Pilgrim - Vie Romee

Edited by Renato Stopani 

Pilgrim 

routes 

in the Florentine countryside 

TUSCANY

in the Florentine countryside

Pilgrim routes in the Florentine countryside 

Edited by Renato Stopani 

Texts by 

Renato Stopani, Alessandra Cavallini, Claudio Fagarazzi 

Graphic project, pagination, image processing 

Sesamo Comunicazione Visiva 

Illustrations 

Massimo Tosi 

Photos courtesy of 

Renato Stopani, Massimo Tosi, Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, 

Andrea Dini, Apt Arezzo, Apt Siena, Giuditta Marsili 

and Leonardo Tarchiani 

Copyright © 2010 by 

Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze/Casa Editrice Le Lettere 

ISBN 88 6087 269 3 

www.lelettere.it 

www.vieromee.it

A project by Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze 

With the contribution of 

Tuscan Region 

Province of Florence 

Province of Arezzo 

Province of Siena 

In collaboration with the Municipalities of: 

Arezzo 

Bagno a Ripoli 

Barberino del Mugello 

Barberino Val d’Elsa 

Borgo San Lorenzo 

Campi Bisenzio 

Castelfiorentino 

Castelfranco di Sopra 

Castellina in Chianti 

Castelnuovo Berardenga 

Certaldo 

Colle Val d’Elsa 

Empoli 

Fiesole 

Figline Valdarno 

Firenzuola 

Greve in Chianti 

Impruneta 

Incisa Valdarno 

Lastra a Signa 

Laterina 

Project partners 

Municipality of Florence 

University of Florence 

Istituto Geografico Militare 

Archdiocese of Florence 

Diocese of Siena 

Diocese of Arezzo 

Diocese of Fiesole 

Loro Ciuffenna 

Montelupo Fiorentino 

Monteriggioni 

Montevarchi 

Pelago 

Pian di Scò 

Poggibonsi 

Pontassieve 

Radda in Chianti 

Reggello 

Rignano sull’Arno 

San Casciano Val di Pesa 

San Giovanni Valdarno 

San Piero a Sieve 

Scarperia 

Sesto Fiorentino 

Signa 

Tavarnelle Val di Pesa 

Terranuova Bracciolini 

Vaglia 

Scientific committee 

Claudio Leonardi, Antonio Paolucci, Fabrizio Porcinai, Renato Stopani 

Supervision 

Antonio Gherdovich 

Coordination 

Marcella Antonini 

General Organization 

Alessandra Cavallini 

Scientific coordination 

Renato Stopani, Claudio Fagarazzi 

On-site research and survey 

Giuditta Marsili, Leonardo Tarchiani 

Operational management 

Silvia Zonnedda, Simona Pozzoli 

Press Office 

Letter@ Comunicazione Integrata 

Graphic project and image, website and digital media 

Sesamo Comunicazione Visiva 

English translation 

English Workshop - Firenze

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Introduction P. 8 

How to Use the Guide >> 10 

Useful Information >> 12 

Definitions and Directional Signs >> 13 

THE HISTORY 

Florence: A Crossroads of the Medieval Road Network >> 17 

The Ten Main Roads of the Florentine Republic >> 19 

Pilgrim Routes in the Florentine Countryside >> 20 

1200: Florence, an Important Stop on the Way to Rome >> 22 

The Rise of Hospices in the City of Florence >> 23 

FLORENCE, THE URBAN TOUR >> 25 

THE VIA SANESE 

Connecting to the Via Francigena in Siena >> 41 

6 

Leg 1: Porta San Miniato (Florence) – Sant’Andrea in Percussina >> 48 

Leg 2: Sant’Andrea in Percussina – Montefiridolfi >> 54 

Leg 3: Montefiridolfi – San Donato in Poggio >> 58 

Leg 3, Alternative route: Badia a Passignano – San Donato in Poggio >> 62 

Leg 4: San Donato in Poggio – Castellina in Chianti >> 64 

Leg 4, Alternative route: San Donato in Poggio – Pietrafitta >> 68 

Leg 5: Castellina in Chianti – Uopini (Siena) >> 74 

THE VIA PISANA 

and the connection to the Francigena Nova in the lower Valdelsa >> 81 

Leg 1: Porta San Frediano (Florence) – Lastra a Signa >> 88 

Leg 2: Lastra a Signa – Empoli >> 94 

Leg 3: Empoli – Castelfiorentino >> 100 

Leg 4: Castelfiorentino – Certaldo >> 106 

Leg 4, Local Itinerary: Oliveto Castle >> 110 

Leg 5: Certaldo – Poggibonsi >> 112 

Legs 4 / 5, Alternative route: Pian Grande – Podere San Luigi >> 118 

Leg 6: Poggibonsi – Monteriggioni >> 122 

Leg 7: Monteriggioni – Piazza del Campo (Siena) >> 126

THE VIA BOLOGNESE 

The Pilgrim Route to Rome in the 13 th Century P. 135 

Leg 1: Porta San Gallo (Florence) – Ceppeto (Monte Morello) >> 142 

Leg 2: Ceppeto (Monte Morello) – Sanctuary of Monte Senario >> 150 

Leg 3: Sanctuary of Monte Senario – Sant’Agata >> 154 

Leg 3, Local Itineraries: 

Lake Bilancino – Cafaggiolo – Scarperia >> 158 

Leg 4: Sant’Agata – Firenzuola >> 164 

Leg 5: Firenzuola – Covigliaio >> 170 

Leg 6: Covigliaio – Futa Pass >> 174 

Leg 7: Futa Pass – Sant’Agata >> 178 

THE VIA VECCHIA ARETINA 

The Itinerary to Loreto >> 185 

Leg 1: Porta San Miniato (Florence) – Troghi >> 192 

Local Itinerary: Bigallo – Incontro – Villamagna 

Bigallo – Antella – Santa Caterina >> 198 

Leg 2: Troghi – Figline Valdarno >> 204 

Leg 3: Figline Valdarno – Montevarchi >> 212 

Leg 4: Montevarchi – Laterina >> 218 

Leg 5: Laterina – Quarata (Arezzo) >> 222 

THE STRADA DEI SETTE PONTI 

Via Sancti Petri >> 229 

7 

Leg 1: Porta San Gallo (Florence) – Pontassieve >> 236 

Leg 2: Pontassieve – Pieve a Pitiana >> 242 

Leg 3: Pieve a Pitiana – Pian di Scò >> 246 

Leg 4: Pian di Scò – Loro Ciuffenna >> 250 

Leg 5: Loro Ciuffenna – Laterina >> 254 

Leg 6: Laterina – Quarata (Arezzo) >> 258

Introduction 

8 

Walking around the Florentine countryside, along the ancient 

pilgrim roads to Rome is to relive the experience of a “slow” 

journey, rich with the stories of people and places, art and history, 

nature and tradition, reflection and spirituality. 

This is the aim of the project to promote these pilgrim roads 

to Rome. 

Six itineraries that leave from Florence and intersect the Via Francigena, 

the Via dell’Alpe di Serra and other main religious thoroughfares 

of the past. 

The Florentine countryside – a term that describes the dioceses 

of Florence and Fiesole, an area controlled by the city of Florence 

as far back as the 13 th century – was an integral part of the 

network of pilgrim roads that profoundly marked all of Tuscany 

during the course of the Middle Ages. 

The Via Francigena – the quintessential via peregrinalis – did not 

pass through Florence as it crossed the westernmost part of Tuscany. 

Nevertheless, Florence was connected to this thoroughfare 

through roads that intersected it in the Val d’Elsa or Siena. Thus, 

some important roads in the Florentine Republic became pilgrim 

routes in all respects. 

Later, Florence – given also its growing importance as an economic 

and political “power” – acquired an increasingly greater 

role in the flow of pilgrims heading to Rome. Already at the time 

of the first Jubilees, in fact, the majority of pilgrims from all over 

Europe who went to Rome passed through Florence. From that 

time on, the city increasingly attracted wayfarers of the Via Francigena: 

all the main roads and routes, that radiated from the city, 

were covered by romei, or pilgrims going to Rome; therefore numerous 

hospices and other accommodation facilities were built 

in the city, which are still visible in part today amidst the modern 

buildings. 

After careful historical research that retraced the routes in the 

region, here are the itineraries, reborn to be offered anew to 

today’s wayfarers: 

the Via Sanese which connects Florence and Siena, from where, 

returning to the Via Francigena, one continued to Rome; 

the Via Pisana, one followed as far as Empoli, and the Francigena 

Nova in the lower Val d’Elsa; 

the Strada dei Sette Ponti (or Road of the Seven Bridges) and 

the Via Vecchia Aretina, going along opposite sides of the upper 

Valdarno and both used to link up with the so-called Via 

dell’Alpe di Serra near Arezzo; 

the Via Vecchia Bolognese, the Bologna-Florence thoroughfare 

that began to gain importance in the 13 th century as it began to 

replace the Via Francigena as the preferred route to Rome; 

an urban itinerary, inside the city of Florence lined with ancient 

hospices on the road that led from Porta San Gallo to Porta San 

Pier Gattolino (the current Porta Romana), crossing through the

oldest part of the city, then over the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio. 

All the suburban itineraries radiate out from Florence, starting 

from the gates of the city’s 14 th -century walls. 

The pilgrim of today can travel again on these ancient roads, following 

the suggestions and rich historical material in this guide. 

With its 560 km. of routes based on a system of foot and bike 

paths, the guide – with abundant historical insights and pilgrimage 

accounts – opens the door to the discovery of sometimes 

little known corners in the area of Florence and its surroundings. 

In addition to the guide, the project of the pilgrim roads to 

Rome has also created the web site www.vieromee.it that integrates, 

expands, and updates useful information on the pilgrim 

routes. Multimedia, an information exchange, and maps can be 

found on the site, with the possibility of downloading tracks for 

traditional GPS. In addition, the site may also be visited using 

GPS-equipped cell phones, thus enabling online consultation of 

the routes. 

Like the principal historical itineraries, the ancient pilgrim roads 

to Rome are also identified by a logo that is meant to accompany 

the pilgrim along the itineraries: the symbol of a “benedictory 

hand”, the sign of good fortune once exchanged by wayfarers 

as they traveled towards the destination of their pilgrimage. 

The ancient pilgrim roads to Rome – a project sponsored by the 

Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze in collaboration with the Tuscan 

Region, the provinces and tourism offices of Arezzo, Florence 

and Siena, the municipalities of the areas concerned, the 

University of Florence, the Istituto Geografico Militare, and the 

Archdiocese of Florence – represent an alternative cultural and 

tourist offering that responds to an ever-growing demand of informed 

and attentive visitors who practice a form of sustainable 

tourism that respects the environment. 

9 

Have a good trip!

How to Use the Guide 

After a short historical introduction, an overview of the itineraries 

is given with specific information on distance, elevation 

gain, and the overall level of difficulty. 

Two maps illustrate each itinerary: one is for walking routes and 

one for biking routes. Maps are not drawn to scale. 

A complete and exhaustive list of the accommodation facilities 

in each place is available on the www.vieromee.it internet site. 

The itineraries are broken into legs; each leg corresponds to the 

distance that can be covered either on foot or by bicycle in one 

day, keeping in mind the length and types of terrain. 

The technical description for each leg of the walks contains 

traveling times, a description, and a list of possible difficulties 

as well as pointing out some places to see and information 

on public transport. The “navigator”, under the description 

of each stage, shows the course of the itinerary, indicating the 

specific waypoint. 

The description of each leg illustrates the most important historical 

and artistic resources from the pilgrims’ point of view. 

The text is supplemented with boxes, describing in-depth 

particularly interesting monuments and places, interspersed 

throughout the text. 

10 

For each itinerary, information is provided on: accommodation 

facilities, events and fairs, and tourist information offices. 

The information on accommodation facilities was collected in 

2009 from the APT, the local tourist boards for the provinces of 

Florence, Siena, and Arezzo. 

The references on religious accommodations were provided 

by the Archdiocese of Florence and the Diocese of Fiesole. It 

must be added that the parishes listed are willing to offer a 

spiritual and pastoral hospitality to pilgrims in possession of a 

pilgrim credential card (normally released by a religious organization). 

For the three main cities (Florence, Siena, and Arezzo), 

only hostels and holiday houses were chosen; whereas for all the 

other legs of the itinerary, other types of accommodation facilities 

have been listed, whose approximate price does not exceed 

50 Euros per person per night. The accommodation facilities indicated 

for each leg were chosen from among those within an 

hour’s walk from the stopping point for that stage.

LEGEND 

WALKING Itinerary 

CITY TOUR 

VIA SANESE 

VIA PISANA AND FRANCIGENA NOVA 

VIA BOLOGNESE 

VIA VECCHIA ARETINA 

STRADA DEI SETTE PONTI 

Via Francigena 

Stretch connecting to the Via Francigena 

BIKING Itinerary 

BUS route 

Places with BUS SERVICE 

(for information and schedules, visit the following sites: www.sita-on-line.it; 

www.sena.it; www.trainspa.it; www.acv.it; www.etruriamobilita.it; www.amvbus.it) 

Places with RAILWAY SERVICE 

Beginning and end of an itinerary or a leg 

Stops along the route and junctions for alternative itineraries 

Centers of historico-artistic interest 

Religious buildings 

Pilgrim hostels and accommodation facilities 

11 

Places of natural interest 

Castles/towers/ancient villages 

VISIT THE SITE 

www.vieromee.it 

Further notes on the itineraries and historico-artistic resources 

Information on the towns and villages, places of interest and events 

Images taken along the route and of the countryside 

Detailed maps and description of the routes 

Audio-guide and GPS files 

Updates on accommodation facilities and tourist information

Useful information 

Retracing the historical route, the itineraries of the pilgrim 

roads to Rome cross numerous dirt roads and paths. Nevertheless, 

the itinerary sometimes follows roads where the presence 

of motor vehicles may expose hikers or bikers to risks. 

The rule of the road illustrates the behavior to be followed 

while traveling on urban and suburban roads intended to guarantee 

the safety of pilgrims. 

Along the paths, particular attention must be paid to the directional 

signs so as not to lose track of the route indicated. 

In addition, when crossing through natural areas, it is important 

to remember the following: do not damage vegetation or 

disturb animals; avoid making unnecessary noise; do not leave 

behind trash of any kind; do not light fires; camp only in designated 

areas; use only the public rights of way when crossing 

private fenced areas. 

In many rural areas, fences are used to keep wild animals out 

of cultivated areas. On private property, close gates once you 

have passed. 

For cyclists, bring a small repair kit. Bike tourists must give way 

to those traveling on foot. 

Before beginning legs located outside of cities and towns, always 

be sure to check the weather forecasts. 

TRAFFIC CODE, D. LGS. 30/4/92 No. 285 

12 

Pedestrians must walk on pavements, footpaths and other areas designated for their use. 

If these facilities are not available or are obstructed, closed, or inadequate, pedestrians 

must walk along the side of the road facing oncoming vehicles so as to minimize as 

much as possible the obstruction of traffic. Outside of towns, pedestrians must walk 

against traffic on two-way roads and on the right side of the road in the same direction 

as vehicular traffic on one-way thoroughfares. From half an hour after sunset until a halfhour 

before sunrise, pedestrians must walk in single file when traveling outside cities and 

towns on roadways without public lighting. 

Pedestrians crossing the roadway must use pedestrian crossings, underpasses, and overpasses. 

Where these do not exist, or are more than 100 meters from the crossing point, 

pedestrians may only cross perpendicular to the road, and try to avoid situations that may 

endanger themselves or others. 

Pedestrians are prohibited from crossing intersections on the diagonal; they must use 

the crosswalks, where they exist, to traverse squares, even if they are more than 100 

meters away. 

Pedestrians are prohibited from stopping or lingering on the roadway, except in cases of 

necessity; they are likewise prohibited from stopping in groups on sidewalks, shoulders, 

or crosswalks, where they may obstruct the normal passage of other pedestrians. 

Where no crosswalk is available, pedestrians must give precedence to drivers. 

Pedestrians are prohibited from crossing the road before buses, trolley buses, and trams 

that are at a bus stop. The use of skateboards, roller skates/blades or other similar forms 

of transportation is prohibited on the roadway. 

Games, workouts, and sporting events are not authorized. The use of skateboards, roller 

skates/blades or other similar forms of transportation is prohibited in pedestrian-only 

areas as they may create situations dangerous to others. 

Pedestrians are also advised to carry a reflective vest to be worn at night on roadways 

outside inhabited areas where no public lighting is available.

Definitions and directional signs 

Travel time is the amount of time needed by an average 

hiker to walk the distance, not considering possible stops along 

the way. 

Total elevation gain is the sum of all the climbs of a leg or 

an itinerary. 

The degree of difficulty, based on the Club Alpino Italiano 

(CAI) ratings for Liguria, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, uses the 

following categories: T = for day-tourists, E = hikers of all levels, 

EE = for experienced hikers; EEA = for experienced hikers, with 

equipment. 

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY FOR THE ITINERARIES 

T = for day-tourists - Itineraries of rather short duration on clearly marked lanes, muletracks 

or easy paths that are well-marked and do not present problems of orientation. 

They require a certain acquaintance with mountain environments and an adequate physical 

conditioning. 

E = hikers of all levels - Itineraries on paths or tracks, usually marked, across various types 

of terrain (meadows, taluses, or scree). The walks can be short stretches on flat or slightly 

uneven ground with leftover snow, where there is a slight risk of injury from falling. 

The routes may sometimes cross open country that, however, is clearly and adequately 

marked. Steep hillsides may be encountered; exposed sections will have either barriers or 

cables available for protection. There may sometimes be unexposed passages over rock, 

or short, easy stretches equipped with safeguards (steps, walkways or cables) that do 

not require the use of specific equipment (e.g., slings, snap-hooks, etc.) A good sense 

of direction is required together with a certain amount of experience and knowledge of 

mountainous terrain, as well as suitable training for hiking, footwear, and equipment. 

This type of route constitutes the majority of the hiking trails in the Italian mountains. 

EE = for experienced hikers - These itineraries are generally marked but require the ability 

to hike on specific types of terrain. Paths or tracks over impassable and treacherous 

terrain (steep, possibly slippery slopes of grass or scree and talus). Varied terrain (scree, 

small, gently sloping snowfields, open slopes without landmarks, etc.). Rocky stretches 

with minor technical obstacles (safeguarded trails, via ferratas of lesser difficulty). They 

require: general experience in and familiarity with a mountain environment; a sure step 

and a head for heights; adequate equipment, gear, and physical preparation. In addition, 

on the safeguarded routes, it is necessary to know how to use personal safety equipment 

(snap-hooks, belaying devices, slings, and short ropes). 

13 

EEA = for experienced hikers, with gear.

The directional signs contain the logo of the pilgrim roads to 

Rome and comply with the rule of the road, Tuscan Regional Hiking 

(RET) regulations, and those used on CAI trails. 

In addition to the signs along the itinerary, in the cities and towns 

and along the legs of the hike, along the Traffic Code roads of the 

route the pilgrim will find: 

arrows in cities and towns 

Via Via Romea Romea 

arrow on interurban streets and roads 

Via Romea 

Via Romea 

Via Romea 

and along paths and roads not governed by the rule of the road: 

CAI directional signs 

14 

VR 

simple CAI trail markers 

733 

VIA ROMEA 

RET arrows ROMEA 

TUSCANIA h 0.45 

0. 30 

0. 40 

3. 10 

211 

Meta Ravvicinata 0. 30 

Meta Intemedia 0. 40 

Meta d’Itinerario 3. 10 

0. 30 

0. 40 

211 

Meta Ravvicinata 0. 30 

Meta Intemedia 0. 40 

211 

3. 10 

Meta d’Itinerario 3. 10

Pilgrims along the route 

15

16 

Along one of the stone-paved routes

THE HISTORY 

Florence: A Crossroads of the Medieval Road Network 

In Canto XXIII of Inferno, responding to the two Gaudenti 

brothers who have asked Dante where he is from, Dante says, 

“…l’ fui nato e cresciuto sovra ‘l bel fiume d’Arno alla gran villa” 

(…Born was I, and grew up, In the great town on the fair river 

of Arno”). The expression used by the poet, gran villa, great 

town, is indeed quite appropriate for describing the city of his 

birth: at the beginning of the 14 th century, Florence was one 

of the great metropolises of the West, besides being one of 

the most important international economic “centers”, with few 

equals in terms of size and number of inhabitants. 

17 

During the 13 th century, Florentines had considerably developed 

a far-reaching commerce, from which a new and more substantial 

source of wealth was derived: the loan of money. The large 

accumulations of capital produced were the basis for considerable 

urban growth as well as the great architectural achievements 

of that period. Furthermore the Florentines were fully aware of 

the importance of their city and the economic power it had attained. 

For example, it is significant that in a plaque, still in place, 

that recalls a minor event such as the 1243 reconstruction of the 

Parish Church of Santi Simone e Giuda, in the popular quarter 

formed around the “Parlagio”, the city was defined as the main 

one in the West: ”…de florentina (civitate) pre qualibet urbe 

latina” (1).

18 

Above: Map of the main road network of the Republic of Florence / Below: A view of Florence

The Ten Main Roads of the Florentine Republic 

Again in the 13 th century, the attraction of Florence on its countryside 

led to a traffic system with roads radiating out from the 

city, based on direct connections with the various areas in the 

district, an index of the latter’s increasingly greater economic 

and political subordination to the former. An extract from the 

1322-1325 Statuto del Capitano del Popolo, from a chapter that 

most likely dates to before the end of the 13 th century, contains 

a list of the main roads that led off from Florence which we 

quote below (2) and are the ten main roads and routes of the 

Florentine Republic: 

Via et strata que summit a porta seu Burgo Sancti Niccholai per 

quam itur in Vallem Arni (3) 

Strata de Chianti que summit initium a pilastro ubi est crux 

ultra ponticellum de Ricorboli 

Strata per quam itur Pratum et incipit a ponte seu Burgo Sancti Pauli 

Strata de Sexto per quam itur Pratum 

Strata per quam itur ad Sanctum Petrum de Sieve, versus Bononiam 

et versus Gallianum et Sanctam Agatham 

Strata per quam itur ad Pontem de Sieve et vadit versus Decomanum 

et incipit a Burgo Sancti Petri Maioris 

Strata per quam itur ad Sanctum Cassianum, Podium Boniççi et 

Sanctum Donatum de Poci 

Strata de Giogholis que summitur a porta seu Burgo Sancti 

Petri Gattolino 

Strata per quam itur Pisas que summitur a porta seu Burgo 

Sancti Frediani 

As can be determined, the polarizing power of the city, by favoring 

a series of links to the main towns in the countryside, gave 

birth to a road network that radiated out from the focal point 

that was, of course, Florence. The road system was functional 

and efficient, its importance to the city’s economy is described 

well in Chapter CI, Book V of the 1325 Statuto del Podestà 

which says, “…et cum pulcrum et utilitati reipublice bene conveniat 

stratas publicas, et maxime illam per quam victualia et 

mercantie deferentur ut plurimum in civitatem Florentie” (4). 

Besides, most of the ten main roads and routes passed through 

the city in a supra-regional road network. Such was the case 

of the road that after San Piero a Sieve headed across the Apennines 

towards Bologna or of the road that led to the port 

of Pisa, or the others, both north and south of the Arno, that 

continued until they met up with the Via Francigena, the main 

artery in Italy with traffic from all over the continent during the 

Middle Ages. This was, for example, the route that led to Poggibonsi, 

and then continued “versus civitatem Senarum et versus 

Romanam Curiam”, the latter a road “que utilissima est publice 

rei”, as stated in the same Chapter CI, Book V of the Statuto 

del Podestà (5). 

Pilgrims’ itineraries in the Florentine countryside 

19 

www.vieromee.it

Pilgrim Routes in the Florentine Countryside 

It was precisely on these and other roads whose routes led to 

far-reaching developments, that the pilgrims arrived in Florence 

passing through the city on their way to Rome; the same roads 

were also used by many Florentines thus enlarging the flow of 

European wayfarers. 


As regards the former, the city had become a transit point for 

those – ever more numerous, as we shall see, beginning in the 

early 13 th century – who made the pilgrimage to Rome following 

routes other than that of the Via Francigena to cross over the 

Apennines. 

But there were also many Florentines who, undertaking one of 

the three peregrinationes maiores (to Rome, Jerusalem and Santiago 

de Compostela), began their journey by using those main 

roads and routes in the countryside that connected to the Via 

Francigena, the backbone of the Italian pilgrimage routes. For 

example, the itinerary memoirs from different years left by three 

Florentine pilgrims who traveled to Santiago de Compostela during 

the 15th century, tell us that two of them joined the Via 

Francigena in Lucca, which they reached from Florence following 

the strata per quam itur Pratum (6). 

However, one could also reach Compostela by sea, and, after 

the 12 th century, most embarkations occurred in Pisa and later, 

in Leghorn because of the silting up of the port of Luni. Consequently, 

the strata per quam itur Pisas was used even by those 

who chose to join the Via Francigena in the lower Valdelsa. 

20 

For those wanting to go to Rome, the connection south of the 

Arno to the Via Francigena was chiefly the strata per quam itur 

ad Sanctum Cassianum that split into two routes. The first, the 

so-called Via Sanese, wound beyond San Casciano over the 

ridge of the hills acting as a watershed between the Val di Pesa 

and the Valdelsa, reaching the Via Francigena in Siena. The other 

route – more properly called a strada romana, because of its 

ultimate destination: Rome – instead headed to Poggibonsi, and 

there joined the Via Francigena in the mid-Valdelsa (7). 


The routes passing along the opposite sides of the upper Valdarno 

were also tied to the pilgrimages to Rome. In fact, both 

the Via Vecchia Aretina and the Strada dei Sette Ponti – to use 

the modern names of these two roads – arrived in Arezzo, an 

important stop on the so-called Via dell’Alpe di Serra; this latter 

was another popular route to Rome for pilgrims that in the Annales 

Stadenses – considered the most comprehensive guide to 

Rome of the Middle Ages – was defined as the melior via, or the 

best way, to reach the Eternal City, at least for pilgrims coming 

from Germanic areas (8).

Moreover, beginning in the late Middle Ages, the Via Vecchia 

Aretina would also become the first part of the itinerary used 

by Florentines to reach another very popular pilgrimage destination, 

one that would see significant growth during the Counter- 

Reformation period: the Holy House of Loreto (9). It was no coincidence 

that the great Spedale del Bigallo hospice complex was 

built along this route to serve the pilgrims. 

As can be seen, even if only marginally affected by the route of 

the Via Francigena, which unfolded in the south-western limits 

of the countryside, along the Val d’Elsa, this area that in the 

Middle Ages constituted the Florentine countryside was crossed 

by routes that were an integral part of the “system” of pilgrimage 

routes. The reason being that Florence, like all large cities 

in Western Christendom, from at least the 12 th century onward 

contributed abundantly to supplying the flood of pilgrims heading 

towards the main loca sacra of Christianity (and the abundance 

of documentary evidence would suffice to attest it). 

Furthermore, along the roads in the countryside around Florence 

traveled by these pious wayfarers departing from the city were 

many minor pilgrimage destinations also much frequented by 

Florentines. We refer here to the sanctuaries where miraculous 

sacred images of the Madonna were worshiped, places such 

as Impruneta, the Madonna del Sasso in Lobaco or the parish 

church in Cercina, to name but a few. Or those places whose 

holiness was derived from the existence of the tomb or relics 

of a local saint, like the sanctuary of Sant’Eufrosino in Panzano, 

the oratory of Beato Gherardo in Villamagna, the Church of the 

Beata Giulia in Signa, and the sanctuary of Santa Verdiana in 

Castelfiorentino. 

21 

Fresco by Domenico del Ghirlandaio, Welcoming the Pilgrims. Oratory of Buonomini di San Martino

1200: Florence, an important stop on the way to Rome 

Florence’s association with pilgrimages became even more pronounced 

in the 13 th century when, as mentioned above, the city 

became an obligatory stop for the majority of those who were 

making the pilgrimage to Rome. Over the course of that century, 

in fact, it might be said that the Via Francigena was “abducted” 

by the city on the Arno. Indeed, the preferred route to Rome 

was no longer the ancient road that had developed in the late 

Middle Ages – crossing the Apennines at the Monte Bardone 

Pass, then heading towards Lucca, until finally reaching Siena 

through the Val d’Elsa – but rather on the road that connected 

Bologna directly to Florence through the Apennine passes of the 

Mugello (first, the Osteria Bruciata Pass, later the Giogo Pass 

near Scarperia), and then continued towards Siena using roads 

that had previously connected the city of Florence with the Via 

Francigena at Poggibonsi or Siena (10). 

The new route to Rome would also be the main traffic conduit 

between the Po River valley and peninsular Italy, along which 

moved massive flows of people, goods and money, attracted 

by Florence’s economic and financial power, which reached its 

zenith right in the 13 th century as evidenced by the mintage in 

1252 of the gold coin (the florin), which joined the silver one, 

minted as early as 1235. 

View of Florence from the Villa Bardini garden 

22

The Rise of Pilgrim Hospices in the City of Florence 

Evidence of the new and important role played by the city in the 

pilgrimage road system is seen in the foundation of many pilgrim 

hospices between the 13 th and 14 th centuries. A typical example 

of Florentine spirituality, expressed in purely religious forms as 

well as in works of charity, the pilgrim hospices were distributed 

throughout the city, but especially in the areas closest to the city 

gates and the stretches of roads just outside of these gates (11). 

A particular concentration of hospices was found along the city 

route from Porta San Gallo to Porta San Pietro Gattolino (now 

Porta Romana) continuing what had by then become the strada 

regia romana within the city walls. 

During the 13 th century, any changes in the pilgrimage road system 

– at least as regarded the route to Rome – also affected 

the Florentine countryside. Of the streets that radiated out from 

Florence then used primarily by pilgrims to Rome, the ones that 

stood out were the countryside’s main roads and routes. Both 

the road that led through the Mugello to Bologna and the ancient 

links to the Via Francigena (the Via Sanese and the Via 

Romana) experienced a consequent build-up of accommodation 

and charitable facilities as a result of the increased traffic. Inns 

and hostels thus dotted the routes and many pilgrim hospices 

were also built, the most important of which were located at 

the main stopping points: Tagliaferro, Scarperia, Firenzuola, and 

Pietramala on the road to Bologna, and San Casciano, Castellina 

and Poggibonsi on the two routes to Rome (12). 


Reconstruction of the San Giovanni Evangelista Hospice in Florence 

23 

www.vieromee.it

Notes 

(1) The plaque, in fact, is found on the facade of the Church of San Simone, 

in the small square of the same name that opens near Via Torta, the city street 

whose curvilinear progression traces the perimeter of the ancient amphitheater 

of Florentia, whose remains in the Middle Ages were called Parlagio. 

(2) Cf. R. Caggese (edited by), Statuti della Repubblica Fiorentina, Statuto 

del Capitano del Popolo degli anni 1322-1325, vol.I, Libro IV, Capitolo VIII, 

p.175, Firenze 1921. 

(3) It is the road that connected Florence and Arezzo and corresponds to the 

current Via Vecchia Aretina. 

(4) Cfr. R. Caggese (edited by), Statuti della Repubblica Fiorentina, Statuto 

del Podestà dell’anno 1325, vol.II, Capitolo CI, Libro V, p.428, Firenze 1921. 

(5) Cfr. R. Caggese (edited by), Statuti della Repubblica Fiorentina, Statuto del 

Podestà del 1325, vol.II, Capitolo CI, Libro V, ibidem, Firenze 1921. 

(6) Cfr. R. Stopani, Il “camino” italiano per Santiago de Compostela. Le fonti 

itinerarie di età medievale, Le Lettere, Firenze 2001, pp. 51-72 and pp.73-86. 

In both the memoirs, the pilgrimage, beyond Lucca, continued following the 

route of the Via Francigena crossing the Alps through the Moncenisio Pass. 

The pilgrim who wrote the third 15 th -century memoir (pp. 90-105) from Florence 

instead reached Bologna; he continued along the Via Emilia as far as 

Borgo San Donnino and there joined the Via Francigena, also crossing the 

Alps through the Moncenisio Pass. 

(7) Cfr. R. Stopani, La via Francigena in Toscana. Storia di una strada medievale, 

Salimbeni, Firenze, pp. 61-64. 

(8) Cfr. Annales Stadenses auctore Alberto, in Monumenta Germaniae Historica”, 

Scriptores, vol. XVI, pp. 335-341, Hannoverae 1858. 

24 

(9) The numerous itinerary memoirs of the pilgrimage to Loreto refer primarily 

to the 16 th -17 th centuries. Let us recall for its completeness the Libro della 

Compagnia della Santissima Trinità, del 1577, (National Central Library of 

Florence, Ms. Magl. Cl. XIII, cod.78), and Il pellegrinaggio alla Santa Casa di 

Loreto in A Roma per il Giubileo del 1575 con la Confraternita della Santissima 

Trinità, Le Lettere, Firenze 2000, pp. 91-112, published by R. Stopani. 

(10) Cfr. R. Stopani, La via Francigena all’epoca dei primi Giubilei. La strada 

cambia itinerario e diviene via regia romana in La via Francigena. Storia di una 

strada medievale, Le Lettere, Firenze 1998, pp.138-149. 

(11) Cfr. R. Stopani (edited by), Firenze e i primi Giubilei. Un momento di storia 

fiorentina della solidarietà, Centro Studi Romei, Firenze 1999, pp. 22-29. 

(12) Cfr. AA.VV., Percorsi e valichi dell’Appennino fra storia e leggenda. Futa, 

Osteria Bruciata, Giogo, Firenze 1985, pp. 85-108 e R. Stopani, Le vie del 

Giubileo. Guida, storia, percorsi, Erremme, Roma 1996, pp. 41-102.

1 st Itinerary 

FLORENCE 

THE URBAN TOUR 

At the beginning of the 14 th century, in his Cronica (Libro XI, 

Capitolo XCIV) Giovanni Villani - with legitimate pride in his city - 

wrote that in Florence there were “thirty hospices with more than 

one thousand beds to accommodate the poor and the infirm”. In 

fact, the city had a system of charitable institutions that, alongside 

the modest facilities offering a few beds to foreigners passing 

through and to the needy, envisaged the large spedali, or hospices, 

considered an expression and symbol of the city since they 

had been erected with the participation of all the population “ad 

utilitatem animarum et decorum civitatis”. From the 13 th century 

on, because of the massive flows of people and goods caused 

by the network of business relations that radiated from Florence, 

the bulk of traffic heading into the Italian peninsula from the 

north converged in the new trans-Apennine passes of the Mugello. 

Then there was the pilgrim traffic to Rome, as the city on the 

Arno had become a requisite stopping point for all those who 

were going ad limina Beati Petri. Hence the need for adequate 

accommodation and charitable facilities to meet the needs of all 

those (pilgrims or travelers) who passed through the city. 

25

1 st Itinerary 

FLORENCE THE URBAN TOUR 

Porta San Gallo 

1 

2 

4 

3 

5 

6 

9 

10 

7 

8 

11 

12 

26 

13 

16 

15 

14 

Porta San Pietro Gattolino 

Portal architrave of San Giovanni Battista della Calza

HOSPICES ALONG THE URBAN TOUR 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Convent of Sant’Agata 

Mantellate Conservatory 

Former hospice 

of Bonifazio 

Church of San Giovannino 

dei Cavalieri 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Church of Gesù Pellegrino 


of San Matteo 

Hospice 

of Santa Maria Nuova 

Oratory of San Tommaso 

9 

10 

11 

12 

Former hospice of Bigallo 

Compagnia dei 

Buonomini di San Martino 

Former hospice of Santo 

Sepolcro al Ponte Vecchio 

Oratory 

of San Sebastiano dei Bini 

13 

14 

15 

16 

Former hospice of 

San Niccolò, or della Buca 


of San Pier Novello 

Former hospice of Spirito 

Santo, or Piccione 

Church of San Giovanni 

Battista alla Calza 

27 

WALKING ITINERARY 

Starting point: Porta San Gallo (Florence) 

(coming from Via Bolognese) 

End point: Porta San Pietro Gattolino (Florence) 

(entering Via Romana or Via Sanese) 

Level of difficulty: easy 

Elevation gain: none 

Distance: 5 km 

Travel time: 1 h 30’

The always open door of mercy 

Erected mainly over the course of the 13 th century or in the 

early decades of the 14 th century, the hospices played a key 

role in the 13 th -century development of the urban structure of 

Florence, tending to be located in the newly developed areas 

of the city, namely the “villages” outside the 12 th -century walls 

along the roads radiating into the countryside. Their growth 

was linked to a sort of “civic religiosity” found in all levels of the 

populace and which favored the “spirituality of deeds”, finding 

expression in the construction of charitable facilities. The 

Signoria could rightly state that the city kept “the door of mercy 

[always open] to the great and the lowly, the infirm and the 

vigorous, and to wayfarers”. 

1 st Itinerary - FLORENCE THE URBAN TOUR 

The hospices inside the city were found in those areas near the 

gates that marked the start of the main roads. The north-south 

artery across the city was the most important – the natural 

continuation inside the city walls of the roads that connected 

Florence to Bologna and Rome, respectively. There was a particular 

concentration of hospices along the route that ran from 

Porta San Gallo in the oldest part of the city, across the Arno 

at the Ponte Vecchio, to Porta San Pietro Gattolino (nowadays, 

Porta Romana). 

Via San Gallo. In the foreground, the church of the hospice of the Mantellate 

28 

www.vieromee.it

IN PILGRIMS’ FOOTSTEPS 

Accommodation in the city 

The main Florentine hospital structures were in oldest part of the 

city and, beginning in the 15 th century, they became increasingly 

specialized as they assumed different functions: the hospital 

of Santa Maria Nuova, founded in 1286, became the largest 

hospital in the city; the hospice of San Matteo, established 

in the 14 th century by the moneychanger Lemmo Balducci; the 

hospice of the Innocenti, established as a shelter for abandoned 

children; and the hospice of Bonifazio, named after its 

founder, Messer Bonifazio Lupi. 

Besides the north-south route, many hospices were in the areas 

of the city along roads leading to the other gates. From Porta al 

Prato and the nearby Porta Faenza (the latter’s remains being 

incorporated in one of the bastions of the Fortezza da Basso), heavily 

traveled roads branched off towards Pistoia, Prato and other 

towns in the Florentine valley. Near these gates, famous hospitals 

were established whose buildings – renovated and enlarged several 

times over the years – can still be seen: the hospice of San 

Giovanni di Dio on Borgo Ognissanti, the hospice of the Scala 

on Via della Scala, the hospice of the Convalescenti in Piazza 

Santa Maria Novella, the Templar hospice of San Jacopo in 

Campo Corbolini on Via Faenza, and the hospice of Sant’Antonio 

(the current “Cenacolo di Fuligno”). 

Near Porta San Frediano, the beginning of the strata per quam 

itur Pisas, heavily trafficked because of the goods going to Pisa, 

the natural outlet to the sea of Florence, was the structure known 

as the hospice of Buonamico while going towards Porta alla 

Croce, at the head of the strata per quam itur ad Pontem de 

Sieve was another hospice run by the Templars, situated prope 

ecclesiam Sanctae Crucis: the church of Santa Maria della Croce 

al Tempio, which still overlooks Via dei Malcontenti. 

29 

Hospice of the Innocenti

The urban tour being recommended is the same as the one 

pilgrims once followed upon arriving in Florence from Via Bolognese. 

They entered the city through Porta San Gallo and 

proceeded towards Porta San Pietro Gattolino, where the 

road joined either Via Romana or Via Sanese, both of which 

led to Siena and then on to Rome. The greatest number of pilgrim 

hospices was concentrated along this route – often modest 

structures with only a few beds as well as important charitable 

institutions of the city. 

In front of Porta San Gallo, just outside the walls, was the pilgrim 

hospice that had given its name to the gate and the street 

that began there. For more than three centuries, it was one of 

the largest hospices in Florence, founded in 1218 by Guidalotto 

Voltodellorco to serve the poor, the needy and pilgrims. The 

eight-building complex however was completely demolished 

during the 16 th century for defensive reasons at the time of the 

siege of Florence. 

Entering the city, along Via San Gallo, the pilgrims immediately 

found, in the following order, the hospices of Santa Caterina 

de’ Talani, San Gherardo and Sant’Onofrio. Two convents 

later rose on the sites of these hospices. The first was that of 

the Mantellate 2 , which became a boarding school in the 18 th 

century; its church, from the 17 th century, houses paintings by 

Stradano and Jacopo Vignali; the other was the Convent of 

Sant’Agata 1 (now part of the Military Hospital), its late 16 th - 

century church contains a beautiful painting by Alessandro Allori 

depicting the Wedding in Cana and two frescoes by Giovanni 

Bizzelli (the Martyrdom and Burial of Saint Agatha). 

