The year 1296 marked the birth of Castel San Giovanni, a strategic outpost established by Florence to control the territory. Now known as San Giovanni Valdarno, the town's geometric layout is widely attributed to architect Arnolfo di Cambio. Designed as a "new Florentine town," the historic core mirrors a Roman military camp, featuring perpendicular main axes intersecting at a central public square.
Situated in the Arno River valley, this Arezzo province municipality is home to 16,890 residents. The strict thirteenth-century street plan makes navigating the center remarkably easy, offering architecture enthusiasts a highly readable map of medieval urban planning.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
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Next up: Saint John the Baptist, patron of the town of the Festa del Perdono, Thursday 24 June
Nearest airport: Firenze Peretola, 38 km away
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📅 Every year, on 24 June; the Festa del Perdono is held on the Sunday after Ferragosto since 1486
San Giovanni Valdarno celebrates Saint John the Baptist on 24 June; since 1486, when Pope Innocent VIII granted indulgences to the faithful visiting the sanctuary on the Sunday following Ferragosto, the town has celebrated the Festa del Perdono every year.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Outside San Giovanni Valdarno, but an easy day trip away.
