Hiking in Tuscany between the Middle Ages and nature

The Route of the Fortresses, a path between Montemurlo and the Bisenzio Valley, for the first time combines in a single path, easily accessible and divisible into stages, castles and towers surrounded by nature, following the ancient medieval half-coast roads, along which there are still churches, abbeys, small perched villages.


Immersed in a landscape of great charm, beautiful paths lead to glorious testimonies of a medieval past, emblems of famous families, such as the Guidi and Alberti Counts mentioned in the Divine Comedy, who contended for possession of the territory with the fierce municipalities of Florence and Pistoia. .
 

The journey through time to discover a suggestive Middle Ages becomes an immersive experience in ever new natural scenaries, from the amphitheaters of the Serpentine quarries of Monteferrato to the sweetness of the terraced hills of Montemurlo, from the boundless views of the Calvana massif, to the wildest harshness of the Upper Bisenzio Valley.

A path to be experienced also as a family for curious young explorers.

Proposed stages:

FROM THE FORTRESS OF MONTEMURLO TO THE MELAGRANA TOWER
Along the route: Parish church of San Giovanni Decollato, Fortress of Montemurlo, Serpentine quarries, villages of Popigliano and Grisciavola, Il Mulinaccio Villa, Abbey of Vaiano, Parish church of Sofignano, Melagrana Tower

FROM THE MELAGRANA TOWER TO THE FORTRESS OF VERNIO
Along the route: former Montauto Castle, Mezzana, Montecuccoli, Cerbaia Fortress, the villages of costozze and Ceraio, centuries-old chestnut groves, Rimondeto, Casone dei Bardi, Fortress of Vernio.


Total length: 44.5 km
Total difference in height: 2150 m
Difficulty: medium
Overall duration: from 1 to 3 days
5 Municipalities: Montemurlo, Prato, Vaiano, Cantagallo, Vernio
Connections: The Route of Wool and Silk, The Route of San Jacopo, Via Romea germanica imperiale

Track - From the Fortress of Montemurlo to the Melagrana Tower (6.3 MB)

Track - From the Melagrana Tower to the Fortress of Vernio (7.3 MB)

Track - From the Fortress of Montemurlo to the Melagrana Tower gpx (1.2 MB)

Track - From the Melagrana Tower to the Fortress of Vernio (1.4 MB)