30 

The hospice of San Matteo on Piazza San Marco, nowadays the Academy of Fine Arts

The pilgrims then found themselves in front of the majestic hospice 

of Bonifazio 3 , whose loggias – redone in 1787 – still 

face the street today. Built between 1377 and 1387 by Bonifazio 

Lupi, the marchese of Soragna, valiant captain of the Florentines, 

the hospices originally had 34 beds. Considerably enlarged 

later, it incorporated other hospices found on Via San Gallo, like 

the San Dionisio hospice which was situated in front of the previously 

mentioned Church of Sant’Agata (it subsequently became 

the Monastery of the Ceppo). Over the course of its long 

history, the hospice of Bonifazio had many different uses: first 

(1736), it became a conservatory, then a hospice for the chronically 

ill, and finally a mental hospice, continuing to serve this 

function until its suppression. 

A little further on was the hospice of the Broccardi, which 

was connected to the hospice of Bonifazio, followed by others 

such as San Giovanni Battista Decollato and Gesù Pellegrino. 

The former was found on the spot where today stands the 

church popularly known as San Giovannino dei Cavalieri 4 : 

it was closed in the 16 th century when the hospital nuns of San 

Giovanni di Gerusalemme, which were affiliated with the Order 

of Malta, established there. The 16 th -century church contains 

works of a certain value, including a Nativity by Bicci di Lorenzo 

and a Crucifix with Mary and St. John, attributed to Lorenzo 

Monaco. The hospice of Gesù Pellegrino 5 , also known as 

the hospice of the Compagnia Dei Pretoni, of which only the 

church – restored in the 16 th century – remains, was abolished 

at the end of the 17 th century. Inside the church is the tombstone 

of Arlotto, a parish priest famous for his humor, on which 

there is an inscription he himself wrote: “QUESTA SEPOLTURA IL 

PIEVANO ARLOTTO FECE FARE PER SÉ E PER CHI CI VUOLE EN- 

TRARE” (“Father Arlotto had this tomb made for himself and for 

all those who want to enter”). The carved-stone coat-of-arms of 

the hospice depicts the figure of a pilgrim complete with staff 

and haversack; it is set in a wall in one of the buildings beside 

the church that presumably used the buildings of the hospice. 


31 

From the hospice of Gesù Pellegrino, turning from Via San Gallo 

onto Via degli Arazzieri, we enter Piazza San Marco, with the 

loggia of the hospice of San Matteo 6 (today, the Academy of 

Fine Arts) facing the square. This hospice was founded in 1385 

by the rich merchant Guglielmo Balducci, known as Lemmo, 

and was later run by the Money Changers’ Guild. It was one of 

the main charitable institutions in Florence with sixty beds that 

were predominantly used to receive the poor and the sick. 

Returning to Via San Gallo and continuing on – with the street’s 

name changing to Via dei Ginori – we arrive in Piazza San Lorenzo 

where one of the oldest hospices in Florence once stood. First documented 

in the early 12 th century, it was near the Basilica di San 

Lorenzo, and rose near one of the gates in the “old town walls”. 

www.vieromee.it

Taking a detour from Piazza San Lorenzo, we continue on Via 

dei Gori, Via dei Pucci and then, Via Bufalini, until we reach the 

hospice of Santa Maria Nuova 7 , Florence’s main hospital, 

still working, called arch-hospital, for both its size and importance. 

Founded in 1285 by the merchant Folco Portinari, a leading 

political figure, it was established specifically to treat and care 

for the sick. Despite the continuous overlapping of new additions 

to the original buildings over the centuries, the hospital 

has maintained its majestic, late medieval cruciform structure 

that could accommodate more than 600 patients at the end of 

the 15 th century. In addition, there still is the ancient church of 

Sant’Egidio (San Gilio), built on Lorenzo di Bicci’s design and later 

altered. The façade with the elegant colonnade dates back 

to the early 17 th century; it was built by Giulio Parigi on a design 

by Bernardo Buontalenti. 


32 

Not far from Santa Maria Nuova was the hospice of the Pellegrini 

Oltramontani, one got there continuing along Via Sant’Egidio 

turning left to reach Via della Pergola. It was founded by 

Santi Cini, a Dominican friar and close friend of Saint Philip Neri, 

to house pilgrims to Rome who had crossed the Alps, that were 

taken in and fed for several days by the Compagnia dei Contemplanti, 

whose members were the scions of noble Florentine 

families. Adjoining the hospice was a church dedicated to St. 

Thomas Aquinas 8 , its original, late Renaissance architectural 

features still intact. It was built on a design by Santi di Tito, who 

was also responsible for the premises of the hospice that has 

also maintained the original 16 th -century structural and room 

layout, including a large, classical-style fireplace in pietra serena. 

Standing again before the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova, we 

turn left into Via Folco Portinari and then right into Via dell’Oriuolo, 

continuing until we arrive in Piazza del Duomo. Here, 

between the baptistery and the façade of the original Cathedral 

of Santa Reparata, there once rose another of the city’s ancient 

hospital institutions: the hospital of San Giovanni Evangelista 

(reconstruction on page 21). It was founded in 1040 by the 

Chapter of the Cathedral and later demolished to make way for 

the larger Santa Maria del Fiore. 


On Piazza del Duomo at the corner of Via dei Calzaioli is the 

14 th -century Loggia del Bigallo, which, until the late 16 th century, 

was the seat of the Archconfraternity of Misericordia, the 

ancient and glorious Florentine institution that looked, and still 

today looks, after the sick. The loggia takes its name from the 

fact that since 1425 it was also the seat of the Compagnia del 

Bigallo 9 , which oversaw various charitable institutes in the 

city and the countryside, including the hospice of Bigallo, on 

Via Vecchia Aretina, from which its name was derived. Two large 

marble arches, filled with sculptures and ornamental motifs, are 

at the base of the building, which is dominated by a floor with

elegant trefoil double-lancet windows. There is a small museum 

inside with mostly 14 th -15 th century works, including a detached 

fresco from 1342, that displays the oldest view of Florence. 

We now take Via dei Calzaioli, turning immediately left into Via 

delle Oche and then right into Via Santa Elisabetta where we 

continue into Via dei Cerchi. About halfway along the street, 

we turn to the left where we find the Piazzetta of San Martino 

del Vescovo, on which stands, in addition to the House of Dante 

and the Torre della Castagna, the Oratory of the Compagnia 

dei Buonomini di San Martino 10 , a small hospice linked to an 

ancient Florentine confraternity. On the walls of the small singlenave 

oratory is a fresco cycle painted by Domenico Ghirlandaio 

in the 15 th century that depicts the Works of Mercy. In one of the 

scenes two pilgrims holding staffs are received; two bonomini, 

good men, give money to a servant to prepare a bed for them – 

seen in the background – and something to eat and drink. 

Returning to Via dei Cerchi, we go to the end of the street and 

arrive in Piazza della Signoria. We enter the Uffizi loggia, off 

of which we take Via Lambertesca until it meets Via Por Santa 

Maria, the street that leads us to the Ponte Vecchio. After crossing 

the bridge, in the platea in capite pontis we find the two 

hospices of San Miniato and of Santo Sepolcro 11 . Both 

ancient hospices date back to the 11 th century. The latter, that 

belonged to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, still retains its 

13 th -century façade, with a Jerusalem cross carved on a marble 

plaque with the old street number. 

We then take Borgo San Jacopo, Via Toscanella, and then Sdrucciolo 

dei Pitti – two narrow streets sided by tall buildings characteristic 

of the old Florence – until we come to Piazza Pitti. At 

33 

18 th -century drawing of the loggia of the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova

the end of the square, we find the beginning of Via Romana that 

leads to the gate of the same name, the Porta Romana. In the 

Middle Ages, the street was dotted with hospices. The first one 

encountered was the hospice of Sant’Antonio, built in 1316, 

then the 13 th -century hospice of San Sebastiano de’ Bini 12 

connected to the prestigious Roman institution of Santo Spirito 

in Sassia, as still indicated by the double cross carved into a 

14 th -century architrave in the wall of the façade of the 15 th -16 th - 

century oratory that rose where the hospice had been. 

Just beyond was the hospice of San Niccolò dei Fantoni 13 

known as the Buca from the name of the tavern near which it 

had been built. A stone coat of arms with the insignia of the 

Compagnia del Bigallo, from which the hospice depended, is 

found in the wall of the building later erected in its place. It also 

houses a mid-15 th -century detached fresco depicting the Madonna 

with Child between Two Angels. 

Continuing on, almost in front of the Annalena gate, the entrance 

to the Boboli gardens, was the small hospice of San Pier 

Novello 14 , founded by Piero di Cione Ridolfi in about the mid- 

14 th century. It was popularly called the hospice of the Chiocciola, 

only a dilapidated architrave remains of it, carved with the 

inscription: “HOSPITIUM NOBILIS RODULPH… FAMILIAE”. 

Then there was the hospice of San Lorenzo and, after the 

church of San Pietro Gattolino, the hospice of Madonna Santa 

Maria e dello Spirito Santo 15 , belonging to the Laudesi, 

commonly called Il Piccione or dove, because of the symbol of 

the Holy Spirit carved on the door lintel, with the inscription 

“HOSPITALE S.MARIE DE LAUDIBUS”. 

34 

View of the Ponte Vecchio

At the end of the street was the hospice of San Giovanni Battista 

della Calza 16 , originally of the Knights of St. John of 

Jerusalem; it later became a convent of Jesuati monks whose 

long stocking-like hood gave rise to their nickname of calza, 

or stocking. The church, which presumably reused the hospice 

structures, has a 14 th -century portal lintel; inside is a crucifix 

attributed to Lorenzo Monaco and a panel by Empoli, while in 

the convent refectory is a 1514 painting of the Last Supper by 

Franciabigio. 

Somewhere near Porta Romana – the exact location uncertain 

because it was destroyed – was a final hospice: San Bartolomeo 

ad Sanctum Petrum Cattuarium (that later became San 

Pietro in Gattolino), founded by Sennuccio Del Bene who was a 

friend of Petrarch. 

Beyond the gate was the beginning of the strata qua itur versus 

civitatem Senarum et versus Romanam Curiam, whose stretch 

closer to the city was also dotted with hospices and other accommodation 

structures (e.g., hostels, inns) for travelers and pilgrims. 

Detail of the Palazzo Vecchio with the Uffizi in the background 

35 


1 st Itinerary - FLORENCE THE URBAN TOUR

ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES IN FLORENCE 

36 

Archi Rossi 

Via Faenza, 94r 

50123 Florence 

Tel: 055 290804 - Fax: 055 2302121 

info@hostelarchirossi.com 

www.hostelarchirossi.com 

Casa del SS. Rosario 

Via G. Monaco, 24 


Tel: 055 321171 - Fax: 055 3217337 

Casa Don Secchiaroli 

Via Borghini, 23/25 


Tel: 055 578100 - Fax: 055 589339 

info@casadonsecchiaroli.it 

www.casadonsecchiaroli.it 

Casa Madonna del Rosario 

Via Capo di Mondo, 44 


Tel: 055 679621 - Fax: 055 677133 

info@madonnadelrosario.it 

www.madonnadelrosario.it 

Casa per ferie San Marco 

Via Venezia, 18b 

50121 Florence - Tel: 055 579603 

www.italianroom.it 

Casa Regina del Santo Rosario 

Via G. Giusti, 35 - 50124 Florence 

Tel: 055 2477636 - Fax: 055 2269149 

Casa Santo Nome di Gesù 

Piazza del Carmine, 21 


Tel: 055 213856 - Fax: 055 281835 

info@fmmFlorence.it 

www.fmmFlorence.it 

Conservatorio S. Maria degli Angeli 

Via della Colonna, 34 


Tel: 055 2478051 - Fax: 055 2480985 

angeli.fi@tiscali.it 

www.conservatorioangeli.it 

C.S.D. Istituto Gould 

Via dei Serragli, 49 


Tel: 055 212576 - Fax: 055 280274 

foresteriaFlorence@diaconiavaldese.org 

www.istitutogould.it 

Deltachi 

Via Silvio Spaventa, 4 


Tel: 055 5001392 - Fax: 055 5001392 

info@deltachi.it - www.deltachi.it 

Gallo D’oro 

Via Cavour, 104 


Tel: 055 5522964 - Fax: 055 5534823 

info@ostellogallodoro.com 

www.ostellogallodoro.com 

Hostel A Fi 9 

Via Ricasoli, 9 


Tel: 055 2398665 - Fax: 055 2645447 

info@academyhostels.com 

www.academyhostels.com 

Istituto Alfa Nuova 

Via E. Poggi, 6 


Tel: 055 472883 - 055 476280 

Fax: 055 488437 

Istituto del Sacro Cuore 

Viale Michelangelo, 27 


Tel: 055 6811872 - Fax: 055 6811388 

info@sacrocuore.com 

www.sacrocuore.com 

Istituto Salesiano dell’Immacolata 

Via del Ghirlandaio, 40 


Tel: 055 62300 

Fax: 055 6230282 

www.salesianiFlorence.it 

Istituto San Francesco di Sales 

Viale L. Ariosto, 13 


Tel: 055 224190 

Istituto San Giovanni Battista 

Via di Ripoli, 82 


Tel: 055 6802394 - Fax: 055 6815228 

istituto@merlobianco.it 

Istituto San Gregorio 

Via Francesco Bonaini, 9a 


Tel: 055 480955 

Fax: 055 475832 

Istituto Santa Chiara 

Via Borgognissanti, 56 


Tel: 055 215915 

Istituto Suore Oblate Spirito Santo 

Via Nazionale, 8 


Tel: 055 2398202 

Fax: 055 2398129

Istituto Suore Rave di S. Elisabetta 

Viale Michelangelo, 46 


Tel: 055 6811884 - Fax: 055 6811884 

s.elisabetta.fi@tiscali.it 

Madonna Divina Provvidenza 

Via S. Biagio a Petriolo, 33 


Tel: 055 317263 - Fax: 055 317263 

sroblatepetr@alice.it 

Monaco 34 

Via Guido Monaco, 34 


Tel: 055321018 

info@ciaohostel.com 

www.ciaohostel.com 

New Ostel 

Via I. Peri, 3 


Tel e Fax: 0555272220 

info@newostel.com 

www.newostel.com 

Ostello 7 Santi 

Viale dei Mille, 11 


Tel: 055 5048452 

Fax: 055 5057085 

info@7santi.com 

www.7santi.com 

Ostello Centrale 

Via Faenza, 46/r 


Tel: 055 268481 

Fax: 055 268481 

Ostello Il Kantiere 

Via del Cavallaccio, 1/Q 


Tel: 055 7331270 

segreteria@kantiereFlorence.it 

www.kantiereFlorence.it 

Ostello Santa Monaca 

Via Santa Monaca, 6 


Tel: 055 268338 - 055 2396704 

Fax: 055 280185 

info@ostello.it 

www.ostello.it 

Ostello Villa Camerata 

Viale A. Righi, 2/4 


Tel: 055 601451 - Fax: 055 610300 

Florence@aighostels.com 

www.ostelloFlorence.it 

Pensionato Pio X 

Via dei Serragli, 106 


Tel: 055 225044 

Fax: 055 225044 

Pensionato S. Filippo Neri 

Via dell’ Anguillara, 25 


Tel: 055 215701 

Fax: 055 215701 

pensionato@oratoriosanfilippo.it 

www.oratoriosanfilippo.it 

Plus Ostello Florence 

Via Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, 15/17 


Tel: 055 4628934 

Fax: 055 4628934 

info@plusflorence.com 

www.plusflorence.com 

Pr. I. M.S.C. Alfa Nuova 

Via E. Poggi, 6 


Tel: 055 472883 

Fax: 055 488437 

Suore Oblate dell’Assunzione 

Via Borgo Pinti, 15 


Tel: 0552480582 

Fax: 0552346291 

Villa Agape 

Via Torre del Gallo, 8/10 


Tel: 055 220044 

Fax: 055 2337012 

Villa I Cancelli 

Via Incontri, 21 


Tel: 055 4226001 

Fax: 055 4226037 

villaicancelli@alice.it 

Villa Maria SS. Assunta 

Via delle Forbici, 38 


Tel: 055 577690 

Fax: 055 570156 

Youth Residence Florence 2000 

Viale R. Sanzio, 16 


Tel: 055 2335558 

Fax: 055 2306392 

bed@dada.it 

www.cheap-hotel-florence.com 

37

INFORMATION 

TOURIST INFORMATION 

Bike rentals 

APT Florence 

Tourist Information Office 

Via Cavour, 1r 

Tel: 055290832 - 055290833 

info1@Florenceturismo.it 

Hours: from Monday to Saturday 

8.30 a.m.-6.30 p.m. 

Sundays and holidays 8.30 a.m.-1.30 p.m. 

www.Florenceturismo.it 

Other APT offices in Florence 

Via Manzoni 16 

Tel: 055 23320 

Aeroporto “A. Vespucci” 

Tel: 055 315874 



Piazza Stazione 

Tel: 055 212245 

turismo3@comune.fi.it 



Borgo S. Croce 29r 

Tel: 055 2340444 - 055 2264524 

turismo2@comune.fi.it 

Alinari 

Bicycles and scooters for hire 

Via Guelfa, 85r 

Tel: 055 280500 

www.alinarirental.com 

Florence by bike 

Bicycles and scooters for hire 

Via S.Zanobi, 120/122r 

Tel. e Fax: 055 488992 

www.florencebybike.it 

Rent Way 

P.zza San Benendetto, 1/r 

50122 - Florence 

Tel: 055 2398890 

Cell: 333 9619820 

www.rentway.it 

info@rentway.it 

Events and fairs 

38 

• Bacco Artigiano (26 September) 

• Benedizione del vino (September) 

• Capodanno toscano (29 March) 

• Festival of Magi (6 January) 

• Festa della Rificolona (7 September) 

• Feast of San Lorenzo (10 August) 

• Feast of Santa Reparata (7 - 8 October) 

• Feast of Sant’Anna (26 July) 

• La Fiorita (23 May) 

• Ricordo di Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici 

(18 February) 

• Scoppio del Carro (12 April) 

• Torneo del Calcio Storico (24 June)

View of Palazzo Vecchio from Via dei Cerchi 

39 


1 st Itinerary - FLORENCE THE URBAN TOUR

40 

The City of Florence Welcoming the Poor and the Needy, “Libro del Biadaiolo”

2 nd Itinerary 


Connecting to the 

Via Francigena in Siena 

41 

For connections to Siena (and then to Rome) among the main 

roads in their own countryside, Florentines preferred to use the 

road known as Sanctus Donatus in Pocis, or the Via Sanese as its 

ultimate destination was Siena. It was the shortest route to Siena, 

where it joined the Via Francigena and, not coincidentally, was 

also used by pilgrims on their way to Rome after passing through 

Florence, as seen from the pilgrims’ memoirs. Significantly, however, 

it is along this road that one finds the oldest documented 

bridge in Florence: the Ponte della Sambuca also called Romagliano 

(or Romagnano), mentioned as early as the 12 th century, 

which demonstrates the importance and age of the road.



Connecting to the Via Francigena in Siena 

Porta San Miniato (Florence) 

Sant’Andrea in Percussina 

Montefiridolfi 

San Donato in Poggio 


Uopini 

Piazza Duomo (Siena) 

42 

THE ITINERARY 

Starting Point: Porta San Miniato (Florence) 

End point: Piazza Duomo (Siena) 

Elevation gain: 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

00


Distance (route): km 83.3 

Distance (alternative routes): km 23.4 

Level of technical difficulty: T-E 

Level of physical difficulty: Medium-Easy 

List of legs: 

Leg 1: Porta San Miniato (Florence) – Sant’Andrea in Percussina 

Waypoints: Poggio Imperiale, Galluzzo, Pozzolatico, Tavarnuzze 

Distance: km 15.6 

Page 48 

Leg 2: Sant’Andrea in Percussina – Montefiridolfi 

Waypoints: San Casciano, Calzaiolo, Bibbione Castle 

Distance: km 14 

Page 54 

Leg 3: Montefiridolfi – San Donato in Poggio 

Waypoints: Badia a Passignano, Sambuca 


Page 58 

Leg 3, Alternative Route: Badia a Passignano – San Donato in Poggio 

Waypoints: Rignana, Fornace, Pietracupa 


Page 62 

Leg 4: San Donato in Poggio – Castellina in Chianti 

Waypoints: Pietracupa, San Silvestro, Protine, Pietrafitta, Monastero di Sotto 


Page 64 

Leg 4, Alternative Route: San Donato in Poggio – Pietrafitta 

Waypoints: Pietracupa, Sicelle, Sant’Eufrosio, Pieve a Panzano, Lucarelli, 


Page 68 

Leg 5: Castellina in Chianti – Uopini (Siena) 

Waypoints: Fonterutoli, Querciagrossa, Basciano (Ripa Poggiarello 1 Km) 


Page 74 

Uopini - Piazza Duomo (Siena) 


43 

The route alternates stretches on secondary asphalt roads and dirt roads. The path 

is well marked and presents no orientation difficulties. From the village of San 

Donato in Poggio, the route is basically a hike on forest roads and trails. The two 

alternative routes are also hikes. 

The legs can be easily walked. There are no particular problems with finding water 

or other refreshments, except on the two alternative routes. 

The itinerary runs through a hilly area with frequent climbs. The scenery is exceptionally 

beautiful with historical and cultural elements typical of the rural Tuscan 

economy. 

Two alternative routes are suggested. The first is more panoramic, the second 

goes to Sant’Eufrosino, a local pilgrimage destination. 

Note: The route joins the Via Francigena in Siena. There are many gates along 

the farm roads that keep the wildlife away from the crops. Do not leave the gates 

open, once having passed through. 

To cover the most urbanized and heavily trafficked areas, we recommend going 

the final 7.2-km stretch between Uopini and Siena by bus.



Connecting to the Via Francigena in Siena 





44 

View of the countryside south of Florence

BIKING ITINERARY 

Distance (route): km 90,5 

Distance (alternative routes): km 23,4 

Level of technical difficulty: T-C 

Level of physical difficulty: Medium 

List of itinerary legs: 

Leg 1: Porta San Miniato (Florence) – Montefiridolfi 

Waypoints: Poggio Imperiale, Galluzzo, Pozzolatico, Tavarnuzze, 

Sant’Andrea in Percussina, San Casciano, Calzaiolo, Bibbione Castle 

Distance: km 29,6 

Page 48 

Leg 2: Montefiridolfi – Castellina in Chianti 

Waypoints: Badia a Passignano, Sambuca, San Donato in Poggio, Pietracupa, 

San Silvestro, Protine, Pietrafitta, Monastero di Sotto 


Page 58 

Leg 3: Castellina in Chianti – Siena 

Waypoints: Fonterutoli, Querciagrossa, Basciano (Ripa Poggiarello 1 Km), Uopini 


Page 74 

Leg 2 / 3, Alternative Route: 

(A) Badia a Passignano – Panzano 

(B) Panzano – Pietrafitta 

Waypoints: (A) Rignana, Fornace, Pitracupa, Sicelle, Sant’Eufrosino 

(B) Lucarelli 


Page 62 


Badia a Passignano 

Pietracupa 

Panzano 

Pietrafitta 


45 

6.6 km 

Time: 30’ 

8.9 km 

Time: 1h00’ 

10.0 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

4.5 km 

Time: 45’ 

33.2 km 

Time: 2h40’ 

The main itinerary, in the stretch between S.Donato in Poggio and Querciagrossa, 

and the “Leg 2 and 3” alternative route are demanding and suitable for bicyclists 

of medium technical skill. The “Leg 2 and 3” route may have an alternative stop in 

Panzano. The itinerary unwinds on secondary asphalt and on dirt roads, it is wellmarked 

and does not present any problems of orientation. 

There are no particular problems with finding water or other refreshments, unlike 

along the two alternative routes. The itinerary runs through a hilly area with frequent 

changes in elevation and steep climbs. The scenery is exceptionally beautiful 

due to historico-cultural elements typical of Tuscan agriculture. 

Note: The course requires good physical conditioning because of the many climbs. 

Almost 45% of the route can be covered using racing bikes while the remaining 

55% has gravel and beaten earth road beds and are suitable for mountain or citybikes 

with sturdy tires. The final stretch from Fonterutoli to Casalino is characterized 

by the presence of hawthorn with the consequent high risk of punctures.

Sanese Road and Romana Road 

The road in the first part of the itinerary (from Florence to the valley 

floor of the Pesa), followed the route of another main road in 

the Florentine countryside, that of the Strada Regia Romana, as it 

came to be known. It joined the Via Francigena, in the middle of 

the Val d’Elsa at Poggibonsi, and then continued with a slightly 

longer route, towards Siena. 

Both routes played an increasingly important role in the system 

of pilgrimage roads when the Via Francigena was “abducted” by 

Florence in the 13 th century as, with the development of a trans- 

Apennine crossing for Bologna, pilgrims to Rome began to favor 

the crossing points in the Mugello instead of the Cisa Pass, making 

Florence a stopping point on the road to Rome. 

2 nd Itinerary - THE VIA SANESE 

Until at least the end of the 12 th century, the two routes (the 

Sanese Road and the Romana Road), served to connect Florence 

with the southern section of the Via Francigena in Tuscany. In this 

guide, we have favored the “Via Sanese” because it allows us to 

recommend walking itineraries which sometimes follow exactly 

the ancient road that has survived 18 th - and 19 th -century modernization. 

In fact, the former Romana road, now State Road 2, is 

less suited to our idea of creating an alternative route, because of 

the intense traffic that characterizes some sections, especially in 

the larger towns (Tavarnelle, Barberino, Poggibonsi, and Staggia) 

located along the way. 

46 

Along the Via Sanese after Fonterutoli 

www.vieromee.it

The Ancient Way 

In the Middle Ages, the common course of the two roads started 

at Porta San Pietro Gattolino (now Porta Romana), climbing the 

hill of San Gaggio where once stood the Hospice of San Giuliano 

a Colombaia, founded in 1363 near the ancient “Fonte 

di Colombaia”. The route then headed towards Galluzzo where 

there was another hospice, Santa Maria di Malavolta, following 

though a different route than that of state road 2, (today the 

Via del Podestà), on which the hospice of Santa Lucia a Massapagana 

once stood. 

The road then proceeded towards Tavarnuzze whose name carries 

on the memory of the inn for travelers once found there. 

Soon after, it crossed the Greve River at the foot of Castle of 

Montebuoni to climb again to San Casciano. Then it descended 

into the Val di Pesa where in Ponte Nuovo it split into two routes: 

the Sanese road, that crossed the Pesa at Sambuca, reached the 

watershed line between the Val di Pesa and the Valdelsa, and arrived 

in Siena from a path along the ridge, and the Via Romana 

that went up the hills that divide the Val di Pesa and the Valdelsa 

and it then ran along the bottom of the Valdelsa and of its tributary 

Staggia, and also reached Siena after having joined the Via 

Francigena at Poggibonsi. 

View of San Donato in Poggio 

47


LEG 1: 

PORTA SAN MINIATO (FLORENCE) 

SANT’ANDREA IN PERCUSSINA 


Starting point 

of LEG 1 

Poggio 

Imperiale 

La Fonte 

Galluzzo 

Riccio 

Botta 

Pozzolatico 

Colleramole 

Tavarnuzze 

Riboia 

Pescina 

Meccoli 

48 

Sant’Andrea 

in Percussina 

LEG 1 to 


see page 54 

Bagnolo 

Impruneta 

Farmhouse in the Val di Pesa


List of waypoints: 

Poggio Imperiale, Galluzzo, Pozzolatico, Tavarnuzze 

Level of technical difficulty: T 


Climb: m 440 


Travel time: 5h05’ 

This leg is entirely on secondary asphalt roads. There are quite challenging 

climbs. There are no problems or possible difficulties in identifying the route. 

The leg has innumerable panoramic vantage points. 

Note: This leg requires being in good physical condition. There are many 

fountains and refreshments available in the towns and villages along the route. 

At the end of this leg in S. Andrea in Percussina, you can proceed to S. Casciano 

V. Pesa (3.5 km), which offers a greater number of accommodation facilities. 

Transport: 

Florence 


To be seen: 

Church of San Felice a Ema 

Church of Santo Stefano a Pozzolatico 

Basilica di S. Maria dell’Impruneta (5 km from Tavarnuzze) 

The Machiavelli House – Sant’Andrea in Percussina – San Casciano Val di Pesa 

49 

LEGS 

Leg 1 

Porta San Miniato 

S. Andrea in Percussina 

Leg 2 



Leg 3 


S. Donato in Poggio 

Leg 4 



Leg 5 


Siena

DEVOTION 

The Miraculous Image of Impruneta 

Beyond the legends that flourished around its recovery, it is certain 

that the attraction of the miraculous image of the Virgin, 

kept in the parish church of Impruneta, quickly spread from the 

countryside to the city, instilling in Florentines a special devotion 

to the sacred image. Such that, as Repetti wrote (in Dizionario 

geografico fisico storico della Toscana 1832-43, vol. II, p. 574), 

“... oftentimes the Florentine government in cases of war or misfortunes 

like the plague, a long drought or persistent rains, had 

recourse to the miraculous image of Our Lady of Impruneta, 

whose venerable tabernacle, with a grand escort, a great multitude, 

and extreme devotion was brought in a procession to 

Florence”. 

The importance of the ancient parish church also grew, and it 

was renovated and expanded several times beginning in the 15 th 

century, until it assumed its current aspect as a large sanctuarybasilica, 

complete with a large colonnade in front so as to receive 

the ever increasing number of pilgrims who flocked there. 

As the fame of this sacred image grew, so did the wealth of the 

Impruneta parish church, that was enriched with buildings, rooms 

and works of art. (Many of the latter are now kept in the Museum 

of the Treasure of Santa Maria of Impruneta). 

Confirming the constant flow of pilgrims who went to the basilica, 

was the establishment of a preceptory of Jerusalem (the 

so-called Commenda) whose task was to give hospitality to those 

who came on pilgrimage to Impruneta, sometimes from places 

quite far away. 

50 

The Madonna of Impruneta

To avoid the usual problems of traffic, we suggest starting our 

itinerary from the San Miniato city gate - near the Villa Bardini 

and reachable from the Via Belvedere - flanked by a remaining 

section of the 14 th -century walls. So, after covering a short 

stretch of Via del Monte alle Croci, we continue along the picturesque 

footpath up Via dell’Erta Canina, an old, stone-paved 

road that slopes sharply (hence its name). Moreover, this road 

was still used in the 19 th century to go to Siena and Rome, as 

evidenced by the simple lines of verse engraved at the base of 

a street tabernacle near the end of our steep climb, which invoke 

divine protection for travelers in addition to indicating the 

distance traveled from Florence (a quarter-mile) and urging that 

the horses be rested. 

Having turned into the modern Viale Galileo and traveled a small 

distance, our route continues along characteristic streets sided 

by high walls with traces of antique graffiti; we pass by Via della 

Torre del Gallo, Via del Pian dei Giullari, Via Guglielmo Righini 

and Via Suor Maria Celeste. Walking behind the Villa Poggio 

Imperiale in a countryside dotted with villas and farmhouses – 

the landscape typical of the hills of Florence – we come to Via 

Gherardo Silvani, at the beginning of which we find the beautiful 

Romanesque Church of San Felice a Ema, completely 

renovated in the 18 th century. 

Then, taking the Via Vecchia di Pozzolatico, we arrive in the 

small village of Pozzolatico, whose church, dedicated to Saint 

Stephen, has partially retained its original Romanesque character, 

which is especially evident in the massive bell tower. Here, 

the suggested itinerary includes our first detour to visit a minor 

place of pilgrimage yet one of considerable local importance, 

especially in Florence. In fact, we find in Pozzolatico one of the 

Florentine valley paths that climb the slopes of the Impruneta hill 

on which stands the Sanctuary-Basilica of Santa Maria, with 

its miraculous image of the Madonna. 

2 nd Itinerary - THE VIA SANESE - LEG 1 

51 


4.8 km 

Time: 1h30’ 


2.1 km 

Time: 45’ 


2.4 km 

Time: 40’ 

Church of San Lorenzo alle Rose 

2.8 km 

Time: 50’ 

Poggio di Montebuoni 

3.5 km 

Time: 1h20’ 


www.vieromee.it

Returning to Pozzolatico to resume our journey, we proceed towards 

the Romanesque church of San Lorenzo alle Rose, using 

a much less trafficked side street. Here, we can still admire 

the landscape of the hills surrounding Florence which have been 

shaped by the work of man. Then we begin to descend towards 

the village of Tavarnuzze where we intersect state road 2. Rather 

than follow the Greve River, like the state road, we suggest following 

the path of the medieval road that went up the steep 

Montebuoni Hill, where the Buondelmonte castle once stood 

and where there was also a hospice (the Hospitale de Montebuoni), 

run by the Vallombrosans from the Montescalari Abbey, 

which has been documented as early as 1095. Then, we walk 

downhill on a steep footpath until we reach state road 2, at Ponte 

degli Scopeti, an ancient crossing point over the Greve River. 


From here onwards, our route retraces a good part of the medieval 

road to Rome and to Siena since, past Ponte degli Scopeti, we begin 

the road that goes to San Casciano, passing through the village 

of Sant’Andrea in Percussina, famous for having been the buen 

retiro of Niccolò Machiavelli when he retired to the villa after having 

been removed from the office of chancellor of the Republic. 

The hills of the Val di Pesa 

52 



4.8 km 

Time: 1h30’ 


2.1 km 

Time: 45’ 


2.4 km 

Time: 40’ 

Church of San Lorenzo alle Rose 

2.8 km 

Time: 50’ 

Poggio di Montebuoni 

3.5 km 

Time: 1h20’ 

Sant’Andrea in Percussina


Step by step 

This first part of the route is thus described in the Book of 

Memories of the Florentine Company of the Holy Sacrament 

that went on pilgrimage to Rome in the Holy Year of 1575: 

“…we went towards the Gate (San Pietro Gattolini) always a 

great number as far as the Gate and San Gaggio inside and 

along the streets. As we were still arriving near the gate we 

met a company near the gate that accompanied us lovingly 

as far as San Gaggio and then we went on our Holy Pilgrimage 

cheerfully with God’s name and we came to the Church 

of Santo Andrea above mentioned, at midday we were invited 

with greatest charity to refresh ourselves and sit at a table with 

4 priests always speaking of spiritual things and then we left, 

singing ever more psalms”. 

Farm road near San Casciano Val di Pesa 

53


LEG 2: 

SANT’ANDREA IN PERCUSSINA 

MONTEFIRIDOLFI 

Sant’Andrea 

in Percussina 

Continuing of LEG 1 

see page 48 

Falciani 

Montecapri 

Le Querce 

La Bruscola 

Molinaccio 

San Casciano 

Crespeccioli 

Canciulle 

Calzaiolo 

Bibbione Castle 

Mocale 

54 

Bargino 

Loggetta 


The Parish Church of Santa Cecilia a Decimo



San Casciano, Calzaiolo, Bibbione Castle 



Climb: m 210 



This leg is mainly on secondary asphalt roads, with a stretch of dirt road between 

San Casciano and Calzaiolo. There are steep climbs. There are no problems 

with orientation or unclear identification of the route. 

Many panoramic points over the Chianti hills are found along this leg. 

Note: The length of this leg is limited with little elevation gain and does not 

require specific physical training. There is a tough, approximately 1-km climb 

after Calzaiolo. Water is available in the villages and towns. 

Transport: 



To be seen: 

Museo d’Arte Sacra – San Casciano Val di Pesa 

Montefiridolfi Castle 

55 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 



Leg 3 



Leg 4 



Leg 5 


Siena

HOSPITALITY 

The Inns of the Machiavelli Family 

An important place-name, Spedaletto derives its name from the 

existence of a hospice known to have been located here beginning 

in the 14 th century, whose patrons were the Machiavelli family. In 

addition to this charitable structure for poor travelers and pilgrims, 

the Machiavelli family ran a series of inns on the stretch of road 

between Florence and San Casciano. In fact, the 1427 Florentine 

Cadastral records show that a number of properties belonged to 

various branches of the family: one inn just outside the city walls 

at Porta San Pietro Gattolino; another in Sant’Andrea in Percussina 

(standing beside the 13 th -century manor house of the Florentine 

Secretary, called, not surprisingly, the Albergaccio), and a third was 

located in castro Sancti Chasciani. 

The Albergaccio, the Machiavelli House, Sant’Andrea in Percussina 

56

Proceeding past Sant’Andrea in Percussina towards San Casciano, 

we come across Spedaletto, a typical elongated village that 

lines the sides of the road. 

Built at an intersection with a cross road connecting the Val di 

Pesa and the Val di Greve, the origins of San Casciano are reflected 

in the oldest part of the town, that lies along two main 

streets that intersect, forming an X. Because of its importance as 

a stopping point, the town was home not only to inns but also 

to many hospices between the late 13 th and the early 14 th centuries, 

including: the Hospice of Santa Cristina, that of San Lorenzo, 

a Hospitale domine Mate and one kept by the Dominicans. 

Along a separate route that runs parallel to state road 2 and 

keeping to its left, our itinerary continues down into the Pesa 

River valley floor, which is reached at Calzaiolo. The town owes 

its name to the fact that Giovanni, son of Pietro, known as Calzaiolo, 

together with his wife Carina had founded a hospice here 

in 1139, whose structures – despite numerous renovations – are 

still preserved, together with the church annexed to it. 

We continue for just over a kilometer along the state road following 

the Pesa River course until we reach Monte di Sassi. We 

turn left here to go up to Bibbione Castle, then continue on to 

Villa La Loggia and Montefiridolfi. 



57 


0.7 km 

Time: 10’ 

Spedaletto 

2.9 km 

Time: 45’ 

San Casciano 

4 km 

Time: 1h 

Calzaiolo 

2.6 km 

Time: 1h 


3.8 km 

Time: 1h 


www.vieromee.it


LEG 3: 

MONTEFIRIDOLFI 

SAN DONATO IN POGGIO 

Startin point 

of LEG 2 


Vignano 

Acquaviva 

Monte Lodoli 

Fabbrio 


Sambuca 

Il Poggiolino 

Casetto 

San Giustino 

ALTERNATIVE 

ROUTE 

58 

LEG 2 to 


see page 64 

Fermignano 

San Donato 

in Poggio 

The Sambuca Bridge (Mappe di Popoli e Strade dei Capitani di Parte Guelfa, 1585)



Badia a Passignano, Sambuca 



Climb: m 260 



The leg covers both asphalt side roads and dirt roads. No problems with orientation 

or possible unclear identification of the route, even when on dirt roads. The climbs 

are not particularly demanding. 

The itinerary includes panoramic views of the Chianti hills. 

Note: This leg covers a limited distance with reasonable elevation gain. There is a 

3-km stretch of dirt road between Santa Maria a Macerata and Badia a Passignano. 

From Badia a Passignano, you can take an alternative route through Rignana and 

Fornace that leads to S. Donato in Poggio. Instead, care must be taken on the main 

itinerary because of the motor traffic on a 4-km stretch along the Via Chiantigiana 

between Sambuca and Castellina in Chianti. 

Water is available in the villages and towns. 

Transport: 

Monteridolfi 


To be seen: 

Abbey of Passignano 

Bridge of Romagliano in Sambuca Val di Pesa 

Village of San Donato in Poggio 

Parish Church of San Donato in Poggio 

59 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 



Leg 3 



Leg 4 



Leg 5 


Siena


After Monteridolfi, we pass Santa Maria Macerata until we 

reach the Abbey of Passignano, another pilgrimage destination 

as it holds the body of Saint John Gualbert, the founder of 

the Vallombrosan order. 

From the Abbey of Passignano, we can go directly to San Donato 

in Poggio on a hilly route that passes mainly through wooded 

areas. Heading instead towards the valley floor, where the medieval 

Via Sanese passed, we reach Sambuca, a village built near 

the ancient Bridge of Ramagliano, documented since the mid-12 th 

century. As usually happened at river crossings, there were inns and 

hostels as well as charitable institutions to be found. In particular, 

regarding to the latter, there had been a hospice run since 1123 

by the monks from the Abbey of Passignano, which seems to have 

been near the Bridge of Ramagliano. There was then a Hospice of 

San Lazzaro, documented since the end of the 13 th century, and the 

Hospice of San Nicola, commonly known as il Chiesino. 

Passing through all the old town of Sambuca, whose urban layout 

developed along the road where it rose, we start to climb a very 

steep slope to reach the ridge of hills separating the Valdelsa and 

the Val di Pesa. The route on which we walk is a direct successor 

to the ancient Via Sanese, and soon brings us to San Donato in 

Poggio, passing before the homonymous parish church, located 

just outside the ancient walls of the castle that has retained substantially 

intact its medieval urban layout. 

