As for the church itself, it is severe and cool, with such stone columns in it as must last for ever.
But the main interest of Fiesole to most people is not the cypress-covered hill of S.Francesco; not the view from the summit; not the straw mementoes; not the Mino relief in the church; but the Roman arena.

The excavators have made of this a very complete place.

One can stand at the top of the steps and reconstruct it all--the audience, the performance, the performers.

A very little time spent on building would be needed to restore the amphitheatre to its original form.

Beyond it are baths, and in a hollow the remains of a temple with the altar where it ever was; and then one walks a little farther and is on the ancient Etruscan wall, built when Fiesole was an Etruscan fortified hill city.