Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e
Campigna
One of only three national parks in Tuscany, this protected nature reserve
( www.parcoforestecasentinesi.it ) straddles the Tuscany- Emilia -Romagna border, taking in
some of the most scenic stretches of the Apennines and protecting the largest and best pre-
served forest and woodlands in the country.
One of the highest peaks, Monte Falterona (1654m), marks the source of the Arno. Apart
from the human population, which includes the inhabitants of two historic monasteries,
the park is also home to a rich assortment of wildlife plus nearly 100 bird species. Nine
self-guided walking trails have been created within the park; the most popular is the
4.5km uphill hike to the Acquacheta waterfall.
The major settlement in the park is Badia Pratáglia , a small village in the Alpe di Serra,
near the border with Emilia-Romagna.
Sights
Monasterio & Sacro Eremo di Camaldoli
( www.camaldoli.it ; monastery 8am-1pm & 3.30-6pm, hermitage 9am-noon & 3-5pm, pharmacy
9am-12.30pm & 2.30-6pm) Hidden in the dense forest of the national park are the Benedictine
monastery and hermitage of Camaldoli, founded between 1024 and 1025 by St Romuald
and now home to a community of approximately 20 monks.
From Poppi, take Via Camaldoli (SR67) and follow it up through the forest. You will
come to a fork in the road - the hermitage is uphill to the right and the monastery is down-
hill to the left.
You can visit the monastery's church, which houses three paintings by Vasari. Down a
set of stairs off the main road are the forbidding 11th-century cloisters and the austere
Cappella dello Spirito Santo, a stone space with an exhibition about daily life in the mon-
astery. Pop into the 16th-century farmacia (pharmacy), accessed from the side of the main
building, which sells soap, perfumes and other items made by members of the monastic
community.
MONASTERY
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