Pratovecchio amid art, churches and the Casentino landscape

Pratovecchio combines the characteristic landscape of Casentino with art, churches and a variety of routes. The municipality of Pratovecchio Stia lies between impressive forests and places of worship shaped by spirituality. At the same time, Pratovecchio is home to the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna.

Art and history in the townscape

An important cultural point of reference is the Sala Espositiva. It contains works from the Santa Maria della Neve monastery in Pratovecchio, including a panel painting of the Madonna della Neve created at the beginning of the 15th century. The Propositura del Santissimo Nome di Gesù is also one of the town’s specific artistic landmarks: it houses paintings from the 17th century.

Pratovecchio is also associated with Paolo di Dono—Paolo Uccello. He was born here and was a Renaissance artist and master of perspective. In the historic center, Piazza Paolo Uccello forms the focal point; it is dedicated to the Renaissance painter. The square thus connects the artist’s name directly with the historic town center, while the other works of art and churches add further historical periods.

The spiritual heritage includes the monastery of the Camaldolese nuns, founded in the 12th century by the Guidi counts. The church of the monastery, San Giovanni Evangelista, was consecrated in 1143. A Robbian terracotta work was also reinstated in 1947 in the parish church of Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù.

Forest landscape and practical orientation

For planning routes, the 6th edition of the official hiking map of the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna offers a precise scale of 1:25,000. It shows hiking trails, mountain bike routes, forest roads, mountain huts, equipped areas, tourist sites and information points. The map is therefore not limited to a single means of travel, but presents several reference points marked within the park side by side.

Hiking maps and guides for the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi can be purchased at its office in Pratovecchio. For visitors who want to plan their days in Casentino around specific routes and places, this point of reference is just as much part of local orientation as the landscape itself. The available information can be used according to the desired travel pace, whether for shorter outings, specific route interests or broader nature planning.

Historic routes and return options

The “Vecchia strada della Consuma” is an ancient connecting route between Passo della Consuma and the Casentino Valley. A hill road leads from Pratovecchio to Castello di Romena. In addition, the Ciclopista dell’Arno has a terminus in Pratovecchio; it is possible to return by bus and train.

You can get to know the town through its churches and works of art, use the information about the national park to plan your routes, or include historic connections and the terminus of the Ciclopista dell’Arno in your considerations.

More destinations for your trip to Italy

For further travel planning, you can also find Falcigiano, Pratantico, Pierle, Chitignano, Cortona, Agazzi, Castel Focognano and Sant'Andrea di Sorbello.

For the main travel overview: Arezzo.