Anello Fiesolano, essence of Tuscany

For 10 kilometers we will ride between slight climbs and gentle descents, heading towards Olmo along Via dei Bosconi, in the heart of the territory around Fiesole, a sea of hills, essence of an honest and ancient harmony between man and nature. As we travel along the road we will soon see, to the south, the hills of Fiesole guarding the city of Florence, to the west the Montemorello and its slopes that limiting the horizon invite the eye to descend to the valley, towards the Mugnone, where a mosaic of farms and clouds of woodland, dotted with farmhouses and bell towers, is colored according to the season in green and gray, yellow, orange and brown. To the north along the ridge, Montesenario, with its monastery, watches over the valley, an outpost over the Mugello and the Apennines.

When we reach the crossroads called Quattro Strade we will continue straight in the direction of Bivigliano, leaving the territory of the municipality of Fiesole and entering that of Vaglia. After a hairpin bend to the right a short, steep climb leads to a new, airy and wide viewpoint. This time to the east, Poggio Pratone (702 meters), the highest point in the Fiesole area, and Montereggi are visible above the road we have just traveled. The view invites the gaze down the valley where the unmistakable cathedral of Florence announces to the traveler, today as in the past, the Flower City.

At the next crossroads we will turn right uphill, heading for Montesenario, our first destination, along the watershed ridge with the wider, rolling hills of the Mugello. In a premountain landscape shaped by the wind, wide grasslands then pines, chestnut and fir trees take the place of olive and cypress trees. Immersed in the silence of the Forest of Montesenario, the darkness anticipates the peace of the monastery where the unexpected view of the Apennine mountains distracts from the toil endured to reach the summit (809 meters).

Coming down from the monastery, we will not retrace our steps (or rather, our wheels) but at the crossroads we will turn right, still in the direction of Bivigliano. One we pass past the village we will continue to follow our itinerary which, through minor roads and among green meadows, leads us past the hamlet of Caselline and then joins the Provincial Road 103 to finally reach Pratolino, where we can stretch our legs walking inside one of the most beautiful romantic parks in Tuscany, that of Villa Demidoff. The grandiose original villa has not withstood the passage of time and the neglect of men and was demolished in 1824, when the Bohemian landscape architect Joseph Frietsch redesigned the park, creating one of the most fascinating and vast gardens in Tuscany, integrating into the greenery, according to the "romantic" fashion of the period, the ancient statues, fountains and artifacts that embellished the villa's park. Standing out above them all is the famous and imposing fountain of the Apennines, created by Giambologna (Jean de Boulogne) in 1579.

After getting on our bikes again, all we have to do is ride down the valley to Pian di Mugnone (at Montorsoli pay attention to the junction of via di Basciano, among the houses on the left), to face the last climb that brings us back to our enchanting Fiesole.

Updated version of an itinerary by Giovanni Crescioli/FiesoleBike.it created for the World Cycling Championships in Florence in 2013.