Hello my friends. Last year I visited Certaldo, a medieval Italian town. It’s especially known as the birthplace of one of the great names in Italian literature, Giovanni Boccaccio. You’ve probably heard of his work Decameron. He left his mark on the literary world through his intelligence, emotional expression and use of natural language. This is someone considered the first storyteller in world literature. Walking through the land where he was born was deeply moving.
Certaldo is divided into two parts. We started our visit in the more modern area. That’s also where the parking is. If you plan to visit, you’ll be happy to know there’s a large parking area, though it’s paid. The actual historical part is the medieval upper town, which you reach by funicular. So after parking the car, we headed that way.
It’s really easy to find the funicular. Even as a tourist, you won’t get lost. A round-trip ticket costs 1.50 euros. It operates from 7:30 in the morning to 19:25 in the evening. After waiting nine minutes, the funicular arrived.
While we waited, we looked around and took in the atmosphere. The funicular came but no one else got on. It was just my friend and me. It was the first time in my life I rode one of these with only two people. It’s not that high anyway. It goes right up alongside the medieval walls. If you prefer, you can get a one-way ticket just to go up, then walk down. That way you save money and keep your heart rate steady.
The moment you arrive at the top, you’re wrapped in a medieval atmosphere. I really love towns like this and I admire medieval architecture. These kinds of towns are called borghi in Italian. Usually small fortified villages built on hills. Tuscany has many of them. I enjoy visiting these places and always recommend them to others.
The town itself is tiny. There’s one main street and a few buildings around it. But it’s absolutely worth seeing. You can really feel the spirit of the Middle Ages in every corner.
Restaurants were closed, but we weren’t there for food anyway. Some were getting ready for lunch service. Every corner and every street name honors Boccaccio. One man even greeted us. That’s the spirit of these small Italian towns. Even if people don’t know you, they treat you kindly. It’s hard to believe that kind of warmth still exists, but this place is proof.
You can’t enter this part of town by car, just like in Florence. It’s a limited traffic zone, so only locals are allowed to drive in.
Near the town square drinking fountain, there’s a sign that says "Please don’t throw anything in, including coins". And it was spotless. Tourists followed the rule. It’s the kind of thing that warms your heart. With just a bit of care, any place can stay beautiful.
The town gate is still standing strong and now opens and closes automatically. They’ve added an electric system on top of the old stone structure. It’s fascinating to see modern technology side by side with history like that.
Some windows aren’t real, just painted or covered. But from a distance, they look real. Details like this show how much the locals care about aesthetics.
A bit further, we reached the Decameron House, known as Boccaccio’s home. It’s not the original building, but a historical reconstruction. You can buy tickets at the town hall. A local resident welcomed us there.
Traditional Tuscan rooftops are present here too, thick oak beams, bricks on top and tiles above that. The darker parts of the walls are original. The lighter sections were restored.
Churches in Tuscany are usually very simple. Back in the Middle ages, building something could take generations. One person would start and their grandchildren would finish. That’s why you often see multiple architectural styles in a single building.
The decorations in the town hall caught our attention. Every new official used to hang their coat of arms there when they took office. That way, people knew who was in charge. There’s also a covered terrace, likely used for town meetings. Some of the crests probably belonged to noble families.
We also saw the symbol of Florence the lily, because Certaldo was once under Florentine rule. The ticket to visit both museums is 4 euros. You also get a brochure and a map. Inside the museum, there’s a pre-trial waiting room, an old clock mechanism and historical documents.
There’s also an old civil prison. It wasn’t used for religious offenders, but for civil crimes. Prisoners wrote messages on the walls using candle soot. Next to the prison is a small chapel, like many public buildings, it includes a religious space.
We came across an exhibit called Monsters. After that, we visited the women’s prison section. As we left the Middle Ages and returned to the present day, I couldn’t help but think how lucky we are to live now. Electricity, internet, hot water and most importantly, rights and freedoms. These are things we should be thankful for every day.
Then we reached the year Boccaccio was born, 1313. He even witnessed the plague. In one room there’s a sculpture of him writing. The tables, shoes and clothing are all from that era. His works are displayed in many languages : English, German, Persian, Russian and more.
After a short break, we climbed up the tower. These towers were used for defense. There were wooden floors inside. Not much furniture, which made it easier to protect. We reached the top. The space is small, but the view is breathtaking. Totally worth the 4 euros.
From above, we could see the modern part Certaldo Basso. We were in Certaldo Alto the upper town. That marked the end of our visit. But of course, no trip ends without a meal. We wanted to try a local spot from Tuscan cuisine. There was a highly recommended seafood restaurant nearby. After visiting there, we headed home.