Vinci: Leonardo’s Hometown in Florence
Vinci, a town in Florence in the Toscana region of Italy, is the town where Leonardo da Vinci was born. People interested in history and science want to see the house where Leonardo da Vinci was born and the town where he lived and grew up. The vineyards and olive groves are still the same as they were when Leonardo lived there, which has not changed much until today.
Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in a farmhouse in a village called Anchiano, 3 kilometers from the town of Vinci. His full name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci and many travelers visit the town of Vinci to see his home in northern Tuscany.
We are one of these people and we spent a couple of hours on the way back from our trip to Pisa to see the town where Vinci grew up. Since we can visit a small city like Pisa before noon, I think it is a very logical idea to spend the remaining time in Empoli, the closest town.
Since Empoli is on the way to Florence, you can either come to Empoli directly from Florence or, like us, you can visit Pisa early in the day and book a ticket to Empoli for the return trip to the town of Vinci. All tickets are available on the Trenitali Train Ticket Sales Website.
We got off at Empoli train station and started moving towards Vinci town. You need to take a bus to get to Vinci town. Because there is an 11 km road in between. After you get off at Empoli train station, one of the bus stops right in front of it is the one that will take you to Vinci.
Find out the departure time from the boards in front of the bus stops and even take a photo of the information so that you have it in your hand. It might come in handy on the way back. The bus lines from Vinci are lines 49 and 52. You should get off at Grossa-Bvmalbano, the next stop after Grossa1fr.
The bus drivers do not speak English, but if you say Vinci, they will not only tell you which bus is available, but they will also let you off at the Vinci stop. It is impossible to get lost in Vinci. The farthest points are 1 kilometer apart. If there is a lot of time before the bus leaves, there is a very modern cafe at the station. You can drink coffee and eat small cakes here.
The bus ticket is available from the drivers, but if you are coming from Florence, make sure you have a bus ticket with you. Bus tickets are sold at a higher price if you buy them from the bus drivers. If you buy them from a shop selling tickets outside, the price is lower.
After getting off at the relevant stop in Vinci Town, sit on one of the benches in the park on your left and take a breath to realize where you are. These are the streets where Leonardo da Vinci walked and ran, the inspiration of his mind and so much more.
After crossing the park, take the upward path on the left. At the end of the road, on the left, is a wooden version of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of a man with ideal proportions, called Vitruvian Man. The Vitruvian Man sculpture, located at a point where you can enjoy the views of the surrounding hills, was created and donated by Italian sculptor Mario Ceroli in 1987.
The building next to the statue is the museum itself. You get a combined ticket when you enter here. You can visit the Leonardo Museum in 2 different buildings, the Leonardo Una Mostra Impossibile exhibition in the church and the Conti Guidi Castle, which allows you to watch Vinci panoramically. A little expensive, but worth it. If you want to go to the house where Leonardo da Vinci was born, you have to pay a very small difference. Also, if you don’t time it well, you may miss the shuttle buses that run to the house 3 km away. For more detailed information, I will write a separate article about the museums we visited with our combined ticket.
After visiting the museums and the town of Vinci, we can walk downstairs and wait for the bus at a convenient bus stop, taking into account the bus timetable. After being dropped off at the bus stop where we left a few hours ago, we can end the day by taking the train to our destination.
