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HILLS
>> VALDELSA
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INTRODUCTION
The first part of the Tuscan land which reaches Certaldo
is characterised by the presence of the river Elsa, which goes through
a sweet countryside very similar to Il Chianti for its charm and
its landscape. The first part of the itinerary goes along an antique
path which used to connect Volterra to Fiesole since the Etruscan
period, as the villas and the monuments can testify.
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The
itinerary touches villas from the 15th century, the nice Romanesque
Pieve di Sant’Alessandro a Giogolo, just outside Florence, and
the Residences of the Collazzi family and the Tattoli family from
the 16th century, surrounded by beautiful Italian gardens. Divided
between the Provinces of Florence and Siena, the Valdelsa features
a monumental heritage of great interest, in a natural and charming
landscape, where olive trees and vineyards grow and return excellent
quality products. A tour around the Valdelsa allows the visitor to
taste the best characteristics of the Tuscan landscape, from the sweet
rolling hills to the ancient architecture, and not to forget a gastronomy
for real gourmets. Among churches and castles you find restaurants
and inns which propose local specialities made with genuine products
according to the traditional recipes and the fantasy of each chef.
There are great occasions for trekking thanks to the recent
trekking path project carried out by the municipalities of Valdelsa
in order to help the tourists discover the charming sites. You can
walk or go biking around all the itineraries, but only some can be
discovered on the horse-back. If you are interested in sacred art
you could not have chosen a better place as the Valdelsa is plotted
with old churches, featuring real masterpieces of art. The old countryside
of Florence and Siena holds a sweet and relaxing landscape, a unique
artistic heritage and genuine products which give work to the many
restaurants and inns. In a strategic position, between two of the
most beautiful art-cities, the Valdelsa offers a lot of accommodations
and places to eat.
There are few hotels, most are accommodations in farms, often
in cottages and Renaissance villas which have been restructured to
offer the charm of a landscape with old traditions and the comfort
of a modern accommodation.
The typical products of the Valdelsa since the Middle Ages are the
glass and the saffron. A strong string connects the modern Valdelsa
to its past. The production of glass and saffron cultivation are still
a characteristic of this area. The glass work-shops of Colle Val d’Elsa
were already in the 14th century important for the economy of the
Florentine State and young people from the whole Europe came here
to learn how to make glass. When the European market was invaded by
the Bohemian crystal in the 19th century, the Valdelsa glass-makers
did not have any difficulties in using the new material with the old
and traditional techniques. Today, apart from the businesses which
produce 95% of the glass sold in Italy and export in the whole world,
the Valdelsa features lots of artisans who make real masterpieces.
The cultivation of crocuses from where you get the precious saffron,
were common in the Valdelsa already in the 13th century. Saffron is
such a expensive and exclusive spice that the municipalities of the
Valdelsa often used it to pay the enemies and redeem the possessions.
The cultivation was abandoned for centuries, but is today grown according
to the traditional techniques in many parts of the area.
Today the cultivation in San Gimignano is gaining strength
and apart from making happy some businessmen it also satisfies the
gourmets who appreciate the particular saffron soup. The Vernaccia
wine and the Vin Santo of San Gimignano both have the Docg mark. The
extraordinary quality of the wines around Siena has created a new
tourism . It is in fact possible to say that the eno-tourism was invented
in Siena, with tourists who choose their holiday itinerary according
to the quality of the local products, regarding especially the wines. |
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