Parish Church of San Donato in Poggio 

60 



6.6 km 

Time: 2h 


4.3 km 

Time: 1h10’ 

Sambuca 

4.6 km 

Time:1h35’ 

San Donato 

in Poggio

LAND OF SAINTS 

The Relics of Saint John Gualbert in Passignano 

Probably founded by the Lombards, the Benedictine Abbey of San 

Michele Arcangelo a Passignano was offered around the mid-11 th 

century by the lords who had its patronage to Saint John Gualbert 

who had founded some years earlier in Vallombrosa a new monastic 

congregation actively engaged in reforming the Church. The 

saint restored the monastery and established a small community 

there, which was led by his disciple Leto. And it was in Passignano 

itself that in 1073 the saint ended his earthly days; therefore the 

monastery, custodian of the remains of the founder of the Vallombrosan 

congregation, came to occupy a prestigious position within 

the order itself, and became a pilgrimage destination, also benefiting 

from its proximity to the Via Sanese, one of the pilgrims’ routes 

to Rome. 

Thanks to numerous donations obtained as a result of the monks’ 

fervor, the Abbey of Passignano came to possess many landed 

properties. The monastery grew to the current majestic complex 

with buildings from various eras (including a hospice for 

pilgrims and travelers), encircled within 14 th -century walls. The 

Romanesque-style church was enlarged and modernized in the 

late Renaissance: it contains the precious reliquary-bust of Saint 

John Gualbert, the work of 15 th -century Florentine goldsmiths; it 

is made of embossed and chiseled silver with a base consisting of 

20 small cuspated aedicules, decorated with scenes in fine enamel 

that illustrate the saint’s miracles and stories from his life. 

VILLAGES AND MONUMENTS 

San Donato in Poggio and the Parish Church 

The church has its original architectural features, and is indeed 

one of the most artistically perfect Romanesque buildings in the 

Florentine countryside because of the elegant facing of its walls 

with courses of white limestone, recalling the marmoreal brilliance 

of the main Romanesque churches in Florence. 

San Donato was one of the main stopping points along the Via 

Sanese: in “Sainct Donast est le commencement de la Seigneurie 

des Florentins”, wrote an anonymous Frenchman on his way 

to Rome in 1480, one of the many pilgrims who stopped there. 

Inside the castle, there is evidence that a hospice dedicated to 

Saint Luke once existed, as well as a Hospitale Communis, which 

housed the poor of Christ and the hospitalers. 

61

Starting point of LEG 3 

Alternative Route 


Leg 3, Alternative Route: 

BADIA A PASSIGNANO 



Vignano 

Monte Lodoli 

Acquaviva 

Fabbrio 


Sambuca 

MAIN 

ITINERARY 

Il Poggiolino 

Casetto 

San Giustino 

Rignana 

ALTERNATIVE 

ROUTE 

Fermignano 

Fornace 

62 

San Donato 

in Poggio 

Pietracupa 

LEG 2/3, Alternative route to 

Pieve a Panzano 

see page 68 

View of the Abbey of Passignano



Rignana, Fornace, Pietracupa 



Climb: m 330 


Travel time: 3h 

The alternative route for leg 3 starts in Badia a Passignano after traveling 

6.6 km from Montefiridolfi. From the Abbey, the alternative route joins the 

road for Poggio al Vento, which we follow for about 2 km. In this stretch, 

we find a steep climb that goes from Borro di Rimaggio to the fork for 

Casa Poggio al Vento. After passing the crossroads, we continue on the 

left for about 800 meters to the small bridge over the Fosso Casasilia. We 

continue along the dirt road that follows the crest of the hills as far as Santa 

Maria a Rignana, and then, past Rignana, we come to another crossroads 

after about 1 km. We turn right and descend to the Pesa River as far 

as the little bridge in Fornace. This is the beginning of a demanding, uphill 

climb, more than 2 km long, that brings us to Pietracupa. We then pass 

near the ruins of the village of Fornace until reaching the edge of a wood. 

Keeping to the left on the uphill dirt road, we pass through the villages of 

Casalino and Podere Ripoli. Here we find a dirt road on the right that leads 

us to Montecchio farm and the entrance to La Papessa holiday farm. From 

there, we reach an asphalt road that we follow for a few hundred metres 

as far as the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Pietracupa. 

The route has many panoramic viewpoints over the Val di Pesa. This leg 

is entirely on forest roads with no orientation problems. The climbs are of 

medium difficulty. 

63 




6,6 km 

Time: 2h 

8,9 km 

Time: 3h


LEG 4: 


CASTELLINA IN CHIANTI 

San Donato 

in Poggio 

Pietracupa 


see page 58 

Il Leccio 

ALTERNATIVE 

ROUTE 

Caselline 

San Silvestro 

Santa Maria Grignano 

La Valle 

San Damè 

Protine 

Faggeto 

Pietrafitta 

Gualdolino 

Sassocupo 

Monastero di Sotto 

Cavallari 

Sommavilla 

Cellole 

64 


Hospice of San Giorgio alle Rose



Pietracupa, San Silvestro, Protine, Pietrafitta, Monastero di Sotto. 


Level of physical difficulty: Easy 

Climb: m 615 



After the initial 2.5 km along an asphalt road, the route continues on dirt roads 

and trails. There are many forks along these forest roads, so special attention 

must be paid to the signs. The route then unwinds almost exclusively in forests 

where oak species prevail. There are steep climbs, of which the most difficult is 

definitely the one that goes from Cerchiaio to Pietrafitta. 

Note: This leg requires good physical training. Water is available only in the 

villages and towns. 

Transport: 



To be seen: 

Hospice of San Giorgio alle Rose 

Village and fortress of Castellina in Chianti 

Archeological Museum of the Sienese Chianti – Castellina in Chianti 

65 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 



Leg 3 



Leg 4 



Leg 5 


Siena

66 

Fortress of Castellina

From San Donato in Poggio, our itinerary, that retraces the ancient 

Via Sanese continues along the panoramic Provincial Road 

76 that offers sweeping views over both the Val di Pesa and Val 

d’Elsa. Just outside the castle, at the fork with the road to Panzano, 

is the Oratory of the Madonna of Pietracupa, a lesser 

pilgrimage destination but of considerable local importance beginning 

at the end of the 16 th century. 

Shortly after, in San Giorgio alle Rose, there is a Romanesque 

church with a rectangular hall but no apse that overlooks the 

road: it is the ancient Hospice of San Giorgio all’Eroso, documented 

as early as the 12 th century. The farmhouse across the 

road incorporates the remains of a tavern, that was noted in 

the 16 th -century Mappe di Popoli e Strade of the Capitani di 

Parte Guelfa. 

Just beyond the Hospice of San Giorgio, we leave the provincial 

road behind and take the local road to the left that goes down 

into the Val di Pesa, passing by the San Silvestro and Protine 

farmhouses. To the side of the latter is a small single-nave Romanesque 

church with an apse whose original characteristics are 

practically intact. We continue to the Cerchiaia mill and then 

proceed towards Pietrafitta on a steeply sloping dirt road that 

intersects the Chianti state road. We continue on a dirt road as 

far as Pietrafitta, an ancient Chianti castle, of which some structures 

still remain in addition to the parish church, renovated in the 

19 th century. We keep on as far as the Casanuova farmhouse, then 

cross a wooded area to head towards the Monastero di Sotto, 

the former residence of the Vallombrosan monks, now used as a 

holiday farm. From here, we continue across dirt roads up to San 

Martino and then to Castellina after only five hundred meters. 


Castellina in Chianti, an ancient outpost of the Florentine Republic, 

retains the mighty defensive works built at the beginning 

of the 15 th century. An important stopping point along the 

way, Castellina had a Hospitale pauperum dedicated to Saint 

Michael and offered various forms of commercial hospitality 

(inns, hostels). 

67 


2.4 km 

Time: 45’ 

Ancient Hospice 

of San Giorgio all’Eroso 

1.4 km 

Time: 30’ 

San Silvestro 

5.7 km 

Time: 1h50’ 

Protine 

2.7 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

Pietrafitta 

3.2 km 

Time: 1h 


1.8 km 

Time: 35’ 


www.vieromee.it


LEG 4, ALTERNATIVE ROUTE: 


PIETRAFITTA 

Starting point of LEG 2/3, Alternative route B 

Continuing of LEG 2/3, Alternative route A 

San Donato 

in Poggio 

see page 62 

Sicelle 

Pietracupa 

Il Leccio 

Sant’Eufrosino 

Lucarelli 

Panzano 

Pieve a Panzano 

ALTERNATIVE 

ROUTE 

Caselline 

MAIN 

ITINERARY 

Santa Maria Grignano 

La Valle 

San Damè 

Pietrafitta 

Faggeto 

Gualdolino 

68 

Sassocupo 


Cellole 


Cavallari 

Sommavilla 

LEG 2/3, Alternative route B to 

Siena 

see page 62 

Landscape along the itinerary



Pietracupa, Sicelle, Sant’Eufrosino, Pieve a Panzano, Lucarelli 



Climb: m 580 



This leg is 50% on asphalt roads and 50% on gravel and grass roads. Again, 

in this case, there are no orientation problems or difficulties in identifying the 

route. This is a very demanding leg that requires proper physical training. There 

is a variety of sometimes very steep climbs, with a total elevation gain of 710 m. 

On top of that, it is over 19 km long. 

Transport: 



To be seen: 

Sanctuary of Sant’Eufrosino 

Parish Church of San Leolino – Panzano 

Note: Those who are doing the bike itinerary and are coming from Montefiridolfi, 

will stop in Panzano, then onward to Siena with a very challenging 

new leg. 

69 


Pietrafitta 


14,5 km 

Time: 5h10’ 

5 km 

Time: 1h35’

DEVOTION 

Pietracupa and the Miraculous Image of the Madonna 

Along the Via Sanese there was a road tabernacle dedicated to 

the Virgin, with the frescoed image painted there, set on a large 

limestone block. At the end of the 16 th century, the story spread 

that this image performed miracles. The local people began to 

make pilgrimages there and, as a result, bequests and donations 

grew to the point that the construction of a true sanctuary was 

carried out to house the tabernacle and the fresco. In 1596, the 

oldest part of the building was built: a church hall whose architectural 

features reflected the classical canons of 16 th -century Mannerism. 

During the 17 th century, with the further growth in popular 

devotion and, consequently, in pilgrimages, the church was 

expanded with the addition of three chapels in the presbytery. 

At the same time, to meet the needs of the ever more numerous 

lay companies that went there, a large arcade that surrounds the 

building on three sides was built, giving it the typical aspect of 

a church that was a pilgrimage destination. (L. BIADI, Memorie 

storiche del piviere di San Pietro in Bossolo, Florence 1848). 

Oratory of the Madonna of Pietracupa 

70

The road that at the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Pietracupa 

breaks off from the Via Sanese winds through the hills that 

slope toward the bottom of the Val di Pesa along a path that 

runs across the whole valley in the direction of Panzano Castle, 

with another nearby holy place, a pilgrimage destination 

– also in this case – of mostly local importance, the Sanctuary 

of Sant’Eufrosino. This alternative route, though longer, also 

takes us to Castellina in Chianti and then rejoins the Via Sanese. 

Along the way we find the turreted Valle manor house, then the 

small village of Sicelle, with its parish church rebuilt consistent 

with the original style in the early 20 th century. Upon reaching 

the Castagnoli farmhouse, we turn left to cross the Pesa River 

and then climb up to the Sanctuary of Sant’Eufrosino. 

Interior of the Parish Church of San Leolino 

71 


2 nd Itinerary - THE VIA SANESE - LEG 4, ALTERNATIVE ROUTE

2 nd Itinerary - THE VIA SANESE - LEG 4, ALTERNATIVE ROUTE 

Leaving Sant’Eufrosino, we go on in the direction of the Parish 

Church of San Leolino a Panzano, passing the Via di Mezzo 

farmhouse and reaching the state road 222 in Ferruzzi where 

the short road that leads to the church branches off. 

Recorded as a rural church as early as the 10 th century, San Leolino 

has preserved its original Romanesque structures inside despite 

the façade having been renovated in the 16 th century. It has 

three aisles that are separated by a series of arches on pillars. It 

contains ancient and precious artworks, including a panel painting 

attributed to Meliore, depicting the Madonna Enthroned 

with Saints Peter and Paul, a polyptych by Mariotto di Nardo 

also portraying the Madonna and Saints, a late 14 th century triptych 

of the Sienese school, and a 15 th -century Florentine school 

cuspated panel painting. 

The ancient Chianti dirt road runs behind the church. It passes 

the Le Masse and Castagnoli farmhouses and leads to the small 

hamlet of Lucarelli, on state road 222. Here we cross the Pesa 

River again and start climbing anew the slopes of the hills below 

Castellina. We continue past the Scovo and Casuccia farmhouses 

and arrive in Pietrafitta. 

Stone-paved road along the route 

72 

www.vieromee.it

DEVOTION 

The Water of Saint Eufrosino 

What distinguishes the church of Sant’Eufrosino from the other 

minor loca sacra (holy places) on our routes is its considerable antiquity. 

The cult of Saint Eufrosino, in fact, dates back to the early 

Middle Ages and most likely relates to the effort to evangelize the 

Lombard Arians on the part of eastern missionaries sent to Tuscia 

from Rome beginning in the 620s. As early as about the 8 th century, 

an oratory was erected on the site where one of them, known 

for his charity, was buried, as confirmed by the remains of a richly 

carved chancel screen recently brought to light during church 

restoration work. Today the church displays the simple and austere 

forms resulting from a radical, 15 th -century reconstruction, 

with a wide and uncluttered nave and a small external arcade 

for pilgrims. The pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Sant’Eufrosino 

was largely because of a belief in the saint’s thaumaturgic virtues 

associated with the miraculous water from the little well placed 

inside a small chapel located next to the church, and from a small 

fountain inside a nearby aedicule. 

When ill, people from the surrounding areas came to bathe or 

dip their limbs in the water of Saint Eufrosino. The water was also 

thought to have galactophorus qualities if ingested, thus presenting 

a solution to one of the most distressing problems of peasant 

societies of the past (R. STOPANI, Un Santuario altomedievale nel 

Chianti. L’oratorio di Sant’Eufrosino a Panzano, Centro di Studi 

Chiantigiani “Clante”, Florence 1997). 

Small fountain of Sant’Eufrosino 

73


LEG 5: 

CASTELLINA IN CHIANTI 

UOPINI (SIENA) 


Starting point of 

LEG 3 

Il Mandorlo 

Continuing of LEG 2/3, 

Alternative route B 

see page 68 

Cagnano di Sopra 

Il Trebbio 

Tramonti 

Fonterutoli 

Caggio 

Bellosguardo 

Pietralta 

Gallozzole 

Querciagrossa 

Gaggiola 

Santa Chiara 

Ripa Poggiarello 

Basciano 

(Ripa Poggiarello 1 km) 

74 

Santa Fortunata 

Uopini 

Tognazza 

Acquaviva 

Piazza Duomo 

(Siena) 

View along the route



Fonterutoli, Querciagrossa, Basciano (Ripa Poggiarello 1 Km) 



Climb: m 320 


Travel time: 6h 05’ 

This leg takes place almost exclusively on gravel roads and on trails. The route 

is readily identifiable and there are no difficulties or problems of orientation. 

This leg is particularly demanding for the distance to be covered. It spreads 

over a hilly environment of great beauty and fascination with valleys and hills 

characterized by alternating cultivated fields and hardwood groves. Some of the 

land crossed belongs to farmers who also raise Cinta Senese pigs. 

Note: For hikers, Uopini is considered the end of this leg. From here public 

transport can be used to reach the town of Siena (lines 036, 527, 528, 573, 

596, or visit website http://www.sienamobilita.it/). 

Transport: 


Fonterutoli 

Siena 

75 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 



Leg 3 



Leg 4 



Leg 5 


Siena

Beyond Castellina, state road 222 basically follows the route of 

the ancient Via Sanese as far as Siena. 

Long stretches of the medieval route – now a country road – have 

survived and run parallel to the state road. Useful as an alternative 

route, it enables going to all the many places that were once 

stopping points along the road, as well as reaching Siena. 

Then we encounter the village of Fonterutoli where the tavern 

Osteria di Fonte Rutili is shown on the 16 th century maps of the 

Capitani di Parte Guelfa, depicting also the spring that gave the 

village its name. 


Then we encounter the village of Frassi, where now is a holiday 

farm, not on the state road, and then on to Quercegrossa, a Sienese 

castle that housed the Hospice of San Jacopo recorded in the 1349 

Sienese Statutes. 

Using back roads that run parallel with the state road, we pass the 

farmhouses of Sornanino, Sornano and Casalino and we reach the 

Molino di Quercegrossa, the town that grew on the site of the 

Sienese castle. 

At Molino di Quercegrossa, we cross the state road and proceed 

towards Siena along dirt roads, past the Molino dello Staggia, 

Basciano and Palazzetto. We cross under the Florence-Siena 

highway and the railway and come to Molinuzzo. Siena is now 

near. Our itinerary comes across a final stopping point before 

reaching the city: the small village of Uopini, with its small church 

that has preserved intact its original Romanesque features. One 

could count on the assistance given in Uopini at the hospice there, 

which offered eight places to pilgrims. 

76 

From here, the bus takes us up to the majestic outer gate of 

Camollia where we enter Siena through the 14 th -century walls. 

Following Via di Camollia, Via dei Montanini, Banchi di Sopra 

and Via di Città, we find to the right Via del Capitano that leads 

us into the Piazza del Duomo. Before the old building of the 

hospice of Santa Maria della Scala in front of the cathedral 

our journey ends. 



1.7 km 

Time: 25’ 

Godenano 

Fonterutoli 

5.4 km 

Time: 1h45’ 

Casalino 

5 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

La Staggia 

4.5 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

1.4 km 

Time: 35’ 

Basciano 

Uopini 

3 km 

Time: 50’ 

Piazza Duomo (Siena)

Torre del Mangia, Piazza del Campo in Siena 

77

ACCOMODATION FACILITIES AND INFORMATION 

78 

Sant’Andrea in Percussina, San Casciano 

Art B&B 

Via della Volta, 6 

50026 San Casciano Val Di Pesa 

Tel: 055 8290372 

Fax: 055 8294149 

info@bbart.eu 

www.bbart.eu 

Di Chiara Michela Affittacamere 

Via Volterrana, 287 

Chiesanuova 


Tel: 055 827209 

La Fonte del Machiavelli B&B 

Via Scopeti, 54 

Sant’ Andrea in Percussina 


Tel: 055 8249598 - Fax: 055 8249598 

info@lafontedelmachiavelli.com 

www.lafontedelmachiavelli.com 

Massanera Agriturismo 

Via Faltignano, 76 

Chiesanuova 


Tel: 055 8242360 

Fax: 055 8242441 

info@massanera.com 

www.massanera.com 

Parrocchia San Casciano 

Via Guarucci, 8 


Tel: 055 820218 


Il Convento di Bini Cristina Affittacamere 

Via Collina, 11 



Tel: 0558244449 

Petigliolo Affittacamere 

Via Petigliolo, 19/a 



Tel: 055 8244029 

Sant’Angello Affittacamere 

Via Collina, 56 



Tel: 333 8001684 

Villa S. Andrea Affittacamere 

Via di Fabbrica 



Tel: 055 8249033 


Azienda Agricola Conio 

Via Sinigogola, 1 


50028 Tavarnelle Val di Pesa 

Tel: 055 8072055 - 055 8072822 

Fax: 055 8072822 

www.aziendaagricolaconio.it 

B&B Palazzo Malaspina 

Via del Giglio, 35 



Tel: 055 8072946 

www.palazzomalaspina.it 

Fattoria la Ripa 

Strada Provinciale per Castellina, 27 


50021 Barberino Valdelsa 

Tel: 055 8072948 

laripa@laripa.it 

www.laripa.it 

Il Glicine Affittacamere 

Via de’ Baluardi, 5a 



Tel: 055 8071604 - Fax: 055 8071604 

info@lifeinchianti.com 

La Papessa Affittacamere 

Via Montecchio, 4 



Tel: 055 8072363 

Pietracupa Affittacamere 

Via Madonna di Pietracupa, 31 



Tel: 055 8072400 - Fax: 055 8072142 

info@locandapietracupa.com 

www.locandapietracupa.com 


Castello Fonterutoli B&B 

Via Ottone III, 5 

Loc. Fonterutoli 

53011 Castellina in Chianti 

Tel. 0577 741385 

Podere Monastero Affittacamere 

Monastero, 37 


Tel: 0577 740436 

Tatini Andrea Affittacamere 

San Martino, 28 


Tel: 0577 740534

Cell: 329 8113124 

info@casatatini.com 

www.casatatini.com 

Villa Cristina Affittacamere 

Via Fiorentina, 34 


Tel: 0577 741166 - Fax: 0577 742936 

info@villacristina.it 

www.villacristina.it 

Siena 

Accoglienza Santa Luisa 

Via San Girolamo, 8 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 284377 

Alma Domus Santuario Santa Caterina 

Via Camporegio, 31 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 44177 - Fax: 0577 47601 

Caritas Affittacamere 

Via della Diana, 4 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 280643 

caritas@carita-sfiera.org 

www.caritas-siena.org 

Casa Famiglia S. Maria dei Servi 

P.za A. Manzoni, 8 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 222633 

Casa per ferie Istituto Maria de’ Gori 

Via dei Servi, 31 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 221076 

Fax: 0577 221298 

Eremo Agostiniano del Lecceto 

Via del Lecceto, 6 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 349393 

Ostello della Gioventù Guidoriccio 

Via Fiorentina, 89 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 52212 

siena@ostellionline.org 

www.ostelloguidoriccio.com 

Seminario Pontificio Regionale PIO XII 

Via Montarioso, 35 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 587011 


Impruneta Associazione Pro Loco 

Piazza Garibaldi 

Tel. 055 2313729 

www.proimpruneta.rdt.it 

Comune di Impruneta (urp): 

Tel: 055 2036430 / 428 

UPT San Casciano 

Public library 

of San Casciano in Val di Pesa 

Via Roma, 37 - 50026 San Casciano 

in Val di Pesa (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8256380 

Fax: 055 8229920 

www.comune.san-casciano-val-di-pesa.fi.it 

Pro Loco Tavarnelle in Val di Pesa 

Piazza Matteotti 

50020 Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8077832 

Fax: 055 8077832 

www.prolocotavarnelle.it 

Tourist information Panzano in Chianti 

Via Le Ginestre, 9 

50020 Panzano in Chianti (Florence) 

Tel: 055 0940024 

www.panzanoinchianti.com 

Pro Loco San Donato in Poggio 

Via del Giglio, 47 

50020 San Donato In Poggio, 

Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Florence) 

Tel: 0558072338 

www.sandonatoinpoggio.it 

Pro Loco Radda in Chianti 

Piazza Castello, 2 

53017 Radda in Chianti (SI) 

Tel: 0577 838003 

Fax: 0577 738062 

www.comune.radda-in-chianti.si.it 

Proloco Castellina in Chianti 

Via Ferruccio, 40 

53011 Castellina In Chianti (SI) 

Tel: 0577 741392 - 0577 741393 

www.chiantistorico.com/it/contact/castellina.php 

Library of Castellina in Chianti 

Via Pietro Nenni, 26 

53011 Castellina in Chianti (SI) 

Tel: 0577 740201 

Fax: 0577 742355 

www.castellinainchianti.com 

APT Siena 

Piazza del Campo 56 

53100 Siena (Si) 

Tel: 0577 280551 - 0577 42209 

Fax: 0577 270676 - 0577 28104 

aptsiena@siena.turismo.toscana.it 

www.terresiena.it 

79

Tourist information office Siena 

Piazza Rosselli - 53100 Siena (SI) 

Tel. 0577 270600 

www.comune.siena.it 

Rental 

Alinari 

Bike and scooter rental 

Via Guelfa, 85r - 50129 - Florence 

Tel: 055 280500 




Via San Zanobi, 120/122r 


Tel. e Fax: 055 488 992 


Rent Way 



Tel: 055 2398890 - Cell: 333 9619820 



Ciclosport di Porciatti 

Via Trento, 82 

53036 - Poggibonsi (SI) 

Tel: 0577 938507 

Barberino Val d’Elsa Semifonte 

Feast of San Michele Arcangelo 

(last Sunday of September) 


Feast of the Patron Saint, San Fausto 

(third Sunday of September) 

Castelnuovo Berardenga 

Feast of the Patron Saints, Santi Giusto 

and Clemente (5 June) 

Good Friday Procession, Stations of the 

Cross in costume (Easter) 

Greve in Chianti 

Festival of Rificolona (7 September) 

Greve in Chianti Loc. Panzano 

Festival of “Stagion Bona”, 

historical re-enactment (April) 

Feast of Sante Marie and fair 

(15 August) 

Impruneta 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Luca 

(18 October) 

Monteriggioni 

Feast of the Birth of the Patron Saint, 

Maria Vergine (8 September) 

Festa dei Rioni and Torneo del Barilotto 

(September) 

80 

Ciclofficina di Bettini 

Via Redipuglia, 17/19 

53036 - Poggibonsi (SI) 

Tel: 0577 936881 

Furgoncin 

Via Cassia Nord 

53035 - Castellina Scalo, Monteriggioni (SI) 

Tel: 0577 305015 

Centro bici 

Viale Toselli, 110 

53100 Siena 

Tel: 0577 282550 

DF Motor 

Via dei Gazzani, 16 

53100 Siena 

Tel: 0577 288387 

DF Bike 

Via massetana romana, 54 

53100 Siena 

Tel: 0577 271905 

Radda in Chianti 

Festa del Perdono 

(beginning of September) 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Niccolò 

(29 September) 

San Casciano Val di Pesa 

Festa della Battitura (28 June) 


Feast of the Patron Saint, San Casciano 

(13 August) 


Borgo incantato (end of June) 

Feast of San Donato (7 August) 

Corpus Domini Procession with flowers 

(14 June) 

Siena 

Celebrazioni Cateriniane (2 - 3 May) 

Palio della Madonna di Provenzano 

(2 July) 

Palio dell’Assunzione (16 August) 

Santa Lucia (13 December) 

Sant’Ansano (1 December) 

Events and Fairs 


Feast of Beato Davanzato 

(first Sunday in July) 

Feast of San Bartolomeo (24 August) 

Tavarnelle Val di Pesa 

Pentecost Festival (May, June) 

Borgo Incantato (June) 

Festa della Battitura (July) 

Feast of Santa Lucia

3 rd ITINERARY 


and the connection to the Francigena 

Nova in the lower Valdelsa 

81 

The strata per quam itur Pisas represented a predominantly commercial 

artery for medieval Florence. Together with the Arno - at 

that time an inland waterway – it served to channel the flow of 

traffic from the larger towns in the lower Valdarno district, and 

that to the port of Pisa. Yet the road was also used by pilgrims 

going to Pisa – and later, to Leghorn – for embarkation to Santiago 

de Compostela, also because it could be used as a link 

to the Via Francigena, the quintessential via peregrinalis, whose 

route was intersected southwest of Empoli, near the confluence 

of the Elsa into the Arno River.



and the connection to the Francigena Nova in the lower Valdelsa 


Porta San Frediano 

(Florence) 

Empoli 


Certaldo 

Poggibonsi 

Monteriggioni 


82 

THE ITINERARY 

350 

300 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

00 

Starting Point: Porta San Frediano (Florence) 

End point: Piazza Duomo (Siena) 


Le Piagge Railway Station 

Renai Park 

Hermitage of Lecceto 

Church of Sant’Ippolito 

Il Torrino (landscape) 

Detour to Castle of Oliveto 

S. Martino Maiano, Casale - S. Lazzaro detour 

Junction S. Martino Maiano, Casale - S. Lazzaro detour 

Junction S. Martino, Casale - S. Lazzaro detour 

Ancient village of Cerbaia 

Castle of the Chiocciola 

Castle of the Villa



Distance (local itinerary): km 4.8 

Distance (alternative route): km 12.9 



List of legs: 

Leg 1: Porta San Frediano (Florence) – Lastra a Signa 

Waypoints: Ponte alla Vittoria, Piazzaletto dell’Indiano, Le Piagge Railway 

Station, Renai Park, Signa 

Distance: km 15.5 - Page 88 

Leg 2: Lastra a Signa – Empoli 

Waypoints: Villa Caruso, Hermitage of Lecceto, Malmantile, 

Church of Sant’Ippolito, Montelupo, Fibbiana 


Leg 3: Empoli – Castelfiorentino 

Waypoints: Cerbaiola, Corniola, Il Torrino, Monterappoli, Bellosguardo, Belvedere 

Distance: km 21 - Page 100 

Leg 4: Castelfiorentino – Certaldo 

Waypoints: Villa Cabbiavoli, Pian Grande, Ponzano 


Leg 4, Local Itinerary: Castello di Oliveto 


Leg 5: Certaldo – Poggibonsi 

Waypoints: Le Case di Sciano, Podere San Luigi, Santa Maria a Bascinano, 

San Michele a Semifonte, Petrognano, Sant’Appiano 


Legs 4 / 5, Alternative Route: Pian Grande – Podere San Luigi 

Waypoints: San Martino a Maiano, Casale, San Lazzaro 


Leg 6: Poggibonsi – Monteriggioni 

Waypoints: Poggiarello, Lecchi, Staggia, Acquaviva-junction with Francigena, Strove 


Leg 7: Monteriggioni – Piazza Duomo (Siena) 

Waypoints: Borgo di Cerbaia, Castello della Chiocciola, 

Casalino, Le Querce 


83 

After passing through Cascine Park in Florence, our route goes on along the 

shared-use path that leads to Renai Park in Signa. We continue along the hills 

in the western end of Chianti, staying on the right bank of the Elsa River. The 

landscape of inestimable beauty offers views over rural panoramas that are 

characterized by 19 th -century farms with vineyards, olive groves, woods, and 

cultivated fields. 

The tour unwinds on dirt and asphalt roads and alternates between tourist-style 

and hiking stretches. In rural areas, there may be orientation problems due to 

insufficient signage and place-name information. Once in the Val d’Elsa, the 

route runs parallel to the Via Francigena of Sigeric that can be reached from 

Monterappoli, Castelfiorentino, Certaldo, and Acquaviva. 

Note: The legs are easily practicable on foot or by bicycle but are demanding 

because of their length, the climbs and the few points with water and refreshments. 

Good physical training is required. The road bed is either asphalt (55%), 

or with gravel and grass (45%).



and the connection to the Francigena Nova in the lower Valdelsa 

Porta San Frediano (Florence) 



Poggibonsi 


84 

View of the Val d’Elsa countryside



Distance (alternative route): km 12.9 

Level of technical difficulty: TC-MC 


List of legs: 

Leg 1: Porta San Frediano (Florence) – Hermitage of Lecceto 

Waypoints: Ponte alla Vittoria, Piazzaletto dell’Indiano, Le Piagge Railway Station, 

Renai Park, Signa, Lastra a Signa, Villa Caruso 


Leg 2: Hermitage of Lecceto – Castelfiorentino 

Waypoints: Malmantile, Church of Sant’Ippolito, Montelupo, Fibbiana, Empoli, 

Cerbaiola, Corniola, Il Torrino, Monterappoli, Bellosguardo, Belvedere 


Leg 3: Castelfiorentino – Poggibonsi 

Waypoints: Villa Cabbiavoli, Pian Grande, Ponzano, Certaldo, Le Case di Sciano, 

Podere San Luigi, Santa Maria a Bagnano, San Michele a Semifonte, Petrognano, 

Sant’Appiano 


Leg 3, Alterative Route: Pian Grande – Podere San Luigi 

Waypoints: San Martino a Maiano, Casale, San Lazzaro 


Leg 4: Poggibonsi – Piazza Duomo (Siena) 

Waypoints: Poggiarello, Lecchi, Staggia, Acquaviva-junction with Francigena, Strove, 

Monteriggioni, Borgo di Cerbaia, Castello della Chiocciola, Casalino, Le Querce 


Some sections follow asphalt roads and bike paths, others are suitable for bicyclists 

of average technical capacity, along dirt roads with slightly rough or uneven 

road beds (cattle tracks, cart roads, etc.) and smooth, well-beaten trails. Almost 

all legs have steep climbs. Once in the Val d’Elsa, the route runs parallel to the Via 

Francigena of Sigeric that can be reached from Monterappoli, Castelfiorentino, 

Certaldo, and then in Acquaviva. 

Note: The tourist-style bike route is not particularly difficult, other than the need 

for adequate physical training related to the climbs and the length of the legs. 

Little-used asphalt roads account for 55% of the route and are suitable also for 

racing bikes; the remaining 45% have gravel and beaten earth road beds and are 

suitable for either mountain or city bikes. 

85 

The Arno at the Ponte della Vittoria, Florence

Hospitality Along The Way 

86 


3 rd ITINERARY - THE VIA PISANA AND THE FRANCIGENA NOVA 

The existence of a full range of hospitality facilities along the 

way to Pisa is sufficient to demonstrate that in the Middle Ages 

the road was used by pilgrims, with a hospice in populo Sanctae 

Mariae de Verzaria iuxta stratam qua itur Florentia Pisas right 

at the route’s beginning in Florence near Porta San Frediano. 

Hospices were also found in “burgo Sancti Fridiani”, Legnaia (the 

hospice of the Cappone), Ponte a Greve, and Casellina (the Hospice 

Pontis de Grieve and the Hospice de Casellina). Continuing 

along, there were: the hospice of Sant’Antonio in Lastra a Signa, 

founded in 1411 by order of the Florentine consuls of the Silk 

Weavers’ Guild; a hospice set “prope fossatum Rimagii et prope 

stratam publicam” in Gangalandi, the hospice of San Francesco, 

and that of the parish church in Signa. Other institutions that offered 

hospitality to pilgrims were the Hospice Virginis Marie sive 

della Tagliata and a hospice run by the Dominicans in Montelupo, 

the Hospice Sancti Leonardi de Cerbaiola in Cerbaiola, and 

especially in Empoli where, in the 14 th century, the existence of 

three hospices is documented: the Domus pauperum hospitalis, 

the Hospice Ecclesiae Sancti Augustini and the Hospice Societas 

Annunciate plebis. 

In addition to these charitable organizations were commercial 

accommodation structures that concentrated in the main towns 

through which the road passed – in Empoli, Lastra a Signa and 

Gangalandi, above all. Yet it is clear from the 1334 Statuto of 

the Innkeepers’ Guild that private hospitatores were also found 

in Lignaria, Scandicci, Pons ad Grevem, Planus Septimi, Ugnanus, 

Malmantile, Monslupus, and Ponturmus. 

Along the Arno at the Indiano

The Via Quinctia 

The medieval route of the Via Pisana followed the general outlines 

of the Via Quinctia, the Roman road to Pisa. While the 1752 

discovery of a milestone near Montelupo, whose inscription – 

T.QUINTIUS. T.F. / FLAMINIUS / COS / PISAS X – allowed the road 

to be identified, nothing remains of the characteristic Roman road 

bed, erased by centuries of history, and especially by the Arno as 

it flooded and changed course. 

In turn, the modern road follows the directional axis of the medieval 

road to Pisa whose course, however, was probably characterized 

by passing nearer the foothills thus further away from the 

course of the Arno. Over time, there were corrections, adjustments, 

and modifications to its course. In fact, the 1322-1325 

Statuto del Capitano del Popolo talks of a “stratam novam et carrarecciam 

confectam a Ponte de Signe ad Pontem Pese de Monte 

Lupo” (Liber IV Capitulus X). 

However, the string of villages – many with the typically elongated 

urban structure of the “street-villages” – leaves no doubt about 

the general correspondence between the modern and the medieval 

course of a road that, as Repetti states, was still in the 19 th century 

“the most utilized of all the post roads, both for goods and 

transport that pass, over it and for its comfort, breadth and excellent 

maintenance, as well as the frequency of the villages, hamlets 

and towns that it crosses” (E.REPETTI, Dizionario geografico fisico 

storico della Toscana, Florence 1832-1843, vol. V, p.570). 

Certaldo Alto seen from the hills to the North 

87


LEG 1: 

PORTA SAN FREDIANO (Florence) 

LASTRA A SIGNA 

San Martino 

Le Piagge Railway Station 

San Donnino 

Piazzaletto dell’Indiano 

Signa 


of LEG 11 

Renai Park 


Ponte alla Vittoria 


LEG 1 to 


see page 94 

88 

Mill near Renai



Ponte alla Vittoria, Piazzaletto dell’Indiano, Le Piagge Railway Station, 

Renai Park, Signa 



Climb: m 30 



Entirely on the plain, this leg is a tourist-style route that goes along narrow 

asphalt roads and shared-use paths. It is well marked and does not present any 

orientation problems. 

The tourist-style route begins from Porta San Frediano, crosses Cascine Park 

in Florence, and continues on the shared-use path that goes from Florence to 

Renai Park in Signa. The last part passes through the towns of Signa and Lastra 

a Signa. 

Note: The route requires a minimum of physical training. Asphalt roads account 

for 55% of the itinerary, with the remaining 45% gravel and dirt roads, making 

it suitable for either a mountain or a city bike. 

Transport: 

Florence 


To be seen: 

Renai Park in Signa 

Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista in Signa 

15 th -century town walls in Lastra a Signa 

San Martino in Gangalandi 

89 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 


Empoli 

Leg 3 

Empoli 


Leg 4 


Certaldo 

Leg 5 

Certaldo 

Poggibonsi 

Leg 6 

Poggibonsi 

Monteriggioni 

Leg 7 

Monteriggioni 

Siena

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS 

90 

Santa Maria in Mantignano and San Salvatore in Settimo 

The construction of a bike path on the left side of the river is under 

consideration. It would run from the Cascine over the Ponte 

dell’Indiano, and could be used to visit places of particular historical 

and artistic interest. One such example is in Mantignano with the 

ancient Church of Santa Maria, formerly a Benedictine convent of 

women. Documented as early as 1082, the church – currently a parish 

church – has retained the original Romanesque structure virtually 

intact. It has a single nave with an apse and protruding transept. But 

of special interest, near the ancient Via Pisana, is the Abbey of San 

Salvatore in Settimo, a very important church in the religious history 

of Florence. According to tradition, the abbey was founded in the 

early 11 th century by Lotario of the Cadolingi counts and, like all Benedictine 

foundations, offered hospitality. The hospitium peregrinorum 

sive pauperum dates back to 1096 and was built on land donated to 

the monastery by the Carolingian Count Ughiccione. In 1060 the abbey 

of Settimo passed to the Vallombrosan Order and was the scene 

of the miraculous event related to Peter Igneous, the monk who 

passed the “trial by fire” (hence his name), demonstrating the truth 

of the allegations of simony that Saint John Gualbert had addressed 

to the bishop of Florence, Pietro Mezzabarba. In 1236 the Cistercians 

replaced the Vallombrosans and remained until the Leopoldine 

suppression in 1782. We owe them the reorganization of the great 

abbey complex that, in addition to the church, includes a series of 

monastic buildings gathered around two cloisters and with the whole 

enclosed by 14 th - and 15 th -century fortifications. Today the church retains 

the layout that was the result of a 13 th -century reconstruction 

carried out by the Cistercians that incorporated the structures of the 

existing 11 th -century building, still visible in some of the walls and in 

the left apse. It consists of three aisles with wooden trusses, but the 

choir is the result of a 15 th -century renovation. Below the presbytery is 

the vaulted crypt with columns, another remnant of the 11 th -century 

building. We should also note that the sepulcher of the countesses 

Gasdia and Cilla dates back to the original building; the sepulcher is a 

chest inlaid with white and serpentine marble, with a fronton and the 

inscription anno 1096. Also of great importance are the large 15 th - 

century cloister and the large, three-aisled chapter room with cross 

vaulted ceilings rising from columns. The entire complex is currently 

undergoing significant renovations and improvements. 

The Fortifications of the Abbey of Settimo

While our itinerary essentially follows that of the medieval Via 

Pisana, we branch off on to paths to avoid the intense vehicle 

traffic that characterizes the modern Tosco-Romagnola state 

road that retraces the ancient Via Pisana. 

A bike path goes along Lungarno Santa Rosa near Porta San 

Frediano that continues as far as Piazza Taddeo Gaddi in front 

of the Ponte alla Vittoria. We cross the bridge and enter Cascine 

Park, which runs along the right bank of the Arno, thus avoiding 

the western outskirts of the city while remaining in a very beautiful 

natural setting. 

We go through Cascine Park along Viale Lincoln and then on 

Viale Washington until we reach the Piazzaletto dell’Indiano and 

take Via di San Biagio a Petroio. A bike path starts here that runs 

on the right side of the river until reaching Renai Park in Signa. 

This path is recommended, although the ancient route of the Via 

Pisana ran along the left side of the Arno where obviously all of 

the historical and territorial evidence linked to the road is found. 

