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History of Fiesole near Florence in Tuscany

The creation of the city, that shows a 2500 m. defensive wall circle that surrounds the two hills, goes back to the hellenistic period (end of the 6th century). Northwards and southwards there are still many parts of the walls. Its geographical position made the town a strategic centre for the control of communication lines between the southern and northern Etruscan region and it was used as rampart against invasions.

We don't have a lot of writings by the latin authors about Fiesole. Starting from 90 B.C. the Etruscan city was turned into a typical roman city. Here a lot of new buildings were created: a new theatre with a capacity of 3000 seats, a new temple on the ruins of the Etruscan one, thermal baths.

After the fall of the roman empire the civilization of the Longobards (6th-7th century) left many traces on funeral inscriptions. The importance of the city as military stronghold decreases as Florence became stronger. The church was organized in a big diocese. Its bishops had gained a strong political power by joining together religious functions with civilian functions and by ruling on a wide territory that still nowadays surrounds part of two important hisorical regions: the Casentino region and the Chianti region. In the 11th century bishop Jacopo il Bavaro founded the Cathedral.

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