San Piero a Sieve - Florence

Length: 33.90 km 

Weather:  4 h  

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From San Piero a Sieve take the dirt road, arriving in sight of the beautiful Medici villa of Cafaggiolo. Passing then from the Trebbio Castle, go down towards the Tagliaferro locality and then reach the Badia del Buonsollazzo, an abbey dating back to around the 11th century and currently abandoned (on the eighteenth-century façade you can see the Medici coat of arms as Cosimo III dei Medici remade the current church incorporating the 15th century cloister).

Continuing through the woods you arrive at the village of Bivigliano , where the convent of Monte Senario is worth a stop. 

Then go down towards Poggio le Croci, on the road that leads from Fiesole to Borgo San Lorenzo, and go up to the Passo della Catena (at this point the track of the mtb deviates from that of trekking, it is always recommended to have a hiking map!) .

Then continue towards San Michele a Muscoli, through unexpected panoramas and meadows where, in the right season, you can see rare species of wild orchids.

In a short time you reach the square of Fiesole and from there follow the signs for Florence passing through Monte Ceceri , used by Leonardo as a springboard to test his flight machine in 1506.

Entering the city through the bridge over the river Mensola (sung by Boccaccio), you reach Piazza della Signoria , ending this journey along a lesser known but beautiful and unexpected historical route.  

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