Certaldo () is a town and (municipality) of Tuscany, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Florence, located in the middle of Valdelsa. It is about southwest of the Florence Cathedral (50 minutes by rail and 35 minutes by car from the city), and 40 minutes by rail north of Siena.
It was home to the family of Giovanni Boccaccio, author of the Decameron, who was possibly born and died at his home in Certaldo, being buried there in 1375. It is also the birthplace of actor Ernesto Calindri and of football manager Luciano Spalletti.
Geography The town of Certaldo is divided into upper and lower parts. The lower part is called Certaldo Basso, whilst the medieval upper part is called Certaldo Alto. Certaldo Alto has limited vehicular access, for use by residents only. Visitors can park outside the walls or in the lower part and go to Certaldo Alto by the Certaldo funicular.
History
Etruscan-Roman period Certaldo had Etruscan-Roman origins, as shown by the numerous archaeological finds that are scattered around the city's territory, including ceramics, utensils and Etruscan tombs, some of which were found just recently. The Etruscan origins were discovered mostly thanks to the toponymy of some localities and streams, for example the Agliena and the Elsa river (which flow near Certaldo), and the foodstuffs deposits in the hills. There are two hills in Certaldo where Etruscan tombs have been found, Poggio del Boccaccio and Poggio alle Fate. There was also a necropolis. All of the finds of Etruscan-Roman origin are today kept in the ground floor of the Palazzo Pretorio, in the medieval part of the town.
Boccaccio's house, of red brick, like the other old houses here, was restored in 1823 and furnished with old furniture. A statue of him was erected in the main square in 1875. The Palazzo Pretorio, or Vicariale, the residence of the Florentine governors, recently restored to its original condition, has a picturesque facade adorned with ceramic coats of arms, and in the interior are various frescoes dating from the 13th to the 16th century.
Culture The town hosts several festivals a year. The largest and most famous is Mercantia, a week-long party in Certaldo Alto. It involves numerous street performers from across Italy, Europe and the Americas.
Municipal government Certaldo is headed by a mayor () assisted by a legislative body, the , and an executive body, the . Since 1995 the mayor and members of the are directly elected together by resident citizens, while from 1945 to 1995 the mayor was chosen by the legislative body. The is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called . The offices of the are housed in a building usually called the or .
Since 1995 the mayor of Certaldo is directly elected by citizens, originally every four, then every five years. The current mayor is Giovanni Campatelli (PD), elected on 10 June 2024 with the 51.2% of the votes.
Mayor Term start Term end PartyRosalba Spini Ciampoli24 April 199514 June 2004PDSDSAndrea Campinoti14 June 20049 June 2014DSPDGiacomo Cucini9 June 201410 June 2024PDGiovanni Campatelli10 June 2024incumbentPD
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