Quarata: Leonardo, Antiquity and River History

Quarata between River Landscapes and History

Quarata combines a waterside landscape with several historical perspectives. In the Basso Casentino, the village is one of the sites associated with the veneration of water at springs and spring areas. At the same time, the village is dominated by a hill on which the irregular mass of the houses of the old castle can be seen. Quarata is also known as S. Andrea. This creates a destination whose character unfolds through the interplay of river landscape, hill, and history.

The Arno, Chiana, and Traces of Antiquity

The castle of Quarata stood near the Arno and Ponte Buriano. A small peat mine in Quarata was located at the confluence of the Chiana and the Arno and was in operation in the early 20th century. The Arno and Chiana thus appear not only as landscape features but also as reference points in the history of the village.

The Atleta di Quarata dates from the middle of the 5th century BC. It depicts an athlete preparing to jump, holding halteres in his hands. The statuette bears a dedication to the river god Klanins, who is identified with the present-day Chiana. An Etruscan bronze object found in Quarata is preserved in Paris at the Bibliothèque Nationale. The ancient connections therefore extend from the athlete and the dedication to the river god to the bronze object.

Leonardo and the History of the Old Castle

Leonardo da Vinci depicted and identified the castle of Quarata in the Windsor maps RL 12278 and RL 12682. Some researchers place Leonardo’s viewpoint for the landscape of the Mona Lisa in Quarata, on Via Setteponti in the direction of Castiglion Fibocchi. The castle of Quarata housed a pilgrims’ hospice, founded in 1433 by Francesco di Andrea Quaratesi, with an oratory attached to it. In Quarata, you therefore encounter Leonardo’s depiction of a place, a landscape location for the Mona Lisa proposed by some researchers, and the history of a pilgrims’ hospice.

Route across the Arno and Paths for Cycling and Walking

A route from Quarata crosses the Arno at the river bend of Buon Riposo and leads to Castelluccio, where the church of San Michele stands. For orientation, this route connects the river landscape of the Arno with a specific ecclesiastical destination in Castelluccio. Quarata remains the starting point of the route, while Castelluccio is the next destination.

The cycle and pedestrian path between Ripa di Quarata and Arezzo is considered to be lit and protected. In 2007, a lit and protected cycle and pedestrian path from Ripa di Quarata to Arezzo was approved for Quarata along Setteponti Road; it was intended to be more than half a kilometre long. If you would like to explore Quarata on foot or by bicycle, this directs your attention to the connection between Ripa di Quarata and Arezzo and to its route along Setteponti Road. When choosing your hotel, this route may be a consideration if you would like to combine your stay with walking and cycling excursions.

Further destinations for your planning: Rigutino, Molinelli, Olmo, Ponte Buriano-cincelli, Antria, Ranco Di Frassineto, Terrarossa and Indicatore.

To the main travel overview: Arezzo.