Da_Vaglia_a_Tagliaferro
Itinerary
Starting point: Vaglia (center, Church of San Pietro / Town Hall)
Cross the center and leave the village toward the wooded slopes above Vaglia. You cross the stream (Carza area) and take a local/farm road that climbs steadily through chestnut groves and oak woods, with dry-stone walls and small farmyard clearings.
Ascent to La Mangona and Forca
The route becomes more panoramic as you gain elevation. At times, roadside shrines and old metati (chestnut drying huts) appear. The arrival at Forca is on an open ridge: a small rural hamlet with stone houses, a farmyard, and terraced land.
From Forca to Tagliaferro
Continue with gentle ups and downs along the ridge and then in a mild descent on gravel roads and paths bordered by junipers and Turkey OaksViews open toward Monte Senario and, on the opposite side, toward Pratolino/Monte Morello. The final stretch descends toward Tagliaferro, a hamlet along the historic axis of the Via Bolognese.
Notable features along the route
- Church of San Pietro in Vaglia: a historical landmark of the village (medieval structure with later renovations).
- Dry-stone walls and terraces: evidence of traditional hillside agriculture.
- Chestnut groves and metati: signs of the chestnut-based economy (particularly evocative in autumn).
- Rural shrines/tabernacles: small expressions of rural devotion along crossroads.
- Panoramic points: the Carpineta/La Forca ridge with views over Mugello–Apennines on one side and Florence/Monte Morello on the other.
- Springs and stone watering troughs: useful stops in the warmer months (not always active; bring water).
- Farmhouses and threshing yards: Tuscan rural architecture in local stone.
