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among art treasures and a glorious countryside A Grand Day Out
[APT Firenze]
If, after visiting the interesting exhibition on Jacopo da Empoli, you feel like having a look at the surroundings of the pleasant town it’s held in, Empoli, and maybe also a little farther, there’s a whole lot of things to see and do in the so-called Empolese Valselsa region, a central area of Tuscany, located to the southwest of Florence. The Empolese Valdelsa area is made up of a district comprising eleven municipalities, six of them in the zone of Empoli (Capraia e Limite, Cerreto Guidi, Empoli, Fucecchio, Montelupo Fiorentino and Vinci) and five in the Valdelsa (Castelfiorentino, Certaldo, Gambassi Terme, Montaione and Montespertoli).
The territory is characterised by two rivers: the Arno to the north, running east to west in broad bends, and the Elsa to the south, one of the Arno's main tributaries, winding amidst gentle hills and a man groomed landscape of breathtaking beauty, the result of the patient work of man over many centuries. This was historically a land of passage, and it was here, entering from the Fucecchio marshes, that the great flow of pilgrims from Northern Europe on their way to Rome made their way along the major pilgrimage road known as the Via Francigena or Romea.
Following the Arno from Florence, the first town we find is Montelupo Fiorentino, famous worldwide for its production of ceramics, as the Museo Archeologico e della Ceramica well documents. By the way, should you miss the Rosso di Montelupo exhibition at Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence (until March 21st, 2004), from April 9th the beautiful bowl will be back on display at the Museo Archeologico e della Ceramica where it belongs.
On the right bank of the Arno we then come to the municipality of Capraia e Limite, whose Etruscan origins are proven by interesting excavations in the area of Montereggi. The slopes of the Montalbano ridge lead us on to Vinci, set amidst hills cloaked in vines and olive groves. Vinci is famous worldwide as birthplace of Leonardo, to whom a museum is dedicated inside the Rocca, or fortress. Moving back towards the Arno we come to Cerreto Guidi, whose most notable landmark is the Medici Villa built in 1564, which is superbly approached by two flights of stairs traditionally attributed to Buontalenti (hoto below).
In an elevated position over the marshy plain of its Padule, Fucecchio boasts a beautiful view over the lower valley of the Arno. The town itself has several important monuments, such as Palazzo Montanelli Della Volta and the Collegiata church, while the towers of a medieval castle are still standing. In a central position on the banks of the Arno, the main town of this vast area is Empoli, with its romanesque Collegiata church and adjacent Museum. Empoli too boasts some important children including Pontormo, the painter, and Ferruccio Busoni, the famous 19th century musician.
Let's now change direction, moving north to south along the course of the river Elsa. The town of Castelfiorentino treasures beautiful frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli and the impressive Baroque church of Santa Verdiana. To the south-west of Castelfiorentino lies Montaione, with the famous spiritual site of San Vivaldo with its seventeen chapels decorated with polychrome terracottas, crafted from 1515 onwards, each of them dedicated to a different holy site in Jerusalem. Not far from Montaione is Gambassi Terme, a spot highly appreciated for its salty waters, very famous in the past for its glass production. Not far from Gambassi stands one of the main stopping-places along the Via Francigena of old, the Romanesque parish church of Santa Maria a Chianni.
Returning towards the Elsa, we see Certaldo soaring aloft, with its ancient burgh well preserved within its intact gates. In the centre we find brick houses, the Palazzo Pretorio and the famous house-museum of Giovanni Boccaccio. Set on a watershed between the Elsa and Pesa valleys, overlooking the Chianti territory, is Montespertoli, giving its name to a famous strada del vino (wine trail): in this area two excellent wines are produced, the Chianti Montespertoli DOCG and the Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG. The original nucleus of the town grew up around the famous parish church of San Pietro in Mercato, whose Museum contains, among other important artworks, a beautiful Madonna and Child by Filippo Lippi. In the surroundings of Montespertoli are various fascinating castles such as Montegufoni, Poppiano and Lucardo.
And these are only a few of the area's attractions, to which you can always add delicious food and fine wine at the local trattorie and restaurants, while friendly overnight accommodation can be found in many establishments including some beautifully located agriturismi.
So, if you are looking for a grand destination for a day or for the weekend, just pop in at Student Point, pick up our leaflets and maps about this wonderful area, and off you go!
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http://www.aptfirenze.it/
http://cultura.empolese-valdelsa.it/
http://www.terredelrinascimento.it/
http://www.studentpointfirenze.it