Detail of the porch, Hospice of S.Antonio, Lastra a Signa 

3 rd ITINERARY - THE VIA PISANA AND THE FRANCIGENA NOVA - LEG 1 

91 


0.9 km 

Time: 15’ 

Cascine Park 

11 km 

Time: 2h45’ 

Renai Park 

0.9 km 

Time: 15’ 

Signa 

1.8 km 

Time: 30’ 

Church of San Martino 

a Gangalandi 

0.9 km 

Time: 15’ 


www.vieromee.it


92 

As we have said, the bike path continues along the right bank 

of the Arno and goes directly to Signa. Set at the top of a hill 

whose slope overlooks the river, the oldest part of Signa has 

maintained the layout of the medieval castle as well as some 

remnants of the defensive walls that encircled it, including the 

turreted Porta di San Miniato and the nearby Church of Santa 

Maria al Castello. In the lower part of the town – the ancient 

village of the castle – is the late-Romanesque Parish Church of 

San Giovanni Battista, with three wide aisles divided by circular 

pillars made of stone ashlars. Not far away is the Oratory 

of San Lorenzo, Signa’s early parish church; it is a single-nave 

church, attributable to the 12 th century and contains a coeval 

pulpit in marble slabs inlaid with geometric designs. 

We cross the Arno at Signa; the small village of Ponte a Signa is 

just beyond the bridge on the State Road. Its name derives from 

the bridge over the Arno that has been destroyed several times 

over the centuries and whose earliest historical reference dates 

back to 1217. A hospice, documented in 1258, stood near the 

bridge that was guarded by a medieval fortification called “the 

Tower”, which is still standing and overlooks the road. 

At Ponte a Signa, we continue for a short stretch on the state 

road, but in the opposite direction so as to reach San Martino 

a Gangalandi and Lastra a Signa. 

Just beyond Gangalandi lies Lastra a Signa, whose most ancient 

center has preserved the early 15 th -century fortifications 

that enclosed the “terra”, or city, including the main gateway, 

the so-called “Portone di Baccio”, topped by a high tower. Of 

great interest, inside the walls is the Hospice of Sant’Antonio, 

a large 15 th -century building having, at its base, a loggia with 

seven arches which are partially walled up and rise from pietra 

serena octagonal columns with foliage capitals. Even if individual 

elements are gothicizing, the proportions and spaces show an 

already Renaissance vision that makes us think it is an early work 

by Brunelleschi, whose activity for the town wall restoration 

work in Lastra a Signa is documented. The three large rooms 

with cross vaulted ceilings that look on to the loggia are where 

travelers and pilgrims were housed. A coat-of-arms for the Silk 

Weavers’ Guild appears on the lintel of a 15 th -century fireplace 

in one of the large rooms on the first floor, reminding us of the 

guild’s role in building the hospice. 



(Florence) 

0.9 km 

Time: 15’ 

Cascine Park 

11 km 

Time: 2h45’ 

Renai Park 

0.9 km 

Time: 15’ 

Signa 

1.8 km 

Time: 30’ 

Church of San Martino 

a Gangalandi 

0.9 km 

Time: 15’ 

Lastra a Signa

A LAND OF SAINTS 

Blessed Giovanna of Signa 

The rural church of Signa was also called the “parish church of the 

Blessed Soul” and, in the Middle Ages, it attracted a considerable flow 

of pilgrims, mostly from the surrounding area. In fact, in a 15 th -century 

wooden chest painted by Pietro da Gambassi, the church housed the 

body of the Blessed Giovanna of Signa, a pious woman from the 14 th 

century. Her intense ascetic virtues and the miracles wrought during her 

life were the basis of the particular devotion for this blessed woman immediately 

following her death. Already in the first half of the 15 th century, 

the walls of the church’s apse were frescoed with Episodes from 

the Life of the Blessed Giovanna by a painter from Neri di Bicci’s circle, 

the so-called “Master of Signa”. The growth in the number of pilgrims, 

attracted by the miraculous virtues attributed to the blessed woman, 

must also have led to the creation of the hospice of Santi Gualberto 

and Onofrio adjoining the church and documented as early as 1376. 


Church of San Martino a Gangalandi 

Recorded in the early 12 th century as the suffragan of the Signa parish 

church, the church of Gangalandi – not by chance named after Saint 

Martin, the patron saint of travelers – obtained the privilege of having 

a baptismal font in 1278, a consequence of the collapse of the bridge 

over the Arno that had made communication difficult with the mother 

church across the river. For this reason, the building was enlarged, its 

construction dating to the years between the 13 th and 14 th centuries, 

with the exception of the elegant décor in the apse with pietra serena 

pilasters and cornices, which is traditionally attributed to Leon Battista 

Alberti. On the façade is a large colonnade, inside of which was a late 

medieval fresco representing St. Christopher; a clear reference to the 

assistance given to pilgrims, that was later detached and placed inside 

the church. Moreover, a hospice existed in Gangalandi prope stratam 

publicam and, not unexpectedly, the art works kept in the church refer 

to acts of charity towards travelers. A fragment of a 14 th -century 

fresco shows Saint Martin on horseback whereas he is depicted giving 

his cloak to a poor man in the frescoes by Bicci di Lorenzo that 

decorate the walls of the internal tempietto that serves as a baptistery. 

93 

Detail of the frescoes in the Church of San Martino a Gangalandi


LEG 2: 

LASTRA A SIGNA 

EMPOLI 


see page 88 


Villa Caruso Bellosguardo 

Torre della Badia 


of LEG 2 

La Falterona 


Malmantile 

LEG 2 to 


see page 100 

Turbone 

FIbbiana 

Montelupo 

Gavignano 

Turbone 

Empoli 

Church of Sant’Ippolito 

94 

The Town Walls of Lastra a Signa



Villa Caruso, Monastery of Lecceto, Malmantile, Church of Sant’Ippolito, 

Montelupo, Fibbiana 



Climb: m 170 



This tourist-style leg goes primarily along dirt roads, in the stretch between 

Lastra a Signa and S. Ippolito, whereas the final part is exclusively along asphalt 

roads. The route is well-marked and does not offer any problems of orientation. 

The initial climb towards the Monastery of Lecceto and the overall distance of 

this section require suitable physical training. 

Note: There is very little shade along this leg except for the wooded stretch 

between Lastra a Signa and Malmantile. Water and refreshments can be found 

in the towns and villages along the way. Particular attention should be paid by 

those on foot along the provincial and regional roadways between Sant’Ippolito 

and Montelupo and between Cortenuova and the center of Empoli. 

Transport: 


Lecceto/Malmantile 

Empoli 

To be seen: 

Villa Caruso Bellosguardo 


Castle of Malmantile 

Medicean Villa of Ambrogiana 

House of Pontormo – at Pontormo, near Empoli 

95 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 


Empoli 

Leg 3 

Empoli 


Leg 4 


Certaldo 

Leg 5 

Certaldo 

Poggibonsi 

Leg 6 

Poggibonsi 

Monteriggioni 

Leg 7 

Monteriggioni 

Siena


Montelupo, The Land of Ceramics 

Located near the confluence of the Pesa into the River Arno, Montelupo 

was one of the main centers encountered on the course of 

the Via Pisana: not by chance were there two hospices as well as 

numerous accommodation facilities (inns and hostels). It is famous 

still today for the artistic pottery and the ceramics industry that 

have existed here since the Middle Ages, and, as a result, is now 

the seat of an important museum of ceramics. Its parish church is 

dedicated to St. John the Evangelist and was founded in 1326 on 

the site of a hospice dedicated to St. Nicholas. Currently, however, 

the church shows the results of a radical 18 th -century renovation. 

The town of Montelupo is dominated by the ruins of the Florentine 

castle built in the 13 th century to oppose the Pistoiese one of 

Capraia facing it from across the Arno. One of the fort’s towers 

was used as the bell-tower of the castle church of San Lorenzo, 

a building from the 13 th -14 th centuries, renovated during the Renaissance. 

Church of San Lorenzo a Montelupo 

96

To continue towards Montelupo after Lastra a Signa, we suggest 

using provincial road No. 72 as an alternative to the modern 

Via Pisana; it starts near Ponte a Signa and winds through the 

hills that divide the lower Valdarno from the Val di Pesa. On this 

route, we find the Church of Santa Maria delle Selve, a Carmelite 

monastery founded on a villa given to the order by the Del 

Pace family in 1343, then the Dominican Convent of Lecceto, 

dedicated to Saints Philip and James, established in 1473 with 

the support of Filippo Strozzi. 

A little further on is the castle of Malmantile, which has preserved 

remarkably intact the entire boundary wall built at the 

beginning of the 15 th century. A rectangular plan with towers at 

the corners and in the middle of the long sides, the walls open 

at the two gates in the two shorter sides, at the ends of the road 

that divides the town. Along the perimeter of the walls are embrasures, 

above which some of the brackets still remain, namely 

the corbels in pietra serena that supported the parapet walks. 

Reconstruction of the walls of Malmantile 


97 


2 km 

Time: 40’ 

Church of Santa Maria delle Selve 

4.6 km 

Time: 1h20’ 


Church of San Pietro in Selve 

8.4 km 

Time: 2h10’ 

Montelupo 

0.7 km 

Time: 10’ 


Church of San Michele Arcangelo 

a Pontorme 

5 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

Empoli 

1.2 km 

Time: 20’ 

www.vieromee.it


Just beyond Malmantile, we come to the Church of San Pietro 

in Selve, on whose façade are preserved the 14 th -century frescoes 

depicting some saints, including a Saint Christopher (another 

reference to the heavenly protection of travelers!). 

Returning to Malmantile, we retrace our steps for 200 meters 

and then turn right onto a dirt road that crosses Scopicci and 

Villa Gello, sloping down to the valley floor of the Pesa River. We 

come to the Parish Church of Sant’Ippolito and Cassiano, 

the ancient matrix church of Montelupo, a beautiful Romanesque 

building with a single nave and a protruding transept that 

ends in a semi-circular apse. 

Along a dirt road we come to the pedestrian bridge over the 

Turbone River, a tributary of the Pesa, and then use an internal 

secondary road to the left of the provincial road that connects 

Montelupo to Cerbaia. 

Our journey continues towards the Medicean Villa of Ambrogiana, 

built by Ferdinand I and designed by Bernardo Buontalenti. 

Then, following along the left bank of the Arno, we reach 

the small village of Torre, whose name derives from the late 

medieval tower that overlooks the river. Then we head in the 

direction of Empoli on an internal track that runs parallel to the 

Tosco-Romagnola state road and passes through a series of small 

villages (Fibbiana, Tinaia, Cortenuova, and Pontorme), each 

with a parish church, with the one in Pontorme being especially 

significant. Dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, the Romanesque 

façade preserves traces of the original brickwork; a 

hospice dedicated to Saint Mary was attached to the church and 

documented from 1334. 

98 

We reach Empoli, the main stop on the Via Pisana in the Florentine 

countryside, as seen by the three hospices that were located 

there as well as the other accommodation structures and businesses 

there. 



2 km 

Time: 40’ 

Church of Santa Maria delle Selve 

4.6 km 

Time: 1h20’ 


Church of San Pietro in Selve 

8.4 km 

Time: 2h10’ 

Montelupo 

0.7 km 

Time: 10’ 


Church of San Michele Arcangelo 

a Pontorme 

5 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

Empoli 

1.2 km 

Time: 20’


The Churches of Empoli 

Before entering the historic center, we find the 17 th -century 

Church of the Madonna del Pozzo, an unusual octagonal tabernacle 

preceded by a small nave and surrounded outside by a loggia. 

The building was erected on the spot where formerly there 

had stood a tabernacle; miraculously unscathed in a fire, it was 

for this reason that it also became a pilgrimage destination, albeit 

in a strictly local sense. It was located outside the 15 th -century 

walls that enclosed the medieval village, and remains of the walls 

are still visible in several parts of the city. Inside the walls were the 

Gothic Church of Santo Stefano, part of a convent of Augustinian 

friars, and the ancient Parish Church of Sant’Andrea. Romanesque 

features of the latter remain only on the lower part of the 

façade. (The upper part was rebuilt in the 18 th -century when the 

church was radically altered to create a single large nave). The five 

harmonious arches in green and white marble on the surviving 

section of the façade clearly recall the façade of San Miniato al 

Monte in Florence and are the only example in all the countryside 

of the decorative practice of covering buildings with marble inlays, 

typical of the Florentine Romanesque style. 

The Collegiate Church of Sant’Andrea in Empoli 

99


LEG 3: 

EMPOLI 

CASTELFIORENTINO 

Empoli 


see page 94 

Cerbaiola 

Casino 

di Monterbero 

Il Torrino 

Santa Domitilla 

Pozzale 

Corniola 

Montemagnoli 

Monterappoli 

Sant’Andrea 

Bellosguardo 

Camposano 

Belvedere 

Castelnuovo D’Elsa 

Cafaggio 

Cambiano 

100 


View of Castelfiorentino on an 18 th -century cadastral map



Cerbaiola, Corniola, Il Torrino, Monterappoli, Bellosguardo, Belvedere 



Climb: m 180 



This leg is a tourist-style hike: half on dirt roads and half on asphalt ones. There 

can be problems of orientation on some of the rural stretches that lack references 

to place-names. The hilly stretch is characterized by panoramic views on 

the Val d’Elsa. 

Note: The route is half on dirt roads and half on asphalt ones. There are few 

points where water or refreshments are available. You must be in good physical 

condition for the walk. Monterappoli is the first point that connects with the Via 

Francigena that, passing through Pogni and Mulin Novo, connects us to “Sigeric’s 

route” in Baccanella. It is also possible to reach the Via Francigena from Castelfiorentino 

through a junction that heads south from Viale dei Profeti. Past the 

bridge over the Scolmatore canal, we turn right and stay on Viale dei Profeti. Once 

past Palazzina, we come again to the Via Francigena. 

Transport: 

Empoli 


To be seen: 

Church of San Leonardo in Cerbaiola 

Church of Santi Simone and Giuda a Corniola 

Panorama of the Val d’Elsa from Il Torrino 

Parish Church of San Giovanni Evangelista – Monterappoli 

Panorama from Bellosguardo 

Panorama from Belvedere 

Sanctuary of Santa Verdiana and the Museum of Sacred Art – Castelfiorentino 

101 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 


Empoli 

Leg 3 

Empoli 


Leg 4 


Certaldo 

Leg 5 

Certaldo 

Poggibonsi 

Leg 6 

Poggibonsi 

Monteriggioni 

Leg 7 

Monteriggioni 

Siena


Parish Church of San Giovanni Evangelista 

in Monterappoli 

The original characteristics of this brick building have been preserved 

almost intact. It has a large single nave that ends in a 

semicircular apse and is enriched by external wall decorations (intertwined 

arches, bull’s eye windows, small embedded windows, 

the central part of the façade jutting out) that highlight the involvement 

of workers from the Po River valley as confirmed by the 

inscription on the portal lintel that refers to its craftsman, MAG- 

ISTER BONSERI EX GENTE LOMBARDA, as well as the year of its 

construction (1165). A series of architectural ceramics – only a few 

remain – set at the top of the façade refer to an ornamental practice 

that undoubtedly arrived by way of Pisa. The door lintel also 

displays a carved benedictory Dextera Domini, or Hand of God, a 

clear sign of the charitable function that the parish church must 

have had for pilgrims. 

Parish Church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Monterappoli 

102

Leaving the historical center of Empoli, we move into the residential 

district of Quartiere Carrara in the direction of the Empoli 

suburb of Pratovecchio. We come to the Church of San Leonardo 

di Cerbaiola, a former pilgrims’ hospice founded by the 

Guidi counts in the 12 th century, and that belonged to the Order 

of Malta from the 16 th century until the Napoleonic suppression. 

A little farther on, we reach the Church of Santi Simone e 

Giuda a Corniola, which was the site of a Carmelite convent, 

whose beautiful 17 th -century cloister remains. 

In Empoli, we leave the Via Pisana behind to head south to join 

the most recent of the various routes constituting the Via Francigena 

that ran along the right bank of the Elsa River. 

After Corniola, we come to the road that is considered to have 

supplanted this important medieval artery and which follows 

along the ridge of low hills – that serve as the watershed between 

the Valdelsa and the Val d’Orme – a more internal route 

than that of the state road 429 in the valley below, which goes 

back up the course of the Elsa. Along the way, we come to the 

village of Monterappoli, the ancient castle of the Guidi counts, 

whose parish church has traces of the original Romanesque 

building in brick. Not far from it is the parish church dedicated 

to Saint John the Evangelist. 

The benedictory Dextera Domini, parish church of San Giovanni Battista in Monterappoli 


103 

Empoli 

4.3 km 

Time: 1h10’ 

Church of San Leonardo di Cerbaiola 

1.4 km 

Time: 25’ 

Church of Santi Simone 

e Giuda a Corniola 

3.5 km 

Time: 1h10’ 

Monterappoli 

0.7 km 

Time: 10’ 


11.1 km 

Time: 2h45’ 


www.vieromee.it


Monterappoli represents the first opportunity to link up with the 

oldest part of the Via Francigena that runs through the hills on 

the left bank of the Elsa River. In fact, we go down into the valley 

where the river runs parallel to state road 429, and cross the 

Elsa at Molin Novo. We then go back up towards the ridge of 

hills as far as Baccanella, once along the ancient route whose 

place-name makes clear its relation to the road as it derived from 

there having once been a stopping place. 

Continuing on the right hand of the Elsa, we descend into the 

small Ormicello River valley and then climb up to Monteravoli: a 

centuries-old holm-oak along the road is a clear and obvious point 

of reference. Across the beautiful Val d’Elsa countryside – along 

the way we come across names like Bellosguardo and Belvedere 

– we reach Castelfiorentino, the stopping point on the 

“new” Via Francigena, unfailingly recalled in the pilgrims’ memoirs, 

starting from the 12 th century. 

Church of Santa Verdiana in Castelfiorentino 

104 


Empoli 

4.3 km 

Time: 1h10’ 

Church of San Leonardo di Cerbaiola 

1.4 km 

Time: 25’ 

Church of Santi Simone 

e Giuda a Corniola 

3.5 km 

Time: 1h10’ 

Monterappoli 

0.7 km 

Time: 10’ 


11.1 km 

Time: 2h45’ 

Castelfiorentino


Castelfiorentino: An Important Crossroads 

Built at the intersection of the Via Francigena and the Via Volterrana 

at the point where the latter crossed the Elsa River, Castelfiorentino 

was a crossroads of primary importance in the Middle 

Ages: 14 th -century sources speak of the existence of two hospices 

in the castle (the Hospitale Sancte Crucis and the Hospitale Spiritus 

Sancti), besides the inns, naturally. In the highest area of the 

oldest part of the town stretching downward on the southern 

slope of a hill towards the Elsa, a part of the brick walls that surrounded 

the town has been preserved, together with two churches: 

the Parish Church of Sant’Ippolito and the Collegiate Church 

of San Lorenzo. Both buildings are among the most significant 

examples of the large group of Romanesque, brick buildings with 

a single nave (as we have previously seen in Monterappoli). They 

were built by workers from Lombardy who were active in lower 

Valdelsa in the second half of the 12 th century. Two other important 

religious buildings are found outside the ancient walls, on 

the “Plain of Elsa”: the Gothic church of San Francesco, previously 

annexed to the homonymous monastery, and the Sanctuary 

of Santa Verdiana, a simple and pleasing 18 th -century Baroque 

building dedicated to the saint of Castelfiorentino whose body is 

preserved there. 


The Hermitage of Santa Verdiana 

The Sanctuary was a pilgrimage destination especially – but not 

exclusively – for the populace of the Val d’Elsa because of their 

special devotion to the saint, represented in many of the paintings 

collected in the Museum of Sacred Art annexed to the church. 

From Castelfiorentino, Verdiana degli Attavanti (1178-1242) lived 

the last thirty-four years of her life in the company of two snakes, 

in a cell of the hermitage in front of the Oratory of Sant’Antonio 

Abate, just outside the city’s walls. After her death, Verdiana was 

buried under the altar of the hermitage where she had lived for 

so long and over which a church was later erected in her honor. 

It is not known with certainty when her sanctification was proclaimed, 

however it must have happened in the second half of 

the 13 th century, if mention of an “Ecclesia Sanctae Verdianae de 

Castro florentino” is already made in the early 14 th century and if, 

in the last novella of the fifth day of the Decameron, Boccaccio 

recalls her as a saint with this expression: “... an old woman who 

showed like Saint Verdiana, that giveth the serpents to eat”. 

We also know that during her life, with “quibusdam dominabus” 

of Castelfiorentino, Saint Verdiana went on a pilgrimage to Santiago 

de Compostela (O. POGNI, Vita di Santa Verdiana d’incognito 

autore, Empoli 1936). 

105


LEG 4: 

CASTELFIORENTINO 

CERTALDO 


of LEG 3 

Passignano 

Villa of Cabbiavoli 

Voltignano 

Poggio al Cielo 

Bagnolo 


Oliveto Castle 

ALTERNATIVE 

ROUTE 

LOCAL 

ITINERARY 

Pian Grande 

Belvedere 

Ponzano 

San Giorsole 

Fraille 

Quercitella 

106 

Certaldo 

LEG 3 to 

Poggibonsi 

see page 112 

View of the Val d’Elsa countryside



Villa di Cabbiavoli, Pian Grande, Ponzano 



Climb: m 160 



A tourist-style hike on dirt and asphalt roads. 

There may be orientation problems in some of the rural stretches where placename 

references are missing. The route is characterized by stupendous views of 

the Val d’Elsa. 

Note: When the main route enters the road to Lucardo, after 500 m. we find 

a detour on the right to go on the Local Itinerary, for Castle of Oliveto (Via di 

Monte Oliveto). In addition, after about 2 km from this detour, we come to the 

intersection in Piangrande to the Alternative Route that leads to San Martino 

a Maiano and San Lazzaro, with a stop in Casale. Otherwise, we continue on to 

Certaldo. The Via Francigena can be reached from Certaldo by another connecting 

road. There are few points with water and refreshments. 

Transport: 


Certaldo 

To be seen: 

Castle of Oliveto 

House of Boccaccio - Certaldo 

Museum of Sacred Art - Certaldo 

Museum of the Palazzo Pretorio - Certaldo 

Canonica Park - Certaldo 

107 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 


Empoli 

Leg 3 

Empoli 

Castealfiorentino 

Leg 4 


Certaldo 

Leg 5 

Certaldo 

Poggibonsi 

Leg 6 

Poggibonsi 

Monteriggioni 

Leg 7 

Monteriggioni 

Siena


Certaldo 

Certaldo rose as a castle of the Alberti counts in order to control 

passage along the Via Francigena. It witnessed a rapid development 

between the 12 th and 13 th centuries, thanks to this road that 

ran at the foot of the hill on which the village rose. Its original 

urban plan as well as its architectural and environmental characteristics 

has been preserved almost intact. Following the contours of 

the hill, the town walls from the 13 th and 14 th centuries still encircle 

the medieval town, which is divided longitudinally by a broad street 

that leads towards the 15 th -century Palazzo del Vicario, located on 

the highest point where the Alberti Castle once stood. A particularly 

distinctive feature of Certaldo is the use of the locally made 

red brick in all the castle buildings, including the two churches 

found here: the rectory of Santi Michele e Jacopo and the Church 

of San Tommaso. Both have a single-nave, Romanesque plan; a 

surviving ceramic basin with Arabic epigraphic characters on the 

cusp of the façade of San Tommaso demonstrates the relationship 

between Certaldo and Pisa, one apparently favored by the road 

network. The presence in the castle of a rectory is also significant: 

the small communities of priests who lived together (i.e. the canons) 

were devoted to providing hospitality, confirmed in Certaldo, 

moreover, at the beginning of the 14 th century by the existence of 

two hospices, both dedicated to the Madonna. It must also be remembered 

that the rectory kept the remains of the Blessed Giulia 

Della Rena, whose flow of local pilgrims added to that of the pious 

travelers going along the Via Francigena to Rome. 

Reconstruction of the Praetorian Palace in Certaldo 

108

After Castelfiorentino, our itinerary continues following the 

“new” Via Francigena but on a longer route that unwinds on 

the left side of state road 429. Winding through a landscape of 

low, intensely cultivated hills dotted with farmhouses, we find 

the turreted, Renaissance Villa of Cabbiavoli, then, with a 

short detour, the 15 th -century castle of Oliveto. The road then 

descends to the bottom of the Elsa Valley, while the medieval 

profile of Certaldo, the birthplace of Giovanni Boccaccio, stands 

out in the distance. 

Glimpse of Certaldo 


109 


3.6 km 

Time: 1h10’ 


3.2 km 

Time: 50’ 

Turreted Manor House of Oliveto 

8.3 km 

Time: 2h15’ 

Certaldo 

www.vieromee.it


LEG 4, LOCAL ITINERARY: 

OLIVETO CASTLE 

Passignano 


Voltignano 



Bagnolo 


Via Pian Grande 

ALTERNATIVE 

ROUTE 

LOCAL 

ITINERARY 

Petrazzi 

Belvedere 

MAIN 

ITINERARY 

Ponzano 

San Giorsole 

Fraille 

Quercitella 

Certaldo 

110 




Climb: m 120 



The local itinerary begins at the crossroads of Via Lucardese and Via Pian Grande 

and, for the most part, goes along the dirt roads that lead to Oliveto Castle 

and, completing a circle in the park of the farm, takes us back to our starting 

point. It is a hilly route characterized by vantage points over the Val d’Elsa along 

easily walkable dirt roads.


111


LEG 5: 

CERTALDO 

POGGIBONSI 


see page 106 

Santa Maria a Collina 

Montignano 

Podere San Luigi 

ALTERNATIVE 

ROUTE 

Santa Maria a Bagnano 

Certaldo 

Le Case di Sciano 

Tre Colli 

San Michele a Semifonte 


Petrognano 

Pastine 

Ferrale 

Fonterofoli 


Le Grillaie 

Ellerone 

Gavignano 

112 

Poggibonsi 

The fertile Val d’Elsa countryside in spring



Le Case di Sciano, Podere San Luigi, Santa Maria a Bagnano, 

San Michele a Semifonte, Petrognano, Sant’Appiano 



Climb: m 310 



A tourist-style leg mainly on asphalt roads. There are no problems of orientation 

or with markings for the itinerary. It is a hilly walk with many panoramic points, 

from which several places of interest can be visited. 

Those who take the alternative route for Casale, return to the main itinerary at 

Podere San Luigi. This leg requires good physical training for the walk. 

Transport: 

Certaldo 

Poggibonsi 

To be seen: 

Semifonte 

Parish Church of Sant’Appiano 

Fortress of Poggio Imperiale - Poggibonsi 

Sanctuary of Romituzzo - Poggibonsi 

113 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 


Empoli 

Leg 3 

Empoli 


Leg 4 


Certaldo 

Leg 5 

Certaldo 

Poggibonsi 

Leg 6 

Poggibonsi 

Monteriggioni 

Leg 7 

Monteriggioni 

Siena


114 

As we leave Certaldo to reach the next stopping point on the Via 

Francigena Nova (Poggibonsi) and to avoid the heavily trafficked 

state road 429, we suggest a route that goes in the same direction 

and allows us to visit a number of Val d’Elsa locations rich 

with history and art, despite its greater distance. 

From Sciano, we thus take an ancient route, the so-called Via 

di San Donnino that crosses the hills on the right side of the 

mid-Val d’Elsa. Along the way, we find first of all the Church of 

Santa Maria in Bagnano, in which there was a 13 th -century 

Madonna and Child by the so-called “Master of Bagnano”, now 

in the Certaldo Museum of Sacred Art. The road we are traveling 

however was also used by pilgrims in medieval times as an 

alternative to the route along the valley floor and it is not by 

chance that the existence of a hospice in Bagnano (Santa Maria 

de Albagnano) was documented in 1322. Continuing along, 

we reach the place where the Alberti castle of Semifonte once 

stood, destroyed in 1202 by the Florentines. Nothing remains of 

it, however an octagonal chapel was erected on its site in 1597, 

San Michele a Semifonte – also called the “Cupola of San Donnino” 

– based on a design by Santi di Tito, which exactly reproduces 

Brunelleschi’s dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in a 1:8 ratio. 

Near the chapel, in the village of Petrognano, a number of 

13 th -century tower-houses have been preserved, later converted 

into farmhouses, as well the farm-villa of the same name that 

also incorporates a pre-existing turreted manor house. Also in 

Petrognano there was a hospitality structure for pilgrims (the 

spedale pauperum), which is documented as early as 1286. 

Proceeding along, we reach the ancient Parish Church of 

Sant’Appiano, where again there was a hospice, named for 

Saint Nicholas, which is also recorded as early as the late 13 th 

century. 


Certaldo 

8.7 km 

Time: 1h25’ 

Church of Santa Maria a Bagnano 

1.7 km 

Time: 35’ 

Church of Sam Michele a Semifonte 

1.3 km 

Time: 25’ 

Petrognano 

3.5 km 

Time: 1h 


5.7 km 

Time: 1h35’ 

Poggibonsi


The Parish Church of Sant’Appiano 

The three-aisle church has preserved some of the original Lombardizing 

proto-Romanesque structures, later integrated during 

the Romanesque period. In front of the façade of the church are 

four cruciform pillars: these are the remains of a 12 th -century octagonal 

building topped by a small conical dome, clearly built in 

imitation of the Holy Sepulcher. The capitals carved with motifs 

that evoke the Eastern Judeo-Christian symbolism and, above all, 

its iconography and the central plan served to make the small 

building a sort of reproduction of the Jerusalem model. 


115


Poggibonsi 

Poggibonsi was called Marturi before the mid-12 th century construction 

of the castle of Podium Bonitii (that would give its name 

to the town). It was an important road junction in the Middle 

Ages as it was the point where the Via Francigena converged with 

a series of routes leading to the main cities in Tuscany. Because of 

its importance for the control of the road network, the regional 

potentates of the time contested it until 1270 when Florence took 

it over permanently, destroying the castle (which stood where the 

Medici fortress of Poggio Imperiale is found today) and relocating 

the town to the plain. Recent archaeological excavations have unearthed 

some traces of Podium Bonitii, adding to the sole surviving 

monument: the so-called Fountain of the Fairies, a large public 

fountain set on six ogival double-arches. After the castle’s destruction 

in 1270, the Franciscan, Gothic Basilica of San Lucchese was 

built that, together with its convent, is located on the high ground 

facing the castle, whereas nothing remains of the ancient abbey 

of San Michele a Marturi, a royal monastery probably founded by 

the Lombards and whose vestiges were re-used to make the 19 th 

century neo-Gothic castle of Badia. 

HOSPITALITY 

116 

The main stopping point of the Via Francigena 

in the Val d’Elsa 

Several accounts confirm the importance of Marturi-Podium 

Bonitii as a stopping point along the Via Francigena. We need 

only recall the many inns mentioned in 14 th -century sources and 

the at least four tavernari that appear to have been there in 1221. 

Also the presence all around Poggibonsi along the streets that 

converged there of seven canonical churches is important (we 

have already mentioned how hospitality was among the canons’ 

tasks). In some of the rectories, moreover, pilgrimage references 

and symbols are evident: Jerusalem-style crosses (in Cedda and 

Casaglia), the figures of the Magi, the first pilgrims in the story of 

salvation (Talciona), and a roadside cross (Cedda). 

In the 14 th century, there were four hospices in Poggibonsi, and 

two mansions of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, 

both of which were just outside the village. The one called Santa 

Croce was at Torri, above Poggibonsi (a tall, 13 th -century brick 

tower still indicates the site), and the other, on the Via Francigena 

towards Siena, was the mansion of San Giovanni Battista al Ponte, 

so named because it was located near the crossing of the Staggia 

River. The latter has retained the original layout of the premises 

that are distributed around an inner courtyard, on which also the 

Romanesque church with an apsidal nave opens.

Shortly after, we arrive at Linari Castle, whose lords were the Cadolingi 

counts of Fucecchio. It rises on a tuffaceous hillock overlooking 

the Elsa plain and preserves some remains of the fortifications 

that once stood there. At the foot of the castle stands the neo- 

Gothic Parish Church of Santo Stefano, while in the higher part 

of the village is the Church of Santa Maria, near which was a 

hospice, also named for the Virgin Mary and first recorded in the 

early 14 th century. 

The next stretch of our itinerary leads us to Poggibonsi, where we 

reconnect with state road 429, which leads directly to the historical 

center of the town, the main stopping place of the Via Francigena 

in the Val d’Elsa, both of the “new” route on the floor of the valley 

and the original one – even older than the one on the hill – that 

went along halfway up hill on the left of the Elsa. 

The Fountain of the Fairies in Poggibonsi 


117 

Certaldo 

8.7 km 

Time: 1h25’ 

Church of Santa Maria a Bagnano 

1.7 km 

Time: 35’ 

Church of Sam Michele a Semifonte 

1.3 km 

Time: 25’ 

Petrognano 

3.5 km 

Time: 1h 


5.7 km 

Time: 1h35’ 

Poggibonsi 

www.vieromee.it


LEGS 4 / 5, ALTERNATIVE ROUTE: 

PIAN GRANDE 

PODERE SAN LUIGI 

Inizio VARIANTE “Tappa 4 / 5” 

Villa di Cabbiavoli 

Voltignano 


Bagnolo 


Castello di Oliveto 

San Martino a Maiano 

Pian Grande 

Belvedere 

Ponzano 

Fraille 

ITINERARIO 

PRINCIPALE 

Certaldo 

Casale 

San Giorsole 


Le Case di Sciano 

VARIANTE 

San Lazzaro 

Santa Maria a Bagnano 

Tre Colli 

Petrognano 

San Michele a Semifonte 


Pastine 

Ferrale 


Le Grillaie 

Ellerone 

Gavignano 

118 

Poggibonsi 

Traditional agricultural landscape in Valdelsa



San Martino a Maiano, Casale, San Lazzaro 



Climb: m 190 



A tourist-hiking tour on dirt and asphalt roads. The itinerary markings may be 

unclear because of the lack of place-names and directional signage. 

2 km after the turnoff for Oliveto Castle, near Pian Grande, we can leave the 

main itinerary for an alternative one that leads us to the unspoiled landscape 

of the Borro di Casale Valley, characterized by olive-groves, cultivated fields, 

and woods. This is a small, mostly dirt road along the ridge that leads us to San 

Martino a Maiano. We turn right 2.6 km after San Martino a Maiano towards 

Casale to see the pinnacles of eroded clay that characterize the “gullies of Casale”. 

Here we can stop for a break. From Casale, we go back north for about 

800 m and take the road to the right for San Gaudenzio a Ruballa. We continue 

as far as Betto, where we get on an asphalt road heading south. After 500 

meters, we turn left and go down towards San Lazzaro. After 1.2 km, we reach 

an asphalt road and turn left, continuing for about 300 m. We then take the 

dirt road on the right. Always keeping to the left, after a few hundred meters 

we return to the main itinerary at Podere San Luigi. 

Transport: 


Casale 

To be seen: 


Gullies at Casale 

Church of Santa Maria a Casale 

119 


Pian Grande 

Casale 


Poggibonsi 

9.2 km 

Time: 2h30’ 

5.9 km 

Time: 1h50’ 

7 km 

Time: 2h 

13.3 km 

Time: 4h

3 rd ITINERARY - THE VIA PISANA AND THE FRANCIGENA NOVA - LEGS 4 / 5, ALTERNATIVE ROUTE 

Following an alternative route that also goes to Certaldo, but 

along the southern outskirts of the modern town, we come to 

the parish church of San Lazzaro a Lucardo, where we can 

also admire the picturesque Casale landscape with its gullies. 

Along this route, which begins a mile after the short detour to 

Oliveto, we find in succession, two churches: San Martino a 

Maiano and Santa Maria a Casale both formerly suffragans of 

the nearby church of San Lazzaro a Lucardo. The latter is one of 

the finest medieval churches in the Val d’Elsa, still with its original 

Romanesque architectural features, presumably from the years 

between the 11 th and 12 th centuries. It consists of three aisles, 

divided by a succession of arches rising from simple square pillars 

and has a number of technical and decorative motifs of Lombard 

origin (small barrel-vaulted arches crowning the apse, pilasters, 

offsets in the series of arches) that allow us to identify the workers 

as being from the Po River valley. 

Parish Church of San Lazzaro 

120 

www.vieromee.it

Near Casale 

121


LEG 6: 

POGGIBONSI 

MONTERIGGIONI 

Poggibonsi 

Starting point og LEG 4 

Tresto 

Sassa 

Castagneto 

Megognano 

Poggiarello 

Lecchi 

Pini 

Staggia 

Fontana 

LEG 4 to Siena 

see page 126 

La Pineta 

Casone 

Serfignano 

Monteriggioni 

122 

Acquaviva 

junction with the Francigena 

Strove 

Certino di Sopra 

Badia a Isola



Poggiarello, Lecchi, Staggia, Acquaviva-junction with the Francigena, Strove 



Climb: m 390 



Tourist-style leg that mainly covers dirt and asphalt roads and does not present 

particular orientation problems. 

Note: In Acquaviva, the itinerary joins the Via Francigena and continues along it 

passing through Strove and Abbadia a Isola as far as Monteriggioni. 

Water and refreshments can be found in the villages along the route. 

Transport: 

Poggibonsi 

Monteriggioni 

To be seen: 

Staggia Fortress 

Castle of Monteriggioni 

Badia a Isola 

123 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 


Empoli 

Leg 3 

Empoli 


Leg 4 


Certaldo 

Leg 5 

Certaldo 

Poggibonsi 

Leg 6 

Poggibonsi 

Monteriggioni 

Leg 7 

Monteriggioni 

Siena


124 

From Poggibonsi, our journey continues and connects to the 

hilly track of the Via Francigena at Badia a Isola. This route initially 

goes along the right side of the Staggia River (crossed at 

the mansion of San Giovanni Battista al Ponte), reaching the 

villages of Megognano and Lecchi, and then continuing to 

Staggia Castle, where we again cross the river. An important 

Florentine walled city, or terra murata, on the border with the 

state of Siena, Staggia has preserved almost the full circuit of the 

14 th - and 15 th -century fortifications that enclosed the town ending 

with the fortress. The latter reused the structures of a feudal 

castle, which were subsequently transformed and integrated by 

the Franzesi, a powerful Florentine merchant family whose fortune 

had been created in France. 

The route goes from Staggia along the flat valley bottom, reaching 

first, the small Romanesque churches of San Silvestro 

and of Sant’Antonio ai Laghi and then, Il Casone and Villa 

San Luigi. 

From here, following the Via Francigena directions, we come to 

Siena. In fact, Badia a Isola is quite near: we reach it after passing 

through the small village of Strove, where the Romanesque 

parish church, dedicated to Saint Martin, again recalls, with its 

dedication, the heavenly protection of pilgrims. 

Founded in 1001 as a family monastery by the lords of Staggia, 

the abbey of San Salvatore a Isola took its name from 

the fact that it rose at the edges of the wide swampy depression 

that characterized the area during the Middle Ages. The 

church was renovated in a Romanesque style around the mid- 

12 th century, becoming a large building with a basilican plan. 

Inside, it is divided into three aisles with alternating fascia pillars 

and columns, reflecting a typically Lombard layout. The building, 

however, also displays noticeable northern European influences 

(beginning with the twin portals, now partly closed) and ornate, 

very low relief decorations that recall a pre-Romanesque style of 

Volterran derivation. 


Poggibonsi 

8 km 

Time: 1h40’ 

Castle of Staggia 

Church of San Silvestro 

2.4 km 

Time: 45’ 

Church of Sant’Antonio ai Laghi 

4 km 

Time: 1h10’ 

Strove 

6.6 km 

Time: 1h50’ 

Monteriggioni

Near the abbey on the top of a hill overlooking the Via Francigena, 

the Sienese erected the castle of Monteriggioni in the 

second decade of the 13 th century whose declared purpose was 

to control traffic on this important artery. The almost circular 

walls, with fourteen tall, quadrilateral towers that connect the 

parapet walk, make Monteriggioni one of Tuscany’s most picturesque 

medieval fortified structures, which suggested to Dante 

the similarity (Inferno XXXI vv.40-41): “Because as on its circular 

parapets / Montereggione crowns itself with towers.” 

Beyond Monteriggioni, the Via Francigena continued towards 

Siena, following different routes: one now is essentially followed 

by the “Cassia” state road; the other two routes ran along the 

left of the Staggia River. 

One of the two access gates in Monteriggioni 

125



see page 122 

Monteriggioni 

LEG 7: 

MONTERIGGIONI 

PIAZZA DUOMO (SIENA) 

Petraglia 

Gallinaio 

Bracciano 

Fioreta 

Borgo Cerbaia 

Castagnoli 

Castle of 

the Chiocciola 

Villa 

Poggetto 

San Martino 

Fungaia 

Cannuccio 

Fabbrica 

Casalino 

Le Querce 

Casciano 


126 

Monteriggioni



Borgo di Cerbaia, Castle of the Chiocciola, Casalino, Le Querce 



Climb: m 170 



A tourist-style leg that follows either asphalt or natural road beds. Thanks to 

the signs for the Via Francigena, there are no problems finding the route. It 

is partially shaded by broad-leaved trees. There are few places for water and 

refreshments. The panoramas are extremely beautiful. 

