Tourist destinations

The Setteponti Road (SS 85/87) is the ancient Roman route that connected Arezzo to Florence and  today  is still a panoramic way to drive in the direction of Arezzo or Reggello. Along the road the MUST is to 'drive slowly' so that you can really enjoy the landscape around you: terracing and olive trees, the scenic Balze and the ancient farmhouses, all part of a view where time seems to have stopped centuries ago...

Driving from Odina, we suggest two different itineraries: one towards Reggello to reach Vallombrosa and a second one towards  Arezzo.

Our suggestion is to make short breaks along the way so that you will be able to enjoy and discover small daily life scenes hidden in the history of our land. 

From Odina to Vallombrosa
In Castelfranco di Sopra, a small hamlet founded at the end of the XIII century, you can visit Badia a Soffena. Driving in the direction of Vallombrosa you will see two Parish Churches.
The first one is Pieve di Santa Maria a Sco’ in Pian di Sco’ along the road. Once you reach Reggello, we suggest a small detour to see the Pieve di Cascia, where it's possible to visit the Museo di Arte Sacra with some of Masaccio's works.
From Reggello follow the directions to Vallombrosa.
With the good weather, do not lose the opportunity to make a walk in a real natural museum: l’Arboreto di Vallombrosa one of the most important plants and trees' collection for scientific purpose. Today we can count 5'000 different plants.
L'Abbazia di Vallombrosa, belonged to the  Benedectine Friars, it's a millenial construction with a spiritual rigor and fascination. You can visit the Abbey in specific days, ask to the reception!
 

LORO CIUFFENNA
This small hamlet is one of the most beautiful hamlets in Italy and a walk through the small alleys of the Fondaccio medieval quarter is really recommended. Do not forget the ancient Romanesque Bridge and the old water mill, the oldest one that still produces flour made with ancient grains, corn and chestnut.

Walking from the center to the top of the village, you will reach the Parish Church of San Pietro a Gropina, today a National Monument because of its historical and artictic relevance.

Museo Venturino Venturi
The Museum is located on the ground floor of the Town Hall Palace in Loro Ciuffenna and is dedicated to Venturino Venturi (1918-2002), a painter of the twentieth century, native of Loro and author of the mosaics in the Piazzetta dei Mosaici inside the Pinocchio Park in Collodi.

Chianti Classico: not only wine!

From the natural Odina balcony you will see some hills, barriers that separate  Valdarno from the Chianti. The area is not one of the largest parts of the Tuscan Countryside but it's worth slowing passing through its roads to enjoy the small hamlets, the isolated farmhouses and the wonderful landscapes with their stories to tell you.

Strolling around...
Drive down from Odina and then ascend again towards Siena passing by Cavriglia. Here, if you are in May or June, during the roses' florescence, you should visit the Roseto Carla Fineschi. With its 6.000 species, this rose garden offers an uncommon riot of tastes and smells. 
Driving on, you will meet the Abbazia di Badia Coltibuono where you can have a good glass of wine and visit the aromatic herbs garden, from there, the Chianti Hills will be in front of you. Go on towards Gaiole and after 1 Km, with a small detour, you will reach Castello di Meleto: a small stop is a must to taste their wine and all the other farm products. 
Start again your travel among the vineyards...
 
RADDA IN CHIANTI: wine and vinegar
Radda is a fortified village. From its walls you will see many vineyards and if you want to taste a good  wine, you are only spoilt of choice! Our suggestion is to reach Volpaia, a little one thousand-year- old hamlet where a farm produces Chianti wine and vinegar with flowers and aromatics herbs.

CASTELLINA IN CHIANTI: art and wine
Castellina has today all the peculiarities of a fortified military fortress, one of them is the wallsheltered walkways under the surrounding walls. 
If you are interested in art or like to be fascinated by surprises, you should reach Nittardi, a farm that used to belong to Michelangelo Buonarroti and that today hosts fine contemporary art collection.There, you'll also have the chance to taste wine on the armonic Chianti hills. 

Firenze: Beyond la Cupola

The monuments and attractions of Florence don't need an introduction.
Besides the most knowl tourist sites, we still invite you to visit some of the places dear to us:

The Il giardino dei semplici, in other words the botanic  garden of Florence founded in 1545.
Il Giardino di Boboli,built by the Medici Family, behind Palazzo Pitti, was the first "Italian style garden" that inspired many other European courts.
The Officina di Santa Maria Novella,  perhaps the most ancient herbalist shop still in business today for 400 years. In the end, a last glimpse of Florence from its Giardino delle Rose where works by Folon have found a dreamlike and  evocative position.                                                                
 

Siena is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Medieval cities of Italy.
At its core, there's the famous Piazza del Campo, where each year on the 2nd July and 16th of August the renowned Palio di Siena takes place. This medieval competition among the 17 districts seems to date back to the seventeeth century.

There're not so many geographic areas with such a various landscape like the one you can see around Siena. The northern part is surrounded by the Chianti scenery with its vineyards and olive trees and all the small villages. In the southern part you can admire the green sweet hills of 
 Val d'Arbia and Val d'Orcia that leads us to Montalcino, famous for its Brunello. On the east side the Crete: the harsh rock formations with silver and yellow colours (depending on the seasons) offer to all the visitors a unique exhibition. 

Do not forget the Chianti area located among Florence, Arezzo and Siena, one of the nicest countryside territories of Italy, famous for its wine production... In this area it's best to drive slowly in order to admire the landscape (better if in motocicle or bike) with camera at hand especially in autumn or spring.

How to reach Siena:
Driving from Odina and passing Bucine you will reach la Colonna del Grillo, there you will take the intersection towards Siena.