Learn Italian in Tuscany!

FIGLINE VALDARNO: only a stone's throw from Chianti in Tuscany

Figline Valdarno, just 20 km from Florence,  is situated on the banks of the River Arno  (Valdarno literally means "Arno Valley"). The town is embraced to the west by the Chianti hills and to the east by the beautiful Pratomagno mountain with its  alternating landscape of forests, olive groves and pastures.

The land in the Valdarno has always been rich and fertile and Figline was a centre for agricultural commerce as far back as the 11th century. In the 13th century the town became part of the Florentine Republic and was in a strategic position for trade between Florence, Arezzo and Siena. Its walls and fortifications were built at this time to defend the town against attacks. Arezzo in particular often feuded with Florence over the Valdarno territories. The PARLiTALIA school is located in a part of these very same medieval walls!

During the Renaissance period, many important artists passed through Figline and were inspired by the surrounding countryside, Leonardo da Vinci, Masaccio, Piero della Francesca to name a few. The influence of the Renaissance is visible to this day in the architecture of the town, particularly the  main square surrounded by porticoes. It is worth visiting the "Collegiata di Santa Maria, dating back to 1252 and later modified radically in 1493. Inside is a particularly interesting 14th century table made by the so called "Master of Figline".

Nowadays, Figline is a charming town, rich in tradition, but with modern facilities and services. It has a population of 16,750 so it is not crowded, conjested with traffic or frenetic like the larger cities. It is a town where Italians live, work and play, not just a showpiece for tourists. A stay in and around Figline will give you an authentic feel of Tuscany.

Neverthless, it is so close to Florence that you can visit this jewel of the Renaissance in half an hour by car, or better still in 25 minutes by train.  Arezzo, another wonderful Tuscan town (some people even prefer it to Florence), is also very close, only half an hour by train. While Siena, which needs no introduction,  is easily reached by coach in less than an hour.