A few years ago, we wrote about a particular hill, located in a charming little town called Fiesole, just outside Florence. A long-time favourite holiday destination of noble families looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, including the Medici family, the town of Fiesole has continued to be a destination that attracts the rich and famous and normal folk alike who are looking to pop out of Florence and into the peaceful natural surroundings of this area for a while. The hill in Fiesole with which we were concerned, however, drew an incredibly famous visitor not for leisure but, instead, for experiments. Said visitor being Da Vinci, who, long before the Wright brothers, came to test out a flying machine on the hill of Monte Ceceri. This momentous and fascinating event in history is reason enough to draw Da Vinci fans and history buffs alike but there is actually plenty of reason for anyone to stop by if they have found a holiday rental in Fiesole.
As well as being the site of Da Vinci's would-be airport, Monte Ceceri is popular among hikers and those who like to admire scenery as it offers great panoramic views of the surrounding landscape of Tuscany and right over the city of Florence in the distance. In fact, it’s a perfect spot to spend some time out in nature and stretching your legs if you have found a vacation rental in Florence and are looking for some day trip ideas to explore some parts of Tuscany around the city.
As well as being the site of Da Vinci's would-be airport, Monte Ceceri is popular among hikers and those who like to admire scenery as it offers great panoramic views of the surrounding landscape of Tuscany and right over the city of Florence in the distance. In fact, it’s a perfect spot to spend some time out in nature and stretching your legs if you have found a vacation rental in Florence and are looking for some day trip ideas to explore some parts of Tuscany around the city.
Monte Ceceri is located in Monte Ceceri Park, a beautiful area on the eastern edges of the ancient Etruscan walls of Fiesole that owes its lush and wooded appearance to a reforesting campaign that was begun back in the 1930s. Forty-four hectares in size, the park is home to 19 quarries including the quarries of Cava del Braschi and Cava Sarti, the Piazzale Leonardo, panoramic views, lots of different hiking paths and trails, animals such as swans, picnic areas and more. The Piazzale Leonardo is actually where the Da Vinci flight experiments took place and which are marked with a plaque that bears a famous inscription taken from the Codice di Volo degli Uccelli, which translates to, "The big bird will take the first flight from Monte Ciceri, filling the universe with wonder, it will be famous through the manuscripts and its homeland will be glorified”. And those aforementioned swans (“cigni” in Italian) are for what the mountain is named as they are called “ceceri” by Florentines due to the black hump on their beaks, which hunters of the past said resembled chick-peas, or “ceci”.
Protected as a site of significant history and natural value by the Tuscan region since 2001, the park and hill are untouched beauties and are ideal spots to explore and wander amongst nature. You’ll also find that it is very peaceful and calm during the week, busy only on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. There are four unique and captivating paths in the park including the routes, Leonardo’s Flight, A Terrace on Florence, The Stonecutters' Quarries, and Breathing the Forest. Pick the one you would like based on your interests (history, exploring the forest or the quarries, or taking in those Florentine views) and enjoy the fresh air and stunning surroundings.
If you have found a vacation rental in Fiesole and are exploring the area or if you are spending time in Florence and want to escape the madness of the city for a few hours, then head to this special park and hill for a dose of Tuscany’s incredible natural bounty.
Protected as a site of significant history and natural value by the Tuscan region since 2001, the park and hill are untouched beauties and are ideal spots to explore and wander amongst nature. You’ll also find that it is very peaceful and calm during the week, busy only on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. There are four unique and captivating paths in the park including the routes, Leonardo’s Flight, A Terrace on Florence, The Stonecutters' Quarries, and Breathing the Forest. Pick the one you would like based on your interests (history, exploring the forest or the quarries, or taking in those Florentine views) and enjoy the fresh air and stunning surroundings.
If you have found a vacation rental in Fiesole and are exploring the area or if you are spending time in Florence and want to escape the madness of the city for a few hours, then head to this special park and hill for a dose of Tuscany’s incredible natural bounty.
Photo credit: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0