Note: The itinerary corresponds to the Via Francigena of Sigeric. 

The distance covered in this leg requires a certain physical training for the walk. 

Transport: 

Monteriggioni 

Siena 

To be seen: 


Piazza Duomo – Siena 

127 

LEGS 

Leg 1 



Leg 2 


Empoli 

Leg 3 

Empoli 


Leg 4 


Certaldo 

Leg 5 

Certaldo 

Poggibonsi 

Leg 6 

Poggibonsi 

Monteriggioni 

Leg 7 

Monteriggioni 

Siena

Leaving Monteriggioni, we walk south on the Via Francigena 

of Sigeric along the dirt roads of the Montagnola Senese. This 

is a series of ridges characterized by the widespread presence 

of holm-oak woods and the occasional chestnut and beech 

tree. The area is distinguished by a high concentration of parish 

churches, villas, monasteries, and castles, something difficult to 

find elsewhere. 

We thus head south to Cerbaia, a now abandoned medieval 

village. We cross some woods to reach the Castle of the Chiocciola. 

This is a fortification that was built as an outpost of the 

Republic of Siena, its function was to control the transit of pilgrims 

arriving from the north along the Via Francigena to Siena 

as well as to protect Siena from its enemy, Florence. The castle is 

made up of two buildings: a large crenellated keep and a high 

cylindrical battlemented tower that ends with a sentry box. The 

presence inside the tower of a large spiral staircase, precisely the 

shape of a snail, gave the fortification its name. We then pass 

through La Villa and descend towards the valley of Pian del Lago, 

where we take Montemaggio provincial road 101 to the right. 

Then we continue until Osteriaccia and, before the road enters 

the woods, we turn left onto a dirt road that leads to Casalino. 

We cross the road of Pian del Lago, and go on back streets to 

Convento Vecchio. Here, the place-name refers to the old Charterhouse 

of Belriguardo, built in 1340; it was later abandoned 

by the Carthusians in 1635 because of the unwholesomeness of 

the rooms. 

128 

Continuing east, we cross the ring road to arrive in Acqua Calda 

on the outskirts of Siena, and then continue to the historical 

center. From Porta Camollia, the northern entrance into Siena, 

the Via Francigena enters through the walls. From here, it is easy 

to find directions to the hospice of Santa Maria della Scala in 

Piazza Duomo. 

Monteriggioni 

Ancient village of Cerbaia 


Castle of the Villa 

Casalino 

Le Querce 


4.4 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

1.5 km 

Time: 25’ 

0.5 km 

Time: 10’ 

6.3 km 

Time: 1h40’ 

2.3 km 

Time: 45’ 

5.5 km 

Time: 1h40’

129 



Above: Hospice of Santa Maria della Scala / Below: Frescoes, hospice

130 

The city of Siena (from the “Libro del Biadaiolo”, Laurentian Library, Florence) 

HOSPITALITY 

The Hospices in Siena 

In Siena, pilgrims could find hospitality in the many inns found 

in the city, or in the equally numerous religious or secular hospices, 

among which the “Xenodochium hospitalis et de Canonica 

Sanctae Mariae” (later Santa Maria della Scala) stood out. It had 

branches throughout the Sienese territory, especially along the 

route of the Via Francigena. In front of the cathedral in Piazza 

Duomo is a large complex of mostly medieval buildings that was 

the hospital of La Scala and is now a museum.



Rooms Affittacamere 

Via Guardiana, 9 

50055 Lastra a Signa 

Tel: 055 8722985 

querceimm@inwind.it 

Valdirose Affittacamere 

Via Val di Rose, 37 


Tel: 055 8724608 

Fax: 055 8724608 

irene@valdirose.com 

www.valdirose.com 

Viallani Enrico Agriturismo 

Via L. da Vinci, 47/49 - Calcinaia 


Tel: 055 8723629 - Fax: 055 8723594 

agriturismo.cupoli@katamail.com 

www.agriturismocupoli.it 

Villa Toscana Affittacamere 

Via di Calcinaia, 105 


Tel: 055 8723149 

Fax: 055 8723149 

info@florencehouserental.com 

www.florencehouserental.com 

Zantedeschi Giovanna Affittacamere 

Via Erta, 27 


Tel: 055 702165 

Lecceto 

Casa le Tuje B&B 

Via del Fantone, 2 

Malmantile 


Tel: 055 8729113 

info@casaletuje.it 

www.casaletuje.it 

Tenuta San Vito Agriturismo 

Via San Vito, 59 

Malmantile 

50056 Montelupo Fiorentino 

Tel: 0571 51411 

Fax: 0571 51405 

sanvito@san-vito.com 

www.san-vito.com 

Villa Saulina Agriturismo 

Via Maremmana, 11 

Malmantile 


Tel: 055 8729511 

Fax: 055 878065 

info@villasaulina.it 

www.villasaulina.it 

Empoli 

Parrocchia San Simone e Giuda 

Via di Corniola, 75 

Corniola 

50053 Empoli 

Tel: parroco 0571 924658 

Cell: 3286689734 

Queen Zenobia Affittacamere 

Via Rozzalupi, 21 

50053 Empoli 

Tel: 0571 72646 

queenzenobia@libero.it 

www.queenzenobia.it 

Scarselli Affittacamere 

Via Meucci, 2 

50053 Empol 

Tel: 0571 960090 

info@scarselliaffittacamere.it 

www.scarselliaffittacamere.it 


Il Grande Prato Ostello 

Via Renai, 11 

50051 Castelfiorentino 

Tel: 0571 61744 

Fax: 0571 635875 

info@grandeprato.it 

www.grandeprato.it 

La casa di Cecchina Affittacamere 

Via dei Praticelli, 1 


Tel: 0571 633408 

lacasadicecchina@katamail.com 

La Castellina Affittacamere 

Via San Lorenzo, 8 


Tel: 0571 64786 

0571 684910 

Monastero di S. Benedetto 

Via delle Monache, 17 


Tel: 0571 631489 

Parrocchia Santa Maria della Marca 

Piazza A Grandi, 38 


Tel: parish priest 0571 634210 

Tagliaferri Grazia Affittacamere 

Via di Cambiano Alto, 12 

Cambiano 


Tel: 0571 672324 

Fax: 0571 672115 

131

132 

Casale 

Agriturismo di Fonti 

Via S.Martino, 35/46 

San Martino a Maiano 

50052 Certaldo 

Tel: 0571 669439 - Fax: 0571 669437 

www.agricoladifonti.it 

Agriturismo Tenuta di Sticciano 

Via di Sticciano, 207 

Fiano 


Tel: 0571 669032 

Fax: 0571 669422 

www.tenutadisticciano.it 

Agriturismo Villa Il Bacìo 

Via del Pino, 703 

Il Bacìo 


Tel: 055 609409 

Fax: 055 609409 

www.fattoriabacio.com 

1.9km North-East of Casale 

Chiesa di San Gaudenzio a Ruballa 

Via del Pino 


Tel: Parrocchia S. Donato a Lucardo, from 

which the church depends 0571 669125 

a 1,5km a Nord-Est di Casale 

Chiesa San Martino a Maiano 

Via S.Martino 

Maiano 


Tel: parish priest Don Elio Agostini 

0571 668054 

Villa La Poggiolaia Casa Vacanza 

Via del Pino 

Il Bacìo, Sammozzano 


Tel: 0571 669695 

paola@poggiolaia.it 

www.poggiolaia.it 

Apartments 2.9 km North-East of Casale 

Certaldo 

Casa Chianti Ostello 

Casenuove, 77 

Fiano 


Fattoria Bassetto Ostello 

Via delle Città, 4 


Il Pianigiano B&B 

Via Piano di Sotto, 89 


MSN Relais Fattoria Bacio Ostello 

Via del Pino, 703 


Parrocchia S. Tommaso Apostolo 

Via XX Settembre, 6 



Poggibonsi 

Agriturismo La Moraia 

Talciona, 37 

53036 Poggibonsi 

B&B Antico Podere Il Bugnolo 

Canonica, 5 


Borgo di Talciona Affittacamere 

Talciona, 18 


Tel: 0577 989087 - 347 1987331 

maridatalciona@yahoo.it 

Casa ai Carfini Affittacamere 

Strolla, 5 


Tel: 347 3217165 

info@casaaicarfini.com 

www.casaaicarfini.com 

Garden House B&B 

Orneto, 6 


Tel: 0577 988005 - 347 6151070 

Migliorni Fernanda Affittacamere 

Piazza Calatafimi, 9 


Tel: 0577 938671 

0577 980206 

Poggioagrilli Casa Vacanza 

Poggiagrilli, 23 

Gavignano 


poggiagrilli@yahoo.it 

www.poggiagrilli.it 

Santuario Francescano 

di San Lucchese 

Via San Lucchese 


Tel: 0577 936219 

0577 930577 

www.sanlucchese.org 

Santuario Romituzzo 

Via Burresi, 17 


Tel: 0577 938071 

www.romituzzo.it

Monteriggioni 

Casa del Clero Sant’Ansano 


53035 Monteriggioni 

Tel: 0577 596078 

Casa per ferie S. Maria Assunta 

Castello di Monteriggioni 

Piazza Roma, 23 


Tel: 0577 304214 

Cell: 335 6651581 

casaferiesma@yahoo.it 

www.monteriggioniturismo.it 

Parrocchia di Cristo Re 

Piazza Cristo Re, 1 


Tel: 0577 304214 - Cell: 335 6651581 

casaferiesma@yahoo.it 

Villa Montarioso 



Siena 

Accoglienza Santa Luisa 

Via San Girolamo, 8 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 284377 

Alma Domus 

Santuario Santa Caterina 

Via Camporegio, 31 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 44177 

Fax: 0577 47601 

Caritas Affittacamere 

Via della Diana, 4 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 280643 

caritas@carita-sfiera.org 

www.caritas-siena.org 

Casa Famiglia S. Maria dei Servi 

P.za A. Manzoni, 8 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 222633 

Casa per ferie Istituto 

Maria de’ Gori 

Via dei Servi, 31 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 221076 

Fax: 0577 221298 

Eremo Agostiniano del Lecceto 

Via del Lecceto, 6 

53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 349393 

Ostello della Gioventù Guidoriccio 

Via Fiorentina, 89 - 53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 52212 

siena@ostellionline.org 

www.ostelloguidoriccio.com 

Seminario Pontificio Regionale PIO XII 

Via Montarioso, 35 - 53011 Siena 

Tel: 0577 587011 


APT Florence 


Via Cavour 1r 

Tel: 055 290832 - 055 290833 

info1@Florenceturismo.it 

Hours: from Monday to Saturday 8.30 

a.m.-6.30 p.m., Sundays and holidays 

8.30 a.m.-1.30 p.m. 


Tourist Information Office Lastra a Signa 

Kiosk in Piazza Stazione 

Via L. Cadorna, 1- 50055 Lastra a Signa 

Tel: 055 8725770 

Fax: 055 8727933 

ufficioturistico@comune.lastra-a-signa.fi.it 

UPT Montelupo Fiorentino 

via Baccio Sinibaldi, 43 

Tel: 0571 518993 

Fax: 0571 911421 

ufficioturistico@museomontelupo.it 

“Le Terre del Rinascimento” 

Intermunicipal Tourist Information Office 

Via della Torre, 11 

50050 Vinci (Florence) 

Tel 0571 568012 - Fax 0571 567930 

www.terredelrinascimento.it 

terredelrinascimento@comune.vinci.fi.it 

Tourist and Culture Office Municipality 

of Empoli 

P.zza Farinata degli Uberti 

50053 Empoli (Florence) 

Tel 0571 757729 - Fax 0571757740 

cultura@comune.empoli.fi.it 

Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 

and Fridays 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; Tuesdays 

and Thursdays 3 p.m.-6 p.m. 

U.R.P. Information Point Municipality 

of Empoli 

Via G. del Papa 41 

50053 Empoli (Florence) 

Tel 0571 757622 - Fax 055 0571 980033 

www.comune.empoli.fi.it 

www.empolese-valdelsa.it 

urp@comune.empoli.fi.it 

Hours: from Monday to Friday 8 a.m.- 

1.30 p.m./2.30 p.m.-7.30 p.m.; 

Saturdays 8 a.m.-1.30 p.m. 

133

134 

Tourist Information Office Municipality 

of Castelfiorentino 

c/o Stazione FFSS - Via Ridolfi, 1 

50051 Castelfiorentino (Florence) 

Tel e Fax 0571 629049 

www.comune.castelfiorentino.fi.it 

infocastello@libero.it 

Winter hours (from mid-October to 1 April): 

Every day 10 a.m.-12 p.m./4 p.m.-6 p.m. 

Summer hours: every day 9 a.m.-12.30 

p.m./3.30 p.m.-7.30 p.m. 

Tourist Information Office of Certaldo 

Piazza Masini, c/o Stazione FFSS 

(In the premises of the former goods yard) 

50051 Certaldo (Florence) 

Tel: 0571 656721 - Fax: 0571 627531 

www.comune.certaldo.fi.it 

info.turismo@comune.certaldo.fi.it 

Hours (from the week before Easter until 

mid-October): 9 a.m.-1 p.m./3.30 p.m.-7 

p.m.; (from mid-October to 31 December): 

10 a.m.-12 p.m./3.30 p.m.-5.30 p.m. 

Pro Loco Certaldo 

Via Boccaccio 16 

50052 Certaldo (Florence) 

Tel. 0571 652730 

www.prolococertaldo.it 

segreteria@prolococertaldo.it 

Summer hours: 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m./2.30 

p.m.-7 p.m.; Closed on Monday mornings 

Winter hours: 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m./2.30 

p.m.-5 p.m.; Closed on Monday mornings 

Tourist Information Poggibonsi 

Piazza Mazzini, 6 

Tel: 0577 935113 - Fax: 0577 982509 

www.terresiena.it 

poggibonsi@vacanzesenesi.it 


of Monteriggioni 

P.za Roma, 23 

Tel: 0577 304834 - 0577 573213 

Fax: 0577304834 

skype: ufficioturisticomonteriggioni 

info@monteriggioniturismo.it 

APT Siena 

Piazza del Campo 56 

Tel: 0577 280551 - Fax 0577:270676 

aptsiena@siena.turismo.toscana.it 



Feast of the Patron Saint, San Bartolomeo 

(24 August) 

Barberino Medievale (end of May) 

Barberino Val d’Elsa Semifonte 

Feast of San Michele Arcangelo 

(last Sunday in September) 


Feast of the Patron Saint, Santa Verdiana 

(first week of June) 

Palio dei Rioni (third Sunday of June) 

Certaldo 

Feast of the Beata Giulia 

(first Sunday of September) 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Tommaso 

(3 July) 

Certaldo, Parco di Canonica 

Festa degli arcieri (1 May) 

Empoli 

Feast of the Patron Saint, Sant’Andrea 

(30 November) 

Celebration for Corpus Domini 

(14 June) 

Volo del ciuco (June) 

Festa della Stagione Bona (April) 


Feast of Sant’Anna (July) 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Martino 

(11 November) 

Lastra a Signa, Loc. Malmantile 

Medieval Festival in Malmantile (May) 

Montelupo 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Giovanni 

Evangelista (27 December) 

Montelupo, Loc.Turbone 

Bosco in festa 

(last weekend of October) 

Montespertoli 


Feast of the Patron Saint, Sant’Andrea 

(30 November) 

Itinerant Via Crucis (Easter) 

Monteriggioni 

Feast of the Birth of the Patron Saint, 

Maria Vergine (8 September) 

Festa dei Rioni e Torneo del Barilotto 

(settembre) 

Poggibonsi 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Lucchese 

(28 April) 

Siena 

Celebrazioni Cateriniane (2 - 3 May) 

Palio della Madonna di Provenzano 

(2 July) 

Palio dell’Assunzione (16 August) 

Santa Lucia (13 December) 

Sant’Ansano (1 December)

4 TH ITINERARY 


the pilgrim route to Rome 

in the 13 th century 

135 

Until at least the end of the 12 th century, the importance of the 

road connecting Florence and Bologna that crossed the Mugello 

was probably modest. The main artery used for going to and from 

the Po River Valley continued to be the Via Francigena, as evidenced 

by documentary sources that inevitably mention the route 

through the Apennine pass of Monte Bardone (Cisa). Yet, as mentioned 

previously, in the 13 th century Florence got hold of the main 

communication axis with Padania, the Po valley, imposing one of 

the roads that connected with Bologna as a route over the Apennines. 

Originally, this road was used to reach the upper Santerno 

valley and only later was it extended to Bologna. Beyond San Piero 

a Sieve, the road passed through the parishes of Sant’Agata and 

Cornacchiaia, using the pass in the Mugello known as the Osteria 

Bruciata, which was later replaced by the Giogo Pass.



the pilgrim route to Rome in the 13 th century 

Covigliaio 

Futa Pass 

Firenzuola 

Sant’Agata 

Sanctuary of Monte Senario 

Ceppeto (Monte Morello) 

Porta San Gallo (Florence) 

136 

THE ITINERARY 

Starting Point: Porta San Gallo (Florence) 

End point: Sant’Agata 


1200 

1000 

800 

600 

400 

200 


Horticultural Garden 

Stibbert Museum 

Parish Church of Cercina 


Buonsollazzo Abbey 

Trebbio Castle 

Osteria Bruciata Pass 

Futa Pass 


00



Distance (local itineraries): km 16.9 

Level of physical difficulty: E 

Level of physical difficulty: Medium-Difficult 

List of legs: 

Leg 1: Porta San Gallo (Florence) – Ceppeto (Monte Morello) 

Waypoints: Horticultural Garden, Park at the Stibbert Museum, La Pietra, 

Piazza di Careggi, Piazza-Canonica di Cercina, Montorsoli, Fondi, 



Leg 2: Ceppeto (Monte Morello) – Sanctuary of Monte Senario 

Waypoints: Monte Morello, Pescina, Pratello, Paterno, 

Carzola di Sotto-Via Bolognese, Bivigliano 


Leg 3: Sanctuary of Monte Senario – Sant’Agata 

Waypoints: Buonsollazzo Abbey, Tagliaferro, Trebbio Castle, San Piero a Sieve, 

Gabbiano 


Leg 3 Local Itineraries: 

Lake of Bilancino – Castle of Cafaggiolo 


Scarperia 


Leg 4: Sant’Agata – Firenzuola 

Waypoints: Riarsiccio, Osteria Bruciata Pass, Cornacchiaia 


Leg 5: Firenzuola – Covigliaio 

Waypoints: Le Valli, Pietramala 


Leg 6: Covigliaio – Futa Pass 

Waypoints: Cà degli Arrighi 


Leg 7: Futa Pass – Sant’Agata 

Waypoints: Osteria Bruciata Pass, Riarsiccio 


137 

The tour takes place mostly on trails , dirt and gravel roads (55%), and asphalt 

secondary roads (45%). There are particularly demanding hilly legs (Ceppeto 

– Monte Senario; Sant’Agata – Firenzuola, Firenzuola – Covigliaio). The route 

unwinds amidst landscapes of great beauty, with native broadleaf and conifer 

woods that were planted at the start of the last century. 

We cross two natural sites of Community Importance: Monte Morello and the 

Firenzuola Basin. Attention must be paid along the short sections that go along 

provincial and/or local roads, and the rules of the road Code regarding pedestrian 

movement on out-of-town roads must be followed 

Note: Undertaking this itinerary requires orientation skills, experience, and 

knowledge of mountainous terrain and adequate physical training for the walk, 

as well as appropriate footwear and equipment. The hiking stretches follow CAI 

trails almost exclusively, and so they are usually marked; the only exception is 

between Covigliaio and Passeggere. Water is available in the villages and fountains 

along the route. From Pietramala, it is possible to continue towards Emilia 

Romagna through the Raticosa Pass along the ancient pilgrim route to Rome, or 

continue our journey in a southerly direction that takes us back to Sant’Agata.



the pilgrim route to Rome in the 13 th century 

Futa Pass 

Firenzuola 

Sant’Agata 



138 

Hospice of San Gallo and the beginning of the Via Bolognese in the Catena Map



Level of technical difficulty: TC-MC 


List of legs: 

Leg 1: From Porta San Gallo (Florence) – Sanctuary of Monte Senario 

Waypoints: Horticultural Garden, Park at the Stibbert Museum, La Pietra, 

Piazza di Careggi, Piazza-Canonica di Cercina, Montorsoli, Fondi, 

Parish Church of Cercina, Ceppeto, Monte Morello, Pescina, Pratello, Paterno, 

Carzola di Sotto-Via Bolognese, Bivigliano 


Page 142 

Leg 2: Sanctuary of Monte Senario – Sant’Agata 

Waypoints: Buonsollazzo Abbey, Tagliaferro, Trebbio Castle, San Piero a Sieve, 

Gabbiano 


Page 154 

Leg 3: Sant’Agata – Firenzuola 

Waypoints: Riarsiccio, Osteria Bruciata Pass, Cornacchiaia 


Page 164 

Leg 4: Firenzuola – Futa Pass 

Waypoints: Le Valli, Pietramala, Covigliaio, Cà degli Arrighi 


Page 170 

Leg 5: Futa Pass – Sant’Agata 

Waypoints: Passo dell’Osteri Bruciata, Riarsiccio 


Page 178 

The route alternates between asphalt and gravel roads, with slightly bumpy and 

irregular stretches for average cyclists (MC class). Except for the section between 

Passeggere and Covigliaio, the path is usually well-marked and identifiable. 

The landscape is extremely picturesque, and is characterized by both the typical 

central Apennine mountain ecosystems, with oak and chestnut forests and 

planted pine groves, and by the farmed hills of the Mugello valley and the 

mountain pastures of the Firenzuola basin. 

Note: The course presents technical difficulties in some parts and requires good 

physical training. The more technically demanding stretches are found in Leg 5, 

from the Futa Pass to Osteria Bruciata, and near Camporomano (shortly after 

the Abbey of Buonsollazzo), above all, for the limited width of the path. Orientation 

problems may arise along Leg 5 between Covigliaio and Passeggere 

because of the absence of CAI signage. The course is physically very demanding 

because of the presence of some major climbs (the Monte Senario, Firenzuola, 

and Futa Pass legs). It is preferable to use a very sturdy mountain- or city-bike on 

this route. The stretches suitable for racing bikes are only those around Florence 

and those on the Mugello plain. There are no particular problems associated 

with the availability of water as there are fountains and towns along the way. 

From Pietramala, it is possible to continue towards Emilia Romagna through the 

Raticosa Pass along the ancient pilgrim route to Rome, or to proceed on our 

journey, which takes us back in a southerly direction to Sant’Agata. 

139

A Disputed Route 

The succession of measures undertaken by the Florentine Republic 

to increase the route’s efficiency – bridge construction, 

rebuilding of road sections – could not avoid creating conflicts 

with the powerful feudal house of the Ubaldini family, whose 

possessions were distributed on both sides of the Tuscan-Emilian 

Apennines. The foundation of the two terrenuove or towns of 

Scarperia and Firenzuola must be seen in the context of the ageold 

struggle against these Mugello landowners who were finally 

crushed around the mid-14 th century – the same years in which 

the new road that directly connected, via the Giogo Pass, the 

two terrenuove mentioned above was opened. Significantly, on 

the occasion of the foundation of Firenzuola, it was stated, “in 

qua et per quam terram Firenzuole sit et esse debeat una via 

que vadat versus Florentiam et recte versus Bononiam” (Public 

Records Office of Florence, Chapters, reg.32 c.71r.) 

4 TH ITINERARY - THE VIA BOLOGNESE 

View with Trebbio Castle, San Piero a Sieve 

140 

www.vieromee.it

A Road Towards Europe 

The new road connection would become the important transit 

conduit between northern and central Italy, increasingly used by 

merchants and travelers but especially by pilgrims going to Rome. 

The latter, especially those arriving in Italy from the countries of 

Central Europe, crossed the Alps and arrived in the Po River Valley. 

From there, they took up the Via Emilia, proceeding to Bologna 

and then took the road to Florence. Then following the roads to 

the south that linked the city on the Arno to the Via Francigena 

(the Strada Sanese and the Via Romana), pilgrims going to Rome 

rejoined the ancient route to Rome in Siena or Poggibonsi. 

But the road that connected Florence and Bologna was often 

also the route used by those Florentine pilgrims who wanted 

to visit the other two destinations of peregrinationes maiores: 

Santiago de Compostela and Jerusalem. In their memoirs some 

Jacobean pilgrims who began their long walk from Florence, indeed 

described the route across the Apennines leading to Bologna 

from where they reached Borgo San Donnino via the Via 

Emilia whence the Via Francigena was taken up. And also those 

who were going to the Holy Land passed by Bologna in order to 

reach Venice, the city that had become the customary embarcation 

point for the pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the 14 th century. 

Hospice of the Ruota, on the old Via Bolognese 

141


LEG 1: 

PORTA SAN GALLO (Florence) 

CEPPETO (MONTE MORELLO) 

Ceppeto 

(Monte Morello) 



Fondi 

see page 150 

Il Carretello 

Park at Villa Demidoff 

Pieve di Cercina 

Montorsoli 

Il Casale 

Piazza-Canonica 

di Cercina 

Montorsoli 

Trespiano 

Piazza di Careggi 

Santa Marta 

La Pietra 

142 

Park at the 

Stibbert Museum 


Porta San Gallo (Firenze) 

Starting point of LEG 1 

A section along the route



Horticultural Garden, Park at the Stibbert Museum, La Pietra, Piazza di Careggi, 

Piazza-Canonica di Cercina, Montorsoli, Fondi, Parish Church of Cercina 



Climb: m 560 



This leg goes along asphalt and stone-paved roads in an area around Florence. 

It is a well-marked route that does not present orientation problems. 

Note: Attention must be paid to road traffic on the stretches of narrow roads 

encountered. This leg becomes physically demanding at the park of the Stibbert 

Museum when the climb to Ceppeto starts. 

Transport: 

Florence 

Montorsoli 

To be seen: 


Park at Villa La Pietra 


143 

LEGS 

Leg 1 Leg 2 Leg 3 

Porta San Gallo Ceppeto Sanct. of M. Senario 

Ceppeto Sanct. of M. Senario Sant’Agata 

Leg 4 

Sant’Agata 

Firenzuola 

Leg 5 

Firenzuola 

Covigliaio 

Leg 6 

Covigliaio 

Futa Pass 

Leg 7 

Futa Pass 

Sant’Agata


The Community of Pellegrino 

“Pellegrino” was a village located outside the 14 th -century walls of Florence 

that extended on the right of the Via Bolognese just outside Porta 

San Gallo. It took its name from the existence of numerous accommodation 

structures there for pilgrims to Rome coming from the north 

who stopped in Florence on their way. With the early 19th-century 

administrative reforms, the whole Pellegrino area and the surrounding 

villages of Careggi, Montughi, Novoli and others were merged into 

a single Community, which took the name of Pellegrino da Careggi. 

Later eliminated during the period when Florence was the capital, the 

community was incorporated into the municipality of Florence. Toponymic 

evidence of its existence remains in the name of a minor road 

that branches off from the Via Bolognese, called Via del Pellegrino. 

Coat-of-arms of the Hospice of Gesù Pellegrino 

144

The starting point of our journey along the Via Bolognese is Piazza 

della Libertà, formerly known by the name of Piazza San 

Gallo which took its name from the important Florentine hospice 

that had once stood there, and which was destroyed at the time 

of the 1529 siege of Florence. 

The medieval Via Bolognese started from the city gate that was 

also called San Gallo. The initial stretch is by now a city street, 

along which a whole succession of buildings and places recall 

the pilgrims’ transit. There were hospices near the Church of 

Santa Maria del Suffragio (linked to the mansion of the Order 

of Saint James of Altopascio) and where today the Villas Spalletti 

and Spedaluzzo are located. 

In order to get around the traffic problems that characterize this 

whole area of the city, our route begins from Piazza della Libertà, 

near the ancient route. From the square, we suggest taking Via 

Paolo Toscanelli to Viale Milton and crossing the Mugnone on 

the pedestrian bridge there to get to Via XX Settembre. We cross 

the street and enter the Horticultural Garden where we can 

admire the large 19 th -century hothouse that sheltered the plants 

from sub-tropical countries studied by the Società di Orticoltura 

Toscana, established in 1852 by the Accademia dei Georgofili. 

On the other side of the park is Via Trento, from which a superb 

panoramic view of the city can be enjoyed. We continue along 

the street as far as Via Trieste, which leads us into Via Vittorio 

Emanuele II. After a short stretch, we turn right into Via Stibbert, 

becoming Via Montughi, which takes us back to the Via 

Bolognese at La Pietra whose name is linked to the presence of 

The Horticultural Garden of Florence 

4 TH ITINERARY - THE VIA BOLOGNESE - LEG 1 

145 


0.5 km 

Time: 10’ 


1.5 km 

Time: 40’ 

Stibbert Museum and Park 

0.9 km 

Time: 15’ 

La Pietra 

6.5 km 

Time: 2h 

Montorsoli 


3.5 km 

Time: 1h05’ 

1.1 km 

Time: 25’ 

Castiglioni 

Oratory of Sant’Iacopo 

a Ceppeto 

1.6 km 

Time: 45’ 

www.vieromee.it


a milestone that indicated the first mile from Porta San Gallo. In 

La Pietra, there is a large tabernacle with a 15 th -century fresco 

that depicts the Madonna enthroned surrounded by saints and 

two pilgrims’ hospices dedicated to St. Nicholas and St Jerome 

that were a little further on, in the village of La Lastra where we 

find the hospice of the Ruota, a small late-Romanesque building 

with a single rectangular nave. 

To avoid the dangers related to traffic, we abandon at La Pietra 

the ancient route of Via Bolognese that today follows the state 

road 65, and enter a secondary road on the left (Via della Pietra) 

that leads us to Piazza di Careggi. From here, we take Via Terzollina 

that runs to the right of the stream of the same name and 

start to climb the hilly slopes of Monte Morello. We pass through 

Canonica di Cercina and come to the Romanesque Parish 

Church of Sant’Andrea in Cercina, which was a pilgrimage 

destination in the past because of the popular veneration for an 

ancient and precious wooden statue of the Madonna kept there. 

From the Cercina parish church, we follow a secondary road until 

we reach Castiglioni, where there is a villa built on a 13 th -century 

tower house, and a church dedicated to St. Michael, formerly 

suffragan of the parish church. We then continue towards Via 

dei Colli Alti passing near the forest station. We now reach the 

Oratory of San Jacopo a Ceppeto after traveling a short stretch 

of Via dei Colli Alti. 

The Park at Villa La Pietra 

146 



0.5 km 

Time: 10’ 


1.5 km 

Time: 40’ 

Stibbert Museum and Park 

0.9 km 

Time: 15’ 

La Pietra 

6.5 km 

Time: 2h 

Montorsoli 


3.5 km 

Time: 1h05’ 

1.1 km 

Time: 25’ 

Castiglioni 


a Ceppeto 

1.6 km 

Time: 45’

DEVOTION 

Cercina, A Place Chosen by Mary 

According to tradition, it was believed that the image of the Madonna 

of Cercina was left at the church by a cardinal heading to 

France in 1285. An ancient account recounts that the sacred image 

(a 13 th -century, polychrome wooden statue), was loaded on 

a mule, along with other household goods, and that once it had 

arrived in the parish of Cercina “on the road that leads to Bologna, 

at Montorsoli, the mule stopped as if riveted [to the spot], 

in such a way that even the violence of all the carters could not 

move it… the cardinal and his whole court followed the mule in 

astonishment, until it stopped at the church” (V. FINESCHI, Notizie 

istoriche riguardanti l’antica e miracolosa figura di Maria Vergine 

situata nella chiesa di Sant’Andrea a Cercina, Firenze 1795, p.62). 

The site was recognized as the one chosen by Mary as her shelter 

and “as soon as [the statue was] unloaded, the mule fell to the 

ground as if in the act of worship”. From that time on, there was 

such an uninterrupted pilgrimage to the wooden statue of the 

Madonna that in 1435 a high prelate (Cardinal Lodovico di Varambona) 

issued a Breve conceding special indulgences to all visitors. 

The Parish Church of Cercina 

147


The Park at Villa Demidoff 

Along the Via Bolognese pilgrim route, climbing towards Monte 

Morello, we reach Via dei Colli Alti, next to the forest station. 

From here, we turn right and go east on Via dei Colli Alti. After 

3 km, we come to the village of Pratolino where we can visit the 

historical park of Villa Demidoff. In 1568 Francesco I de’ Medici 

acquired the Pratolino holding and charged Buontalenti with the 

task of making it a residence for his second wife Bianca Cappello. 

The villa was located in the middle of a 40-hectare park in which 

there were complex water jets with automata, water tricks, and 

monumental fountains embellished by the presence of ancient 

statues, mother of pearl, semi-precious stones and marbles. Of 

these, only the statue of the Colossus of the Apennines by Giambologna 

remains, immersed in the park where a rich and varied 

flora can be enjoyed. The park offers numerous cultural and musical 

activities, including RURALIA, an event in May that evokes 

an agricultural fair from the last century. 

The Colossus of the Apennines by Giambologna, the park at Villa Demidoff 

148

View towards Cercina from Castiglione 

149 


4 TH ITINERARY - THE VIA BOLOGNESE - LEG 1


LEG 2: 

CEPPETO (MONTE MORELLO) 

SANTUARIO DEL MONTE SENARIO 

Carzola di Sotto 

Via Bolognese 

Il Trebbio 

Sanctuary 

of Monte 

Senario 

Causelle 

Bivigliano 

Marcherello 

Viliani 

Paterno 

Ferraglia 

Le Case 

Pratello 

Fontebuona 

Pescina 

Monte Morello 

150 

Ceppeto 


see page 142 


View of the Mugello countryside



Monte Morello, Pescina, Pratello, Paterno, Carzola di Sotto-Via Bolognese, Bivigliano 


Level of physical difficulty: Difficult 

Climb: m 700 



This leg goes along on both small asphalt roads and on forest roads with a 

gravel road bed. 

The path is well-marked also within the Monte Morello reserve. The leg proceeds 

within the Monte Morello Site of Community Importance (SCI), through a 

landscape characterized by turkey and downy oak woods planted at the beginning 

of last century. In the distance, the woods of Arizona cypress, Atlas cedar, 

and Austrian, Corsican, and Turkish pine are also visible, which were planted 

during the same period. Picturesque waterfalls are present a short distance from 

the village of Paterno. 

Note: This is one of the most challenging legs, from a physical point of view, 

along the route. Attention should be paid to road traffic along the provincial 

and regional roads. 

Transport: 

Monte Senario 

To be seen: 


Monte Morello, Site of Community Importance 

Convent of Monte Senario 

151 

LEGS 




Leg 4 

Sant’Agata 

Firenzuola 

Leg 5 

Firenzuola 

Covigliaio 

Leg 6 

Covigliaio 

Futa Pass 

Leg 7 

Futa Pass 

Sant’Agata

NATURE AND LANDSCAPE 

Monte Morello 

A Site of Community Importance (SCI), Monte Morello covers 

over 4000 hectares. Of scenic and recreational significance, the 

remaining open areas play a strategic role in providing nesting 

and wintering places for endangered bird species. Today the 

mountain enjoys a rich fauna composed of wild boar, fox, deer, 

hare, roe deer, pheasant and other animals – vipers are not uncommon 

– with a thick vegetation of pine, oak, cypress and silver 

fir. Of importance is also the presence of such amphibians 

as the Spectacled Salamander. There are numerous water springs 

(Seppi, Ciliegio, etc.), although some have disappeared or their 

capacity has been reduced because of the excavations carried out 

under the mountain for the high-speed trains. In addition, there 

has been the gradual desiccation of many black pine woods, an 

effect of the climatic trends in recent years coupled with the exponential 

spread of bark beetles, the vectors of blue stain fungus 

(Leptographium sp.) that have led to their foliage turning red until 

completely dehydrated. 

Monte Morello remains the Florentines’ “mountain” as they go 

there to walk, hike and picnic in the summer or to look for mushrooms 

and wild asparagus. 


152 

The Convent of Monte Senario 

At the top of Monte Senario is the convent of the Order of the 

Servants of Mary. The Servite congregation came into existence 

here in 1233, on the initiative of seven noble Florentines (the “seven 

founding brothers”) who retreated to the mount in prayer. 

From their coenobitic experience, the Servants of Mary – as the 

followers of the new order were called – were born and they 

had considerable success in 13 th -century Tuscan and Italian society. 

The original convent grew over the years and was completely 

rebuilt in the late 16 th century at the behest of Grand Duke Ferdinando 

I. Subsequently, it was further modified until it assumed 

its current shape. Along the quiet paths scattered about the thick 

pine forest surrounding the monastery and covering the summit 

of Monte Senario are numerous signs of the order’s religious history, 

all within walking distance. There are the cells, caves and 

chapels dedicated to various saints and blessed souls belonging 

to the Servite congregation. From the panoramic terrace that surrounds 

the church and the monastic premises, we can enjoy a 

magnificent view over the Arno valley and the Mugello.

From the Oratory of San Jacopo in Ceppeto, we follow a CAI 

path that leads us – passing through Pescina – to the road that 

goes to the small village of Paterno. We continue and we soon 

come to the state road that we follow for a short stretch in a 

southerly direction. Then, we take the road on the left and pass 

through the village of Sommavilla until we arrive in the village of 

Bivigliano, which stretches at the foot of Monte Senario, where 

a foot path begins that leads to the sanctuary of the same name. 

Convent of Monte Senario 


153 


a Ceppeto 

4.7 km 

Time: 1h20’ 

Paterno 

2.6 km 

Time: 50’ 

Carzola di Sotto-Via Bolognese 

4.8 km 

Time: 1h50’ 

Bivigliano 

2.9 km 

Time: 1h15’ 


www.vieromee.it


LEG 3: 

SANCTUARY OF MONTE SENARIO 

SANT’AGATA 

Sant’Agata 

Cafaccio 

Santa Maria 

Gabbiano 

LOCAL ITINERARY 

Scarperia 

Mogognano 


Lake Bilancino 

Castle of 

Cafaggiolo 


Castle of Trebbio 

Ischieti 

Tagliaferro 

Campomigliaio 

Abbey of Buonsollazzo 

154 

Vaglia 

Il Trebbio 


of LEG 2 

Sanctuary 

of Monte 

Senario 

Towards the Mugello



Buonsollazzo Abbey, Tagliaferro, Castle of Trebbio, San Piero a Sieve, 

Gabbiano 

Level of technical difficulty: E 


Climb: m 290 



The route on dirt roads and paths is well-marked, except near Camporomano, 

shortly after Buonsollazzo Abbey, where the CAI signs affixed to tree trunks are 

missing. This leg requires orientation skills and good physical training. 

Note: Once in Trebbio, you can take the local route for Lake Bilancino and 

Castle of Cafaggiolo or remain on the main road and take the dirt track to the 

right following the CAI 19 signs as far as Ischieti, which is found at the end of 

the first local itinerary. Once in San Piero a Sieve, however, you can turn right 

in Via Calimara from Piazza della Colonna, and take the second local itinerary 

that leads to Scarperia. 

After the Abbey of Buonsollazzo, heading down towards Camporomano, cyclists 

are advised to proceed on foot to avoid falls. 

Transport: 

Monte Senario 

Scarperia 

Sant’Agata 

To be seen: 


Medicean Fortress of San Martino – San Piero a Sieve 

Convent of Bosco ai Frati 

155 

LEGS 




Leg 4 

Sant’Agata 

Firenzuola 

Leg 5 

Firenzuola 

Covigliaio 

Leg 6 

Covigliaio 

Futa Pass 

Leg 7 

Futa Pass 

Sant’Agata


156 

From the sanctuary of Monte Senario, we continue our itinerary 

and we pass by the Abbey of Buonsollazzo, which is said 

to have been built before the year 1000 by Marchese Ugo di 

Toscana, in the place where he had the vision that converted 

him to the Christian life. The abbey later passed to a Cistercian 

congregation and then to the Trappist monks, to whom we owe 

the 18 th -century layout of the complex. 

After passing the abbey, we continue along the path until we 

come to the state road at Tagliaferro, a village remembered as 

having many inns and hostels in addition to a pilgrims’ hospice 

dedicated to Saint Lawrence, recorded since 1221. 

We cross the Via Bolognese and take the road that, by way of 

Uccellare and Spugnole, leads to Trebbio Castle, the ancestral 

home of the Medici. We continue on as far as Ischieti skirting 

the Fortress of San Martino, built in the second half of the 

16 th century by Grand Duke Cosimo I, on the hill overlooking 

San Piero a Sieve. 

