Path of the Leopoldine
The landscape of the Valdichiana in the Arezzo area is made unique by the presence of the leopoldine, majestic farmhouses that symbolize the reclamation and farming traditions of the valley. This route suggested by La Chianina Asd, the association that organizes the La Chianina Ciclostorica cycling event every year, will take you on a discovery of some of Tuscany's most beautiful landscapes, among expanses of sunflowers, farms and bucolic atmospheres.
The path starts in the historic town center of Marciano della Chiana, at Via Giacomo Matteotti. From ther we will move onto the provincial road of the Pozzo reaching the residential area of Pozzo della Chiana in the municipality of Foiano della Chiana. Here we move forwards as far as the cemetery of Pozzo della Chiana, where the Temple of Santo Stefano alla Vittoria rises up. The building was commissioned by Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici to celebrate the victory at the Battle of Scannagallo (August 2, 1554, as well as feast of St. Stephen) during which Tuscan troops defeated the French-Sienese troops. A monumental building of important historical and artistic value, whose construction is attributed to Giorgio Vasari.
We keep on riding up via di San Quirico and via di Montagnaccio in the direction of Brolio, a locality in the municipality of Castiglion Fiorentino. Here the agricultural past of the Valdichiana is expressed in the old sharecropper farms, now places of contemporary hospitality, which enrich the landscape.
The route continues towards the Montecchio Vesponi Castle, which we will see approaching as we progress with our bikes. Its state of preservation makes it one of the most interesting castles in the province of Arezzo and one of the most beautiful in Tuscany. What strikes the eye is its 263-meter crenellated walls that define its profile. Even more extraordinary is its tower that soars about thirty meters, making it easily identifiable from the entire surrounding area.
Past the Montecchio Vesponi Castle we plunge into the Val di Chio, the beating heart of Castiglion Fiorentino's agriculture. We will ride through plowed fields catching a glimpse of the important landscape conservation work being done by local farmers, then pass through the woods that mark the border between Castiglion Fiorentino and Arezzo.
As we leave the Chio Valley, the image of the village of Castiglion Fiorentino becomes more and more defined. We will be struck by its fortress, The Cassero, the highest point of the village from which you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the Valdichiana.
We move forward on the path in its final stretch along the stages of Manciano, Ranco di Frassineto, Montagnano and Badicorte, where we will be accompanied by agricultural expanses, the profile of the Leopoldine and, in the summer, the warmth of sunflowers.
Once we are past Badicorte, we will take again the provincial road of the Pozzo which will take us back to the starting point in Marciano della Chiana.