Rental House / Villa Barberino di Mugello Tuscany - Florence Italy

" A few kilometres from Florence, in the Mugello, we can find traces of history worthy of a great European capital. Along the river Sieve centres of ancient origins and complex foundation rise at close distances. Important Etruscan areas became a place of settlements and villages in Roman times. The Mediaeval Lordships - the Guidi and the Ubaldini- were soon in competition with the Commune of Florence which was expanding and in search of "new lands". Starting in 1300 this area went through a renewed period of a remarkable development thanks to the particular strategic and economic value that the Mugello Basin held for Florence. The Medici family, which originally came from this area, and the Lorenesi family made it their pride and joy by investing financial resources to strengthen their presence around Florence. Important buildings and fortresses, castles, villas and palaces remain to testify the development of the Mugello. Moreover, even the cultural and artistic history of Florence finds elements of primacy importance for its development in this area. Artists like Giotto and Beato Angelico were born here, famous architects worked at the construction of the towns of the "walled lands", the features in the landscape of many Florentine paintings have found their inspiration here. "

" THE GASTRONOMY In this Tuscan territory between Florence and Bologna, the traveller can discover traditional dishes and a variety of local produce that have maintained their authenticity to this day. The few dishes that have been passed down in Mugello from the gastronomic tradition of the past are all important, typical recipes with “natural” flavours, made with traditional wholesome ingredients and never with the strong spices that are often overused in modern day food. First servings often include “tortelli di patate” (small pockets of pasta stuffed with potatoes), the “tagliatelle sui funghi, sul cinghiale, sulla lepre” (thick string pasta with mushroom, wild boar or hare meat sauce), “farinata” (polenta with kale and beans), soup, and minestrone. Meat is a very important part of the Mugello cuisine: we find steaks two inches thick, but also “rosticciana” pork ribs, and sausages or “coniglio ripieno” (stuffed rabbit), and the very particular boiled duck. The main cheese is “pecorino”, made with pure sheep’s milk, or “misto” mixed with cow’s milk; the side dishes include “fagioli all’olio” (beans with extra virgin olive oil dressing), and a tasty variety of garden vegetables dipped in batter and fried (artichokes, aubergines, pumpkin flowers). Desserts can be quite simple like the “pan di ramerino” (sweet buns with rosemary and raisins) and the “schiacciata con l’uva” (sweet flat bread with grapes), classical like the tarts made with delicious jams, or more elaborate like the cake or the “budino” (pudding), from Marradi, made with the delicious “Marrone del Mugello”, the I.G.P. denominated Mugello chestnut. THE MAGNIFICENT TEN The mythic climbs of the Mugello Apennine There are ten challenging climbs to have a go at: some harder and others easier to conquer, but all of them demanding. Speed does not count, but tenacity and concentration do! There are no records to beat, except with oneself: bend after bend, little by little the cyclist comes closer to his goal. The important thing is never to stop, never to let exhaustion take over. The climbs here described have many characteristics in common: They are all mountain passes (except for Monte Senario) and therefore permit round trips They are all at least 10 kilometres long They all start in Mugello They are generally described from the more difficult side of the mountain PASSO DELLA SAMBUCA PASSO DELLA RATICOSA PASSO DELL’EREMO PASSO DELLA COLLA DI CASAGLIA PASSO DELLA FUTA PASSO DEL GIOGO DI SCARPERIA VALICO DEL PARETAIO VALICO DELLA CROCETTA MONTE SENARIO VETTA LE CROCI "