A land dear to the Florentine family of the Medici who left here important traces such as the bridge Ponte Mediceo di Cappiano or the Medici Villa of Cerreto Guidi, the Padule di Fucecchio is the biggest inland marsh of Italy.
It is home to numerous marsh plants and it is a safe haven for thousands of waterfowl; in short, an ideal place for those who love to be outdoors and that can be visited in every season: from spring, to admire the wonderful blooms, to wintertime, when the Padule is at its maximum water flow.
Through the “le morette” nature trail, the area can be easily explored on foot or by bike, starting from Castelmartini, where you find the Visitor Centre of the Padule di Fucecchio Nature Reserve, a perfect place for those who love nature photography. Thanks to the observatory that is found along the trail you can do birdwatching and admire over two hundred fifty species of birds among which ducks and herons, present in large colonies, black-winged stilts and white storks.
The Padule can also be reached on foot starting from Ponte a Cappiano, a hamlet of Fucecchio, and then arriving to the location of Cavallaia: an itinerary that lets you admire the Medici bridge found in Cappiano, over the Usciana channel. From the hamlet of Massarella you can, instead, enjoy a wonderful view of the whole Padule especially in winter, after particularly rainy days, when the marsh is at its maximum water flow. A recommended viewpoint is the garden Giardino della memoria in Massarella.
Another typical place to visit is the ”Casotto del Sordo”, also located in Massarella, point of departure of the traditional small boats used by hunters during the hunting season. This unique navigation among the reeds on a small boat is also remembered by Indro Montanelli, journalist among the leading exponents of the 20th century, native of Fucecchio, who in his writings tells with great intensity of the deep bond with his land.
