Itinerary
The climb to Montorsoli
From the valley floor, the climb toward
Montorsoli. It is a road that winds its way up among farms and olive trees, with sunlit stretches and others shaded within patches of holm oak. The climb is demanding but offers rewards: at every bend, the view opens up more and more, revealing the Mugnone valley behind you and, in the distance, the outlines of Monte Morello.
You arrive at the village of Montorsoli, a small cluster gathered around a former convent. It is the village where Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli, a sculptor and Servite friar, a pupil of Michelangelo, was born. The place still preserves the charm of a rural and silent Tuscany.
The ridge toward Pratolino
Beyond Montorsoli, you follow a short paved stretch heading toward
Monte Morello, the path becomes gentler and runs along a ridge: gravel roads lined with cypress trees, isolated farmhouses, dry-stone walls. It is a very evocative stretch, because the view opens wide: on one side you can see Florence and the entire Arno valley, on the other the Mugello and the Apennines.
Walking here gives the feeling of being on a natural balcony suspended between two worlds.
Shortly before the former Banti hospital, you leave the paved road to enter the Bosco della Garena; we are on the watershed between the Terzolle valley (on the left) and the Mugnone valley (on the right). We walk the entire route through the beautiful forest
Adventure Park “Il Gigante"
Just before entering the village of Pratolino, nestled in the woods, you come across the
Adventure Park “Il Gigante". It is an area dedicated to climbing and tree-top courses, but also a pleasant place for a break: the shade of the pines, the sound of the wind, the feeling of having almost reached your destination.
Arrival at the Medici Villa of Pratolino (Villa Demidoff)
A final short descent leads you to the vast Medici Park of Pratolino, now Villa Demidoff. The entrance opens onto one of the most spectacular Renaissance gardens in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Here everything opens up: immense lawns, small lakes, fountains, statues, and above all the
Apennine Colossus by Giambologna, the symbol of the park, rising like a sculpted mountain. This is where the journey ends, in a place that brings together the power of nature and the genius of Renaissance art.