Leaving the town of San Piero, we can continue by way of Gabbiano-Sant’Agata 

or by way of the local itinerary that leads to 

Scarperia. 

Beyond the Giogo Pass, the new road (the present state road 

503 follows the same course) went down into the Santerno Valley 

and reached Firenzuola, the other “terranuova” founded 

by the Florentine Republic in 1332 precisely because of the new 

road which for centuries would channel pilgrims who came from 

the North and were headed to Rome. The route that we suggest, 

instead, broadly corresponds to the road to Bologna, which preceded 

that of the Giogo Pass and crossed the Apennines at the 

Osteria Bruciata Pass and, albeit via a longer route, also reaches 

Firenzuola and the Santerno Valley. 

Then from Scarperia we pass through Magognano (near which is 

the 14 th -century Franciscan convent of San Bonaventura in Bosco 

ai Frati with its wooden crucifix from the school of Donatello) and 

Gabbiano and return to the main itinerary that leads to the village 

of Sant’Agata, built around the homonymous parish church, a 

beautiful Romanesque church with a nave and two aisles divided 

by tall circular pillars that directly support the wooden frame of 

the roof, as in the hallenkirchen in northern countries. 



3.6 km 

Time: 55’ 

Buonsollazzo Abbey 

4.3 km 

Time: 1h05’ 

Tagliaferro 

2.7 km 

Time: 1h 


2.8 km 

Time: 45’ 

Fortress of San Martino 

1 km 

Time: 15’ 


Sant’Agata 

8.6 km 

Time: 2h25’



San Piero a Sieve was the first major town encountered on this 

road. An ancient market town recorded as early as the 12 th century, 

San Piero rose at the point where the road crossed the Sieve 

River and, like all river-crossing settlements, had many commercial 

(inns, hotels) and charitable accommodation structures. Among 

the latter were the hospice of San Piero a Sieve, which is first recorded 

in 1184 and the hospice of San Jacopo a Novoli, documented 

in 1335. The first is now the oratory of the brotherhood 

placed before the Parish Church of San Piero a Sieve on whose 

counter-façade is an inscription that refers to the reconstruction 

of the hospice carried out in 1275 by a Magister Panicia commissioned 

by Gianibuonus. 


Notes along the Via Bolognese 

An anonymous Florentine pilgrim, who went on pilgrimage to 

Santiago de Compostela in 1477, thus describes the first part of 

the Via Bolognese: “...at first we left Florence, a beautiful and 

noble City, well populated and full of artists; the first waypoint is 

five miles away in Ucciellatoio. Outside the aforementioned City, 

there is an inn called the Ucciellatoio. From there, one reaches 

Vaglia, which has many houses and two inns. San Piero a Sieve, 

many houses and three inns”. 

157 


The Castle of Trebbio 

Built around the mid-15 th century by Michelozzo at the behest of 

Cosimo de’ Medici, mainly for agricultural purposes, it was used 

as a hunting residence by the Medici. A 15 th -century Medici coatof-arms 

is visible at one of the entrances and there is an ancient 

well in the courtyard. The current garden is the result of several 

modifications: the only element remaining from the Renaissance 

is the grape-vine pergola. A recent garden – partly formal, with 

boxwood and roses, and partly informal, with various species of 

trees and shrubs and a rock garden – surrounds the castle and, in 

turn, is surrounded by thick rows of cypress.



LAKE BILANCINO 

CAFAGGIOLO SCARPERIA 

Sant’Agata 

Cafaccio 

Santa Maria 

Gabbiano 

Scarperia 


Mogognano 

Castle of 

Cafaggiolo 

LOCAL 

ITINERARY 




Ischieti 

Casenuove 

Tagliaferro 

Campomigliaio 

MAIN 

ITINERARY 

Abbey of Buonsollazzo 

158 

Vaglia 

Il Trebbio 

Sanctuary 

of Monte Senario 

Castle of Cafaggiolo, San Piero a Sieve




Descent: m 160 



The itinerary takes place almost exclusively on dirt roads, with a small part on 

asphalt roads. The route is well marked. 

The tour begins in Trebbio and then heads northwards towards San Giovanni. 

Take the right fork a little after a tabernacle at the curve. Continue on Via Trebbio 

until it intersects with the asphalted Via San Giovanni in Petroio. We take 

the right branch of Via San Giovanni in Petroio and we continue until the junction 

with Via G. Nencini. We then head east along the lake, passing through a 

tunnel with a bike path until we reach Futa state road 65. We turn right towards 

Cafaggiolo. Then we proceed on SR (regional road) 65 towards San Piero a 

Sieve until we reach Via Ischieti where we take up the main itinerary again. 

To be seen: 


The exterior of the castle of Cafaggiolo 



Climb: m 60 



Also this itinerary takes place almost exclusively on dirt roads, with a small part 

on asphalt roads with a well-marked route. 

The local itinerary to Scarperia starts from San Piero a Sieve heading north 

along SP (provincial road) 503. After the bridge over the Sieve River, we turn 

right along SP 551 which we follow for about 700 m. Then we turn left into 

Via di Fagna, continuing until we come to the homonymous church. From 

there, we continue, heading north as far as the junction with SP 503. Turn right 

and enter the village of Scarperia. At the crossroads with Via dell’Azzurro, turn 

left and go in the direction of Mogognano, skirting the Golf Club dei Medici 

as far as the intersection with Via di Gabbiano where we go north to re-join 

the main itinerary. 

159 

Transport: 

Scarperia 


To be seen: 

Parish Church of Fagna 

Village of Scarperia 

Palazzo dei Vicari, Museum of Cutting Tools (Scarperia)

Modern pilgrims along the way 

160 


4 TH ITINERARY - THE VIA BOLOGNESE - Leg 3, Local Itineraries



The itinerary from Trebbio Castle heads northwest, passing from 

Lake Bilancino near the beaches of Nebbiaia and Sodera, to then 

reconnect with the main itinerary in front of Villa Cafaggiolo. Lake 

Bilancino is a reservoir of over five square kilometers with about 

a 30-km perimeter, formed by a dam whose purpose is to reduce 

the risk of flooding (especially for Florence) and to ensure a supply 

of drinking water for the valley. The reservoir also produces 

electricity. Additionally, in the broad area surrounding the lake, 

tourism has been promoted thanks to the recreational activities 

offered by the lake, bathing establishment services, sailing, canoeing, 

windsurfing, hiking, and hospitality (restaurants, hotels, 

and camping sites). 


Cafaggiolo 

After passing near Lake Bilancino in the direction of San Piero 

a Sieve, we come to the Medicean villa or castle of Cafaggiolo, 

which is among those most closely tied to the history of the Medici 

family. It was a favorite of Lorenzo the Magnificent who went 

there to hunt and it is where he composed the poem “Nencia da 

Barberino”, dedicated to a young peasant woman from the area. 

The building had belonged to the family since the middle of the 

14 th century, and was renovated after 1428 by Michelozzo who 

had been commissioned by Cosimo the Elder. In 1864 it was sold 

to the Borghese princes who made radical changes to it. 

161 

Castello di Cafaggiolo


Scarperia 

Scarperia’s original name was Castel Santo Barnaba; it was one 

of the first “terrenuove”, or new cities, created by the Florentine 

Republic at the beginning of the 14 th century so as to overcome 

the last feudal resistance in the Mugello and, at the same time, to 

impose the new route of the Via per Bologna that passed through 

the Giogo Pass. Inside this “terranuova” several inns were built– a 

good twelve were counted at the end of the 14 th century – and two 

hospices at the border of the town (the hospice of Sopra and the 

hospice of Sotto) as well as that of the Compagnia della Vergine. 

Palazzo Pretorio in Scarperia 

162

Centuries-old chestnut tree 

163 


4 TH ITINERARY - THE VIA BOLOGNESE - Leg 3, Local Itineraries


Leg 4: 

SANT’AGATA 

FIRENZUOLA 

Firenzuola 

Cornacchiaia 

Cerro 

Roncopiano 

Pian de Grilli 


Riarsiccio 

Marcoiano 

164 

Campisano 

Sant’Agata 


of LEG 3 

A stretch along the way



Riarsiccio, Osteria Bruciata Pass, Cornacchiaia 



Climb: m 670 



The leg goes along dirt roads and trails. The itinerary is generally well-marked, 

although in some places, the presence of multiple signs may make orientation 

difficult. The first part of the leg is characterized by a landscape of mixed broadleaf 

woods that continue as far as the beech tree-lined meadows of the Osteria 

Bruciata Pass. We continue along the ridges in the beech and chestnut woods 

that alternate with gullies and shrubby areas dominated by broom and juniper. 

Note: The leg requires good physical training, especially as regards climbs. 

There is a short detour from the main itinerary near Faeto (Parish church of 

Cornacchiaia) to visit the small village of Cornacchiaia. 

Transport: 

Scarperia 

Firenzuola 

Sant’Agata 

Cornacchiaia 

To be seen: 


Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista Decollato a Cornacchiaia 

Firenzuola Basin, Site of Community Importance 

Fiorenzuola Fortress 

Firenzuola Museum of Pietra Serena 

165 

LEGS 




Leg 4 

Sant’Agata 

Firenzuola 

Leg 5 

Firenzuola 

Covigliaio 

Leg 6 

Covigliaio 

Futa Pass 

Leg 7 

Futa Pass 

Sant’Agata


The Firenzuola Basin 

The Firenzuola Basin is one of the most important areas at a regional 

level for the conservation of many endangered species of 

birds linked to the traditional agricultural environments (the Ortolan 

Bunting, Tawny Pipit, and Quail). Many species of birds of prey 

hunt in this area and some of them nest nearby. There are some 

watercourses with low shrubs along the banks mainly consisting 

of Hippophae rhamnoides, sub-species fluviatilis, which are home 

to native fish species typical of unpolluted environments. Of note 

among the mammals are the wolf, the wild boar, and the red 

squirrel, while among invertebrates, the Callimorpha quadripunctaria 

Moth. 

This is an area based upon traditional agriculture and rearing of 

sheep, whose preservation is dependent on the promotion of adequate 

land management plans and policies. 

Firenzuola Basin 

166

From Sant’Agata, we take the road to Montepoli where a CAI trail 

begins that takes us to the Osteria Bruciata Pass, near which 

stood the hospice of San Niccolò a Fontemanzina. Although 

nothing remains of it today, it was built in 1221 on the public 

road to Florence by Berlinghiero di Girolamo and his partner Mannello 

de’Galli, two influential figures, both related to the Franciscan 

movement. After crossing the pass, the CAI trail continues 

towards the bottom of the Santerno Valley, passing through the 

town of Faeto and arriving in the village of Cornacchiaia, which 

grew up around a rural church too: the Romanesque Parish 

Church of San Giovanni Battista, which not by chance recalls 

the architectural structure of the parish church of Sant’Agata. 

Parish Church of Sant’Agata 


167 

Sant’Agata 

8.6 km 

Time: 3h30’ 


San Niccolò in Fontemanzina 

4 km 

Time: 1h 

Cornacchiaia 

4.9 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

Firenzuola 

www.vieromee.it

From Cornacchiaia, proceeding along the Santerno, we reach 

Firenzuola, a village that was full of inns and hostels and had 

the two hospices of San Giacomo and of San Francesco. 

Other charitable structures ad hospitalitatem et receptionem 

pauperum were in prope terram de Firenzuola – as more or less 

in all the villages on the road to Bologna where some, albeit 

modest, accommodation structures could be found. 

Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista in Cornacchiaia 


168 


Sant’Agata 

8.6 km 

Time: 3h30’ 


San Niccolò in Fontemanzina 

4 km 

Time: 1h 

Cornacchiaia 

4.9 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

Firenzuola

Porta Bolognese in Firenzuola 

169


Leg 5: 

FIRENZUOLA 

COVIGLIAIO 

Pietramala 

La Castellaccia 

La Sela 

La Badia 

Pagliana 

Le Valli 

Covigliaio 

LEG 4 to 

Futa Pass 

see page 174 

Cagliabati 

Riccianico 

Firenzuola 


of LEG 4 

Sassiglioni 

Capanna 

170 

A stretch along the itinerary



Le Valli, Pietramala 



Climb: m 600 



The leg goes along dirt roads and paths. The route is well marked. 

Note: Although not long, in this leg there are climbs that require good physical 

training. In Pietramala, it is possible to join up again with the paths that lead 

to Emilia Romagna, or to continue along our itinerary towards the Futa Pass. 

Transport: 

Firenzuola 

Pietramala 

171 

LEGS 




Leg 4 

Sant’Agata 

Firenzuola 

Leg 5 

Firenzuola 

Covigliaio 

Leg 6 

Covigliaio 

Futa Pass 

Leg 7 

Futa Pass 

Sant’Agata

Our route avoids state road 503 and from Firenzuola, along 

an internal route, it reaches Le Valli, previously the site of a 

small pilgrims’ hospice. Then passing through the villages of 

Boschetto and Baccanella (the place name of the latter is significant!), 

we reach the state road in Pietramala, a place where 

the existence of a hospice dedicated to San Lorenzo has been 

documented since 1256. 

Beyond Pietramala, the road continues towards Radicosa Pass, 

then goes down into the valley of the Savena river and heads 

towards Bologna. Having remained almost unchanged for 

centuries, the route is the one identified in the “Liber de stratis 

magistris Comunis Bononie“ (1289) as “strata per quam itur 

Florenciam a terra Sancti Rofilli (Saint Ruffillo) usque ad terram 

Predamale (Pietramala)”. 


Instead, our itinerary takes us back to Sant’Agata di Mugello, but 

along a different route from the one used on the outward journey. 

It therefore takes us to Covigliaio, a village on state road 65. 

CAI sign along the route 

172 


Firenzuola 

4.3 km 

Time: 1h50’ 

Le Valli 

4.5 km 

Time: 1h30’ 

Pietramala 

5 km 

Time: 1h40’ 

Covigliaio


Pietramala 

The border between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Papal 

States was near Pietramala: the “terra” of Pietramala was the border 

customs seat and a stopping point for travelers. 

All 18 th - and 19 th -century guides for travelers mention the pseudo-volcanic 

phenomena in the area, particularly the emissions of 

methane and the gush of oil. The first are described as follows: 

“Just a half mile from Pietramala ... a small, active Volcano is seen. 

A clear flame rises from the surface of the earth that spans a 

space of 12 to 15 feet on all sides. When the weather is rainy, or 

threatening to storm, the flame becomes more active”. Regarding 

the oil, it is said that “It is also to be observed, half a league away 

from Pietramala, a cold water spring, called Acqua Baja, which 

ignites if one approaches with a torch” (“Itinerario Italiano che 

contiene la descrizione dei viaggi per le strade più frequentate”, 

Firenze 1807, pp.21 and 22). 

A stretch along the crest of the Apennines 

173


Leg 6 

COVIGLIAIO 

FUTA PASS 

Cà di Patisci 

Cà degli Arrighi 

Fratte 

Belvedere 

Covigliaio 

Casellina 


see page 170 

Selva 

Traversa 

L’Erede 

Monteritroni 

174 

Futa Pass 

Stretch along the itinerary






Climb: m 440 



This leg goes exclusively on trails. The route is well marked, with the exception 

of the stretch between Covigliaio and Passaggeri where good orientation skills 

are necessary and of which a particular description is given. This leg starts with 

a steep climb on a dirt road towards Colle di Covigliaio. After about 500 m., 

we leave the road to enter a field where we easily go over a small fence. We 

continue climbing until we reach CAI Bo 019 and the CAI-Bo917- Sentiero degli 

Dei or trail of the Gods. At just over 1000 meters a.s.l., we have two alternative 

routes. The first heads south and is easier and less tiring; it is reached by turning 

left and following the signs for the SOFT11 route. The second goes north and is 

reached by turning right (CAI Bo 019/ Sentiero degli Dei CAI Bo-917 trails) but is 

not well-marked. The latter descends to the Savena river and then climbs again 

towards Passeggeri-Ca’ degli Arrighi. 

Note: Although it is not a long leg, the climbs require proper physical training. 

Transport: 

Pietramala (also towards Emilia Romagna) 

Futa Pass 

To be seen: 

Roman stone-paving 

Futa Pass 

The Gothic Line – Futa Pass 

175 

LEGS 




Leg 4 

Sant’Agata 

Firenzuola 

Leg 5 

Firenzuola 

Covigliaio 

Leg 6 

Covigliaio 

Futa Pass 

Leg 7 

Futa Pass 

Sant’Agata

ARCHEOLOGY 

Via Flaminia Minor 

Approximately 3 kms north of the Futa Pass, a long, straight 

stretch of a perfectly preserved stone-paved Roman road has been 

brought to light. Located at the foot of Monte Poggione, it is 

related to the road called by scholars Flaminia Minor or Flaminia 

Militare, a road that was opened in 187 B.C. by Consul Flaminius 

to connect Bononia [Bologna] with Arretium [Arezzo], presumably 

passing by Fiesole. 

The find is part of a series of archeological discoveries that have 

allowed the ancient road’s route to be reconstructed; it is to be 

considered, somewhat, the forerunner of the medieval road that 

connected Florence and Bologna, although its route was, at least 

to some extent, different, even if they both ran beyond the Apennine 

ridge into the Savena Valley. 

Roman paving of the Via Flaminia Minor 

176

From the small town of Covigliaio, we head towards the Futa 

Pass, the pass in the Apennines that replaced the Giogo Pass 

in modern times and forced a change on the route to Bologna 

by abandoning the Scarperia-Firenzuola direction in favor of the 

route through Barberino di Mugello. 

Signs along the route 


177 

Covigliaio 

4.7 km 

Time: 1h45’ 


5.7 km 

Time: 2h 

Futa Pass 

www.vieromee.it


Leg 7 

Futa Pass 

SANT’AGATA 

Starting point of LEG5 

Futa Pass 

Roncopiano 


Castello 

Riarsiccio 

Marcoiano 

Campisano 

178 

Sant’Agata 

Signs along the route



Osteria Bruciata Pass, Riarsiccio 



Climb: m 375 



The leg goes almost exclusively along trails and partly on dirt roads. 

The route is well identified thanks to CAI signs. 

Note: The stretch from the Osteria Bruciata Pass to Sant’Agata retraces backwards 

the route of Leg 4. We follow a short section of SP 116 in a southerly 

direction and then get on the CAI path 00/GEA. We walk for about 5 km in the 

direction of the Osteria Bruciata Pass, crossing Monte Gazzaro and going past 

the junction for Paracchia. From the Osteria Bruciata Pass, we head south, following 

the signs for the CAI paths 46A and SoFT 13 in the direction of Monte 

Linari and Monte Alto. After approximately 3.5 km along the ridge, we begin 

the descent towards Montepoli and Sant’Agata. 

Transport: 

Futa Pass 

Scarperia 

Sant’Agata 

179 

LEGS 




Leg 4 

Sant’Agata 

Firenzuola 

Leg 5 

Firenzuola 

Covigliaio 

Leg 6 

Covigliaio 

Futa Pass 

Leg 7 

Futa Pass 

Sant’Agata

To reach Sant’Agata from the Futa Pass, we follow a route that 

passes through the old Apennine pass of Osteria Bruciata, 

whose name is derived from the existence at this site of a hostel, 

later abandoned because of the decline in traffic due to the preference 

given to the route through the Giogo Pass. 

The mule track that we follow to go to Sant’Agata retraces, 

with all probability, the original 13 th -century road to Bologna that 

crossed the Osteria Bruciata Pass and then descended towards 

Cornacchiaia. The decline of the route is somehow connected 

to the grim story, handed down orally, that tells of a landlord 

who used to rob and kill travelers going through the pass, and 

whose flesh he served to be eaten by the unsuspecting patrons 

of his inn. 


Trail along the route 

180 


Futa Pass 

4.8 km 

Time: 1h45’ 


2.8 km 

Time: 1h 

Riarsiccio 

5.8 km 

Time: 1h30’ 

Sant’Agata

HOSPITALITY 

Osteria Bruciata 

From a geographical point of view, the best place to cross the 

Apennine ridge between Sant’Agata and Cornacchiaia is the Osteria 

Bruciata Pass. It is obvious that the original road between 

Bologna and Florence, that naturally was not a carriageable road, 

passed from there. Already at the time of the first Jubilee, in fact, 

a Bolognese “provision “ from 19 October 1300 described the 

road as rundown and with evidence of frequent landslides (“full 

of gullies and very devastated”), for which the City of Bologna set 

out to perform road restoration works that would facilitate the 

passage of pilgrims. 

It is thanks to Daniele Sterpos’s discovery of a 1585 document 

that we have a sketch which depicts a small hospice – abandoned 

but still standing – situated with a road passing in front, right at 

the pass (D. Sterpos, Comunicazioni stradali attraverso i tempi. 

Bologna-Firenze, Novara 1961, p.44). 

Towards Osteria Bruciata 

181


182 

Ceppeto Monte Morello 

Casa Fontecchio B&B 

Via delle Palaie, 13 

Ceppeto 

50019 Sesto Fiorentino 

Tel: 055495137 

Fax: 055495137 

Cell: 3382991304 

Meini Roberta Affittacamere 

Viale Pescetti, 9 

Ceppeto 


Tel: 055 402066 - Fax: 055 402066 

Montemorello Albergo 

Via Miramonti, 40 – 42 

Ceppeto 


Tel: 055 402064 

Monte Senario 

Campeggio Poggio degli Uccellini 

Via Poggio Uccellini, 1050 

Bivigliano 

50030 Vaglia 

Tel: 055 406725 - Fax: 055 406725 

poggio.uccellini@virgilio.it 

www.poggiouccellini.it 

One hour distance on foot 

from Monte Senario 

Casa di Spritualità Suore Serve di Maria 

Addolorata 

Via della Fittaccia, 153 

Bivigliano 

50030 Vaglia 

Tel: 055 406718 

A half-hour walk 

Convento di Monte Senario 

Via di Monte Senario, 34 

Bivigliano 

50030 Vaglia 


055 406442 

La Bruna Albergo 

Via della Fittaccia, 5 

Bivigliano 

50030 Vaglia 

Tel: 055 406614 

da_ma2005@katamail.com 

Sant’Agata di Mugello 

Agriturismo Catelaccio 

Via Montepoli, 11/E 

Sant’Agata 

50038 Scarperia 

Tel: 055 8406624 

Cell. 338 2842883 - Fax: 055 8406624 

catelaccio@libero.it 

Il Colle B&B 

Via Montaccianico, 52 

Sant’Agata 


Tel: 055 8406752 

Fax: 055 8406752 

Cell: 333 4507718 

fabrizio.rossi56@virgilio.it 

Parrocchia Sant’Agata 

Piazza della Libertà, 1 

Sant’Agata 



Pieve S. Agata Foresteria della Canonica 

Via della Pieve, 3 

Sant’Agata 


Tel: 055 8406926 

Cornacchiaia 

Azienda agrituristico/venatoria Rovignale 

Via Castro Rovignale, 492/A 

Campiglia 

50033 Firenzuola 

Tel: 055 8149297 

Cell. 3332429344 

0.9 km from Faeto - Cornacchiaia 

Le Tarelle Agriturismo 

Via Castro Futa, 699/A 

Roncopiano 


Tel: 055 813523 - Fax: 055813523 

Cell: 339 1586047 

meniso@tiscali.it 

Firenzuola 

Albergo Acconci 

Piazza Agnolo, 18 


Tel. 055 819053 - Fax 055 8199203 

aracconci@tiscali.it 

www.acconci.it 

Albergo Berti 

Via Traversa, 351 


Tel: 055815265 - 055815270 

Fax: 055 815270 

Albergo Iolanda 

Via Imolese, 16 


Tel: 055 819020 

B&B Il Nuovo Cacciatori 



Tel: 055 8109009 - Fax: 055 8109009

Pietramala - Covigliaio 

Albergo Montefreddi 

Via Montefreddi 

Pietramala - Cà di Barba 


Tel: 347 9925090 

www.montefreddi.it 

B&B La vecchia scuola 

Loc. Covigliaio - Cerretino, 7 – Pietramala 


Tel: 055 812251 

Cell: 335 7068546 

Fax: 055 812251 

stefiric@libero.it 

Hotel Ristorante Gualtieri 

Via Nazionale, 81 - Pietramala 


La Casetta Agriturismo 

Covigliaio - Pietramala 


Tel: 055 812038 

Fax: 055 8154914 

4.5 km South-West of Pietramala 

Futa Pass 

Campeggio La Futa 

Via Bruscoli, 889/H - Futa Pass 


Tel: 328 9248746 - Cell: 333 1148501 

Fax: 055 815297 

info@campinglafuta.it 

www.campinglafuta.it 

Futa Pass Albergo 

Via San Jacopo a Castro, 57 - La Futa 


Tel: 055 815255 

www.passodellafuta.it 

APT Municipality of Barberino del Mugello 


Via del Lago, 33 

Loc. I Boschi 50031 

Barberino del Mugello 

Near the A1 motoway 

Barberino di Mugello exit 

Tel and Fax: 055 8420106 

www.comune.barberino-di-mugello.fi.it 

www.mugellotoscana.it 

barberinomugello@firenzeturismo.it 

Hours: every day 10 a.m.-7 p.m. 



Villa Pecori Giraldi at 

Museo della Manifattura Chini 

Piazzale Lavacchini 1 - 50032 

Tel: 055 8456230 - 055 84527186 

Fax: 055 8456230 - 055 8456288 


www.villapecori.it 

info@villapecori.it 

turismo@cm-mugello.fi.it 


Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays also 3 

p.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays 3 p.m.-6 p.m. 


Comunità Montana Mugello 

Via P. Togliatti 45 

Sede operativa at 

Villa Pecori Giraldi - 50032 

Tel: 055 84527185-6 

Fax: 055 8456288 


turismo@cm-mugello.fi.it 


Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays also 3 

p.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays 3 p.m.-6 p.m. 

183 


U.R.P. Municipality of San Piero a Sieve 

Piazzetta del Comune, 1 

50037 San Piero a Sieve (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8487536 - Fax: 055 848432 


www.comune.san-piero-a-sieve.fi.it 

urp@comune.san-piero-a-sieve.fi.it 

Hours: from Monday to Saturday 9 a.m.- 

1 p.m.; Thursday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3 

p.m.-6 p.m 

Town hall of Firenzuola 

Tourist information 

Piazza Don Stefano Casini, 1 

50054 Firenzuola (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8199460 

www.firenzuolaturismo.it 

info@firenzuolaturismo.it 


Municipality of Vaglia 

At the ticket office of Villa Demidoff 

Pratolino - Vaglia 

Tel: 055 409784 

turismovaglia@virgilio.it 

Opening: 15 July - 15 September 

Thursdays and Fridays: 4 p.m.-6 p.m.; 

Saturdays and Sundays: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 

Firenzuola 

Palazzo ex Pretura 



At the Library and at the Pro Loco (support) 

biblioteca@comune.firenzuola.fi.it 

Tel: 055 8199434/5 - 055 8199007 

Fax: 055 819366 

Winter hours: Mondays 2 p.m.-4 p.m. 

and Saturdays 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

184 

Summer hours: Monday - Thursday 10 

a.m.-12 p.m. / 3 p.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays 

and Sundays 10 a.m.-12 p.m. 


of the Municipality of Firenzuola 

Via SS. Annunziata, 4 


Tel: 055 8199459 

Fax: 055 8109856 

www.firenzuolaturismo.it 

f.mazzoni@comune.firenzuola.fi.it 

Hours: from Monday to Saturday 8.30 

a.m.-12.30 p.m.; Mondays and Thursdays 

also 3 p.m.-5 p.m. 

At the Library of the Municipality 

of San Piero a Sieve 

Piazza Medici - 50037 

Tel: 055 8487528 

Fax: 055 848432 

bibliosp@internetlibero.it 

Winter hours: from Monday to Friday 3 

p.m.-7 p.m.; Thursdays 9 a.m.-12 p.m./3 

p.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; 1st 

and 3rd Mondays of each month 3 p.m.- 

10 p.m. 

Pro Loco Scarperia 

Palazzo dei Vicari 

Piazza dei Vicari, 1 

50038 Scarperia (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8468165 

Fax: 055 8468862 

www.prolocoscarperia.com 


prolocoscarperia@virgilio.it 

Hours (from 25 May to 14 September): 

From Monday to Friday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; 

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays also 

15 p.m.-7.30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays 

10 a.m.-1 p.m./3 p.m.-7.30 p.m.; 

(from 15 September to 24 May): From 

Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; 

Saturdays and Sundays 3 p.m.-6.30 p.m. 

Firenzuola 

Dal Bosco e dalla Pietra (October) 


Battista (24 June) 


Feast of the Patron Saints, San Pietro 

and Paolo (June) 

Palio della Fortezza (last week-end in 

May or first in June) 

Scarperia 

Feast of Diotto 

(first week in September) 

Feast of the Patron Saints, Jacopo and 

Filippo (3 May) 

Infiorata (24 May) 

Scarperia Sant’Agata di Mugello 

Feast of the Patron Saint, Sant’Agata 

(1 February) 

Sesto Fiorentino 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Martino 

(11 November) 

Sesto Fiorentino Chiesa di Cercina 

Feast of Sant’Antonio abate and blessing 

of animals (18 January) 


Barberino di Mugello 

Canta’ Maggio (May) 

Feast of the Patron Saint , San Silvestro 

(31 December) 


Feast of the Patron Saint, San Lorenzo 

(10 August) 

Fiesole 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Romolo 

(6 July) 

Feast of San Francesco 

(first Sunday in October)


THE VIA VECCHIA 

ARETINA 

The itinerary to Loreto 

185 

The Via dell’Alpe di Serra was a pilgrim route to Rome that had 

been known since the early Middle Ages and one that was considered 

preferable even to the Via Francigena by a documentary 

source like the Annales Stadenses from the mid-13 th century. The 

route started from the Via Emilia, with tracks fanning out between 

Bologna and Forlì, it reached Bagno di Romagna going up 

the Bidente Valley and then crossed the Apennines at the Alpe di 

Serra Pass – from which its name is derived – today abandoned 

in favor of the Mandrioli Pass. It then unwound in the Casentino 

basin, running parallel to the initial course of the Arno and then 

reached Arezzo to continue on to Rome, crossing the Val di Chiana 

and afterwards, the Val Tiberina.





Troghi 


Montevarchi 

Laterina 

Quarata 

Piazza Grande (Arezzo) 

186 

THE ITINERARY 

400 

350 

300 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

00 

Starting Point: Porta San Miniato (Florence) 

End point: Piazza Grande (Arezzo) 



Detour to Via dell’Albereta 

Junction with detour to Via dell’Albereta 

Bandella Reserve 

Montincello - junction with Setteponti road 

Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Reserve 

Junction with SP1



Distance (local itinerary): km 14.9 



List of legs: 

Leg 1: Porta San Miniato (Florence) – Troghi 

Waypoints: Bagno a Ripoli, Bigallo, San Donato in Collina 


Page 192 


Bigallo – Incontro – Villamagna 

Waypoints: Paterno, Convent of Incontro, San Gherardo, 

Poggio Terra Bianca, Arco del Camicia 


Page 198 

Bigallo – Antella – Santa Caterina 

Waypoints: Villa Peruzzi, Antella, Oratory of Santa Caterina, Arco del Camicia 


Page 198 

Leg 2: Troghi – Figline Valdarno 

Waypoints: Le Valli, Palazzolo, Incisa in Val d’Arno 

Distance: km17.5 

Page 204 

Leg 3: Figline Valdarno – Montevarchi 

Waypoints: San Giovanni Valdarno 


Page 212 

Leg 4: Montevarchi – Laterina 

Waypoints: Levane, Bandella Reserve, Montincello (junction with Setteponti 

road), Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Reserve, Podere Stefanelli 


Page 218 

Leg 5: Laterina – Quarata (Arezzo) 

Waypoints: Rondine, Junction with SP1 road, Ponte a Buriano 


Page 222 

Quarata - Piazza Grande (Arezzo) 


187 

This tourist-style itinerary unwinds primarily on asphalt roads and partially on 

dirt ones. The route is very clearly marked and presents no orientation difficulties. 

Only the first leg has a significant climb (370 m), whereas there are no 

significant differences in elevation in the others. Once past Bagno a Ripoli, the 

landscape is characterized by terraced olive groves as far as S. Donato in Collina. 

Going down the hill towards the Valdarno, we encounter deciduous woods 

outside of the several villages and then a landscape dominated by cultivated 

fields. In the central Valdarno, crops and riparian vegetation predominate near 

the path until returning to the wooded areas of the Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella 

Nature Reserve. 

Note: The route is characterized by lightly trafficked asphalt roads (70%), while 

the remainder is characterized by gravel and dirt road beds (30%). 

On foot, attention must be paid along those parts of the provincial and regional 

roads that lack sidewalks where the rules of the road must be respected. There 

are no problems with finding water. The last leg of the itinerary (from Laterina 

to Arezzo) coincides with the final leg of the Setteponti itinerary and includes a 

short stretch by bus (from Quarata to Arezzo).






Laterina 


188 

View of the Valdarno countryside



Level of technical difficulty: TC 


List of legs: 

Leg 1: From Porta San Miniato – Figline Valdarno 

Waypoints: Bagno a Ripoli, Bigallo, San Donato in Collina, Troghi, Le Valli, Palazzolo, 

Incisa in Val d’Arno - Distance: Km 31.2 

Page 192 

Leg 2: Figline Valdarno – Laterina 

Waypoints: San Giovanni Valdarno, Montevarchi, Levane, Bandella Reserve, Montincello 

(junction with Setteponti road), Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Reserve 


Page 212 

Leg 3: Laterina – Piazza Grande (Arezzo) 

Waypoints: Rondine, Junction with SP1 road, Ponte a Buriano, Quarata 


Page 222 

The tourist-style bike route is on asphalt and dirt roads. The dirt roads have 

smooth, compacted road beds, suitable for vehicles. The first leg is more demanding 

with a 370-m. climb that leads up to Troghi. Once past the town of 

Bagno a Ripoli, the landscape is characterized by terraced olive groves as far as 

S. Donato in Collina. Going down the hill towards the Valdarno, we encounter 

deciduous woods outside of the several villages and then a landscape dominated 

by cultivated fields. In the central Valdarno, crops and riparian vegetation 

predominate near the path until reaching the wooded Valle dell’Inferno and 

Bandella nature reserve. 

Note: There are a couple of legs along the route with moderately demanding 

climbs for which an appropriate physical training is recommended. The route 

is characterized by asphalt roads with little traffic (70%) and thus suitable for 

racing bikes, the remaining 30% is characterized by gravel and dirt, largely 

the Valdarno shared-use path, and therefore suitable for mountain and city 

bikes. The last leg (from Laterina to Arezzo) corresponds to the final leg of the 

Setteponti itinerary. Attention must be paid to vehicle traffic in the last stretch 

between Quarata and Arezzo. 

189 

The Ripoli abbey in an 18 th -century drawing

Arezzo: A Point of Convergence for Pilgrim Routes 

The first city encountered after crossing the Apennines was Arezzo, 

not only an important stopping place but also, because of its 

location, a point of convergence for the roads used by pilgrims 

coming from the populous neighboring valleys and primarily 

from the upper Valdarno. 

5 TH ITINERARY - THE VIA VECCHIA ARETINA 

The Via dell’Alpe di Serra as a road to Rome must have been used 

even by pilgrims starting from Florence, who traveled on the road 

indicated in the 14 th -century Statuto del Capitano del Popolo as 

the “via et strata que summitur a porta seu Burgo Sancti Niccholai 

per quam itur in Vallem Arni”. It was a route that had 

developed following the Roman Via Cassia, and that unwound 

through the Upper Valdarno, keeping to the left of the Arno, 

and, once beyond the easy San Donato pass, crossed the Ripoli 

plain to arrive in Florence. 

In the Middle Ages, the route of the Roman road continued 

to serve its function, even if it had only local importance as it 

was no longer the favored route to Rome. It was used mainly 

for connections between Florence and Arezzo as it ran through 

the upper Valdarno. This was a particularly fertile area of the 

Florentine countryside – considered the city’s granary – that generated 

abundant traffic in the direction of the leading city. Not 

unexpectedly, large centers rose along this road and developed 

around markets (as, for example, Figline and Montevarchi). In the 

early 14 th century, the Florentine Republic founded one of its first 

“terrenuove”, Castel San Giovanni, so as to defeat the remaining 

feudal resistance and take full control of the territory. 

190 

The Shells of Saint James 

www.vieromee.it

The Ancient Accommodation 

and Charitable Structures 

Evidence of the concentration of travelers is confirmed by the 

numerous accommodation and charitable structures that dotted 

the road, concentrating in the main towns and villages. In the 

14 th century, a number of hostels and inns are documented along 

the itinerary, in Incisa, Figline, Tartigliese, San Giovanni and Montevarchi, 

that had no equal in all the Florentine countryside. It 

was the same as regards hospices, which mainly served pilgrims. 

The registers of papal tithes from the end of the 13 th century, 

that recorded only some of the many hospices that were found 

along the way, mention : the Hospice of Plano Alberti, located 

at the point where the “terranuova” of San Giovanni would 

soon rise, the Hospice of Ancisa and the Hospice of Avanella 

(Levanella). Yet we know from other sources that the hospices 

were much more numerous, especially in San Giovanni and Incisa, 

not to mention in Troghi (Sant’Antonio alle Staffe), La Ginestra 

(Sant’Angelo), and, above all, in Montevarchi and Figline. In 

addition, there was the large one that rose in L’Apparita, near 

Florence: the hospice of Fonteviva or Bigallo, first documented 

in 1214, as well as a whole series of small hospices that dotted 

the initial stretch of road between Florence and Bagno a Ripoli. 

Towards the Sanctuary of Loreto 

Between the 15 th and 16 th centuries, another important place of 

pilgrimage was added to the traditional peregrinationes of Western 

Christianity, the Sanctuary of Loreto, with a significant increase 

in the transit of pilgrims through the upper Valdarno. The road to 

Arezzo, in fact, became the starting route for all those who wished 

to travel from Florence to visit the Holy House in Loreto. 

Abundant documents – mostly from the 16 th and 17 th centuries 

– tell us about the route, with pilgrims stopping in the Florentine 

Valdarno, in Palazzolo or Troghi, then in Figline, Levanella and 

finally in Ponte a Buriano. The route went to Cortona through 

the Val di Chiana, and then headed towards Foligno, traveling 

by way of Perugia and Assisi. After crossing the Col Fiorito Pass, 

it continued in the Chienti valley, reaching Recanati and finally 

arriving in Loreto. 

191 

Along the way


Leg 1: 

PORTA SAN MINIATO (Florence) 

TROGHI 


Candeli 

Villamagna 


of LEG 1 

Incontro 

Belvedere 


Santa Caterina 

Ponte Ema 

Antella 

San Frediano 

Bigallo 

Osteria Nuova 


San Donato in Collina 

Troghi 

LEG 1 to 


see page 204 

192 

View of Florence from L’Apparita



Bagno a Ripoli, Bigallo, San Donato in Collina 



Climb: m 370 



This tourist-style leg follows mostly asphalt and partly dirt roads (along the 

Albereta bike path). It is clearly marked and does not present any difficulties 

or orientation problems. The stretch from Bagno a Ripoli to San Donato in 

Collina is demanding with 370-m. elevation gain. Immediately after Bagno 

a Ripoli, the route follows SP1, which offers fine views over the city and the 

typical hilly landscape. 

Note: Water and refreshments are available along this leg at many points in the 

villages outside of Florence. In the city, we advise pedestrians to take the alternative 

route on the Varlungo inside the Albereta Park. The road leads us to the 

Antique Hospice of Bigallo, where an intermediate stopover can be made, and 

from which two day-long itineraries can be followed to discover the historical 

and architectural heritage in the hills of Bagno a Ripoli. 

Transport: 

Florence 


Troghi 

To be seen: 

Abbey of San Bartolomeo di Ripoli 

Parish Church of San Pietro a Ripoli 

Hospice of Bigallo 

View of Florence from “L’Apparita” 

193 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Troghi 

Leg 2 

Troghi 


Leg 3 


Montevarchi 

Leg 4 

Montevarchi 

Laterina 

Leg 5 

Laterina 

Arezzo

The route that begins our itinerary starts from Porta San Miniato. 

From here we go along a stretch of Via San Miniato and 

enter Via San Niccolò that then leads us to the point where the 

medieval road began: the current Piazza Poggi, dominated by 

the turreted Porta San Niccolo, the only city gate in Florence’s 

13 th -century walls that has maintained its original elevation. 

From Piazza Poggi, we take Via della Fornace until it connects to 

Via Ser Ventura Monachi. This runs into Via dei Bastioni and then 

intersects the 19 th - century Viale Michelangelo. 



