famous truffle named the White Gold). Discover this pretty hilltop town with its corners and amazing buildings like the ones that surrounds Piazza della Repubblica. From there you can reach the Duomo, rich of Gothic and Reneissance architectural elements and, you fancy a short climb, the Rocca of Frederick II, rebuilt after the Second World War. Next, at your choice, on the way to Florence, you can opt for:
- Horseback riding in the countryside.
- Pottery lab and its showroom.
- Pottery lesson to create your own object.
At the end of the tour, a comfortable drive will lead you back to your location.
