The thousand-year history of Reggello
All around Florence! On the eastern side, on the slopes of Pratomagno, lies the town of Reggello, which has many facets; let’s try to describe a few of them.
A multifaceted region
The hilly area situated between 400 and 600 metres above sea level is characterised by terraced land used for the intensive cultivation of vines and, above all, olive trees. Reggello is, in fact, part of the ‘Città dell’Olio’ network.
The soul of the mountains lies on the slopes of Pratomagno, amidst its imposing and refreshing greenery: on one side, the San Antonio state-owned forest, covering around a thousand hectares, which forms part of the agricultural and forestry heritage of the Region of Tuscany; on the other, the Vallombrosa forest, a biogenetic nature reserve rich in coniferous woodland and linked for centuries to the presence of the monks of the abbey of the same name.
The Etruscan and Roman past is very much in evidence, both in place names and in the road network, the Cassia Vetus, which partly coincides with the Setteponti road that linked Fiesole with Arezzo and which, dotted with Romanesque parish churches of great beauty, also passes through Reggello, featuring true gems of art and faith such as the parish church of San Pietro e Paolo in Cascia, the Church of Sant’Agata in Arfoli and the parish church of San Pietro in Pitiana, all of medieval origin.
Among the artistic masterpieces to be admired in the area, one cannot fail to mention the Museum of Sacred Art at the thousand-year-old Abbey of Vallombrosa and the Masaccio Museum in the parish church of Cascia, which houses the Renaissance master’s first work. Soon it will also be possible to enjoy a different kind of venue, when the museum space opens at Sammezzano Castle: a unique example of a Neo-Moorish-style building set within a 165-hectare estate.i.
Hiking and walking routes to Reggello
This is a region that is a must-visit for anyone who loves walking, with a wealth of trails winding through the forests, leading to Mount Secchieta (1,449 metres) or the Pratomagno (1,592 metres). The Vallombrosa Forest, with its ‘Anello dei Giganti’ (Ring of the Giants) trail, takes you past the tallest trees in Italy (over 60 metres).
As well as the ‘Anello del Rinascimento’, Reggello is also part of the ‘Cammino di Francesco’, see the map of all the walking routes in the Florence area.
How to get to Reggello
To get to Reggello, you can take the A1 motorway (Incisa-Reggello exit) or the train: the nearest railway stations are Rignano sull’Arno Reggello, Sant’Ellero and Figline Valdarno (Direttissima line) on the Rome–Florence route.
Download the All Around Florence brochure
To learn more about the history of the area surrounding Florence, download the brochure from the official tourism website of the Municipality of Florence and the Metropolitan City: Click here to download the brochure.