The Parish Church of San Pietro a Ripoli has kept its original 

Romanesque look; it has a basilican plan with three aisles separated 

by square pillars and by two recycled marble columns at the 

presbytery. A semicircular apse ends the building, which is covered 

with the traditional wooden trusses. Next to the church is a simple 

Romanesque bell tower while the elegant portico, that rests 

against the façade, is ascribable to the 14 th century and is set on 

octagonal pillars. The parish church by now merges with the first 

houses of Bagno a Ripoli, a modern-looking town whose considerable 

antiquity is, nevertheless, confirmed by the archaeological 

site located between Via della Nave and the new Piazza della Pace. 

There are remains of buildings from the Imperial age (1 st -4 th centuries 

A.D.), perhaps thermae, and a large cistern in opus reticulatum. 

Rising on the ancient Via Cassia, Bagno a Ripoli is the successor 

to the ancient town of Ripulae, whose name derived from the 

river banks (ripae) that prevented the Arno from flooding the plain. 

194 

The parish church of Ripoli

We cross the street and go along Via C. Marsuppini that passes 

in front of the Chiesa di Santa Maria a Ricorboli, first constructed 

in the 14 th century, but completely rebuilt in the early 

years of the last century. Inside is the so-called Madonna of the 

Refuge by a master from the school of Giotto (1335), an object 

of great veneration by pilgrims and travelers, who would turn to 

the Madonna to ask for heavenly protection along the trip that 

awaited them. 

We continue past the church on Via Coluccio Salutati until the 

intersection with Via di Ripoli on which we continue. We are 

in what were once the Florentine suburbs, dotted with elegant 

villas, as can still be seen with Villa Rusciano and Villa del Merlo 

Bianco, located along the route. In the past, the first accommodation 

and charitable structures would have been found in this 

stretch, their existence confirmed not only by documents but 

also by the towns’ very names: a hospice was where the Gualandi 

Institute stands today at Via di Ripoli 82, other hospices 

were in Bandino and Spedaluzzo, and an inn in Albergaccio. 

Continuing along Via di Ripoli, a little after Spedaluzzo, we find 

the Vallombrosan Abbey of San Bartolomeo di Ripoli, that, 

marked by a great simplicity, has preserved its original Romanesque 

architectural features as well as a 14 th -century cloister. The 

church has a single nave with a crypt under the presbytery and 

a small loggia on the front that was added at a later period. 

Because of its location on an important artery, the abbey served 

as a hospitium, as testified by an inscription on the door leading 

to the cloister: “hospes eram et suscepistis me venite benedicti”. 

An alternative route starting from Via di Ripoli arrives in Piazza 

Ravenna by way of Via Poggio Bracciolini, where we can enter 

Via dell’Albereta. This is a pedestrian-only street that runs along 

the Arno River and goes as far as Via del Bisarno. From here, 

going on Via della Lame and then on Via della Badia a Ripoli, we 

can also reach the ancient Vallombrosan abbey. 

The road then enters the town of Bagno a Ripoli, here its name 

changes and becomes Via Roma, and we find the Parish Church 

of San Pietro a Ripoli. 

5 TH ITINERARY - THE VIA VECCHIA ARETINA - LEG 1 

195 


3.5 km 

Time: 50’ 


1 km 

Time: 15’ 


1 km 

Time: 15’ 


Hospice of Fonte Viva or the Bigallo 

3 km 

Time: 1h10’ 


3.7 km 

Time: 1h20’ 

1.5 km 

Time: 25’ 

Troghi 

www.vieromee.it

Back to Bagno a Ripoli and passing the ancient Tabernacle of the 

Podestà, we follow the Via Vecchia Aretina on a steep downhill 

stretch until we reach Varliano where the Oratory of Santa 

Croce rises. Built in the second half of the 13 th century, the little 

church has Romanesque-Gothic features: a single nave divided 

into three bays covered with ribbed cross vaults, and a façade 

covered with regular courses of sandstone ashlars. 

After a flat stretch, the medieval road, in La Fonte, unlike today’s 

provincial road, went up steeply until it reached the magnificent 

hospice of Fonteviva or del Bigallo, which is the starting 

point for the two local itineraries. 


Leaving the hospice behind, our itinerary passes quickly through 

L’Apparita (a place-name originating from its being the first 

point where the wayfarer could see Florence), and then comes 

to Le Quattro Vie. Here we initially take an asphalt road that 

then becomes a dirt one, that leads to Ponte a Vicelli, a structure 

dating back to 1293 that, together with the original brickwork, 

has preserved the aedicule of a tabernacle. The road then 

proceeds in the direction of the pass (and town) of San Donato, 

joining the provincial road just before the town. 

From San Donato, we take the now secondary road of Via Vecchia 

Aretina – a meaningful name – but that once was the 

main route along which we find some remaining stretches of 

the ancient stone paving. We come to Troghi after crossing over 

a picturesque bridge that also has a tabernacle and there we 

connect to the provincial road. An inn in Troghi, the first stopping 

place after the pass, is mentioned in the 1726 Relazione del 

viaggio alla Santa Casa by Canon Giuseppe Antonio Scarlatti. 

196 



3.5 km 

Time: 50’ 


1 km 

Time: 15’ 


1 km 

Time: 15’ 


Hospice of Fonte Viva or the Bigallo 

3 km 

Time: 1h10’ 


3.7 km 

Time: 1h20’ 

1.5 km 

Time: 25’ 

Troghi


The Church of San Donato in Collina 

Though modernized, the church has kept the high, cuspidate bell 

tower whose architectural features still reflect the Romanesque 

tradition. There was a hospice – also named for Saint Donatus 

– attached to the church that served travelers’ needs, recorded 

since 1341. 

HOSPITALITY 

The Ancient Hospice of Bigallo 

Built in the first half of the 13 th century by Dioticidiede di Bonaguida 

del Dado, a rich citizen of Florence, the hospice was the seat of 

the Compagnia Maggiore dei Capitani di Santa Maria della Fede, 

later known as the Bigallo from its location. It carried out charitable 

work, caring for pilgrims and poor travelers as well as the 

sick that were given shelter in the thirty beds of the hospice. Later 

it was converted into a monastery in the 16 th century, and then 

used for civil purposes after the Napoleonic suppression. Now the 

partly restored hospice has just recently returned to play its ancient 

role as a hostel for travelers. The complex consists of several 

buildings from different periods, with the oldest parts ascribable 

to the 13 th century. Of note is the large hall with the lacunar ceiling 

that served as the refectory and the ancient kitchen with its 

large fireplace. 

Reconstruction of the antique hospice of the Bigallo 

197


LEG 1, LOCAL ITINERARIES: 

BIGALLO - INCONTRO - VILLAMAGNA 

BIGALLO - ANTELLA - SANTA CATERINA 


Villamagna 

San Gherardo 

Rimaggio 

Incontro 

Belvedere 


San Fredinando 

Santa Caterina 

Antella 

Querceto 

Osteria Nuova 

Bigallo 

MAIN 

ITINERARY 

Il Colto 

Casanuova 

198 

Reto 

Hospice of the Bigallo



Paterno, Convent of Incontro, San Gherardo, Poggio Terra Bianca, 

Arco del Camicia 



Climb: m 580 



The local itinerary, leading to the Convent of Incontro, is characterized by the 

typical landscape of the Florentine hills, with terraced olive groves and mixed 

woods of downy, turkey and holm oaks and scattered groups of cypress in 

some areas. 

To be seen: 

Church of Santo Stefano a Paterno 

Convent of Incontro 

Oratory of Beato Gherardo 

Parish Church of Villamagna 


Villa Peruzzi, Antella, Oratory of Santa Caterina, Arco del Camicia 



Climb: m 200 



This local south itinerary unwinds in an area characterized by a rural landscape 

dominated by olive cultivation. The route therefore crosses traditional and specialized 

olive groves interspersed with the rows of cypresses typical of Tuscany. 

Approaching Antella, the itinerary also runs for a short stretch on a footpath 

along the S. Giorgio River. 

199 

To be seen: 

Parish Church of Santa Maria dell’Antella 

Frescoes in the Oratory of Santa Caterina

5 TH ITINERARY - THE VIA VECCHIA ARETINA - LEG 1, LOCAL ITINERARIES 

The first itinerary proceeds in the area north of Bigallo. Returning 

towards Florence, after a few hundred meters, we arrive at 

Arco del Camicia and take “Via di Terzano”, the road to the right 

that leads to the Church of Santo Stefano a Paterno, in which 

there is a late 13 th -century painted Crucifix attributed to Gaddo 

Gaddi. Then we continue on a dirt road that climbs Incontro Hill 

where at the top – with a beautiful view of the Florentine valley 

– is the Franciscan convent founded in 1716 by Saint Leonard of 

Port Maurice. 

We descend Incontro Hill towards the Parish Church of Villamagna; 

shortly before arriving at the church, we come to 

an oratory named for Beato Gherardo, a saint who was the 

object of great local veneration and, at one time, a pilgrimage 

destination. 

Leaving the Oratory of San Gherardo, we quickly come to the 

Parish Church of San Donnino a Villamagna, which has preserved 

its original Romanesque features: three aisles separated 

by arches set on simple pillars and with a high bell tower. Inside, 

there are some paintings and frescoes, including a triptych 

by Mariotto di Nardo that portrays the Virgin and Child with 

Angels and Saints and a Madonna and Child with Saints Gerard 

and Domninus, painted by Francesco Granacci who was born 

in Villamagna. 

From the parish church of Villamagna, we return to the church 

of San Gherardo, where a CAI trail begins that will take us to 

the villages of Vizzano, Podere Radda, and Rimaggino until 

joining the Via Vecchia Aretina, not far from Arco del Camicia 

where we started. 

200 

Interior of the parish church of Villamagna 

www.vieromee.it


The Blessed Gerard and His Oratory 

Born around 1174 on a farm in the Villamagna countryside, the 

Blessed Gerard is thought to have died in 1258, or perhaps in 

1269. Because of his peasant origins, he was nicknamed the 

saint with clogs. The fame of his holiness and rumor of the miracles 

worked by him spread quickly after his death. He was especially 

recognized for his ability to free the countryside from 

such adverse weather conditions as hail, drought, and excessive 

rainfall. An ancient Vita or life of the saint recounts that, after his 

death, as the people of Villamagna wished “to take some Relics 

of Him (…) there was the risk that the Holy body itself would not 

even decompose; therefore it was rightly decided to put it, as it 

was done, in a coffin, and place it on top of an oak tree, until 

a church was built on the site of his hermitage” (M. BROCCHI, 

Vita di San Gherardo di Villamagna, Lucca 1750, p.22). Probably 

built in the second half of the 13 th century, the Oratory of San 

Gherardo has a single nave that still reflects the Romanesque 

architectural tradition. Inside is the stone sarcophagus that holds 

the body of the blessed man, and serves as the base for the altar 

mensa; on the walls are traces of frescoes depicting scenes from 

the life of the holy man. 

Oratory of Beato Gherardo 

201

5 TH ITINERARY - THE VIA VECCHIA ARETINA - LEG 1, LOCAL ITINERARIES 

To discover the area south of Bigallo, we follow a second itinerary. 

A dirt road branches off from Bigallo and proceeds toward 

the village of Ruballa, whose church is dedicated to Saints 

Quiricus and Judith and contains a 16 th -century Madonna and 

Child with Saint John as a Child attributed to Domenico Puligo. 

We continue towards Osteria Nuova and arrive in the town of 

Antella that arose around the Parish Church of Santa Maria. 

Leaving Antella, we go along a secondary road that passes by 

the Casa Poggio ai Grilli until we reach the Oratory of Santa 

Caterina, a charming jewel of art and architecture. 

Always on dirt roads, we go through a countryside dotted with 

medieval manor houses, often transformed and expanded in the 

16 th and 17 th centuries, such as Villa “Le Tavernucole” that formerly 

belonged to the Alberti family. Then we come again to the 

Via Vecchia Aretina that we reach in “Arco del Camicia”. 

Country road lined with trees 

202 

www.vieromee.it


The Parish Church of Santa Maria all’Antella 

A Romanesque church with a single rectangular nave, it was later 

enlarged at the presbytery and restored with some stylistically 

consistent additions at the beginning of the 20 th century. Inside 

there are several 16 th - and 17 th -century paintings, including an 

Assumption of the Virgin by Domenico Passignano. 


The Oratory of Santa Caterina 

Built by the Alberti family beginning in 1354, the Oratory of Santa 

Caterina is named for the proto-Christian martyr whose life and 

martyrdom are told in an evocative cycle of frescoes, recently restored 

by the Municipality of Bagno a Ripoli. It is the work of three 

masters of the 14 th century: Spinello Aretino, Pietro Nelli, and the 

so-called “Master of Barberino”. The church, whose 14 th -century 

features are completely intact, has a single nave covered with wooden 

trusses and a small, square apse at the end. 

Frescoes of Saint Catherine 

203


Leg 2: 

TROGHI 

FIGLINE VALDARNO 

Troghi 


see page 192 

Frassine 

Piano di Fontana 

Le Valli 

Fornacette 

Palazzolo 

Pietramala 

Cerchiaia 

Ciliegi 

Incisa in Val d’Arno 

Le Fornaci 

La Torricella 

204 


Reconstruction of Francesco Petrarch’s house, Incisa in Valdarno



Le Valli, Palazzolo, Incisa in Val d’Arno 



Climb: m 60 



A tourist-style leg, mainly on asphalt roads (80%) and partly on dirt ones (20%), 

with a well-marked route that does not present any orientation problems. The 

section from Troghi to Incisa in Val d’Arno is characterized by a descent towards 

the Valdarno with some panoramic points. 

Note: The path is shaded along the stretch between Palazzolo and Incisa in 

Val d’Arno, and water and refreshments are available in the villages and towns 

along the route. 

Transport: 

Figline 

Troghi 

To be seen: 

Castle of Incisa 

House where Francesco Petrarch was born 

Parish Church of San Vito in Loppiano (panoramic viewpoint) 

Franciscan Convent of Santi Cosma e Damiano al Vivaio 

Museum of Sacred Art in Figline Valdarno 

Church of San Francesco in Figline Valdarno 

205 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Troghi 

Leg 2 

Troghi 


Leg 3 


Montevarchi 

Leg 4 

Montevarchi 

Laterina 

Leg 5 

Laterina 

Arezzo

Leaving Troghi, we go along a stretch of provincial road passing 

first through Spedaletto (another place-name clearly referring 

to the charitable structure that once existed there), then the 

farm-villa of “La Chiocciola”. Arriving in “La Luna”, we again 

leave the provincial road for a shorter route that takes us to 

San Quirico alla Felce, a church recorded as early as the 13 th 

century. The building has undergone many alterations and now 

exhibits vaguely neoclassical forms. Abandoned for years, it has 

been restored by its present owners who have opened it to the 

public and also offer accommodation in the adjoining rooms. 


In Le Valli, we return to the provincial road; shortly after, we take 

a secondary road that passes through the Fattoria dei Bagnani 

and reaches Palazzolo, whose church is not by chance dedicated 

to Saint Mary of Loreto. 

Road along the itinerary 

206 


Troghi 

5.8 km 

Time: 1h30’ 

Palazzolo 

2.1 km 

Time: 35’ 


1.4 km 

Time: 25’ 

Parish Church of San Vito a Loppiano 

1.3 km 

Time: 25’ 

Franciscan Convent of Santi 

Cosma e Damiano al Vivaio 

6.9 km 

Time: 2h 

Figline Valdarno

Above: old stone paving along the route / Below: Fattoria La Chiocciola in Spedaletto 

207


Palazzolo in Pilgrims’ Memoirs 

Palazzolo was probably a stopping point on the Roman Via Cassia 

since ancient times, as seems to be indicated by its place-name, 

derived from palatium, a term used in the late Imperial Age to 

indicate the posts along the routes served by the cursus publicus. 

Pilgrimage memoirs mention Palazzolo as a stopping point for 

those who left from Florence. The brothers of the Florentine Congregation 

of the Holy Trinity stopped there in 1577, and paid 10 

scudi, 6 soldi, and 8 denari to “Benedetto, host (...) for breakfast 

made at said inn”. While Canon Joseph Antonio Scarlatti noted 

in his 1726 Relazione that he “finally stopped at half past three in 

Palazzolo, the inn of the lord Marchese Corsini”. 


The Convent of Santi Cosma e Damiano al Vivaio 

Originally a small monastery of nuns dedicated to aiding travelers 

and pilgrims, it later passed in 1510 to the Franciscans, who 

continued their charitable work. The single-nave church was built 

in the first half of the 16 th century, and, at the end of that century, 

was given an imposing arcade to accommodate pilgrims. It was 

subsequently remodeled in a late Baroque style. 

Reconstruction of the Convent of Santi Cosma e Damiano al Vivaio 

208

Beyond Palazzolo, we continue on the provincial road as far as 

Burchio where we take the road that – passing through San 

Quirico di Montelfi and Campogiano – leads to the Castle of 

Incisa, where the remains of its walls and of the Romanesque 

Church of San Biagio survive as well as some other buildings 

with medieval remnants, including the family home of Francesco 

Petrarch in which the poet spent his first seven years. 

Ruins of Incisa Castle 


209 

Troghi 

5.8 km 

Time: 1h30’ 

Palazzolo 

2.1 km 

Time: 35’ 


1.4 km 

Time: 25’ 


1.3 km 

Time: 25’ 



6.9 km 

Time: 2h 


www.vieromee.it

A road leads from the castle to the ancient Parish Church of 

San Vito in Loppiano, first documented in the 11 th century. The 

church has three aisles and, despite the alterations over time, it 

has largely preserved its original Romanesque layout. 

The road from the Church of San Vito continues towards the 

town of Incisa that grew up along the Arno, at the foot of the 

castle. We arrive in the town from the south, where the Franciscan 

Convent of Santi Cosma e Damiano al Vivaio stands, 

recorded since the beginning of the 14 th century. Back on the 

provincial road, we follow a stretch as far as Massa di Incisa to 

then go towards Poggiolino. 


We reach Figline where, on the northern outskirts of the town, 

is the sanctuary church of Santa Maria di Ponterosso, erected 

in 1570 near a brick bridge (and hence its name). On it stood a 

tabernacle with a 15 th -century image of the Madonna from the 

school of Perugino; thought to be miraculous, it was detached 

and moved inside the oratory. The church reflects the characteristics 

of the Renaissance minor architecture with a quadrangularplan 

choir defined by a stone arch with a floral motif. 

In the Middle Ages, Figline was a major stopping point on the 

road to Loreto, as the documented concentration of accommodation 

and charitable structures there confirms. In the 14 th 

century, there were a good seven hospices in Figline: the Hospice 

of San Lorenzo, a Dominican one, and one of the Company 

of the Cross; then there were the hospices of Societas Mariae 

Virginis, Santo Spirito, Societas presbiterum, and finally that of 

the Commune. 

Arcade of the ancient Serristori hospice in Figline Valdarno 

210 


Troghi 

5.8 km 

Time: 1h30’ 

Palazzolo 

2.1 km 

Time: 35’ 


1.4 km 

Time: 25’ 


1.3 km 

Time: 25’ 



6.9 km 

Time: 2h 

Figline Valdarno


The Walled Town of Figline 

In the Middle Ages, Figline was one of the most populous centers 

in the Florentine countryside, home to a market whose prices 

served as the standard for all of the upper Valdarno. Testifying 

to the city’s importance is the circuit of 14 th -century walls, still 

largely intact, that enclosed the town, not to mention the civil 

buildings in the historical center, with many elegant, important 

ones like the Casa Grande Serristori with its 15 th -century doublecolonnaded 

courtyard. Also remarkable are the 13 th -century Collegiate 

Church and the Gothic Church of San Francesco, built at 

the end of the 13 th century and which reflects the simplicity typical 

of Franciscan architecture. Overlooking the ancient market square 

is the loggia of the Serristori Hospice, an important Figline institution 

that dates from the 15 th century. 


Figline, An Important Stopping Point 

Also pilgrimage memoirs invariably mention Figline as a stopping 

point. In 1577 members of the Florentine Confraternity of the 

Holy Trinity stopped there and spent the night at a cost of 41 

scudi, “paid to Domenico di Bartolomeo Biagiotti, innkeeper of 

Figline, for having given dinner to 30 of us from the Company”. 

As did Canon Giuseppe Antonio Scarlatti, who wrote in his previously 

mentioned Relazione, “... passing the plain of La Fonte, the 

castle of Incisa, the Franciscan fathers of Vivaio, and the monastery 

of the Vallombrosan fathers of the Madonna del Ponte Rosso, 

we came to the town of Figline, five miles from Palazzolo, and 

leaving the said town, we stopped at one in the night at the inn 

of La Stella, not very far from it, having recited the Holy Rosary 

while on the road. This inn is of the Lord Duke Salviati, who also 

owns the beautiful villa of San Cerbone, which is on a hill above”. 

211 

Figline on the map of “Popoli e strade” of the Capitani di Parte Guelfa (1585)


Leg 3: 

FIGLINE VALDARNO 

MONTEVARCHI 


of LEG 2 


Carresi 

Badiola 

Restone 

Porcellino 

Badiola 


Convent of San Francesco 

a Montecarlo 


212 

Ricasoli 

Montevarchi 

LEG 2 to 

Laterina 

see page 218 

Detail of Figline town walls






Climb: m 10 



This is a tourist-style leg that, for over half of its length, follows the dirt shareduse 

path of the Valdarno and then enters the towns of San Giovanni Valdarno 

and Montevarchi. The route is therefore well-marked and presents no difficulties 

or problems of orientation. 

Note: The itinerary offers little shade; water and refreshments are available in 

the three towns along the route. It is flat and its length is not particularly demanding, 

no special physical training is needed. 

Transport: 



Montevarchi 

To be seen: 

Convent of San Francesco a Montecarlo 

Palazzo d’Arnolfo in San Giovanni Valdarno 

Museum of the basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie in San Giovanni Valdarno 

Church of San Giovanni Battista in San Giovanni Valdarno 

Church of San Lorenzo 

Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo in Montevarchi 

Montevarchi Museum of Sacred Art 

213 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Troghi 

Leg 2 

Troghi 


Leg 3 


Montevarchi 

Leg 4 

Montevarchi 

Laterina 

Leg 5 

Laterina 

Arezzo


The “Terranuova” of Castel San Giovanni 

The resolution of the Florentine Signoria to erect in Valdarno the 

walled town of Castel San Giovanni dates to 1299. “Arnolfo made 

the design for it...” thus, Vasari recalls the event leading to the creation 

of a town with a regular urban plan, set on the Via Aretina and 

with an orthogonal grid road network. A large part of the town’s 

fortification system has disappeared, unlike the urban layout that 

has survived largely intact, with the main building of the “terranuova”, 

represented by the turreted Palazzo Pretorio, also attributed 

to Arnolfo. The visual and functional center of San Giovanni, the 

Palazzo Pretorio is located in the center of the square on which are 

also found the town’s main religious buildings: the 17 th -century Basilica 

of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Parish Church of San Giovanni 

Battista and the Gothic Church of San Lorenzo, with its peculiar 

two-aisle plan. 

DEVOTION 

214 

The Miracle of the Milk 

Castel San Giovanni was itself a destination for pilgrims, although 

mostly of local importance, owing to the great veneration towards 

a picture of the Madonna which was linked to a miraculous 

event dating back to 1478. In that year, following the plague 

that had raged in and decimated the Valdarno area, an elderly 

woman, Monna Tancia dei Bianchi Bonavista, found herself having 

to look after her grandson without help, as they were the only 

survivors in their family. Unable to find a wet-nurse to replace the 

boy’s dead mother, the woman went to pray at the San Lorenzo 

town gate, above which there was a fresco depicting the Virgin 

nursing: Monna Tancia sensed within herself the vital flow that 

would allow her to feed the baby with her own milk. Later, a 

repetition of miraculous events first led to the construction of a 

large tabernacle and then, because of the increased number of 

those making pilgrimages to the sacred image, to the building 

of a church that made up the oldest core of the Basilica of Santa 

Maria delle Grazie. 

Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie in San Giovanni Valdarno

From Figline you take the footpath that follows the course of the 

Arno for the few kilometers that divide the town of Figline from 

San Giovanni Valdarno. The latter was once an important 

stopping point on the ancient road to Arezzo and had, although 

more modestly than in Figline, a concentration of accommodation 

facilities. 

Palazzo d’Arnolfo in San Giovanni Valdarno 


215 


10.7 km 

Time: 2h45’ 


6.9 km 

Time: 1h45’ 

Montevarchi 

www.vieromee.it

The distance between San Giovanni Valdarno and Montevarchi, 

the next waypoint on our itinerary, is short and covered by continuing 

to walk on the shared-use path that runs along the left 

bank of the Arno. 

On the provincial road, whose course is parallel to ours, we find 

Spedaluzzo, the place-name of a small village at the entrance 

to Montevarchi, which confirmed the many forms of accommodation 

(hospices, inns, hostels) that the Valdarno area offered 

to the travelers and pilgrims who stopped there. The 13 th - and 

14 th -century sources speak of the existence of a Hospitale Virginis 

Mariae peregrinationis, a Hospitale Sancti Michaelis de Montevarchi, 

as well as a hospice of Sant’Antonio. 


Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo in Montevarchi 

216 



10.7 km 

Time: 2h45’ 


6.9 km 

Time: 1h45’ 

Montevarchi

DEVOTION 

The Pilgrimage of the Mothers 

Pilgrims were also able to increase their religious fervor in Montevarchi, 

with the opportunity offered by the relic of the Holy Milk 

kept in the Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo, also in this case a 

destination of local pilgrimages. Around the precious relic, donated 

to the people of Montevarchi by Count Guido Guerra V, a pious 

congregation formed that was named after Saint Mary of the Milk, 

later becoming the Compagnia del Latte, which contributed to the 

cult being established in the Valdarno area where, not by chance, 

the iconography of the suckling Madonna would spread. Hence, 

women who had recently given birth made the pilgrimage to the 

Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo to pray for an abundance of milk. 


The Ancient Market Town 

Originally the market of the castrum de Monteguarchi set on the 

top of a hill northwest of the current town, Montevarchi was acquired 

by Florence in the mid-13 th century. It was one of the main 

towns in the Florentine countryside in terms of urban population 

and size and was therefore equipped with a system of fortifications 

of which few traces remain, except for the massive keep reinforcing 

the defenses at the Porta Fiorentina. The still clearly visible 

13 th -14 th -century structure of the town is based on two longitudinal 

road axes running parallel to each other and the large central 

square, with the Palazzo Pretorio and the Collegiate Church of San 

Lorenzo, the most important church in Montevarchi renovated on 

several occasions: first, in the 17 th century and again in the 18 th 

century. The clear influence of Florentine cultural models is plainly 

visible in other important buildings of the town: the late-Renaissance 

Oratory of the Madonna del Giglio, the 16 th -century Palazzo 

Alamanni, and the 18 th -century church of Sant’Andrea a Cennano. 

217 

Sanctuary Church of Santa Maria del Giglio in Montevarchi


Leg 4: 

MONTEVARCHI 

LATERINA 


see page 212 

Monticello 

((junction with Setteponti road) 

Montevarchi 

Levanella 

Bandella 

Reserve 

Valle dell’Inferno 

and Bandella Laterina 

Reserve 

Levane 

Montalto 

Podere Stefanelli 

Bucine 

218 

Bandella Reserve



Levane, Bandella Reserve, Montincello (junction with Setteponti road), 

Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Reserve, Podere Stefanelli 



Climb: m 150 



This tourist-style leg runs along both dirt and asphalt roads. The route is wellmarked, 

and poses no difficulties or problems of orientation. 

This leg is characterized by some panoramic points on the Arno Valley and the 

passage across areas of natural interest. 

Note: The route begins on the dirt road of a shared-use path that goes from 

Montevarchi, along the bank of the Dogana River, and leads then to the SR69 

road near Levanella. From here, after about a 2.5 km stretch on the SR69 road, 

it continues northward crossing the Arno and arriving in Monticello. After the 

bridge on Lake Levane, we climb again through the oak woods to reconnect 

with the historical Via Vecchia Aretina at Ponte Romito, which we follow for 2.8 

km until reaching Laterina. In this section, pedestrians are advised to comply 

with the rules of the road. On this leg, local restaurants and water fountains 

are available. 

Transport: 

Montevarchi 

Laterina 

Ponticino 

Levane 

Monticello 

To be seen: 

Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Natural Reserve 

Monticello Visitor Center 

Porta del Ghianderino, Porta Fiorentina and the Fortress (Laterina) 

Walk along the ancient castle walls, with panorama of the Lower Valdarno 

(Laterina) 

Parish Church of San Giovanni Galatrona and Tower 

(Montevarchi - Mercatale bus and then 1 kilometer on foot) 

219 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Troghi 

Leg 2 

Troghi 


Leg 3 


Montevarchi 

Leg 4 

Montevarchi 

Laterina 

Leg 5 

Laterina 

Arezzo

220 

Parish Church of San Giovanni a Galatrona

The successive course of the road to Arezzo is thus succinctly 

described in the 18 th -century Relazione by the canon Giuseppe 

Antonio Scarlatti: “The morning of 9 September we started from 

Montevarchi at 10 am and passing by Levane where the poststage 

is, by the Malafrasca forest and below Laterina, we arrived 

at a quarter past two in Monsoglio, at the beautiful villa of Sir 

Knight Bindo Peruzzi (...) at 9 p.m., we left from that villa and 

past the bridge at Buriano and Quarrata we arrived at half past 

one at night in the city of Arezzo”. 

Our itinerary beyond Montevarchi uses a bike path that follows 

the Arno River as far as the village of Case Villanuzza. Here, 

we go along a short stretch of state road No. 69 as far as Levane, 

then turn north and take a dirt road that leads to the 

Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Nature Reserve, where we cross 

the Arno. We then reach the small village of Monticello, where 

the visitor center of the Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Nature 

Reserve is located. Here you can find and get information on 

the major ecological systems of the natural reserve: wetlands, 

water courses, and the wood. You can also book guided tours 

on foot or by boat within the natural area as well as visits to the 

hydroelectric plant of the Levane dam. 

From Montincello, we continue east, still on secondary roads until 

reaching Laterina. 

View from Monticello 


221 

Montevarchi 

7 km 

Time: 1h45’ 

Levane 

1.8 km 

Time: 35’ 


and Bandella Nature Reserve 

2.4 km 

Time: 45’ 

Monticello: 

Nature Reserve Visitor Center 

7.4 km 

Time: 2h10’ 

Laterina 

www.vieromee.it


Leg 5: 

LATERINA 

QUARATA (AREZZO) 


of LEG 3 

Le Casacce 

Le Fornaci 

Cincelli 

Laterina 

P. Mongibello 

Rondine 

Junction 

with SP1 

Ponte a Buriano 

Quarata 

Patrignone 

Pratantico 

Montione 


222 

Buriano Bridge



Rondine, Junction with SP1 road, Ponte a Buriano 



Climb: m 170 



A tourist-style leg, mainly on asphalt roads. 

We find stretches of dirt roads shortly after Laterina and at the detour that leads 

from the Vecchia Aretina to Rondine. The route is well marked; it poses no difficulties 

or problems of orientation. 

Note: From the village of Ponte a Buriano, continuing along the Setteponti provincial 

road, we find the medieval village of Quarata after about 2.5 km. Here it 

is recommended that people traveling on foot continue as far as Ripa Quarata 

and then take the bus to Arezzo (www.etruriamobilita.it). 

This leg is the same as the last one of the Setteponti itinerary. 

Transport: 

Laterina 


Quarata 

Arezzo 

To be seen: 

Village of Rondine 

Ponte Buriano and Penna Natural Reserve 

Buriano Bridge 

Arezzo 

223 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Troghi 

Leg 2 

Troghi 


Leg 3 


Montevarchi 

Leg 4 

Montevarchi 

Laterina 

Leg 5 

Laterina 

Arezzo


After Laterina and continuing towards Arezzo, we find the 

Monsoglio Farm; we skirt along the Ponte Buriano and Penna 

Natural Reserve until we come to La Fornacina. Here we turn 

right towards the small village of Rondine, near which runs the 

Sette Ponti provincial road, which we take. We travel a short 

distance and then again cross the Arno over the imposing Buriano 

bridge that has preserved its 14 th -century structures. We 

are now at the gates of Arezzo. From the town of Quarata, we 

can take the bus and skip the last stretch before entering the 

chief town of Arezzo. 

In the Middle Ages, Arezzo played an important role in the transit 

and sorting of pilgrims: hence the numerous hospices of the 

city supplemented by those located in the immediate vicinity. 

Past Arezzo, the road that went to Rome must have followed a 

route quite similar to that of the Umbro-Casentino SS-71 road, 

on the high ground of the hills that today dominate the Val di 

Chiana, but that, in medieval times, faced the vast marshy area 

formed by the ancient tributary of the Tiber. 

Apse of the parish church of Arezzo 

224 


Laterina 

5.8 km 

Time: 1h45’ 

Rondine 

3.2 km 

Time: 50’ 


2.5 km 

Time: 40’ 

Quarata 

Piazza Grande (Arezzo)

The Arno from the Buriano Bridge 

225



Ostello Antico Spedale del Bigallo 

Via del Bigallo e Apparita 

Osteria Nuova 

50012 Bagno a Ripoli 

Tel: 055 630907 

info@bigallo.it - www.bigallo.it 

Parrocchia S. Maria a Quarto 

Via di Quarto, 7 - 50012 Bagno a Ripoli 

Tel: 055 696454 - 055 630080 

Parish priest’s mobile phone: 338 6726373 

Vialla Il Puccetto Affittacamere 

Via Poggio alla Croce, 42 

50063 Figline Valdarno 

Tel: 055 9500065 - Fax: 055 9500087 

ilpuccetto@libero.it - www.ilpuccetto.it 

Montevarchi 

Comunità Nuovi Orizzonti 

Via Pestello, 7 - 52026 Montevarchi 

Tel: 055 984819 

montevarchi@nuoviorizzonti-onlus.com 

www.nuoviorizzonti-onlus.com 

226 

Troghi 

Agriturismo Villa Torre a Cona 

Via Torre a Cona, 49 


50067 Rignano sull’Arno 

Tel: 055 699000 - Fax: 055 699877 

info@villatorreacona.com 

www.villatorreacona.com 

Campeggio Il Poggetto 

Via il Poggetto, 143-144 - Troghi 

50067 Rignano sull’Arno 

Tel: 055 8307323 - Fax: 055 8307323 

info@campingilpoggetto.com 

www.campingilpoggetto.com 


Campeggio Norcenni 

Via Norcenni, 7 


Tel: 055 915141 - Fax: 055 9151402 

girasole@ecvacanze.it 

www.ecvavanze.it 

Leon d’Oro di Prozzo Vittorio Affittacamere 

Via Vittorio Locchi, 7 


Tel: 055 951922 - Fax: 055 951922 

info@leondorotoscana.it 

www.leondorotoscana.it 

Monastero della Santa Croce 

Via S. Croce 4 


Tel: 055 953176 

Podere la Casellina Agriturismo 

Via Poggio alla Croce, 60 

La Casellina 


Tel: 055 9500070 

poderelacasellina@tin.it 

www.poderelacasellina.it 

Valdarno Affittacamere 

Via Petrarca, 61 


Tel: 055 953137 - Fax: 055 953149 

Podere Gruccia Affittacamere 

Via Burzagli, 273 

52025 Montevarchi 

Tel: 055 9850472 - Cell: 339 6263956 

info@poderegruccia.it 

www.poderegruccia.it 

Podere Luisa Affittacamere 

Via Rendola, 69 


Tel: 055 9707334 

info@podereluisa.it - www.podereluisa.it 

Viallaggio Paradiso Affittacamere 

Via Chiantigiana 


Tel: 338 3237591 

info@villaggioparadiso.it 

www.villaggioparadiso.it 

Laterina 

Fattoria Isola Agriturismo 

Via Aretina, 70 - 52020 Laterina 

Tel: 0575 894785 

Il Poggerello Agriturismo 

Via Penna, 14 - 52020 Laterina 

Tel: 335 6839009 

Il Torricino Affittacamere 

Via Valdascione, 1 - 52020 Laterina 

Tel: 0575 89219 

Toscana Verde Agriturismo 

Via Penna, 2 - 52020 Laterina 

Tel.: 0575 89571 - Fax: 0575 895750 

info@toscanaverde.com 

www.toscanaverde.com 

Arezzo 

Foresteria San Pier Piccolo 

Via Bicchieraia, 32 - 52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 324219 - Fax: 0575 324219 

www.foresteriasanpierpiccolo.it 

Fraternità San Lorenzo 

Pomaio - 52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 793811

Il Pascione Casa vacanze 

Via Setteponti, 40 - 52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 356128 - Cell: 334 9557291 

www.ilpascione.it 

I Pratacci Foresteria 

Via Edison, 25 - Pratacci 

52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 383338 

Cell: 335 7505504 

www.foresteriarezzo.com 

Ostello Villa Severi 

Via F. Redi, 13 - 52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 299047 


URP Municipality of Bagno a Ripoli 

Piazza della Vittoria, 1 

50012 Bagno a Ripoli (Florence) 

Tel: 055 6390222 - Fax: 055 6390267 

www.comune.bagno-a-ripoli.fi.it 

urp@comune.bagno-a-ripoli.fi.it 

Hours: from Monday to Friday 8 a.m.-1 

p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays 2.30 p.m.- 

6 p.m.; Saturdays 8.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. 


Municipality of Incisa Val d’Arno 

(Also for the municipalities of Figline Valdarno, 

Reggello and Rignano sull’Arno) 

A1 motorway at the Incisa exit in I Ciliegi 

50064 Incisa Val d’Arno (Florence) 

Tel and Fax: 055 863129 

infovaldarnofi@inwind.it 

Hours (from 17 June to 17 October): 

From Monday to Saturday 

10 a.m.–12 p.m./2.30 p.m.–6.30 p.m. 

Closed on Sundays and holidays. 

Pro-Loco Incisa Val d’Arno 

Piazza Garibaldi, 8 

50064 Incisa Val d’Arno 

Tel: 055 8334061 

prolocoincisa@alice.it 

Tourist Information Office Rignano 

at Tourist Information Office Municipality 

of Incisa Val d’Arno 

URP Municipality of Rignano 

Piazza della Repubblica, 1 

50067 Rignano sull’Arno (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8347802 - Fax: 055 8348787 

www.comune.rignano-sullarno.fi.it 

urp@comune.rignano-sullarno.fi.it 

Hours: from Monday to Friday 8.30 a.m.- 

12.30 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays also 3 

p.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays 8.30 a.m. -11 a.m. 

