Fiesole

Three hundred metres above sea level, Fiesole lies between two hills and is filled with historical-artistic, archaeological and natural beauty. Man’s presence on the gentle peaks of St. Francis and St. Apollinarus dates far back to 2000 B.C., to the so-called Bronze Age, the reason the Etruscans settled on its heights. Fiesole is also a place of legends, like the one about Leonardo da Vinci, occupied with his countless genial inventions, who there tried to give wings to man so that he could fly like the birds he had observed and studied at length. It is said that he made this attempt near the spring on Montececeri. The “master” mounted the wings he had built on his assistant’s shoulders and told him to hurl himself into the air. The “flight” was not a great success but not even a disaster, as it is said that the boy only broke a few bones.
The beginning of the “flight” is believed to have been present-day Piazzale Leonardo, with the “landing” in the Regresso area, where a plaque has been placed commemorating the event. Fact or legend? It’s of very little importance if you want to discover Fiesole, a truly enchanted place.