Piazza Mino da Fiesole & the Cathedral Steps
Fiesole's airy main square sits 295 metres above sea level and delivers a panorama over the entire Arno basin that the crowds on Florence's Piazzale Michelangelo can only dream about — with far fewer selfie sticks. The broad steps of the Cattedrale di San Romolo make a natural grandstand.
The view and the square
On a clear day the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore floats above the terracotta roofscape like a rust-coloured balloon, framed by cypress-dotted hills on either side. The view shifts beautifully from the golden hour before sunset to the blue hour after, when Florence's lights begin to flicker on.
Piazza Mino itself is relaxed and lived-in: locals park their Vespas here, children kick footballs past the equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II, and the bar terraces fill with aperitivo drinkers from about 6 pm. It feels nothing like a tourist trap.
Cathedral and baptistery worth a peek
The Romanesque Cattedrale di San Romolo, consecrated in 1028, is sober and beautiful inside — pale pietra serena columns, a crypt with the relics of Saint Romulus, and almost no crowds. The adjacent 11th-century Baptistery of Santa Maria Primerana has a rare Byzantine-style mosaic apse worth five minutes of your time.
Combine a cathedral visit with a gelato from one of the square's cafés, then walk to the far northern edge of the piazza where a low wall offers the cleanest unobstructed sightline down to Florence.
Piazza Mino da Fiesole & the Cathedral Steps on video
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