Property for Sale in Certaldo, Tuscany
Certaldo is a town in the Elsa valley, in the south-west of the Province of Florence, on the edge of the Chianti hills and close to San Gimignano. It is divided between a medieval upper town on the hill and a modern lower town on the valley floor, and the countryside around both is where most of the villas and farmhouses for sale are found.
Certaldo Alto
The upper town, Certaldo Alto, is built almost entirely of red brick and enclosed by its walls. Its main street leads to the Palazzo Pretorio, the former seat of the Florentine governors, whose facade is decorated with coats of arms. The writer Giovanni Boccaccio lived and died here, and his house is now a museum and study centre.
A funicular connects the upper town with the lower town, where most shops and services are. Each July, the Mercantia festival fills the streets of Certaldo Alto with street theatre and performers. The local red onion is a long-standing speciality of Certaldo kitchens.
The Countryside and Nearby Towns
The comune extends over hills of vineyards, olive groves and woods on both sides of the Elsa, with scattered farmhouses, villas and small hamlets. The land to the east climbs towards the Chianti area, and to the west towards the woods of the Valdelsa.
Castelfiorentino is the next town north along the valley, and Gambassi Terme and Montaione lie in the hills to the west. To the east, Barberino Tavarnelle leads into Chianti, while San Gimignano lies just to the south-west.
Property for Sale in Certaldo
Villas and farmhouses make up nearly all of the listings, many with several bedrooms, land, pools and outbuildings, and some set up for holiday rental or as small resorts, with only the occasional apartment. Prices are high: most properties are priced at €1 million or more, and the largest estates reach several million.
Everyday Life and Getting There
The lower town has supermarkets, schools, banks, a weekly market and a good range of everyday services, so Certaldo works as a year-round home as well as a holiday base. Larger hospital services are in Empoli and Poggibonsi.
Certaldo station is on the railway between Empoli and Siena, with connections at Empoli for Florence and Pisa. The Florence to Siena dual carriageway runs to the east, with exits near Poggibonsi and Tavarnelle. Florence and Pisa airports are both convenient.
Buying in Certaldo
Large country properties often include separate guest accommodation, so check that any holiday-rental activity is properly licensed and that the buildings used for it have the right planning status. Maintenance of grounds, pools and private roads adds to running costs.
In Certaldo Alto, cars are restricted and any changes to buildings are subject to heritage rules. Ask a local geometra to cross-check the deeds, the cadastral plans and the comune’s records of permits, so that you know each building on the estate is legally recorded.