Montalbano Country.

The area of Montalbano stretches, reaches across 16,000 hectares in the area between the councils district of Florence, Pistoia and Prato. It is the ideal location to discover the whole of Tuscany, as it lies in central position, close to the most important cities of art: Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Siena and both the coast as well as the mountains are nearby.

The dominating countryside picture is that of hills, with vineyards in the valleys or on terraces, with olive trees along the higher slopes and chestnut forests on the crests hilltops. Between the XVI and XVII century ca. 4,000 hectares were dedicated to the realisation of the Barco Reale Mediceo by the medics. A huge territory, which was intended as a hunting reservoir, and of which today only remain short sections of the once bordering encompassing wall.

The area of Montalbano is especially suitable for walks and excursions, which can be planned carried out across a selection of numerous walking and cycling paths, across hills surrounded by green nature, archaeological sites and ancient woods woodland such as the Lecceto di Pietramarina. Or you may choose an eno-gastronomic path trip such as the roads of the wine and the oil.

The human population is marked through noble, grand villas, elegant farm and crafts businesses and numerous, across the various estates spread located colonial houses. Under consideration of the marking intervention of humans in nature, this region has been given the suitable descriptive name "campagna-giardino" (country-garden), to underline the great importance of the energy, vigour, drive of the farming population of the Montalbano, who made this area even more beautiful and more productive through the structure laying out conception of terraces, vineyard and olive groves across the hilly countryside. Today the Montalbano is an area of ecologic tourism: A agri-touristic management of the region has been developed created with success, through the original and fruitful co-operation joining of both traditional as well as more unusual farming activities, (from the production of oil and wine to that of honey, cheese, marmalade and natural remedies), and with organised excursions for the discovery of the natural beauty of the area as well as trekking tours.