Badia Fiesolana, Medieval abbey in Fiesole, Italy.

Badia Fiesolana is a monastic complex set on hillside land near Fiesole above Florence, characterized by stone walls, rounded archways, and a bell tower. The building displays typical Tuscan medieval design and sits nestled in rolling countryside overlooking the Arno Valley.

The monastery was built between 1025 and 1028 on the site of an earlier chapel dedicated to Saints Peter and Romulus, and was named after Saint Bartholomew. It was first home to Camaldolese monks, then passed to Benedictines from Montecassino and the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. Between 1456 and 1467 Michelozzo, commissioned by Cosimo de' Medici, gave the complex its present Renaissance form.

The name "badia" is a popular contraction of abbazia, and the Badia Fiesolana was one of five abbeys that once ringed Florence at the cardinal points, this one to the north. The former convent has housed the European University Institute since 1976, so scholars rather than monks now fill the cloister.

The best way to reach the monastery is by local bus from Florence to Fiesole, and the ride offers views of the Tuscan landscape. Wear comfortable shoes since the ground is hilly and there are paths to explore around the complex.

The abbey gave its name to the surrounding zone: "Badia" is a popular contraction of abbazia, and five abbeys once stood at the cardinal points around Florence, with Badia Fiesolana to the north. Since 1976 the former convent has housed the European University Institute, and the Renaissance cloister leads to a refectory with a 1629 fresco by Giovanni da San Giovanni of Christ fed by angels.