{"id":22623,"date":"2019-04-22T12:40:35","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T10:40:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/?p=22623"},"modified":"2020-05-22T14:41:22","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T12:41:22","slug":"upper-valdarno-a-less-known-tuscany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/upper-valdarno-a-less-known-tuscany\/","title":{"rendered":"Upper Valdarno, a less known Tuscany"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Tuscany<\/strong>: a region of unique beauty, whose landscapes, cities and monuments are famous all over the world. But there are some lesser-known corners, but no less suggestive. We went to discover the <strong>Upper<\/strong> <strong>Valdarno<\/strong>, a valley that develops around the bed of the <strong>Arno<\/strong> <strong>river<\/strong>, halfway between Florence, Arezzo and Siena.<br \/>\nIt is a small territory that unexpectedly hides numerous jewels among the scents of the vineyards. The Upper Valdarno is the heart of Tuscany, someone could say of Italy, enclosed between the mountains of Chianti and the <strong>Pratomagno<\/strong>, and is a perfect destination for a slow holiday, between taste and <strong>nature<\/strong>, between art and <strong>relaxation.<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Villages,<\/strong> cliffs, natural oases and works of art: here are our suggestions to better enjoy the Upper Valdarno.<\/p>\n<h2>Upper Valdarno&#8217;s <em>Balze<\/em><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_22628\" class=\"thumbnail alignnone\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-22628\" src=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/1280px-Balze_5-870x490.jpg\" alt=\"Upper Valdarno's Balze\" width=\"870\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/1280px-Balze_5-870x490.jpg 870w, https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/1280px-Balze_5-570x320.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \/><div class=\"caption\">@ Emiliano Burzagli via Wikimedia<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Also <strong>Leonardo Da Vinci<\/strong> fell in love with Upper Valdarno. Perhaps this picturesque and particular landscape will remind you of something: the <em>Balze<\/em>, particular reliefs of stratified debris composed of sand, clay, pebbles and gravel that were formed by erosion after the drainage of a lake that covered the area two million years ago, are the background of the <strong>Gioconda.<\/strong> A little over half an hour from Florence you can admire this unique spectacle of nature, from afar or exploring the green through different paths. Among the most beautiful is the ring trail of water, reported by the CAI, which starts from Castelfranco di Sopra.<\/p>\n<h2>Charming villages of Upper Valdarno<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_22627\" class=\"thumbnail alignnone\"><img class=\"wp-image-22627 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/Loro_Ciuffenna_-_panoramio_5-870x490.jpg\" alt=\"Loro Ciuffenna, a charming village in Upper Valdarno\" width=\"870\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/Loro_Ciuffenna_-_panoramio_5-870x490.jpg 870w, https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/Loro_Ciuffenna_-_panoramio_5-570x320.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \/><div class=\"caption\">\u00a9 cisko66 via Wikimedia<\/div><\/div>\n<p>The valley is dotted with charming villages. There is for example <strong>Loro<\/strong> <strong>Ciuffenna<\/strong>, among the most beautiful villages in Italy, which is perched at the foot of Mount Pratomagno. Its houses overlook the ravine of the Ciuffenna torrent where there is also the <strong>oldest water mill<\/strong> in the region. In San Giovanni Valdarno there is the Palazzo d&#8217;Arnofo, one of the most beautiful <strong>historical buildings<\/strong> of Upper Valdarno, the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and its <strong>museum<\/strong>. Along the Setteponti road, a truly enchanting 60-kilometer route that winds through <strong>vineyards<\/strong>, hills and olive groves, Castelfranco di Sopra is also worth a visit. The most characteristic village and among the most exclusive of all Tuscany is perhaps Borro: walking through its narrow streets immersed in the Tuscan countryside means living an unmissable experience, living in an atmosphere where time seems to have stopped.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22626\" class=\"thumbnail alignnone\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-22626\" src=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/Gropina_-_Pieve_di_San_Pietro_-_Retro_1-870x490.jpg\" alt=\"Romanesque church of Gropina\" width=\"870\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/Gropina_-_Pieve_di_San_Pietro_-_Retro_1-870x490.jpg 870w, https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/Gropina_-_Pieve_di_San_Pietro_-_Retro_1-570x320.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \/><div class=\"caption\">\u00a9 Syrio via Wikimedia<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Less than two kilometers from the center of Loro Ciuffenna is one of the most interesting examples of Romanesque architecture in Tuscany, a church that dates back to 1000. It is the <strong>Romanesque church of Gropina<\/strong>, named after San Peter.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-22625\" src=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/1280px-Croce_Pratomagno-870x490.jpg\" alt=\"Mount Pratomagno\" width=\"870\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/1280px-Croce_Pratomagno-870x490.jpg 870w, https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/1280px-Croce_Pratomagno-570x320.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>After visiting some of the villages that are perched at its feet, why not climb to the top of <strong>Mount Pratomagno<\/strong> and discover its countless beautie? The trail to Pratomagno&#8217;s cross is one of the most beautiful experiences for those who love being <strong>outdoors.<\/strong> It is an iron monument located on the highest point of the mountain, at almost 1600 meters above sea level.<\/p>\n<h2>Where to sleep in the Upper Valdarno<\/h2>\n<p><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-22629\" src=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/farmhouse-florence-870x490.jpg\" alt=\"organic farmhouse Il Poderaccio, Tuscany\" width=\"870\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/farmhouse-florence-870x490.jpg 870w, https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/farmhouse-florence-570x320.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At the slopes of Chianti there is the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/IT-firenze\/farm-house\/bioagriturismo-poderaccio\/X7bkJ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>organic farmhouse<\/strong> Il Poderaccio<\/a>, which offers apartments equipped with every comfort. Guests can pick vegetables directly from the <strong>organic vegetable<\/strong> <strong>garden<\/strong>, take part in the <strong>bakery courses<\/strong> with natural yeast and fresh pasta lessons, relax in the <strong>outdoor whirlpool wooden<\/strong> <strong>tub<\/strong>, discover the surroundings, doze in a <strong>hammock<\/strong> in the shade of the fig tree. From here it is easy to reach several restaurants, where you can savor the <strong>flavors<\/strong> of the area.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-22624 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/1280px-Balze_3-870x490.jpg\" alt=\"Upper Valdarno, a less known Tuscany\" width=\"870\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/1280px-Balze_3-870x490.jpg 870w, https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/1280px-Balze_3-570x320.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Cover photo by\u00a0Emiliano Burzagli via Wikimedia<\/em><\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tuscany: a region of unique beauty, whose landscapes, cities and monuments are famous all over the world. But there are some lesser-known corners, but no less suggestive. We went to discover the Upper Valdarno, a valley that develops around the bed of the Arno river, halfway between Florence, Arezzo and Siena. It is a small [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":22624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[25,364,45,225,231,291,71,73,83,2621,2622],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Upper Valdarno, a less known Tuscany - Ecobnb<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Let&#039;s leave to discover a fascinating and little known territory of Tuscany, among villages and natural views. 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Spero ancora in un web che sia spazio di condivisione e divulgazione, e credo che l\u2019eco-sostenibilit\u00e0 sia una sfida imprescindibile del nostro tempo. 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