Polcanto between Sandstone, Trails and History

Polcanto between Sandstone and History

Polcanto combines a distinctive landscape with several historical and cultural points of interest. On the southern slope of Polcanto, the heavily fragmented sandstone of Monte Senario comes to the surface. The Badia del Buonsollazzo, a Benedictine monastery of medieval origin that is now abandoned, lies near Polcanto. The old church of San Donato in Polcanto has been documented since 1276. Palazzo Scalandroni is visible only from the outside and complements the area’s historical references with a clearly limited view of another building.

Trails through Chestnut Forests and to Monte Senario

A trail begins in Polcanto at Via Faentina. After approximately 400 m, it reaches the Polcanto cemetery, after which the trail leads into chestnut forests. Trail 2/P follows an old mule track up to the ridge and continues to the monastery of Monte Senario. The trail to Monte Senario is considered the fastest route from the Mugello side. For arrival orientation, Polcanto is part of the Polcanto-San Piero a Sieve route as a bus stop.

Climbs for Cycling and Motorcycling

For a cycling trip, the Salaiole variant of the climb to Vetta Le Croci provides specific planning figures: it is 13.2 km long and gains 190 metres in elevation over 1.5 km. The average gradient is 12.6%, with individual sections exceeding 15%. Along the route, average-gradient sections alternate with considerably steeper ones. The GSSS motorcycle school is associated with Polcanto and, alongside the walking and cycling routes, adds another thematic focus for trip planning.

Mountains and a Park in the Wider Area

Il Pratone is a mountain in the area around Polcanto. Monte Veruca and Monte Gazzaro are located in the wider regional surroundings of Polcanto. Villa Medicea La Petraia is a park in the area around Polcanto. This gives you a broad range of landscape references: immediate surroundings and more distant regional destinations can be considered separately when choosing your daily activities.

Museums and Palaces around Polcanto

Cultural destinations are also located at varying distances. Museo Bandini is a museum in the area around Polcanto. Villa Medici at Careggi and Villa Guicciardini Corsi Salviati are palaces in the area around Polcanto. Museo Stibbert is also a museum in the area around Polcanto. When choosing a hotel in Polcanto, you can therefore plan your trip according to your preferred focus: trails and landscapes, historic buildings, or museums and other destinations in the surrounding region.

More Destinations

More destinations for planning your trip to Italy: Fontanella, San Casciano In Val Di Pesa, Linari, Sant'Ansano, Cerreto Guidi, Fiesole, Palazzuolo Sul Senio, Vicchio.

To the main travel overview: Florence.