Poggio a Caiano,
a kind town, where you will be welcomed by colours and flowers!
One of the most peasant surprise of Tuscany is the small village of Poggio a Caiano, situated between the Florentine hills. Poggio a Caiano is an unusual tourist destination, but you are invited to visit this little town. Poggio a Caiano is born between three important Tuscan cities: Florence, Prato and Pistoia, and, for this reason, you can easily reach it. There you can find a developed and modern town, plunged into a Renaissance atmosphere. A visit to this delightful village is like going back to the Medici’s time, in fact, on the top of the knoll, there is the wonderful “Villa Medicea”. Surrounded by a suggestive garden, the Villa is one of the most attraction of the town. It was built at the end of the XVI century by Giuliano da San Gallo, wanted by Medici’s family, and it was decorated by the most important artists of the time, such as Pontormo, Giambologna, and Andrea Del Sarto. Once the Villa was the summer residence of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his family. He chose this position for the strategic view of the zone, in this way he could prevent enemies attacks.
If you are thinking to visit Poggio a Caiano, you should get into the Villa and take a look at the
great variety of trees and flowers present in the curtain garden, where you can also see a century tree.
Another Renaissance element is the Barco park, that once it was part of the Villa’s garden, then it was used to hunt and for curtain games; for Poggio a Caiano’s inhabitants is a place to relax, where you can stroll around, and do picnic or you can simply find a bench where sit yourself in spring an summer. Not with standing there are a lot of things to see in this town, you can get everywhere on foot, so if you want a tip, be sure to put on you walking shoes. From the Barco park, you can easily reach the most ancient church of Prato’s province: San Francisco church, on Bonistallo hillock. Nowadays this medieval church is only a interesting place to visit, but the church of the community is another, the most recent.
Poggio a Caiano is not only famous for its history, but also for food specialities that you can taste in tipical restaurants. One of this speciality is called “migliaccio” and it is simply spice blood cooked like a crepes; another is “ribollita”, a soup made of bread and vegetable. Logically you can eat the incredible “fiorentina”, the most famous steack of the world! But you can’t appreciate it without the most vintage wines of the Tuscan region: Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino.
If you visit Poggio a Caiano in the third week of September, you can partecipate at the “Assedio alla Villa”, a popular event that took his origin from a medieval attack to the village and his Villa.
Poggio a Caiano’s inhabitants won the battle with the aid of their wine, so, the feast starts with the opening of the wine fountain, a very suggestive tradition. A lot of people, above all young people, take part to the parade composed by the typical medieval costumes. The last day of the “Assedio” the Villa Medicea is decorated by the lights and the colours of the fireworks.
If you are planning about where to go to sleep, don’t worry, because in this kind town there is a
great choice: the best is “Hotel Hermitage”, on Bonistallo hill. It has a pool surrounded by great
pines and it has a very wonderful dining room, usually used for marriage. The position of this hotel is very favourable and there is no problem for parking, because is not very trafficated. Here double rooms cost at least 60€ for a night.
From Poggio a Caiano you can reach a lot of interesting places, such as Artimino and Carmignano, where you can enjoy the attractive and romantic panorama of Florence and his closeness. Here there is another Villa, called “La Ferdinanda”, characterised by his “thousand” chimneys.
a kind town, where you will be welcomed by colours and flowers!
One of the most peasant surprise of Tuscany is the small village of Poggio a Caiano, situated between the Florentine hills. Poggio a Caiano is an unusual tourist destination, but you are invited to visit this little town. Poggio a Caiano is born between three important Tuscan cities: Florence, Prato and Pistoia, and, for this reason, you can easily reach it. There you can find a developed and modern town, plunged into a Renaissance atmosphere. A visit to this delightful village is like going back to the Medici’s time, in fact, on the top of the knoll, there is the wonderful “Villa Medicea”. Surrounded by a suggestive garden, the Villa is one of the most attraction of the town. It was built at the end of the XVI century by Giuliano da San Gallo, wanted by Medici’s family, and it was decorated by the most important artists of the time, such as Pontormo, Giambologna, and Andrea Del Sarto. Once the Villa was the summer residence of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his family. He chose this position for the strategic view of the zone, in this way he could prevent enemies attacks.
If you are thinking to visit Poggio a Caiano, you should get into the Villa and take a look at the
great variety of trees and flowers present in the curtain garden, where you can also see a century tree.
Another Renaissance element is the Barco park, that once it was part of the Villa’s garden, then it was used to hunt and for curtain games; for Poggio a Caiano’s inhabitants is a place to relax, where you can stroll around, and do picnic or you can simply find a bench where sit yourself in spring an summer. Not with standing there are a lot of things to see in this town, you can get everywhere on foot, so if you want a tip, be sure to put on you walking shoes. From the Barco park, you can easily reach the most ancient church of Prato’s province: San Francisco church, on Bonistallo hillock. Nowadays this medieval church is only a interesting place to visit, but the church of the community is another, the most recent.
Poggio a Caiano is not only famous for its history, but also for food specialities that you can taste in tipical restaurants. One of this speciality is called “migliaccio” and it is simply spice blood cooked like a crepes; another is “ribollita”, a soup made of bread and vegetable. Logically you can eat the incredible “fiorentina”, the most famous steack of the world! But you can’t appreciate it without the most vintage wines of the Tuscan region: Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino.
If you visit Poggio a Caiano in the third week of September, you can partecipate at the “Assedio alla Villa”, a popular event that took his origin from a medieval attack to the village and his Villa.
Poggio a Caiano’s inhabitants won the battle with the aid of their wine, so, the feast starts with the opening of the wine fountain, a very suggestive tradition. A lot of people, above all young people, take part to the parade composed by the typical medieval costumes. The last day of the “Assedio” the Villa Medicea is decorated by the lights and the colours of the fireworks.
If you are planning about where to go to sleep, don’t worry, because in this kind town there is a
great choice: the best is “Hotel Hermitage”, on Bonistallo hill. It has a pool surrounded by great
pines and it has a very wonderful dining room, usually used for marriage. The position of this hotel is very favourable and there is no problem for parking, because is not very trafficated. Here double rooms cost at least 60€ for a night.
From Poggio a Caiano you can reach a lot of interesting places, such as Artimino and Carmignano, where you can enjoy the attractive and romantic panorama of Florence and his closeness. Here there is another Villa, called “La Ferdinanda”, characterised by his “thousand” chimneys.
Elena Martini
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