Appennino Bike Tour to the discovery of Tuscany

Leaving the town square where there is a parking and recharging station for e-bikes, we ride for a short distance uphill guarded by the only mountain lighthouse in Italy, then descend to the valley and arrive at the town of Porretta Terme, where the Soul Festival is held every year in the summer. From here we climb again to enter the Limentra Valley: nearby Pavana (birthplace of Francesco Guccini) and Malpasso (a place where Pupi Avati set Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze).

Beyond the Suviana dam we take a short climb along Provincial Road 40, which also leads to Palazzo Comelli in the municipality of Camugnano and allows us to observe the decommissioned Enea power plant and then begin at Castiglione dei Pepoli the winding descent towards Tuscany.

We descend immersed in the greenery of the Bisenzio and Alto Mugello Valleys and before entering the municipality of Barberino del Mugello, a detour is a must to visit the Parco memoriale della Linea Gotica (Gothic Line Memorial Park).

From the Bilancino Lake relaxation area we begin a less demanding ride as from here to the Marche the Apennine ridge becomes gentler. We ride along the road dedicated to Gastone Nencini, the Lion of the Mugello who won the Tour in 1960, and after a few kilometers we admire the Trebbio Castle and the Villa Medici at Cafaggiolo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We take the State Road of the Futa and pass through San Piero a Sieve and Borgo San Lorenzo, with its Romanesque parish church housing a Madonna con Bambino (Madonna and Child) attributed to Giotto (a short distance from his birthplace in Vicchio).

We follow Provincial Road 41 to Dicomano, then take State Road 556 in the direction of Londa and Stia: at this point we find ourselves at a crossroads and for 15 kilometers we ride to conquer the 900-meter climb. We finally enter the area of the Casentino Forests National Park, admiring the centuries-old forests and the Vetuste Faggete (Old Beechwoods) of Sasso Fratino, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Having reached the Croce ai Mori pass, we descend to enter the territory of Arezzo and greet the waters of the Arno: making a small detour we can observe the Mulin di Bucchio (Mill of Bucchio), part of the Ecomuseo del Casentino (Casentino Ecomuseum). We reach Stia and a stop at the Museo della Lana (Wool Museum) is a must, and shortly after we arrive in Pratovecchio Stia, where we can recharge the e-bike in the square in front of the venue of the Casentino Forest National Park.

We begin the stage by riding 6 km along the Ciclopista dell'Arno (Arno Bycicle Path), a splendid dirt road through wooden bridges and cultivated fields, before coming within sight of the medieval village of Poppi and visiting the Castle of the Earls Guidi. From here we return to the dirt road and arrive near the Renaissance town of Bibbiena, then encounter Rassina where we take Regional Road 71, a short stretch that is lightly trafficked but essential if, with a 20-km ride, you want to reach the Sanctuary of La Verna. The route continues in the direction of Subbiano and then enters the Tuscan Valtiberina, where we parade through vineyards and olive groves. We begin the ascent of the Alpe di Catenaia and then descend to the village of Ponte alla Piera and arrive in the area of the Monti Rognosi Reserve, where magmatic outcrops dominate. Plains and descent take us to Anghiari, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, where the bell tower is worth a visit. We continue riding in the Alta Valtiberina and arrive at another village: Citerna, in Umbria, where we can admire in the church of St. Francis a polychrome Madonna con Bambino (Madonna and Child), a work by Donatello at a young age.

Itinerary curated by Appennino Bike Tour