Holiday apartment in San Jacopo Al Girone: culture and paths along the Arno

Culture and history in San Jacopo Al Girone

San Jacopo Al Girone offers a stay in which cultural history and outdoor activities provide different points of focus. A church with works of art, the Florence War Cemetery on the Arno, and cycling and walking paths offer a variety of ideas for each day. When choosing a holiday apartment in San Jacopo Al Girone, the main consideration is therefore whether you place greater emphasis on historical impressions, the river landscape, or active routes.

The Chiesa di San Jacopo al Girone was consecrated on 26 February 1989. The building was constructed from exposed concrete using reinforced-concrete construction. Inside is a panel by Francesco Granacci dating from 1520/1530, which comes from the church of San Pietro a Quintole. The church also houses a wooden crucifix attributed to the school of Giambologna (1529–1608). The exposed concrete, the panel, and the crucifix provide several specific points of interest during a visit to the church.

The historical depth extends beyond the consecrated church building. A rectory church of San Jacopo al Girone already existed in the 13th century. In 1201, a hospitium for travellers and pilgrims was mentioned in Girone. In San Jacopo Al Girone, you therefore encounter both a late-20th-century building and medieval connections.

Remembrance and the banks of the Arno

The Florence War Cemetery is located on the banks of the Arno near Il Girone. It contains 1,632 Commonwealth graves from the Second World War. From Florence's Santa Maria Novella main railway station, bus route 14A runs to the terminus at Girone; the cemetery is approximately 100 metres from this terminus. This makes it possible to combine a visit to the site with a stay that also takes the riverside landscape into account.

Cycling and walking paths

The “Intorno a Firenze in bicicletta” cycle route runs downhill from Fiesole to the village of San Jacopo al Girone and then continues along the cycle path on the right bank of the Arno. There is also a combined cycling and pedestrian route between Piazza delle Gualchiere and Via dell’Arno, which is approximately 700 metres long. These two types of route give your planning different directions: a ride via Fiesole or a shorter connection for cycling and walking.

On foot, a walk along Via del Loretino leads to the Gualchiere del Girone, which are known for fulling woollen cloth. Along the banks of the Arno, participants can also learn about the Gualchiere, the surrounding river landscape, and traditional knowledge related to water. As a result, the focus is not only on walking itself, but also on crafts, water, and the landscape.

Choose a holiday apartment in San Jacopo Al Girone according to your travel interests

When choosing a holiday apartment in San Jacopo Al Girone, it is worth deciding in advance what your personal focus will be: are you mainly looking for historical impressions, would you like to plan a walk along the river, or are you attracted by a cycling connection? The different themes can be combined into a flexible stay in which architecture, remembrance, crafts, and activity each have their own place.

Further information

Ellera also belongs to the same higher-level area.

To the higher-level travel overview: Fiesole.