Impruneta
Impruneta is a town in the Metropolitan City of Florence, set among the hills of the Florentine Chianti just a short drive from th...
Updated 21 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Impruneta now
The story
The story of Impruneta
Introduction and location
Impruneta is a town in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, set on the hills of the Florentine Chianti a few kilometres south of the regional capital. The landscape is classic Chianti countryside, made of gentle ridges, olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees, with no major river and no coastline nearby. The centre unfolds around Piazza Buondelmonti, the heart of local life and the site of the market and traditional events. Its closeness to Florence makes Impruneta a convenient destination for anyone seeking quiet Tuscan countryside while staying within easy reach of the city.
History and origins
The origins of Impruneta date back to the Middle Ages, when the village grew around the parish church dedicated to Santa Maria, which over the centuries became the Basilica di Santa Maria dell'Impruneta, a place of worship holding a sacred image of the Madonna long venerated by Florentines. Over time the town kept a close bond with Florence, following its political and economic fortunes while preserving its own rural, artisan identity. It was during this period that clay working developed into the production of bricks and pottery, an activity that made the area famous well beyond Tuscany.
Nature and landscape
The countryside around Impruneta stretches across gentle hills planted with vines and olive trees, typical of the Chianti landscape, alternating with woodland and small rural hamlets scattered through the fields. With no major waterway crossing it and no coastline nearby, the Impruneta landscape is essentially hilly, with views reaching toward Florence on one side and the Chianti hills on the other. Country lanes, often lined with cypress trees, are well suited to walking, cycling and food-and-wine itineraries among farms and wineries, in a setting that has kept its agricultural character intact.
What to do and see
Visitors to Impruneta can spend time at the Basilica di Santa Maria dell'Impruneta, admiring its facade and the artworks kept inside, and stroll through Piazza Buondelmonti, the town's traditional meeting point. The municipal area is dotted with historic kilns where terracotta has been worked for centuries, a craft that can still be observed by visiting some local workshops. Nearby there are also farms and Chianti wineries open for tastings, as well as scenic roads suited to walking or cycling among the vineyards and olive groves typical of the Florentine countryside.
Flavours and traditions
The artisan tradition of Impruneta has been tied for centuries to clay working, used to make pots, bricks and terracotta pieces known well beyond Tuscany. Farming is just as important: Chianti wine and extra virgin olive oil are the territory's signature products, grown on the surrounding hills by generations of farming families. Each year the town celebrates the Festa dell'Uva, a historic grape-harvest festival featuring allegorical floats built by the town's neighbourhood districts, an event that brings together community life, agriculture and spectacle in a festive atmosphere.
Not to be missed
- The Basilica di Santa Maria dell'Impruneta
- Piazza Buondelmonti
- The historic terracotta kilns
- The wineries and olive groves of the Florentine Chianti
- The Festa dell'Uva grape festival
To see
What to see in Impruneta
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Routes in Impruneta
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