The Mugello has a great deal to offer, authentic foods, the sites associated
with the Medici family, museums, ancient country parish churches
and solitary convents. The various towns and villages of the area
are all easily accessible by bus and car: the A1 autostrada (highway)
has an exit at Barberino di Mugello. There are also many very interesting
state and local roads coming from elsewhere in Tuscany and Emilia
Romagna. The old and fascinating Faentina rail route provides access to
the territory of Mugello, both from the direction of Romagna, starting
from Faenza, and from Tuscany, starting in Firenze. There are also a
number of local public transport routes to enable movement around the
area.
The
Mugello is a combination of two distinct geographical areas, what
is strictly speaking named as the Mugello, and the Alto Mugello
or Romagna Toscana.
The Mugello valley, which refers to the mid and upper part
of the drainage basin of the River Sieve, is a broad valley delimited
to the north by the main Apennine watershed (from Monte Citerna
to Giogo di Villore), to the south by the spurs of Monte Giovi
and Monte Senario, and closed off to the west by the Monti della
Calvana, beyond which lies the province of Prato. In the valley are
the villages and small towns of Vaglia, San Piero, Barberino Mugello,
Scarperia, Borgo San Lorenzo, and Vicchio. The countryside of the
Mugello area is quite varied, and includes thick woodland, chestnut coppices,
olive groves, wheat and sunflower cultivation. In the fertile valley floor
are located the main inhabited areas and lines of communication.
To the north, in the upper part of the Santerno, Senio, and
Lamone basins, lies the Alto Mugello, with Firenzuola,
Palazzuolo sul Senio and Marradi. The large rock outcrops and peaks,
though not rising much above 1000 metres, produce striking, sometimes
imposing backdrops and profiles. The panorama is dominated by uncontaminated
beech, chestnut, and oak woods, by extensive pasture land occasionally
broken by juniper bushes and by rocky outcrops. The purity of the water
and the luxuriant vegetation in this valley are also an ideal habitat
for numerous species of birds and fish.
Picture by Sandro Santioli
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