The first cathedral of Fiesole was situated higherlower updown the hill than the present one, and had been built, according to the tradition, over the site of the martyrdom of Saint Romulus of Fiesole. In 1028<ref name="Hem">{{cite book|last=Hemans|first=Charles Isidore |title=A history of mediaeval Christianity and Sacred art in Italy|year=1869|publisher=Williams and Norgate|pages=174|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F2lIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA174|accessdate=28 November 2010|volume=1}}</ref> the present cathedral was founded by Bishop Jacopo the Bavarian to replace it, as he wished it to be inside the city walls. The old cathedral was converted into a [[Rule of St Benedict|Benedictine]] abbey and became known as the ''"Badia di Fiesole"''. It was rebuilt in 1466 by a disciple of [[Filippo Brunelleschi]].<ref name="E1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Fiesole|volume=10|page=329}}</ref> Its façade, dating from the 11th century, is still preserved. It contains notable early works by [[Mino da Fiesole]]. The abbey was closed in 1778.<ref name=Hem />
