Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Mugello
1
Road map
D2.
V
@
Borgo San Lorenzo.
n
Largo La Vacchini (055 845
62 30).
The Mugello is the area to the
north and east of Florence.
The scenic S65 passes the
Parco Demidoff
at Pratolino,
to the south of the region.
Here you can see a giant
statue of the mountain god,
Appennino, carved by
Giambologna in 1580. Just
to the north, the
Convento
di Montesenario
offers
excellent views. Further east
lies the wine town of Rufina,
with its
Museo della Vita e del
Vino della Val di Sieve
.
Y
Parco Demidoff
Via Fiorentina 6, Pratolino.
Tel
055 40 94 27.
#
Apr-Sep:
Thu-Sun; Mar & Oct: Sun (call
for times).
7
R
Convento di Montesenario
Via Montesenario 1, Bivigliano.
Tel
055 40 64 41.
Church
&
#
daily.
Convent
#
by request.
E
Museo della Vita e del
Vino della val di Sieve
Villa di Poggio Reale, Rufina.
Tel
055 839 79 32.
Woodland landscape at Vallombrosa
Vallombrosa
3
Road map
D2.
an odd Romanesque
campanile, circular in its
lower stages and hexagonal
above. In the apse, the wall
paintings (1906) are by the
Art Nouveau artist Galileo
Chini. He also worked on
the Tabernacle of St Francis
(1926), a shrine outside the
church, and the Santuario
del Santissimo Crocifisso, a
church on the edge of town.
To the west are the
Castello del Trebbio
, with
its gardens, and the
Villa di
Cafaggiolo
, with its bulging
clock tower. Among the first
Medici villas, both were built
for Cosimo il Vecchio by
Michelozzo di Bartolommeo
(1396-1472).
R
Borgo San
Lorenzo
2
Road map
D2.
from Florence.
Tel
055 86 20 03.
Church
@
#
from
3:30pm daily.
Abbey
by appt.
Like the monasteries of the
Casentino
(see p196)
, the
abbey buildings at Vallom-
brosa are surrounded by
woodland. The routes to this
sight are all very scenic.
The Vallombrosan order
was founded by Saint Giovanni
Gualberto Visdomini in 1038.
He aimed to persuade like-
minded aristocrats to join him
in relinquishing their wealth
and adopting a life of great
austerity. Contrary to these
worthy ideals, the order grew
wealthy and powerful during
the 16th and 17th centuries. It
was then that today's fortress-
like abbey was built. Today,
the order comprises some
20 monks.
In 1638 the English poet
John Milton (1608-74) visited
the abbey. The beautiful
scenery of this area inspired a
passage in his epic poem,
Paradise Lost
.
#
*
15,500.
V
@
n
Largo La Vacchini (055 845 62
30).
(
Tue.
Substantially rebuilt after
an earthquake in 1919, this
is the largest town of the
Mugello. The parish church,
the
Pieve di San Lorenzo
, has
Pieve di San Lorenzo
Via Cocchi 4.
#
Mon-Sat, Sun pm.
+
Castello del Trebbio
San Piero a Sieve.
Tel
055 845 87
93 (Mon, Wed, pm Fri).
#
Nov-
Easter: Tue-Fri by appt.
&
7
Villa di Cafaggiolo
Cafaggiolo, Barberino di Mugello.
Tel
055 849 81 03 (Mon, Wed,
Fri am).
P
ยข
for restoration until late
Tabernacle of St Francis in Borgo
San Lorenzo
2011.
&
7
