Empoli and Vinci

EMPOLI AND VINCI

Most people don't bother with EMPOLI , a modern and heavily industrial town 32km west of Florence, but it does have a quality museum of Renaissance art. If you can spare time, head left out of the station on Viale Martino and then right on Via Leonardo da Vinci to reach the ancient arcaded Piazza Farinata degli Uberti, overlooked by the Museo della Collegiata (Tues-Sun 9am-noon & 4-7pm; joint ticket with Museo Leonardiano in Vinci L8000/¬4.13), with Masolino's moving fresco of the pietà in the Baptistry, a cloister full of technicolour Della Robbia terracottas, and works by Monaco and Fra' Filippo Lippi upstairs. Opposite the station is the comfortable hotel Il Sole , Piazza Don Minzoni 18 (tel 0571.73.779, fax 0571.79.871; L120,000-150,000/¬61.98-77.47), while the more spartan Plaza is a short walk east of the Collegiata at Piazza della Vittoria 11 (tel 0571.74.751; L60,000-90,000/¬30.99-46.48).

Occupying the picturesque vine- and olive-planted southern slopes of Montalbano 11km north of Empoli, VINCI is inextricably associated with Leonardo da Vinci , who was born on April 15, 1452, in nearby Anchiano and baptized in Vinci's church of Santa Croce. Vinci itself is a torpid little village that suffers from a surfeit of tour-groups (especially at weekends). The main sight is the thirteenth-century castle, now home to the Museo Leonardiano (daily: March-Oct 9.30am-7pm; Nov-Feb 9.30am-6pm; L7000/¬3.61; joint ticket with Museo Collegiata in Empoli L8000/¬4.13), packed with models reconstructed from Leonardo's notebook drawings - his celebrated bicycle, helicopter and multi-barrelled machine-gun are all on display.

Buses from Empoli drop off just below the castle hill; at the top of the hill, next to the castle, the helpful tourist office (daily: March-Oct 10am-7pm; Nov-Feb 10am-3pm; tel 0571.568.012, www.comune.vinci.fi.it ) has details of some lovely country walks, including a trip to the hamlet of Anchiano where Leonardo was born. At the foot of the village hill is the Museo Ideale Leonardo da Vinci (daily 10am-1pm & 3-7pm; L5000/¬2.58; www.museoleonardo.it ), an uninspiring enterprise housed in a dank wine-cellar that jumbles together models with old olive-presses and antique prints. Vinci's best hotel is the tranquil Alexandra , Via dei Martiri 82 (tel 0571.56.224, fax 0571.567.972; L150,000-200,000/¬77.47-103.29), but restaurants tend to be overly touristy; for simple, cheap food make for the Bar-Trattoria Centrale , Via Fucini 16 (closed Tues).