Certaldo, Giovanni Boccacio’s village, an echo of the Middle Ages

On the occasion of the celebrations of the 700^th anniversary of Boccacio’s birth (1313-2013), Guide in Toscana, offers you a variety (wide range) of itineraries entirely dedicated to the illustrious storyteller. The tour focuses on the places related to the life, works and memory of the writer. The various itineraries, you can select from, give you the chance to create your combined tour.

Certaldo, Giovanni Boccacio’s village – Decameron, an echo of the Middle Ages in the walled village.

The tour will lead you through the narrow streets and squares of the walled village of Certaldo to its most significant places the writer’s house-Casa Boccaccio, his church named after the Saints Jacopo and Filippo.

You will be completely fascinated by the timeless charm that only the storytelling of Messer Boccaccio allows who enter his home to experience. The precious objects displayed in Boccaccio’s house as well as the jewels of art, among them, the cenotaph in the close Romanesque church, Boccaccio’s burial place, will let you feel part of his world, which still echoes the Middle Ages.

In this special setting, you can enjoy the performance of some novellas of the Decameron. It’s a very suggestive theatrical performance staged by the “certaldesi”, citizens of Certaldo, to be booked at least 7 days in advance.

To the visit of Certaldo you can combine a (guided tour) of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa. The leitmotif of each itinerary is clearly Giovanni Boccaccio.

The city centre of Florence with its monuments, his ancient streets and squares will reveal to you its medieval past.

Siena, a pearl among the Tuscan medieval cities, gives you the possibility to visit the local State Archive where the original will of the great storyteller is kept.

In Pisa, inside the Monumental Cemetery, situade in the “Piazza dei Miracoli”, you can admire the fresco painting “The Triumph of Death” by Buonamico Buffalmacco depicting the lifelike atmosphere of that time. Buonamico Buffalmacco is not only the painter of this masterpiece but one of the main characters of some of the most lively novellas of the Decameron.

San Gimignano, the town of the ancient towers, is mentioned many times by Boccaccio – as well as by Dante – for the quality of its wines. Among them, the Vernaccia still plays a leading role. Its first mention dates to the 1276 and since then it still grows in this unique place, which contains all the smell and flavour of its “terroir”.