Reggello

Reggello and its landscape
Reggello, which is situated at the easternmost tip of the Province of Florence, extends over an area of about 122 km2 that from the bottom of the Arno valley ascends along the slopes of Pratomagno (maximum altitude: 1,537 m), which divide it from the Casentino. Above the valley crossed by the Arno river, the hills of Chianti separate the upper Valdarno from the territory of Siena.
The territory is varied, with even very abrupt changes at the different altitudes. Downhill, the Pliocene balze, which are particularly evocative and beautiful, fl ank cultivated areas, towns, and industrial and commercial settlements. The hill zone, which is cultivated on terraces, is crossed by the Strada dei Sette Ponti, the road that goes to Arezzo, passing through evocative small historic centres abounding in points of artistic interest. Among these are the Romanesque parish churches of Cascia, near Reggello, and of Pian di Scò and Gropina (Loro Ciuffenna). Along the route a magnifi cent panorama consisting of well-tended cultivations of vines and olive trees can be admired, together with characteristic farm houses, many of which are active agricultural estates or farm-holiday facilities. Then there are woods of broadleaved trees and, at the higher altitudes, of beech and coniferous trees.
Worthy of note is the Forest of Sant'Antonio, the Protected Nature Area of Local Interest situated on the western slope of the Pratomagno chain. Also important is the Forest of Vallombrosa, a biogenetic nature reserve that abounds in conifer woods, whose history is linked to the presence of the monks of the homonymous Abbey. Inside the reserve is an experimental arboretum containing 3200 exemplars of 1200 different species coming from all over the world. The zone is rich in streams and springs, and there are numerous marked hiking paths and nature itineraries that can be travelled on mountain bike, on foot, or on horseback.