Hotels Empoli

Empoli is a modern city situated on the left bank of the Arno river, along the freeway Florence-Pisa-Livorno, in the lower Valdarno plain, encircled by gentle hills in a territory with the typical landscape of Tuscany.

Empoli city center is in the piazza Farinata degli Uberti, also called "the Lions square" for the four lions that characterize the fountain of Luigi Pampaloni. The square is encircled by galleries and around it rise the most important historical buildings, dominated by the facade of the Collegiata di Sant'Andrea with its perron. On the square are set the Pretorio Palace, the Ghibelline Palace and other historical palaces. A visit to the Museum of Paleontology and the Figurative Arts Club, both on the square, it is suggested. Shortly distant is set the church of Santo Stefano with the annexed Agostiniani Convent, where the R. Fucini Communal Library has center, and in the piazza della Vittoria is situated the great musician Ferruccio Busoni native house with the museum dedicated  to the artist. In the town vicinity, by the freeway exit of Empoli Est, it  is set a charming village called Pontorme with a small park encircled by the ancient city walls and the house of the painter "Pontormo" and in the outskirtses, there are many interesting villages and small centers like Ponte a Elsa, Cerreto Guidi, Vinci, Montelupo Fiorentino, Montespertoli, Castelfiorentino and San Miniato. They all make part of the Terre del Rinascimento, a typical territory rich in art, history and nature.

The first document in which the name of Empoli appears dates back to 780, the foundation of the Abbey of S. Savino a Cerasiolo, but the first inhabited village was formed after 1119 around the pieve di Sant'Andrea. Initially the territory was a feud of the Guidi Counts, but in 1182 it swore fidelity to the Florentine Republic. In 1260 a famous Ghibelline parliament took place, an historical reunion due to the battle of Montaperti. The assembly is cited also by Dante in the Divina Commedia and the Palazzo Guidi was then called the Ghibelline Palace. It was with the participation of granduke Leopoldo I of Lorena that it began a process of industrialization of the city and from the half of 1800's, many  factories and companies developed.

Very important for the economic development of the city was the glass factories, in the XX century, and the coat and raincoat confection during the first world war. Empoli is also the name of a variety of artichoque and the city is famous for the industrial ice cream production. Under the tourist profile, either in town than in the outskirtses turists can find numerous hotels, bed&breakfast, farm holidays and vacation apartments.

Sort or filter by:

• 
  
  Recommended
• 
  
  Price
• 
  
  Review Score
• 
  
  Stars
  • 3 Stars
  • 1-5 ▲
  • 5-1 ▼
• 
  
  Alphabetical
  • A - Z ▼
  • Z - A ▲