There is not, to be honest, much to the place beyond its picturesque exterior. Famous today chiefly as the home - for a few years - of Boccaccio, in the 12th century it played an important part in the series of obscure wars that established Florence as the ruling city of the region.
The first mention of the place in history was in 1164, when it belonged to the local counts of the Alberti family. Still, it must have existed prior to that date, judging both by archaeological remains and its location on the Via Francigena, the main pilgrim road to Rome. In 1202 it fell to Florence, and remained under its sway until the unification of Italy in the 19th century.
I made the painting during a cycling trip in Tuscany. I was staying in nearby Barbarino Val d'Elsa, and biked out to see Certaldo, enjoy the scenery, and make some pictures. There is a modern town, as well, but it's out of sight to the left of this view. I made some other long-format landscapes on the same trip, such as this one of the nearby countryside.
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