Between the villages and hamlets that interrupt the flow of nature, we can find some true gems where time seems to stand still, life is less frenetic and perhaps this is why they have been awarded the Borghi più Belli d’Italia recognition; the wide view that opens up over the landscape and on the Balze gives a sense of calm and fresh air to those losing themselves in the roads of Castelfranco di Sopra, while in Loro Ciuffenna the flow of the river and walls of the deep gorge it calls home are a bewitching sight. It is here in Loro Ciuffenna, not far from the impressive Romanesque bridge that is the emblem of the village, you can find Tuscany’s oldest water mill which is still working, testifying to the fact that here the past is a bit closer and lives on.
Every town centre preserves the tale of its past events, that we can discover as we gradually weave deeper into the alleys. Like in Montevarchi when we find the Keep in the main square (today home to a museum), with its tower and the typical solidity of a defensive structure, or in San Giovanni Valdarno, a medieval village that is home to a number of works of art.
Cloaked in thousands of years of history is Laterina Pergine Valdarno, which under its medieval appearance reveals the tracks of Etruscans and Romans; while the imposing ancient gates of Montemarciano and Bucine are witnesses of the Middle Ages, together with the Galatrona Tower which dominates the valley and the view giving us an invaluable experience; as invaluable as a visit to the Balze which is home to the small hamlet of Piantravigne, near Terranuova Bracciolini.
Valdarno is to be explored through its variable and eclectic nature, through the streets of its villages, its parish churches and museums preserving artistic treasures, as well as its traditional gastronomy that brings to the table tasty, genuine recipes and local wines – the perfect companions to every meal and evening socialising.