Along the rivers
In many European countries, rivers are a central part of people’s leisure time; we sometimes get the impression that this isn’t the case here, but you only need to look around to discover that there are plenty of riverside parks – public, green and invigorating spaces – where you can walk, play sport or enjoy a meal with friends.
River parks may not be the main attraction of a region, but they are a great asset in environmental terms; the ones we are discussing here are situated along the main watercourses in our region, essentially the Arno and the Sieve.
In Florence, you can walk along both banks of the Arno at either end of the city: the Cascine Park and the Argingrosso Park lie opposite each other on the western side of the River Arno; whilst on the eastern side lies the Anconella Park, with the cycle path leading to Girone (the future Arno cycle route) reflected in the water on the right bank.
The Arno offers green spaces and places to relax in the Signa and Lastra a Signa areas, with the Parco dei Renai and the Parco Fluviale di Là d’Arno respectively; the latter covers 19 hectares and offers a wide range of facilities.
If, on the other hand, we look towards the source of the Arno, to the east of Florence, we come to Pontassieve and ‘to the river park named after the artist Fabrizio De Andrè, which stretches across the southern part of the town, in a safe spot, away from traffic and residential areas, allowing visitors to enjoy pleasant walks whilst catering for the needs of sports enthusiasts, children and four-legged friends.
A little further on, Rignano sull'Arno also has a lovely riverside park, in the Torre all'Isola area.
And what about the other river? The other river is the Sieve, which flows through the Mugello area as well (and, incidentally, feeds the Bilancino reservoir). A route of great interest to cyclists and picnic-goers is undoubtedly the one that runs from Contea (a hamlet of Rufina) towards Dicomano. There are views and landscapes just waiting to be discovered.
Ambito Firenze e Area Fiorentina
Die Orte
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Cascine Park
Le Cascine was once the property of Alessandro and Cosimo I de’ Medici (sixteenth century) who purchased the land, using it as a hunting ground and a place to farm and breed cattle. During the 18th century, thanks to Pietro Leopoldo, the Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Duke of Tuscany, the area became accessible to the public, although only in some occasions (Court Feasts, Ascension day). In the same period (1785) the architect Giuseppe Manetti created important buildings such as the “Palazzina Reale” and the “Ghiacciaia-Piramide”.
Elisa Baciocchi, sister of Napoleon, Grand Duchess of Tuscany transformed definitely the Cascine in a public park (1807-1815), thus giving the city a vast green area. During the second half of the 19th century the architect Giuseppe Poggi planned a huge square (the present Piazza Vittorio Veneto), originally intended to be the entrance area to the park. The “Scuola di guerra aerea” is the last, most important architectural realization; it was created in 1938 by Raffaello Fagnoni.
In this big park, it is possible to have a picnics with children. Furthermore, you can rent bicycles or skates and enjoy summer in Le Pavoniere swimming pool.
The Argingrosso Park
Argingrosso is a vast green area of Quartiere 4, spreading between Arno’s left riverbank and via dell’Argingrosso, opposite to the most well-known Cascine Park.
This green area is well equipped for all kinds of sports: cycling, horse riding and golfing. Close to Ponte all’Indiano there are also playgrounds, trekking trails and nice little lakes.
Renai Water park
The Renai Park was created from a degraded area to create a completely natural green and blue oasis.
The park includes a nature reserve developed in collaboration with the WWF and leisure areas that are completely free to enter.
Renai is Florence's “ seaside.” A beach of fine sand for sunbathers and beach lovers: Renai has a large beach equipped for swimming, with umbrellas, deckchairs and sun loungers.
The water quality is continuously monitored.
There are also many other facilities available for a fee: a swimming pool, mini golf, a climbing wall, a sailing school, five-a-side football, beach volleyball and inflatable games, making the park in Signa one of the most popular meeting places for local residents. The park also has a bar-restaurant and a boutique.
For cycling enthusiasts, it is also possible to reach the Renai park from the Cascine, on the paved and fully functional cycle path.
River park di là d'Arno
The Lastra a Signa River Park stretches along the River Arno to the north of the main town, in the hamlet of Stagno, near the former Carlini Brickworks. The park covers an area of 19 hectares divided into two sections.
The entire area is criss-crossed by numerous footpaths, a cycle path and a bridleway, ideal for jogging, cycling, horse riding or simply strolling.
Within the park grounds lies the Teatro Naturale, a venue for musical, sporting and social events, built to make the most of the natural contours of the land.
River Park Fabrizio De Andrè
The Park, named to the artist and musician Fabrizio De Andrè, is located along the Arno River in the southern part of Pontassieve, in a safe place, away from traffic and houses, which allows you to combine pleasant walks with the needs of sportsmen, children and animals.
The area, among the greenest and most welcoming in the country, is in fact equipped not only with games, but also with a basketball court, a volleyball court and a small pier.
There is also an area reserved for dogs, where owners can leave them free to move. The park also hosts many cultural and sporting activities, in particular between June and September. In the summer months there is also a restaurant-pizzeria open, where you can spend pleasant and cool evenings.
