Sitting In The Shade by Fara
One of the beautiful streets in the Tuscan hill town of Certaldo.
Certaldo – Like many other Tuscan towns. Certaldo is divided between its medieval walled town on a hill and the modern residential and industrial suburb spread out below.
Etruscan and Roman in origin. Certaldo was also situated on the Via Francigena.
In the lower town is the main square Piazza Boccaccio, with a marble statue by Augusto Passaglia (1879) which was commissioned to mark the fifth centenary of the death of Giovanni Boccaccio.
The charming medieval upper town, reached on foot in 10 min or by cablecar from the station in the main piazza (2min). built almost entirely of brick, is well preserved despite some damage during the Second World War. All the principal buildings, as well as some attractive houses, face onto Via Boccaccio.
Half-way up on the left is the Casa del Boccaccio (rebuilt in 1947). with a tower and loggia, which was bought and restored in the early 19C by Marchesa Carlotta dei Medici Lenzoni.
Facing onto the little piazza is the church of Santi Michele e Jacopo. The simple brick facade dates from the 1 3C and the interior has been restored to original Romanesque appearance. In a niche is an urn containing the body of Beata Giulia
Next to the church is a small cloister which gives access to the Museo d’arte Sacra inaugurated in 2001. The museum has some fine and rare works which include: a monumental 13 C Crucifix; paintings by Meliore, the Bigallo master Puccio di Simone and Ugolino di Nerio most of them removed from churches in the countryside around Certaldo.
Tags
fara, certaldo, tuscany, italy, street steps, people, flowers, plants, stone, restaurants, windows, doors
Comments
This is a wonderful image Joyce…. reminds me of a certain time and part of my childhood growing up as a kid in the foothills of the mediterrenean…… a street meticulously paved by the local workers with bricks, sweat, stories of days gone by, lots of coffee and cigaretter breaks, and long days all filled in with lots of love and laughter…….. the buildings and the appartments…. all standing there… supporting each other….. never mind symmetry or colour or height or shape or angles or colours….. they all fit together in perfect harmony…. and the doors and entrances and window sills and steps all lined with baskets of flowers and mini trees of different colours and flowers and smells…… all cared for by tender loving hands that toiled night and day to keep the street alive and fragrant…… and the windows….. ah I love those windows….. never mind they all looked different and partially damaged with peeled paint and squeeky hinges…. they were all so beautiful and romantic looking……. and that light post on the side of the building…. oooh I hated it as a kid…. it kept shining all night its bright yellow light straight into my bedroom and kept me awake most nights…. I hated it…. but then I loved it….. as if it was saying I am your guardian angel… I want to stay lit all night looking after you my young one…. I don’t know whether I hated it or loved it more….. and when the morning came, I would wake up to the sounds of the women and the local vendors with their carts of fresh fruits and vegetables, all making their rounds along the street, inviting each other to their morning ritual of coffee and freshly baked goodies….. and then I would know why it took forever to finish paving that little section of the road….. how wonderful life was……………how I miss those days………… thank you for bringing back those lovely memories………… Hany
Sometimes I think it would be wonderful to go back to a more simple life………….I too was brought up in the country where mothers stayed at home and baked and cooked and tended vegetable patches and hung washing out to dry in the warm breeze………………we do not live like that any more sadly………..I do hang my clothes out to dry and I bring them in and iron them to perfection just like my mother did……………………most people now use tumble dryers and they never iron anything…………..I am always very grateful to my mother for the things she taught me……………..I now do that with my granddaughters, particularly Farrah who is 7………………she loves to see how I do things and look after things……………..it teaches her some values…………………but we do live in a throw away society and I am afraid I don’t really buy into it……………………are we getting old Hany when we want to remember the past this way…………………….I don’t think so ……………….I look at the good things of the past and use them in my daily life…………..taking time to have a chat to someone………………give someone a smile……………I always feel good when I do this…………………well, look where the lovely street in Certaldo took us……………..off rambling back to our childhood and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that……………………….I did not expect to see the little Hany avatar tonight so this has been a very unexpected pleasure my friend………………………I am now going to return to my book and my dark chocolate………………..I know it is late but never mind…………….warm thoughts to my lovely friend………………..from your little night owl in Ireland………………………..Joyce!!
– Fara
Awesome image and info!!!! Love it Joyce!!!
I want to go back there having put the image up……………………..thank you so much Debbie…………………..Joyce!!
– Fara
What a lovely peaceful scene
Many thanks Barnie……………one of my favourite places…………………..Joyce!!
– Fara
What a lovely peaceful scene
Wonderful Joyce …. looks fantastic
Wonderful shot and interesting write up Joyce
Many thanks Jez……………..have a good day my friend…………………..Joyce!!
– Fara
A wonderful scene, so pretty …
Thank you dear Tom…………………….Joyce!!
– Fara
GORGEOUS!
Thank you Charmiene …………………Joyce!!
– Fara
Would love to be sitting there today.
So would I Donna…………………it is a gorgeous place……………………..thank you my friend………………..Joyce!!
– Fara