Certaldo

Certaldo is a town and comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the province of Florence, located in the middle of Valdelsa. It is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) 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, poet of "Vita di Dante," who died here at his home 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 ^ All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat. ^ Mercantia