Castiglion Fiorentino

Castiglion Fiorentino

Piazza del Collezionista Show and exchange of old and used items. The fourth Sunday during March thru June and September thru December

GETTING THERE Castiglion Fiorentino is the next town north of Cortona on the Strada Statale (SS71) to Arezzo. It overlooks both the Valdichiana and the Val di Chio. BACKGROUND Castiglion Fiorentino was previously believed to be of medieval origin, but recent excavations have found its far-older Etuscan base (.e.g the decorative Gorgon element from an Etruscan temple dating to the V century BC - on display in the Pal. Pretorio). The city has been closely associated with Arezzo and Cortona for most of its history (one of the legends is that it was founded by inhabitants originally from Cortona) and was one of the pawns fought over and passed repeatedly among the city-states of Arezzo, Firenze, and Perugia in their many battles (called Castiglion Aretino for some time beginning in the XII century until ca. 1290, then Castiglion Perugino for a period and finally Castiglion Fiorentino since ca. 1384). Castiglion Fiorentino's architecture has a predominantly medieval character and includes a wall around the original city center. Of particular note are Sant'Angelo (XII century - now the Pinacoteca) as well as San Francesco and the Palazzo Pretorio (both XIII century), the medieval Torre del Cassero at the top of the town, and numerous Renaissance structures - e.g. the Loggia by Vasari at the Pza. del Municipio, Chiesa del Gesu, and Chiesa della Consolazione. On exhibit in the Pinacoteca next to the Pal. Pretorio are numerous paintings by Bartolomeo della Gatta, Taddeo Gaddi, and Vasari. For those with hiking or biking interests, there are four routes (#50, 555, 557, & 559) which have been laid out by the Club Alpino Italiano; these are denoted by white & red stripes along the trail with the trail numbers also appearing periodically. Also, Luca Serafini recently published a guidebook for mountain biking & trekking titled "Intorno a Castiglion Fiorentino, itinerari per mountain bike e trekking." Close by, but outside the walls, is the Castello di Montecchio. At one time this was given to the British mercenary Giovanni Acuto (it is rumored that a film is being made about Acuto & his services). ADDRESS & PHONE CODES Castiglion Fiorentino    Postal code:   52043 (AR)    Phone prefix: +39 (0575)     POSTAGE              To UK/Cont.        To US Postcard/Letter           0.60 €              0.85 €

Castiglion Fiorentino - Cortona's neighbor, also long allied with Arezzo.                        Pinacoteca Hours Tues-Sun 10:00-12:00; 16:00-18:30

How to get there By car: From A1 (either north- or southbound) take either the Monte San Savino (~15 km) or Valdichiana (~21 km) exits then follow directions to Castiglion Fiorentino (You can also go first to Cortona and then take SS71 toward Arezzo). By air: Florence's Amerigo Vespucci [FLR] and Pisa [PSA] are the closest airports; Rome's Fiumicino [FCO], Milan's Malpensa [MXP], and Bologna [BLQ] airports are also convenient - e.g. there's a fast shuttle train from Fiumicino directly to Roma Termini and the ES/IC train ride to Cortona's Terontola station takes ca. 1-1/2 hours (click here for the link to train timetables) and you can then transfer to a local train (D/R) to the Castiglion Fiorentino station (or if you don't want to transfer, take a D or R from Roma all the way to Castiglion Fiorentino). In Florence, take the direct shuttle bus from the airport to the Santa Maria Novella (Firenze S.M.N.) train station and then a Rome-bound train which stops in Castiglion Fiorentino (the station just before Camucia). By train: On the main north-south line between Firenze and Roma and also convenient to connections with the east-west line between Perugia and Siena. The ES (EuroStar) or IC (Intercity) train ride to Cortona's Terontola station takes ca. 1-1/2 hours from Roma (transfer necessary to reach Castiglion Fiorentino); slightly longer for the Diretto or Regionale from Firenze to the Castiglion Fiorentino station (click here for the link to train timetables). Take the LFI bus from SS71 (a couple of blocks from the station) to the town center (be sure to buy tickets at the Tabacchi or Edicola [newstand] before boarding the bus). Note: In most places, stamps and bus tickets can be purchased at the Tabacchi or Edicola. Ask for "quattro corse" - a ticket which can be stamped four times (once at each corner) and is discounted compared with purchasing individual tickets. Also, when travelling by either train or bus, be certain your ticket is stamped (timbrato) in the machine on either the train platform before boarding or on the bus - there are hefty fines for travelling either without a ticket or with an invalid ticket (& your ticket isn't "valid" until it has been stamped). In larger cities - e.g. Firenze, Roma, Venezia, you can obtain one- or multiple-day passes which are valid for all of the public transportation and are great bargains. Maps of the lines are available either free or (much better) from the edicola (newsstand) at the train station for a nominal fee. Auto rental: The closest major rental car companies are in Arezzo; Avis is across from the train station - Piazza della Repubblica 1/A. The Hertz location is in a suburb. Tamburini, the Alfa-Romeo dealer in Camucia, rents cars for short or long periods at very favorable rates. There are also rental companies in Chiusi. Tips for staying connected (e.g. phone, internet) while in Italy - click here. Weather - Records/Averages (Temperature & Precipitation) by Month: Florence / Firenze Rome / Roma   - Current conditions & Short-Term Weather Forecast: Florence / Firenze Rome / Roma

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