Fiesole (ancient Faesulae), town, central Italy, in Tuscany (Toscana) Region, on a hill overlooking Florence. Fiesole is a tourist center, and Roman remains here include a small, well-preserved theater and the ruins of ancient baths. Also of interest is the early Romanesque Cathedral of San Romolo (begun in 1028). Originally an Etruscan town called Faesulae, it first appears in historical records in 283 BC, when it was taken by the Romans in their campaign against Etruria. It was occupied in the 1st century BC by the Roman general and statesman Lucius Sulla, who established a military colony here. Fiesole was eclipsed by the rise of Florence during the 11th century. Population (1996) 15,096.
