The terrain which surrounds the city of Florence, framed among beautiful hills, is enriched by charming villages rich in history, art and nature. Here we can find Cerreto Guidi, Empoli, Montelupo Fiorentino and Vinci which preserve recollections of ancient civilizations, castles and Mediaeval lords and above all else the Tuscan Renaissance of which they possess precious testimony and small works of art.
A few kilometres from Florence, towards the north-east, is Mugello, Apennine terrain covered in beech trees, chestnuts and oaks and run through by the River Sieve. This jewel of natural and geological beauty is studded with palaces, castles and convents built by the might of the Medici family, originally from these areas. It is possible to travel the footpaths around the dells of Mugello for days and days admiring the colours and beauty of this area.
There are other pearls which the Florentine terrain contain: Fiesole with its Palazzo Vescovile and the Bandini Museum, Scandicci with its beautiful churches and the ancient Monastery of San Salvatore in Settimo; Impruneta with its famous earthenware; Firenzuola, Marradi...
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For those who wish to travel beyond the terrain which immediately surrounds the Tuscan provincial capital, it is possible to discover the beauty of the Valley of Sieve, the Arno Valley, Valdelsa and the renowned area of Chianti, which thanks to the quality and fame of its vintage wines, enjoys great appreciation. From the opposite side, one can reach the sea, on the Versiliese coast therefore in the Tyrrhenian sea area, just one hour from Florence, where well-known resorts are to be found, such as Viareggio, for a century and a half the prestigious location of baths, fashionable society and cultural appointments with a large beach and pinewood areas; Forte Dei Marmi, dispersed among the ancient Mediterranean belt and pine-trees, is the most elegant and exclusive beach resort in Versilia.
Moving into the hinterland, we find Pisa: an ancient seafaring republic, with its Baptistery, the Cathedral, the Camposanto and the leaning belfry, Pisa is one of the most celebrated places in the world, to then arrive at the Apuane Alps, known as "the kingdom of Marble"; rugged above hill verses, extremely high, cut into by "channels".
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