Firenzuola

The Land of the Serene Stone

Lying on the Adriatic side of the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines, Firenzuola extends along the upper valley of the Santerno river, in the Alto Mugello. It is immersed in an impervious and partly still-uncontaminated nature, near the serene stone quarries, a material that is emblematic of the Renaissance as it was widely used by both Brunelleschi and Michelangelo, to whom the Museum of the same name is dedicated.

The construction of the Castrum Florentiole took place in 1332 as a Florentine outpost in the land of Romagna. The name, in fact, means "little Florence ". After the bombing of the Second World War, the town was rebuilt in order to maintain the historical structure with the large central square dominated by the fortress and the Church of San Giovanni Battista of the second post-war period. Not far from Porta Fiorentina, you can admire the remains of the ancient walls that date back to the 15th century.

The surrounding countryside is dotted with viewpoints that can be arrived at by means of various hiking trails. We would especially recommend the Sasso di San Zanobi, a particular rock formation located a short distance from the Raticosa Pass. In a wooded area located about 10 kilometres away is the Abbey of San Pietro a Moscheta with the attached Museum of the Historical Landscape of the Apennines.

Do not miss the so-called ghost villages, ancient settlements swallowed by almost impenetrable vegetation. This is the case of Borgo di Brento Sanico and Borgo di Castiglioncello.