Tourist Office 

Municipality of San Giovanni Valdarno 

Piazza Masaccio, 12 

52027 San Giovanni Valdarno 

Tel: 055 9126251 

Fax: 055 9121796 

www.comune.san-giovanni-valdarno.ar.it 

turismosgv@val.it 


(Pro Loco San Giovanni) 

Piazza Cavour, 3 

52027 San Giovanni Val d’Arno (Florence) 

Tel: 055 943748 

Fax: 055 9121123 

www.comune.san-giovanni-valdarno.ar.it/proloco.asp 

prolocosgv@val.it 

Tourist Information Office Montevarchi 

Piazza Varchi, 5 - 52025 Montevarchi (AR) 

Tel: 055 9108247 

www.comune.montevarchi.ar.it 

info@comune.montevarchi.it 

Municipality of Terranuova Bracciolini 

Tel: 055 9194705 

www.comune.terranuova-bracciolini.ar.it/ 

Tourist Information Point 


Tel: 055 9738828 

www.terraospitale.it 

infoturismovaldarno@gmail.com 

227 

Tourist Information Office Figline Valdarno 

at Tourist Information Office Municipality 

of Incisa Val d’Arno 

Associazione Pro Loco Marsilio Ficino 

Piazza San Francesco, 16 

50063 Figline Valdarno (Florence) 

Tel: 055 951569 - Fax: 055 953112 

info@prolocofigline.it 

www.prolocofigline.it 

Winter hours: from Monday to Friday 9 

a.m.-12.30 p.m. - Summer hours (May 

-September): from Monday to Saturday 9 

a.m.-12.30 p.m./ 4 p.m.-6.30 p.m. (only 

from Monday to Friday) 

APT of Arezzo 

Piazza Risorgimento, 116 - 52100 Arezzo (AR) 

Tel: 0575239523 

www.apt.arezzo.it 

apt@arezzo.turismo.toscana.it 

Infopoint of Arezzo 

Via Ricasoli - 52100 Arezzo (AR) 

Tel: 0575 377829 


UIT (Tourist Information Office) of Arezzo 


52100 Arezzo (AR) 

Tel: 0575 377678

228 


info@arezzo.turismo.toscana.it 

Bike rental 

Alinari 


Via Guelfa, 85r - Tel: 055 280500 


Rent Way 



Tel: 055 2398890 - Cell: 333 9619820 

www.rentway.it - info@rentway.it 



Via San Zanobi, 120/122r 

Tel. e Fax: 055 488992 


B&B Le Ortensie (Bike rental) 

Via Giovanni Maria Cecchi, 4 


Tel: 348 2644190 

www.leortensiebedandbreakfast.com 

liulamp@libero.it 

Le Civette Country Resort (Bike rental) 

Via del Carota, 3 


Tel: 055 698335 - Cell: 392 9441923 

www.lecivetteresort.it 

info@lecivetteresort.it 

Agriturismo Bellavista (Bike rental) 

Via Montelfi, 1 

50064 Incisa in Valdarno (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8335143 

www.agriturismobellavista.com 

info@agriturismobellavista.com 

Agriturismo Valleverde (Bike rental) 

Via Montefalco, Località Buca dei Falchi 

52027 - San Giovanni Valdarno (AR) 

Tel: 055 943628 - Fax: 055 961804 

Cell: 335 1250857 

www.agriturismovalleverde.com 

info@agriturismovalleverde.com 

Campeggio Il Poggetto (Bike rental) 

Via Poggetto, 143 

50067 Rignano Sull’Arno (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8327323 




Arezzo 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Donato 

(7 August) 

Giostra del Saracino 

(June and September) 


Feast of the Patron Saints, Santi Pietro 

and Paolo (29 June) 

Palio delle Contrade and Giostra della 

Stella (September) 

Bagno a Ripoli - Grassina 

Re-enactment of the Passion of Christ 

(Good Friday) 

Bucine 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Salvatore 

(third Sunday of September) 


Cantamaggio (end of May) 


(6 July) 

Festa del perdono and Palio di San Rocco 

(first Sunday of September) 

Incisa Valdarno 

Festa del Perdono, Palio dei renaioli e 

delle lavandaie (the Friday and Tuesday 

nearest to the third Sunday of September) 

Feast of the Patron Saint, Sant’Alessandro 

(6 April) 

Laterina 

Feast of the Patron Saints, Santi Ippolito 

and Cassiano (18 August) 

Nativity Scenes in Laterina (December) 

Laterina Ponticino 

Palio della rana (last Sunday in June) 

Montevarchi 

Festa del Perdono, Gioco del pozzo 

(first week in September) 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Lorenzo 

(10 August) 

Pontassieve 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Michele 

Arcangelo (29 September) 

Rignano sull’Arno 

Festa del Perdono (September) 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Leolino 

(12 November) 


Festa del Perdono 

(first Sunday after 13 September) 


(24 June) 

Rificolona (7 September) 

Terranova Bracciolini 


Feast of the Patron Saint, Sant’Antonio 

(13 June)


THE STRADA 

DEI SETTE PONTI 

Via Sancti Petri 

229 

The strata per quam itur ad Pontem de Sieve was of notable 

importance for Florence because, besides connecting the city 

with the towns on the right side of the upper Valdarno - where 

the road going to Arezzo, the so-called Via dei Sette Ponti, ran 

- it also connected, in Pontassieve, with the easternmost of the 

routes crossing the Apennines in the Florentine countryside: 

the road leading to Forli by way of Dicomano, San Godenzo, 

and the Alpe di San Benedetto. Because of this, in the 14 th - 

century list of main roads and routes contained in the Statuto 

del Capitano del Popolo, it is also defined as the road that vadit 

versus Decomanum.





(Florence) 

Pontassieve 

Pieve a Pitiana 

Pian di Scò 


Laterina 

Quarata 


230 

THE ITINERARY 

Starting Point: Porta San Gallo (Florence) 

End point: Piazza Grande (Arezzo) 


500 

450 

400 

350 

300 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

00 


San Giovenale (CAI trail) 


Junction with SP1


Distance (route): km 106,5 



List of legs: 

Leg 1: Porta San Gallo (Florence) – Pontassieve 

Waypoints: Piazza Edison, Settignano, Compiobbi, Le Falle, Le Sieci 


Page 236 

Leg 2: Pontassieve – Pieve a Pitiana 

Waypoints: Diacceto, Pelago, Paterno, Pagiano, Donnini 


Page 242 

Leg 3: Pieve a Pitiana – Pian di Scò 

Waypoints: San Donato in Fronzano, Pieve Sant’Agata, Cancelli, Reggello, 



Page 246 

Leg 4: Pian di Scò – Loro Ciuffenna 

Waypoints: Castelfranco di Sopra, Certignano, Pietravigne, Villa Riofi, Penna 


Page 250 

Leg 5: Loro Ciuffenna – Laterina 

Waypoints: Gropina, Cicogna, Monticello, Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella 

Reserve, Podere Stefanelli 


Page 254 

Leg 6: Laterina – Quarata (Arezzo) 

Waypoints: Rondine, Junction with SP1, Ponte a Buriano 


Page 258 

Quarata - Piazza Grande (Arezzo) 


The tour takes place mainly on asphalt secondary roads, and partially on grass 

and gravel paths. The route is well-marked; there are no problems of orientation. 

The hilly and piedmont area through which the route passes means that 

some legs (the Porta San Gallo-Pontassieve one and the Pontassieve-Pieve a 

Pitiana one) have substantial differences in elevation. This route unwinds in the 

hills of the Florentine Valdarno and in the foothills of the Pratomagno ridge. 

The landscape is of great beauty with hills characterized by vineyards and olive 

groves, as well as unique geomorphologic formations such as the Balze, or Gullies, 

of the Valdarno. 

Note: This tourist-like route is very simple from a technical point of view, although 

some legs are rather demanding from a physical one. 85% of the route 

goes along secondary asphalt roads with the remaining 15% on gravel and 

grass paths. There are no particular problems associated with the availability 

of water as it may be found in the towns visited. The route is well-marked and 

easily identifiable. The historical itinerary, identified today by the provincial road 

SP1, or the Setteponti road, is then abandoned and two alternative routes are 

offered where pilgrims can travel more safely. It is recommended, however, that 

those walking along the route pay particular attention to complying with the 

rules of the road. The last stop on the itinerary (from Laterina to Arezzo) corresponds 

with the final leg of the Via Vecchia Aretina itinerary and a short stretch 

of it (from Quarata to Arezzo) is to be covered by bus. 

231





(Florence) 

Pontassieve 

Pian di Scò 

Laterina 


232 

View of Florence


Distance (route): km 112 

Level of technical difficulty: TC 


List of legs: 

Leg 1: Porta San Gallo (Florence) – Pontassieve 

Waypoints: piazza Edison, Settignano, Compiobbi, Le Falle, Le Sieci 


Page 236 

Leg 2: Pontassieve – Pian di Scò 

Waypoints: Diacceto, Pelago, Paterno, Pagiano, Donnini, Pieve a Pitiana, San Donato 

in Fronzano, Pieve Sant’Agata, Cancelli, Reggello, San Giovenale (CAI trail)) 


Page 242 

Leg 3: Pian di Scò – Laterina 

Waypoints: Castelfranco di Sopra, Certignano, Pietravigne, Villa Riofi, Penna, 

Loro Ciuffenna, Gropina, Cicogna, Monticello, Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella 

Reserve, Podere Stefanelli 


Page 250 

Leg 4: Laterina – Piazza Grande (Arezzo) 

Waypoints: Rondine, Junction with SP1, Ponte a Buriano, Quarata 


Page 258 

A bike tour itinerary, mostly on asphalt roads with some sections on slightly 

rough and uneven gravel roads (level of technical difficulty, MC) for bikers with 

average technical ability. This route unwinds in the hills of the Florentine Valdarno 

and in the foothills of the Pratomagno ridge. The landscape is of great 

beauty characterized by vineyards and olive groves, as well as unique geomorphologic 

formations such as the Balze, or Gullies, of the Valdarno. 

Note: The course presents no particular technical difficulties, but requires good 

physical training because of the presence of steep climbs, especially on the leg 

from Florence to Pontassieve and the successive one that goes from Pontassieve 

to Pieve a Pitiana. 85% of the itinerary is also suitable for racing bikes, whereas 

in bumpy and uneven gravel stretches, it is necessary to use mountain bikes or 

robust city bikes. There are no particular problems associated with the availability 

of water as it may be found in the towns visited. The track is well-marked 

and easily identifiable. The historical itinerary, identified today by the provincial 

road SP1, also referred to as the Setteponti road, is then abandoned and two 

alternative routes are offered where pilgrims can travel more safely. The last leg 

on the itinerary (from Laterina to Arezzo) corresponds with the final part of the 

Via Vecchia Aretina itinerary. 

233 

Landscape along the route

Pontassieve: a Crossroads and Military Stronghold 

234 


6 TH ITINERARY - THE STRADA DEI SETTE PONTI 

Pontassieve was then a major crossroads; from the simple village 

formed near the bridge that crossed the Sieve River just before it 

flows into the Arno, in the second half of the 14 th century it was 

transformed into the terra sive castri Sancti Angeli, one of the 

military strongholds of the Florentine state, as still attested by 

the substantial remnants of its ancient defense system. 

The road started from the city suburb of San Pier Maggiore (a 

Burgo Sancti Petri Maioris) and proceeded parallel to the Arno 

River. The suburban parish of San Giovanni Battista a Remole 

developed along this route. It was no coincidence then if the villages 

that were part of the parish were indeed located in an area 

that expanded lengthwise, closely following the Arno. Along the 

road were villages (Terenzano, Compiobbi, San Donato a Torri, 

and Le Sieci) whose churches were suffragan to the Remole parish 

church, located shortly before Sant’Angelo di Sieve (namely, 

Pontassieve). 

After crossing the Sieve River, on the Medici bridge built in 1555, 

a route to the right followed the lower course of the Arno’s main 

tributary as far as Dicomano, then continuing towards the Abbey 

of San Godenzo. This was the route which crossed over the 

Apennines and led to Romagna via the Alpe di San Benedetto, 

a way that over the centuries saw the passage of travelers and 

goods, but not so many pilgrims, who preferred instead the Via 

dell’Alpe di Serra, a route to Rome that crossed the Apennines in 

the Casentino and had the decided advantage of leading directly 

to Rome. 

Ancient road to Settignano

The Via dei Sette Ponti 

(namely, the Road of the Seven Bridges) 

Near Pontassieve was also the Via dei Sette Ponti. Probably of 

Etruscan origin, this road was especially busy in the central part 

of the Middle Ages, not only because of the connections between 

Florence and the emerging centers in the surrounding 

countryside scattered on the slopes of Pratomagno but, to some 

extent, also as a route to Rome that, from Arezzo, offered the 

opportunity of following the Via dell’Alpe di Serra, an important 

alternative to the Via Francigena. It is no coincidence, therefore, 

that a document from the end of the 10 th century recalls the Via 

dei Sette Ponti as via Sancti Petri, i.e., a route used by pilgrims 

going to Rome. 

The road unwound along the Pratomagno foothills and was dotted 

by a significant array of rural churches (the close relationship 

between parish churches and the road network has been ascertained): 

San Pietro a Pitiana, San Pietro a Cascia, Santa Maria 

a Scò, San Pietro a Gropina, and San Giustino Valdarno. As a 

whole, these churches are the most important examples of Romanesque 

religious architecture in the Valdarno region. 

Past the parish church of San Giustino, near Castiglion Fibocchi, 

and before arriving in Arezzo, the road crossed the Arno on the 

majestic Buriano bridge, which has preserved its powerful medieval 

structure with seven wide arches. 

Parish Church of Gropina 

235


Leg 1: 

PORTA SAN GALLO (Florence) 

PONTASSIEVE 


of LEG 1 

Piazza Edison 


Il Mulinaccio 

Montebeni 

Settignano 

La Valle 

Calcinaia 

San Jacopo al Girone 

Compiobbi 

Castelnuovo 

Le Falle 

Magnale 

Le Sieci 

Pontassieve 

Rosano 

Pievecchia 

San Martino 

a Quona 

236 

Landscape along the route



Piazza Edison, Settignano, Compiobbi, Le Falle, Le Sieci 



Climb: m 480 



This leg is entirely on secondary asphalt roads that run along the hills of the 

Florentine Valdarno. The route is thus readily identifiable and there are no orientation 

problems or difficulties in finding it. The leg crosses through hills characterized 

by alternating olive groves and vineyards, with scattered farm houses 

and historic villas. The route offers views of scenic interest (the hills between 

Settignano and Compiobbi and between Sieci and San Martino a Quona). 

Note: The leg is fairly physically demanding as there are many variations in altitude 

and because of the distance of this leg. In Pontassieve, one can continue 

by train to Contea in the municipality of Dicomano, (19 min) to stay at the 

Convent of San Detole. 

Transport: 

Florence 

Settignano 

Compiobbi 

Le Sieci 

Pontassieve 

To be seen: 

Church of San Martino a Mensola 

Panorama of Florence from Piazza Desiderio da Settignano 

Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista a Remole 

Detour ( from Sieci) to the Oratory of the Madonna del Sasso 

237 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Pontassieve 

Leg 2 

Pontassieve 

pieve a Pitiana 

Leg 3 


Pian di Scò 

Leg 4 

Pian di Scò 


Leg 5 


Laterina 

Leg 6 

Laterina 

Arezzo

238 

Road to Settignano

To reach the suburbs of Florence, we take the bike path from 

Piazza della Libertà that runs along Viale Don Minzoni. Then, 

using the Le Cure railway underpass, we reach Piazza delle Cure. 

Here we turn into Viale Alessandro Volta where another bike 

path takes us to Piazza Edison. Then we go along Viale Augusto 

Righi as far as the beginning of Via Lungo l’Affrico; here we take 

Via del Cantone which then becomes Via Benedetto da Maiano. 

Next we proceed along Via Gabriele D’Annunzio that leads us 

first to Coverciano and then to Ponte a Mensola, the village 

that stretches at the foot of the Settignano hill, with its early medieval 

church rich in precious paintings. After crossing the river 

that gives the place its name, we take the so-called Via Vecchia 

di Settignano that, lined by walls, leads to the picturesque village 

of Settignano. 

Church of San Martino a Mensola 

6 TH ITINERARY - THE STRADA DEI SETTE PONTI - LEG 1 

239 


Ponte a Mensola 

4.5 km 

Time: 1h10’ 

1.1 km 

Time: 40’ 

Settignano 

0.6 km 

Time: 10’ 

Terenzano 

3.4 km 

Time: 1h 

Compiobbi 

Parish Church of San Giovanni 

Battista a Remole - Le Sieci 

Church of San Martino a Quona 

4 km 3.8 km 

Time: 1h15’ Time: 1h25’ 

3.5 km 

Time: 50’ 

Pontassieve 

www.vieromee.it

From Settignano, we take the CAI trail to reach Compiobbi, 

traveling through a hilly area and coming to the small village 

of Terenzano, with its Romanesque church and the remains of 

13 th -century tower-houses. 

To avoid heavily trafficked State Road 67 that runs alongside 

the Arno to Pontassieve, from Compiobbi we go up towards 

San Donato a Torri and then return to the state road in Ellera, 

following it for a short distance as far as the small town of Le 

Sieci; here a pedestrian path along the Arno leads us to the Romanesque 

Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista a Remole. 


From Le Sieci, a road branches off that goes up the course of 

the river from which the small town derived its name and leads, 

via Molin del Piano and past the parish church of Lobaco, to the 

Oratory of the Madonna del Sasso, a lesser place of pilgrimage 

which had yet a considerable local importance. 

Returning to Le Sieci, we leave the state road to climb to the 

Remole Farm and then onward to the Church of San Martino 

a Quona, from where, shortly after, we come to Pontassieve, a 

large walled town of the Florentine republic whose importance 

derived from its being a regional crossroads. It is no coincidence 

that in the 14 th century, Pontassieve had several innkeepers as 

well as a pilgrims’ hospice dedicated to Saint Mary. 

Along the Arno near Pontassieve 

240 



Ponte a Mensola 

4.5 km 

Time: 1h10’ 

1.1 km 

Time: 40’ 

Settignano 

0.6 km 

Time: 10’ 

Terenzano 

3.4 km 

Time: 1h 

Compiobbi 

Parish Church of San Giovanni 

Battista a Remole - Le Sieci 

Church of San Martino a Quona 

4 km 3.8 km 

Time: 1h15’ Time: 1h25’ 

3.5 km 

Time: 50’ 

Pontassieve

DEVOTION 

The Madonna Appearing to Two Young Shepherdesses 

On the location where the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso 

now stands there was originally a tabernacle, known as the Hermit’s. 

Beginning in the 11 th century, its veneration so intensified 

that it became necessary to build a small oratory. Here, tradition 

has it, the Madonna appeared to two young shepherdesses in 

1484. The request for a larger church in which to dispense graces 

to those deserving them was expressed by the Madonna herself 

and confirmed in a grand appearance to the entire congregation 

gathered in prayer on 22 August, 1485. 

This was the origin of the sanctuary’s current complex, consisting 

of two main buildings: the lower oratory (or Chapel of the 

Apparitions) and the upper oratory (or New Church); the latter, 

a larger building with a Greek-cross plan, was renovated in the 

Baroque period. Other buildings were added over the centuries to 

meet the needs of the growing number of pilgrims who flocked 

to the sanctuary: a portico, the chaplain’s house, the rooms of the 

companies, and a slaughterhouse. The latter was the place where 

animals were sacrificed in rites of propitiation and of thanksgiving 

in May and during harvests. 

Drawing of the Oratory of the Madonna del Sasso 

241


Leg 2: 

PONTASSIEVE 

PIEVE A PITIANA 

Risalpiano 

La Fornace 


of LEG 2 

San Francesco 

Diacceto 

Ferrano 

Pontassieve 

Monsecco 

Le Palaie 

Pelago 

Corte 

Certina 

Paterno 

Pagiano 

Tosi 

Masseto 

Poggio al Secolo 

242 

Donnini 


LEG 2 to 

Pian di Scò 

see page 246 

The Medicean Bridge in Pontassieve



Diacceto, Pelago, Paterno, Pagiano, Donnini 



Climb: m 630 



75% of this leg is along asphalt roads with the remaining 25% on farm cartroads. 

There are thus no problems in identifying the route. This leg follows 

narrow dirt tracks amidst vineyards of remarkable beauty. 

Note: This leg is technically simple but physically challenging, due to significant 

elevation gain variations. The route follows some parts of the Via dei Sette Ponti, 

where particular attention must be paid to motor vehicles and the rules of the 

road must be observed. 

Transport: 

Pontassieve 

Diacceto 

Pelago 

Paterno 


To be seen: 

Nipozzano Castle, wine cellar and vineyards 

Village of Pelago 

San Martino a Pagiano 

Parish Church of San Pietro a Pitiana 

243 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Pontassieve 

Leg 2 

Pontassieve 


Leg 3 


Pian di Scò 

Leg 4 

Pian di Scò 


Leg 5 


Laterina 

Leg 6 

Laterina 

Arezzo

244 

Above: Pelago’s main square / Below: Tabernacle along the itinerary

After crossing the Sieve River at Pontassieve over the ancient 

16 th -century bridge, we pass the small town of San Francesco, a 

suburb of Pontassieve, and take a secondary road, from a parallel 

of the state road, leading to Diacceto and then to Pelago by 

way of Palaie Vecchie. 

From Pelago, we take the road to Paterno, a village that was 

the site of a Vallombrosan grange, and then a secondary route 

that leads to San Martino a Pagiano, a small village that rose 

at a medieval bridge that crosses the Vicano di Sant’Ellero River. 

We go up in the direction of the Sette Ponti Road, which we 

reach in Donnini. We continue on the ancient and winding 

route to arrive at the Parish Church of San Pietro a Pitiana, 

which preserves traces of the original Romanesque structure 

with one nave and two aisles. 

Parish Church of Pitiana 


245 

Pontassieve 

4.4 km 

Time: 1h20’ 

Nipozzano castle 

4.1 km 

Time: 1h25’ 

Pelago 

2.7 km 

Time: 55’ 

Paterno 

5.2 km 

Time: 1h40’ 

Donnini 

1.2 km 

Time: 20’ 


www.vieromee.it


Leg 3: 

PIEVE A PITIANA 

PIAN DI SCO’ 


I Fali 


see page 242 

Trana 

Trebbiali 

I Sorbi 

San Donato in Fronzano 

La Fabbrica 

La Corte 

Parish Church 

of Sant’Agata 

Cancelli 

Poggio Giubbiani 

Reggello 

Cascia 

Borgo a Cascia 

Tallini 

San Giovenale 

(CAI trail) 

Ferraia 

Casa Biondo 

246 

Pian di Scò 

Ancient bridge over the Resco River in Pian di Scò


Elenco: 

San Donato in Fronzano, Pieve Sant’Agata, Cancelli, Reggello, 




Climb: m 250 



The leg goes mainly along the Via dei Setteponti and only partly along CAI trails. 

Therefore the route is easily identified without problems of orientation. This leg 

is not particularly challenging. 

Note: Along the SP1 road, pay attention to the traffic and follow the rules of 

the road regarding pedestrians traveling on out-of-town roads. 

To join up with the CAI trail that starts from San Giovenale, we cross the stone 

bridge and turn right; then, turn right under the bridge after about 30 m. 

Transport: 


Pian di Scò 

To be seen: 

Parish Church of San Pietro a Cascia, Reggello 

Parish Church of Sant’Agata in Arfoli 

Abbey of Vallombrosa ( Reggello) 

247 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Pontassieve 

Leg 2 

Pontassieve 


Leg 3 


Pian di Scò 

Leg 4 

Pian di Scò 


Leg 5 


Laterina 

Leg 6 

Laterina 

Arezzo

Leaving the parish church of San Pietro a Pitiana and continuing 

along, we arrive in San Donato in Fronzano. Shortly after we 

take the secondary road to the right, which leads to the Romanesque 

Church of Sant’Agata in Arfoli, the seat of a canonical 

community in the Middle Ages. We continue along as we pass 

through Cancelli where we again take up the Setteponti road in 

Reggello, a village where the existence of a hospice dedicated 

to St. John, found in the market square, was documented in 

the 15 th century. 


Continuing past Reggello, we come to the Parish Church of 

San Pietro a Cascia, one of the most important Romanesque 

buildings of the Valdarno. A hospice was annexed to it and was 

first recorded in the 14 th century as a dormentorio plebis Cascie. 

In San Giovenale, we take the CAI trail along which are two 

medieval bridges that cross, respectively, the Borro Pilano and 

the Resco Rivers. The trail then brings us to the village of Pian di 

Scò, built around the Parish Church of Santa Maria, another 

of the main Romanesque buildings in the Valdarno. 

Parish Church of Santa Maria 

248 



6.5 km 

Time: 1h50’ 

Church of Sant’Agata in Arfoli 

4.3 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

Reggello 

1.5 km 

Time: 20’ 

Parish Church of San Pietro a Cascia 

5.7 km 

Time: 1h40’ 

Pian di Scò


The Abbey of Vallombrosa 

Shortly before arriving in Reggello, a road on the left goes up the 

slopes of Pratomagno and, near the ridge, reaches Vallombrosa, 

one of the destinations on the alternative roads of our itinerary. 

It was precisely in Vallombrosa that Saint John Gualbert retired 

in 1036; he was the founder of the reformed Benedictine order 

which took its name from this location. The first monastic community 

of the new congregation was established here and, between 

the 11 th and 13 th centuries, it spread in Tuscany and in most 

of north-central Italy. 

The impressive architectural complex of the abbey stands against 

the backdrop of a mountainous landscape; it is the result of subsequent 

reconstructions and expansions that occurred over the 

centuries and which essentially ended in the first half of the 17th 

century with the work of Gherardo Silvani, the architect also responsible 

for the Baroque-style renovation of the abbey church. 

The hub of the Vallombrosan congregation, the abbey, is full of 

memories related to Benedictine spirituality as well as works of art 

mostly from the 17 th and 18 th centuries. 

The forest of Vallombrosa that frames the abbey is a further reason 

in favor of the alternative route that we are suggesting. 

Abbey of Vallombrosa 

249


Leg 4: 

PIAN DI SCÒ 

LORO CIUFFENNA 

Pian di Scò 


of LEG 3 

Pulicciano 

Faellina 

Castelfranco 

di Sopra 

Caspri 

Piantravigne 

Treggia 

Persignano 

Certignano 

HISTORICAL ITINERARY 

LEG 3 to 

Laterina 

see page 254 


Poggitazzi 

Montemarciano 

Villa Riofi 

Penna 

Poderino 

250 

Pernina 

Soffena Abbey in Castelfranco di Sopra



Castelfranco di Sopra, Certignano, Pietravigne, Villa Riofi, Penna 



Climb: m 230 


Travel time: 5h 20’ 

This tourist-style leg initially goes along the ancient Setteponti road which we 

later leave to follow an alternative route immediately after Certignano, heading 

southwest towards Piantravigne. We then go south again towards Penna to 

then head north towards Loro Ciuffenna. This leg is characterized by the many 

panoramic points over the agricultural landscape of the upper Valdarno and 

its characteristic pinnacles of eroded clay typical of the Valdarno Gullies. The 

stretch winds in the foothills with some elevation gains. The route presents no 

particular technical difficulties. 

Note: The water supply is provided by the refreshment structures that exist 

along the route. This leg is more appropriate for cycling than hiking. 

Transport: 

Pian di Scò 



To be seen: 

Village of Castelfranco di Sopra 

Village of Loro Ciuffenna 

Clay gullies of Piantravigne 

251 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Pontassieve 

Leg 2 

Pontassieve 


Leg 3 


Pian di Scò 

Leg 4 

Pian di Scò 


Leg 5 


Laterina 

Leg 6 

Laterina 

Arezzo

252 

West Gate of Castelfranco di Sopra

After Pian di Scò, we continue to wind along the Sette Ponti 

road, until we come to Castelfranco di Sopra, the “terra nuova” 

founded by the Florentines in the early 14 th century, whose 

original urban plan and fortifications have been preserved almost 

intact. Not far from the town is the 13 th -century Abbey of 

San Salvatore a Soffena that belonged to the Vallombrosan 

congregation. 

Then we come to the village of Loro Ciuffenna; previously an important 

market town, it has retained a picturesque medieval bridge 

over which the Sette Ponti road crosses the Ciuffenna River. 

Stone-paved road along the way 


253 

Pian di Scò 

4.1 km 

Time: 1h 


1.6 km 

Time: 25’ 

Certignano 

0.8 km 

Time: 15’ 

Piantravigne 

3.3 km 

Time: 50’ 

Villa Riofi 

5.7 km 

Time: 1h35’ 

Penna 


3.7 km 

Time: 1h15 

www.vieromee.it


Leg 5: 

LORO CIUFFENNA 

LATERINA 


Gropina 


see page 250 

Penna 

Paterna 

San Giustino 

La Casaccia 

Traiana 

Cicogna 

Ricastelli 

Campogialli 


Castiglion Fibocchi 

254 

Monticello 


and Bandella Nature Reserve 

Montalto 

Casanuova 


Laterina 

View of Loro Ciuffenna



Gropina, Cicogna, Monticello, Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Reserve, 




Climb: m 100 



This is a tourist-style leg that goes mainly along narrow and winding asphalt 

roads. Some stretches of dirt road are encountered near the village of Gropina, 

in the Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Reserve as well as in the stretch between 

Laterina and the provincial road. The leg offers panoramic points on the Valdarno. 

There are therefore no orientation difficulties or problems in identifying 

the route. The route does not have technical difficulties. 

Note: After a short initial climb, this leg descends to the small village of Gropina. 

We continue along the SP1 in a southerly direction and after about 2 km, we 

leave the historical route to continue downhill to Monticello. After the bridge 

over Lake Levane, we climb through the oak woods to re-join the historic Via 

Vecchia Aretina in Ponte Romito. We continue to follow it for 2.8 km before 

reaching Laterina. Along the leg, there are restaurants, bars and fountains that 

provide water. 

Transport: 

Monticello 


Laterina 

To be seen: 

Monumental Parish Church of Gropina 

Visitor Center, Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Reserve - Monticello 

Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Nature Reserve 

Porta del Ghianderino, Porta Fiorentina and the Fortress (Laterina) 

Walk along the ancient castle walls with a panorama of the lower Valdarno 

255 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Pontassieve 

Leg 2 

Pontassieve 


Leg 3 


Pian di Scò 

Leg 4 

Pian di Scò 


Leg 5 


Laterina 

Leg 6 

Laterina 

Arezzo

Not far from Loro Ciuffenna stands the monumental Parish 

Church of San Pietro a Gropina, a church that – for the grandeur 

of its layout and the complex iconography of its capitals – is 

unquestionably one of the most important Romanesque buildings 

in the Tuscan countryside. 

After Gropina, continuing on the slopes of Pratomagno, we can 

follow the historic route along the Setteponti road and visit the 

village of San Giustino Valdarno, in which we find the homonymous 

parish church with a basilica plan that has maintained 

almost intact its original Romanesque characteristics. 


Our route instead heads for Laterina, passing Cicogna, Monticello 

and the Valle dell’Inferno and Bandella Reserve. Beyond 

Laterina, we retrace the route of Leg 5 of the 5 th itinerary to 

arrive in Arezzo (shown in the following pages). 

Parish Church of San Giustino 

256 



1.8 km 

Time: 40’ 

Parish Church of San Pietro a Gropina 

5.3 km 

Time: 1h20’ 

Cicogna 

4.8 km 

Time: 1h15’ 

Monticello 

1.8 km 

Time: 30’ 


3.8 km 

Time: 1h 


1.8 km 

Time: 30’ 

Laterina

Above: Parish Church of Gropina / Below: Stone-paved road along the way 

257


Leg 6: 

LATERINA 

QUARATA (AREZZO) 



Godiola 

Junction with SP1 

Laterina 

Rondine 

Monte Sopra Rondine 


Quarata 

Patrignone 

Indicatore 

Pratai 


258 

The Arno along the route



Rondine, Junction with SP1, Ponte a Buriano 



Climb: m 170 



Tourist-style leg that proceeds mainly on asphalt roads. Some dirt sections are 

encountered shortly after Laterina and at the detour from the Via Vecchia Aretina 

that leads to Rondine. The route is well marked and poses no difficulties or 

orientation problems. 

Note: From the village of Ponte a Buriano, continuing along the Setteponti 

provincial road, we come to the medieval village of Quarata after about 2.5 km. 

From this point people traveling on foot are advised to proceed to Arezzo by 

bus (www.etruriamobilita.it). 

This leg corresponds to the last leg of the Via Vecchia Aretina itinerary. 

Transport: 

Laterina 


Quarata 

Arezzo 

To be seen: 

Village of Rondine 

Ponte Buriano and Penna Natural Reserve 


Arezzo 

259 

LEGS 

Leg 1 


Pontassieve 

Leg 2 

Pontassieve 


Leg 3 


Pian di Scò 

Leg 4 

Pian di Scò 


Leg 5 


Laterina 

Leg 6 

Laterina 

Arezzo


The Via dell’Alpe di Serra 

From the 13 th century on, the Via dell’Alpe di Serra was especially 

busy owing to the increased importance of traffic from central 

Europe. Documentary sources from the 13 th century consider it 

one of the main pilgrim routes to Rome, and indeed indicate it as 

the best route (the “melior via”), especially for pilgrims and travelers 

from the Germanic world. The Annales Stadenses (mid-13 th 

century), considered the most comprehensive guide to Rome of 

the Middle Ages, besides suggesting it to pilgrims to Rome, show 

the succession of stopping places between Bologna and Rome, 

which permits us to broadly reconstruct the route. After passing 

Forlì and Bagno di Romagna, the road climbed the Apennines, 

and crossed them at the Alpe di Serra pass. It then descended to 

the Casentino, reaching first, Subbiano and then, Arezzo. Then 

it continued to Cortona, Città della Pieve, and Orvieto. From the 

latter, one could reach nearby Montefiascone where the Via Francigena 

leading to Rome passed. 

View of Poppi and the Casentino 

260


Florence Settignano 

Ostello di Florence 

Viale Augusto Righi, 2/4 


Tel: 055 601451 - Fax: 055 610300 

info@ostelloFlorence.it 

Villa Morghen 

Via Feliceto, 8 

50135 Settignano 

Tel: 055 697362 

www.villamorghen.com 

Pontassieve 

Albergo I Villini 

Viale Diaz, 28 

50065 Pontassieve 

Tel: 055 8368140 - Fax: 055 8368140 

hotel@ivillini.it 

www.ivillini.it 

Convento di Sandetole 

Via A. Cecchini, 46 

50060 Contea - Dicomano 

Tel: 055 8389789 - Fax: 055 8389514 

Cell: 335 7747903 

sandetole@tiscali.it 

www.sandetole.it 

Parrocchia San Giovanni Gualberto 

Via Algeri, 5 


Tel: 055 8368150 

parroco 055 8313356 

Podere Palazzuolo 

Via di Gricigliano, 47 

Le Falle - Sieci 


Tel: 055 8309812 

agripalazzuolo@libero.it 

www.poderepalazzuolo.it 


Pieve di Pitiana 

50066 Reggello 

Tel: 055 860039 

Villa Pitiana Agriturismo 

Via Provinciale per Tosi, 7 

50060 Donnini 

Tel: 055 860259 - Fax: 055 860326 

info@villapitiana.com 

www.villapitiana.com 

Pian di Scò 

Agriturismo Fattoria Gravanella 

Strada Provinciale 7 ponti, 59 

52026 Pian di Sco’ 

Cell: 328 1542424 - Fax: 055 960053 

info@gravanella.it 

B&B Guardalaluna 

Via Marconi, 109 - Poggio Bonetti, 5 


Tel: 055 9631006 

Fax: 0559631006 

www.guardalaluna.com 

Parrocchia S.Maria Assunta 

a Pian di Scò 


Tel: 055 960133 


Affittacamere Il Torricino 

Via Valdascione, 1 

52020 Laterina 

Tel: 0575 89219 

Agriturismo Fattoria Isola 

Via Aretina, 70 


Tel: 0575 894785 

Agriturismo Il Mulinaccio 

Mulinaccio, 64 

52024 Loro Ciuffenna 

Tel: 055 9139278 

www.mulinaccio.com 

Agriturismo Il Poggerello 

Via Penna, 14 


Cell: 335 6839009 

Agriturismo Toscana Verde 

Via Penna, 2 


Tel: 0575 89571 

Fax: 0575 895750 

info@toscanaverde.com 

www.toscanaverde.com 

Ostello Orma di lupo 

via Vin de Nuvoli - la Trappola 

52024 Loro Ciuffenna 

www.ormadilupo.it 

Arezzo 

Affittacamere Camera Caffè 

Via Guido Monaco, 92 

52100 Arezzo 

Cell: 347 0324405 - 392 5911326 

info@cameracaffe.net 

www.cameracaffe.net 

Casa vacanze Il Pascione 

Via Setteponti, 40 

52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 356128 

Cell: 334 9557291 

www.ilpascione.it 

261

262 

Foresteria I Pratacci 

Via Edison, 25 - Pratacci 

52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 383338 

Fax: 0575 324219 

Cell: 335 7505504 

www.foresteriarezzo.com 

Foresteria San Pier Piccolo 

Via Bicchieraia, 32 

52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 324219 

www.foresteriasanpierpiccolo.it 

Fraternità San Lorenzo 

Pomaio 

52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 793811 

Ostello Villa Severi 

Via F. Redi, 13 

52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 299047 


Pontassieve PIT (Tourist information Point) 

Via Tanzini, 30 

50065 Pontassieve (Florence) 

Tel: 0558360232 


info@comune.pontassieve.fi.it 

Tourist information, Municipality of Pelago 

Viale Rimembranza, 9 

50060 Pelago (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8326236 

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays: 

8.30 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. 

www.comune.pelago.fi.it 

affarigenerali@comune.pelago.fi.it 

Reggello PIT (Tourist information Point) 

Piazza IV Novembre, 3 

50066 Reggello (Florence) 

Tel: 0558669368 

www.comune.reggello.fi.it 


informazionituristiche@reggello.org 

Fiesole UIT (Tourist Information Office) 

Via Portigiani, 3 

50014 Fiesole (Florence) 

Tel: 055 598720 


info.turismo@comune.fiesole.fi.it 

Municipality of Pian di Scò 

Piazza del Municipio, 3 

52026 Pian di Sco’ (Arezzo) 

Tel: 055 9631290 

www.comune.pian-di-sco.ar.it 

Ufficio Turismo Castelfranco di Sopra 

c/o Biblioteca “Aldo Merlini” 

Piazza Livio Sati, 2 

52020 Castelfranco di Sopra (Arezzo) 

Tel: 055 9149392 

www.comune.castelfranco-di-sopra.ar.it/ 

comunebiblioteca@libero.it 

Loro Ciuffenna UIT 

(Tourist Information Office) 

Piazza Matteotti, 7 

52024 Loro Ciuffenna (Arezzo) 

Tel: 0559170136 

www.comune.loro-ciuffenna.ar.it 

info.turismo@comune.loro-ciuffenna.ar.it 

Pro Loco Loro Ciufenna 

piazza Garibaldi, 52024 - Loro Ciuffenna 

Tel: 055 9172771 

Laterina Tourist Information Office 

Tel: 0575 880120 - Fax: 0575 894626 

comune@comune.laterina.ar.it 

Tourist Information, 

Municipality of Castiglion Fibocchi 

Tel: 0575 47484 

www.comune.castiglionfibocchi.ar.it 

UPT San Giovanni Valdarno 

Piazza Cavour, 3 

Tel: 055 943748 - Tel. e Fax: 055 9121123 

infovaldarno@apt.arezzo.it 

Municipality of Terranuova Bracciolini 

Tel: 0559194705 

Tourist Information Point 


Tel: 055 9738828 

www.terraospitale.it 

infoturismovaldarno@gmail.com 

APT di Arezzo 

Piazza Risorgimento, 116 

52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575239523 


apt@arezzo.turismo.toscana.it 

Infopoint di Arezzo 

Via Ricasoli - 52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575377829 


Arezzo UIT (Tourist Information Office) 


52100 Arezzo 

Tel: 0575 377678 


info@arezzo.turismo.toscana.it

Bike Rentals 

Mille e una bici 

Service sponsored by the City of Florence 

in collaboration with Florence Parcheggi 

s.p.a. providing affordable bicycle rentals 

in Florence at 8 locations. 

Tel: 055 5001994 

Alinari 


Via Guelfa, 85r - Tel: 055 280500 




Via S. Zanobi, 120/122r 

Tel. e Fax: 055 488992 


Rent Way 



Tel: 0552398890 - Cell: 3339619820 



B&B Le Ortensie (Bike rental) 

Via Giovanni Maria Cecchi, 4 


Cell: 348 2644190 

www.leortensiebedandbreakfast.com 

liulamp@libero.it 

Le Civette Country Resort (Bike rental) 

Via del Carota, 3 


Tel: 055 698335 - Cell: 392 9441923 

www.lecivetteresort.it 

info@lecivetteresort.it 

Agriturismo Bellavista (Bike rental) 

Via Montelfi, 1 

50064 Incisa in Valdarno (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8335143 

www.agriturismobellavista.com 

info@agriturismobellavista.com 

Agriturismo Valleverde (Bike rental) 

Via Montefalco, Località Buca dei Falchi 

52027 San Giovanni Valdarno (Arezzo) 

Tel: 055 943628 - Fax: 055 961804 

Cell: 335 1250857 

www.agriturismovalleverde.com 

info@agriturismovalleverde.com 

Campeggio Il Poggetto (Bike rental) 

Via Poggetto, 143 

50067 Rignano Sull’Arno (Florence) 

Tel: 055 8327323 




Arezzo 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Donato 

(7 August) 

Giostra del Saracino 

(June and September) 


Feast of the Patron Saint, San Tommaso 

(3 July) 


Feast of the Madonna del Rosario 

(October) 

Feast of the Patron Saints, Santi Pietro e 

Paolo (29 June) 

Fiesole 


(6 July) 

San Francesco Fair 

(first Sunday of October) 

Laterina 

Feast of the Patron Saints, Santi Ippolito 

e Cassiano (18 August) 

Nativity scenes in Laterina (December) 

Laterina Ponticino 

Palio della rana (Last Sunday in June) 



Loro Ciuffenna San Giustino 

Festa del Perdono (July) 

Pelago 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Clemente 

(23 November) 

Pian di Scò 

Festa del Perdono (4-8 August) 

Feast of the Assumption (15 August) 

Pontassieve 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Michele 

Arcangelo (29 September) 

San Lorenzo Fair (10 August) 

Palio della Botte (September) 

Reggello 

Rificolona (7 September) 

Feast of the Patron Saint, San Jacopo, 

(25 July) 

Vaggio, near Reggello 

Festa del Perdono in Vaggio (July) 

Terranova Bracciolini 

Festa del Perdono (25-29 September) 

Feast of the Patron Saint, Sant’Antonio 

(13 June) 

263


€ 14,00

Pilgrim - Vie Romee

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?