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CHIANTI FLORENCE the place and towns VALDARNO SUPERIORE Figline Valdarno Reggello town Incisa in Val d’Arno Rignano sull'Arno Florence Area Bagno a Ripoli Calenzano Campi Bisenzio Fiesole Scandicci Sesto Fiorentino MUGELLO area Barberino di Mugello Borgo San Lorenzo San Piero a Sieve Scarperia Vaglia Vicchio ALTO MUGELLO Firenzuola Marradi Palazzuolo sul Senio VAL DI SIEVE Dicomano Londa Pelago Pontassieve Rufina San Godenzo VALDELSA Gambassi Terme thermal spas Castelfiorentino Barberino Val d'Elsa Certaldo Montaione Montespertoli lands of the renaissance home page EMPOLESE around Empoli Empoli Vinci town > Leonardo Da Vinci Capraia e Limite Cerreto Guidi Fucecchio Lastra a Signa Montelupo Fiorentino Signa The wine road of the Florentine hills

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Situated just at a short distance from Florence, Mugello is a small and unspoiled paradise (1667 sq mt) where every nook of land shows an interplay between nature and art.

Its fifteen towns are distributed among three distinct geographical areas: San Piero a Sieve, Vaglia, Scarperia and Vicchio in Mugello; Palazzuolo sul Senio, Firenzuola and Marradi in Upper Mugello; Dicomano, Londa, San Godenzo, Rufina, Pelago and Pontassieve in Valdisieve. A whalebone fixed to the facade of a house at Cafaggiolo - near the Medicean castle – would prove that Mugello was formerly a salt lake, stretching from Pratolino to Dicomano; its name ,"Mugello", derives from that branch of the Ligurians known as "Magelli" who were the first inhabitants of this valley, then followed by the Etruscans and the Romans.

During the Middle Age Mugello was a manor, and later on a possession of the Florentine Republic until the Medicis – the powerful family that left a deep mark on this territory – rose to power. Art, history, nature and delcious food.

You can find traces of history worthy of a great European capital. Along the river Sieve centres of ancient origins and complex foundation rise at close distances.

Important Etruscan areas became a place of settlements and villages in Roman times.

The Mediaeval Lordships the Guidi and the Ubaldini- were soon in competition with the Commune of Florence which was expanding and in search of "new lands". Starting in 1300 this area went through a renewed period of a remarkable development thanks to the particular strategic and economic value that the Mugello Basin held for Florence.

The Medici family, originally came from this area and the Lorenesi family made it their pride and joy by investing financial resources to strengthen their presence around Florence.
Important buildings and fortresses, castles, villas and palaces remain to testify the development of the Mugello.

The cultural and artistic history of Florence finds elements of primacy importance for its development in this area.
Artists like Giotto and Beato Angelico were born here, famous architects worked at the construction of the towns of the "walled lands", the features in the landscape of many Florentine paintings have found their inspiration here.

Territory
The territory of the Comunità Montana unites two geographic areas: the Mugello and the Upper Mugello or Romagna-Tuscany.
The valley in the Mugello is a reference point to the Upper-Middle part of the catchment basin of the river Sieve: it is a wide bowl confined by the main watershed of the Apennines (from Mount Citerna to Giogo di Villone) in the North, by the spurs of Mount Giove and Mount Senario in the South.

Climate
The climate is a transition between the severe one of the Padana Plain where the cold winds blow freely coming down the Alps and the milder Mediterranean ones, typical of Central Italy.

The Mugello basin, just below the higher passes of the mountain chain is often a meeting point of cold North winds and humid warm South-West, West, and South-East winds: this is the cause of fog in Winter and the hot-damp weather in Summer.

Trekking in Mugello
Mugello offers many opportunities to take walks, make horseback excursions and have mountain bike rides. here are some samples.

Main Route
BADIA DI MOSCHETA (Firenzuola) – CASAGLIA (Borgo S. Lorenzo)
BADIA DI MOSCHETA – CASETTA DI TIARA
POGGIO RONCACCIO – SAMBUCA PASS
Difficult route; splendid setting in the "Valle dell’Inferno"; from the uphill path to the Roncaccio hill and from the track along the mountain ridge (last stretch) spectacular views over the region.
Lenght of walk: 6 hours Height variation: 650 m
Accessible from: Moscheta, Sambuca Pass

Secondary Route
AT THE ROVIGO RIVER SOURCE – FROM THE SAMBUCA PASS TO CASAGLIA
Very panoramic route
Lenght of walk: 2 ½ hours Height variation: 90m
Accessible from: Sambuca Pass, Casaglia
Stopping place at the Casaglia "Rifugio"(in an ex-school)

Mugello International Racing Track
Built in the 70s and renovated at the end of the 80s by Ferrari S.p.A., Mugello is currently one of the most appealing, striking and safe track in the world. As a matter of fact, the origins of this circuit date back to the car pioneering age, in 1914, when the Mugello road track made its first appearance among car races.
Enzo Ferrari too drove on the Mugello road track. In the striking countryside of Tuscany, the Mugello track provides the participants with modern and comfortable premises. A large paddock is used during the courses for some exercises of car control on the wet.
Main features of the track
Length 5.245 mt
Minimum width 9,60 mt
Straight stretch length 1.141 mt
No. of curves 15