Florence was founded in 59 b.C., so it is more recent than Fiesole, an important Etruscan centre colonized by the Romans in 80 b.C., which still has various remains which go as far back as the 15th and 14th centuries b.C., exhibited in the Archaeological Museum. Considerable parts of the 3rd  century b.C. city walls are still largely intact, as is the large Roman theatre which was probably completed just before the middle of the 1st century a.C.
Fiesole also pre-dates Florence as a seat of bishops. Its early 11th -century cathedral and 13th -century bell tower overlook the large square. The Bishop’s Palace (Palazzo Vescovile) situated right opposite the cathedral dates back to the same period, but was rebuilt in the 17th century. The nearby Seminario building was constructed at the close of the same century, as was the road which climbs up as far as the seat of the ancient Etruscan acropolis, San Francesco. It was there that Franciscan friars built a convent in the 14th century. On the opposite side of the square, facing the Seminario, are the Town Hall (Palazzo Comunale) and the church Santa Maria Primerana. The Museo Bandini houses a valuable collection of paintings and sculptures (10th -18th centuries), while 19th  century documents and works of art are preserved on the premises of the Fondazione Primo Conti.
Prestigious ancient residences belonging to the main Florentine noble families are dotted around the outskirts of the city: one of the most important is the Villa Medici, which was built at the instigation of Cosimo the Elder in 1458.  Halfway along the road from Fiesole to Florence is the 15th -century monastery of San Domenico, where Friar Beato Angelico lived and worked. The magnificent altar piece inside the church is one of his works. The abbey named Badia Fiesolana stands just below, with a wonderful Romanesque facade.

On the opposite bank of the river Arno stands San Pietro, the earliest Romanesque parish church in Bagno a Ripoli. Other parish churches in thesame style in the area are San Donnino at Villamagna and Santa Maria dell’Antella. Nearby, at Rimezzano, the noteworthy Oratory di Santa Caterina delle Ruote or Oratory di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria is entirely frescoed with ‘stories’ of this saint painted in part by Spinello Aretino.  The area boasts numerous castles, among which Belforte, Monte Acuto and Quarate, in addition to many villas once owned by the Medici family (Lappeggi and Mondeggi). On the banks of the Arno the towered 14th century Gualchiere di Remole is the site where cloth was fulled before being taken to Florence for further processing.

The Castello di Montauto belongs to the municipality of Impruneta, which also boasts many villas, which is world-famous for manufacturing terracotta. On the main square the municipal tower with its impressive clock, is incorporated in the façade of the church, the Basilica di Santa Maria. Next to the latter is a museum (Museo del Tesoro) where masterpieces of jewellery, illuminated chorals and precious vestments are on show.

Past the Ema valley, the municipality of Scandicci . On the beautiful hills surrounding the modern town is the parish church San Martino alla Palma which has a beautiful 14th century panel painting of the Holy Virgin with the Infant Jesus. Very old parish churches are those of San Giuliano a Settimo, Sant’Alessandro a Giogoli and San Vincenzo a Torri. Among the villas there, the one called I Collazzi is among the best-known since it is traditionally thought to have been designed by Michelangelo. The Cluniacensian Benedictine monastery San Salvatore a Settimo, founded in 1004, is among the most important religious complexes in Tuscany.

Towards Florence to the left of the River Arno lies the municipality of Lastra a Signa. At the beginning of the 15th century the town was reinforced by walls under supervision of Filippo Brunelleschi, who possibly also designed the Ospedale di Sant’Antonio inside the village. Nearby, up at Gangalandi, the apse of the church of Saint Martin (chiesa di San Martino) was designed by Leon Battista Alberti, who was its rector. The nearby Museum of Sacred Arts (Museo di Arte Sacra) contains paintings, gold-ware and church ornaments and vestments. To the south lies the 15th  century walled town of Malmantile on a hill bearing the same name. There are numerous beautiful villas in this area; one of them, namely the Villa Bellosguardo with the Tribolo garden, belonged to Enrico Caruso.

Ponte a Signa (“ponte” means bridge over the Arno and this was the only bridge connecting the Arno banks between Pisa and Florence for a very long time) leads into Signa, the main town in the municipality which is divided up into two parts. The lower part is home to the old parish church dedicated to Saint Lawrence (pieve di San Lorenzo), which dates back to before the year 1000, and the Church of Saint John the Baptist (chiesa di San Giovanni Battista) with its 15th -century frescoes by the artist known as the Master of Signa narrating the “Stories of Blessed Joan”. The upper part of town is known as Castello and here large sections of the ancient town walls and one of the gates still stand. A very interesting museum is dedicated to the straw industry founded by Domenico Michelacci at Signa (Museo della Paglia e dell’Intreccio Domenico Michelacci).
Along the river Arno the Renai river park has been set up, with playgrounds where it is possible to go swimming and canoeing.

The Arno river marks the boundary of the municipality of Campi Bisenzio, which lies on the right bank. Its mid-14th century city walls have partly stood the test of time, while next to the ancient bridge on the Bisenzio a beautiful fortified castle forms a magnificent landmark, besides being one of the best-preserved specimens of medieval military architecture in Tuscany. The beautiful Villa Montalvo is surrounded by a large park. The nearby village of San Donnino boasts an impressive 15th -century church, Sant’Andrea a Brozzi, with the adjacent small Museum of Sacred Art.    In the area which is reached leaving the A1 motorway at Firenze Nord exit stands the modern church dedicated to the Baptist (chiesa di San Giovanni Battista), which is the work of the architect Michelucci.

The nearby town of Calenzano comprises the valley of the Marina river and the spurs of Mount Morello and the Calvana mountains. The ancient village lies right on top of a hill dominated by the castle. Where you can visit the Museo del Soldatino e della Figurina Storica, a museum exhibiting toy soldiers, along with other historical figurines, which is among the few institutions of this kind in Italy. Nearby stands the San Donato hill (named after its ancient parish church). The village of Legri is well-known for its centuries-old Romanesque church with three aisles.

The adjoining area of the municipality of Sesto Fiorentino owes its name to its location six Roman miles from Florence on the ancient via Cassia, along whose route it is preceded by Quarto (meaning fourth) and Quinto (meaning fifth). The impressive Etruscan tombs (tomba della Montagnola, tomba della Mula) are evidence that the area was already inhabited between the 7th  and 4th centuries b.C.. Numerous suburban residences are both in the hills and in the plains, with the Villa Guicciardini Corsi Salviati, whose design and beautiful garden date back to the 18th century.
In Sesto the Richard Ginori Doccia porcelain museum witnesses the age-old history of porcelain in Sesto. In the parish church of San Martino visitors can admire a beautiful 14th century panel painting with the Crucifix which is probably the work of Agnolo Gaddi.