San Marcello Piteglio
Small villages and woodland trails in the heart of the Pistoia mountains
The area of San Marcello Piteglio constitutes one of the most picturesque parts of the Pistoia Mountains, best appreciated in the summer months for its cool and dry climate. The chestnut forests alternate with extensive beech woods covering the slopes of the mountains, whose valleys are traversed by clear and rushing streams, perfect for water sports.
The gentle gradients of these hills are perfect for long mountain walks, horse-riding and mountain-biking: following the well-structured map of paths traced by the Italian Alpine Club, you can conquer the ridges and peaks.
What to see: the trails and villages of San Marcello Piteglio
Here you’ll find some of the most interesting routes of the Pistoia Mountains Ecomuseum.
One of the most significant destinations is Popiglio, the start point of a lovely route that leads to some neighbouring towers, the remains of an ancient medieval fortress. From here it’s well worth heading to the small and charming village of Migliorini.
If you decide to start from the centre of San Marcello, you’ll do so from Piazza Francesco Ferrucci, which is dominated by an equestrian statue of the Florentine leader. After 3km you’ll reach Pian dei Termini, 962 metres above sea level, a panoramic point overlooking the Limestre river valley and home to an astronomical observatory.
Along these paths you find sweeping views of the surrounding valleys, starting with Lizzano and Vizzaneta, and finally, past the dam of the river Lima, Mammiano Alto.
One of the main attractions of this area is the Ferriere suspension bridge, a pedestrian walkway connecting Mammiano Basso and Popiglio, built with frameworks supported by four steel cables and reaching 227 metres in length, which until 2006 made this bridge the longest in the world. The daring crosswalk leads to an ancient ironworks - the Papini Foundry in Maresca - which is today open as a museum.
Other places that enrich this widespread municipality are: Pontepetri, Campo Tizzoro, Maresca and Gavinana, which is worth a visit for the Francesco Ferrucci Museum and its parish church di Santa Maria Assunta, with the organ of wonders made by Pietro Agati.
Local Produce
Throughout the Pistoia Mountains and in particular in villages such as San Marcello Piteglio, an absolute must-have in the kitchen is Chestnut Flour, the perfect ingredient for the preparation of necci (pancakes traditionally filled with ricotta), the famous castagnaccio (chestnut flour cake), sweet polenta, manufatoli (warm polenta accompanied by milk or cream) and pancakes.
In autumn it’s very easy to find another of the area’s typical products: mushrooms, prepared in various ways, form the basis of many tasty and now-famous dishes.
In any trattoria or farm you can try the dairy products and, most importantly, the pecorino a latte crudo, for which the Pecorino a Latte Crudo della Montagna Pistoiese has been established as a brand.
Attractions
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