SIGHTS TO SEE
The Mugello valley and the Sieve Valley are north north east of Florence and end with the Apennines and the area is rich of rivers and mountain passes. The valley was extremely important as a strategic point and for being the main way between Florence and the Romagna area and the Pianura Padana. Tradition has it that once the valley was a big lake connected somehow with the sea as whale bone proves (visible at Cafaggiolo). The Etruscans and then the Romans settled into this area. After the invasions of the barbarians, the longbards, the dominion of the Bishop of Fiesole, it finally became a part of the Florentine Republic and afterwards of the Medici family (XIV-XVIII). After the Medici family, the Lorena family and then France ruled the area until 1860 when all the towns in the area voted for the Unity of Italy. Many important villas, castles, palaces, churches and museums testify the historical and cultural heritage of Mugello valley and Sieve Valley: Giotto's birthplace house in Vicchio; Castello del Trebbio and Convento di Bosco ai Frati (both restored by Michelozzo Michelozzi for Cosimo I de' Medici), the Museum of Sacred Works of Art and Fortezza di S. Martino in San Piero a Sieve; Park and Villa Demidoff, Monastery of Montesenario in Vaglia; Villa di Cafaggiolo (the favourite country house of Lorenzo de' Medici), Chiesa di San Andrea a Camoggiano (the church has a font in Robbia terracotta) in Barberino; Palazzo dei Vicari (whose facade is decorated with innumerable coats-of-arms), The Museum of Cutting Tools, The Exhibition of the Life of Craftsmen and Farmers with Moving Characters, Pieve di Sant'Agata (Parish Church, rebuilt in the XII century, with precious paintings) in Scarperia; Vallombrosa Abbey in Reggello; Etruscan archaeological excavations in Dicomano;
ACTIVITIES AND HAPPENINGS:
- trekking - authorized SO.F.T tracks: one main ring , 22 tracks and 12 rest spots;
- fishing lakes, golf, mountain bike, horseback, canoeing, deltaplane and ultralight flight courses, archery;
- wine road: among the villas which produce olive oil and Chianti Wine many of them are open to visitors and wine testing is possible (Villa Bossi and Villa Vetrice in Pontassieve, Castello di Pomino and Villa di Poggio Reale in Rufina, Castello di Nipozzano in Pelago, Castello di Torre a Decima in Molin del Piano);
- ancient crafts - water mills, straw platters, barrel makers, wrought iron, copper artifact, wood work, cutting tools, stonemasons of Pietra Serena, olive presses;
- events: gastronomical festivals (pastas, cheese, chestnuts, mushrooms, truffles, grape, and wine), flower shows, the Cutting Tolls Show; Craft Shows, On the road festival (International Buskers' festival).
Mugello Verde gives you also the possibility to reach easily the major Tuscan cities such as Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Arezzo, Pisa, and Lucca.
ONE DAY EXCURSIONS
BY TRAIN
Florence - Siena
departures every 60 minutes
1 hour and 30 around
Florence - Pisa
departures every 20 minutes
1 hour around
Florence - Arezzo
departures every 20 minutes
1 hour around
Florence - Lucca
departures every 30 minutes
1 hour and 20 around
BY BUS
(www.sita-on-line.it)
Florence – Siena
Florence – San Gimignano
MUSEUMS IN MUGELLO AND VAL DI SIEVE
SAN PIERO A SIEVE
COLLECTION OF SACRED WORKS OF ART OF THE CONVENT “BOSCO AI FRATI”
Information and reservation: tel. +39055848111
BORGO SAN LORENZO
MUSEUM OF CHINI MANUFACTURES
Information and reservation: tel. +390558456230 E-mail villapecori@cm-mugello.fi.it
CASA D’ERCI – MUSEUM OF PEASANT CIVILIZATION
Information and reservations: tel. +390558457197 - +390558492519 - +393386880647 E-mail biblioteca@comune.borgo-san-lorenzo.fi.it
SCARPERIA
MUSEUM OF CUTTING TOOLS
Information and reservation: tel. +390558468165 - +390558468027 E-mail bibl.scarperia@newnet.it – prolocoscarperia@virgilio.it
CRAFTS AND FARMING IN SANT’AGATA BY LEPRINO
Information and reservation: tel. +390558406750 E-mail bibl.scarperia@newnet.it
SANT’AGATA CENTRE OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTATION
Information and reservation: tel. +390558468027 E-mail bibl.scarperia@newnet.it
SANT’AGATA – A COLLECTION OF SACRED ART
Information and reservation: tel. +390558468027 E-mail bibl.scarperia@newnet.it
VICCHIO
MUSEUM OF SACRED ART AND POPULAR DEVOUTNESS
Information and reservations: tel. +390558439224 - +390558497082 E-mail cultura@comune.vicchio.fi.it – pubblica.istruzione@comune.vicchio.fi.it
GIOTTO’S BIRTH PLACE
Information and reservations: tel. +390558439224 E-mail cultura@comune.vicchio.fi.it – pubblica.istruzione@comune.vicchio.fi.it
DICOMANO
ETRUSCAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS
Information and reservation: tel. +39055838541
FIRENZUOLA
MUSEUM OF THE HISTORICAL APENNINE LANDSCAPE – MOSCHETA
Information and reservation: tel. +390558144900 - +39055845271 E-mail cultura@cm-mugello.fi.it
MUSEUM OF “PIETRA SERENA”
Information and reservation: tel. +390558499434/5 E-mail biblioteca@comune.firenzuola.fi.it
EXHIBITION OF HISTORY AND ETNOGRAPHY – BRUSCOLI
Information and reservation: tel. +390558499434/5 E-mail biblioteca@comune.firenzuola.fi.it
PALAZZUOLO SUL SENIO
MUSEUM OF THE MOUNTAIN FOLK AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Information and reservation: tel. +390558046008 - +390558046125 E-mail staff@palazzuolo.it
RUFINA
MUSEUM OF VINES AND WINE
Information and reservation: tel. +390558397932 - +390558395078 E-mail museo@chiantirufina.com – enoteca@chiantirufina.com
