Valdinievole area extends between Lucca and Pistoia. It’s a mix of nature art and culture
Svizzera Pesciatina
We start from an hills area with villages and castles nicknamed “Svizzera Pesciatina,” which reached their maximum splendour during the Middle Ages. Today, visitors can see traces of the process of fortification thanks the strongholds still visible in their positions defending the entire territory.
Thermal towns
Then we passing through a landscape dotted with olive trees on the way down into the valley, visitors will come across the springs of precious waters in Montecatini Terme, which can still today be enjoyed in one of the Liberty-style resorts. In Monsummano Terme, just close to Montecatini the vapours rise from the earth and here you can visit the natural cave of Grotta Giusti and relaxing in the pool with 37degree thermal water.
Fucecchio marsh
Thousands of years ago, part of this territory was covered by the sea, which ran right up to the foot of Montalbano, and the Fucecchio Marsh, the largest inland marsh in Italy (1,800 hectares), is what remains of that distant geological era.
Pescia and Pinocchio
The Valdinievole is also the home of Pinocchio, the most famous puppet in the world. This is where the mother of Carlo Lorenzini, the author of the timeless story, was born. Carlo was the son of a modest family, which worked for the aristocratic Garzoni family in Collodi, where Carlo got his pseudonym from. Pinocchio’s park and Garzoni Villa’s garden are 2 km from the historich center town of Pescia a little town full of art and history. Pescia’s area is known for its plant nurseries too, the unique Bonsai Museum and the fragrant Citrus Garden are evidence of this.
Musicians, food and wine
The Valdinievole is nature art and culture but also a land of inspiration. Its waters, the amenity of its landscape and its rolling hills have always been a relaxing environment for musicians, including the illustrious Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini, painters and artists. Some excellent typical products produced in Valdinievole are: the IGP Toscano olive oil, top-quality white and red wines, Vin Santo, the delicate but tasty Sorana bean and the famous brigidini biscuits made in Lamporecchio, a star at every town.
