Experience HIKING IN TUSCANY- Florence

SETTIGNANO – COMPIOBBI

Hiking in tuscany. Settignano To Compiobbi.

Ciao Folks, today is: Hiking in tuscany.

From Settignano To Compiobbi.

I took this Hike in Tuscany, few days ago. Settignano is my neighborhood and Compiobbi is a nearby village along the Arno River.

Hiking in Tuscany is always a relief and so this one. It is an easy hike from Settignano to Compiobbi, along typical Tuscan landscapes.

I left Settignano, by 10 am and I got back around 14:00.

Even so, on the way back I decided to explore the unknown so I went off the beaten tracks and I got lost, losing lots of time but maybe finding some tombs.

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hiking Tuscany Settignano — hiking tuscany settignano

Let’s start the walk

So, let’s start our walk in Tuscany:

First, I left the main square of Settignano. Ancient village very hard to date back, there was someone living in this area from the bronze age. At the Roman Times there was already a village.

In settignano many famous people lived in different times. You might know Mark Twain. He lived here in Settignano.

Walking through narrow cobbled stones streets in Settignano, I took Via del Rossellino, a street named after the 2 famous sculptors brothers Rossellino of the Renaissance.

It might look calm and quiet but Settignano streets are boiling with stories.

In fact, Via del Rossellino is taking through olive groves, till a big villa Gamberaia.

This huge villa might remind you of the great ancient Renaissance past but in fact it was used by the nazis during the Italian occupation and there are stories that years later in the olive groves was common to find burned maps of the Florence territory used by the Nazis.

Continuing along this road, we arrive at a church used to services on Sunday. In the area there are many monasteries and it’s common to see nouns and monks walking.

This road, it’s really an old one and you can see it for its sneaky shape and because it’s running along the hills between the top and the river. They are called vie di mezzomonte.

HIking in Tuscany, along the rolling hills is common to find these roads built by the etruscan and kept used by all those that came after.

Etruscans in Florence & Tuscany

Etruscans in Florence

Carrying on the road I reached a cross, called The big cross of the mountain.

It is important at this point to explain to you another aspect of being an old road. There are numerous crosses or virgin mary niches and lots of lots of water. Remember water for the Etruscan it has had a divine power and Mother nature was their main divination. It was called UNI and she was generating life. Before the virgin Mary arrived the belief of Iside. After the Iside cult many black statues of mother nature appeared in Tuscany and not only here. Iside and the black statues of Mother nature were replaced by the statues of the Virgin Mary. And so wherever you find a road with lots of water and Virgin Mary niches you have a big chance that you are hiking on an ancient road.

Anyway, after the brief explanation of the main Etruscan god of gods, let’s back to the hike in Tuscany.

After the big Cross on top of the mountain you pass by the cemetery of Terenzo. From here you start your descent towards Compiobbi.

The part around Terenzo cemetery is super pretty and very tuscan. Narrow cobbled stone path and the pretty old church of San Martino in Terenzo.

It’s a heaven place along the hike, where you can definitely stop for a picnic or a drink.

On Sunday the church is open so you can visit even the inside. I didn’t have the opportunity to do it because it was closed.

Right after the church of San Martino in Terenzo, you keep on walking along great tuscan olive groves.

You spot big villas here and there and if you train your eyes you can spot ancient towers (transformed in houses) built in the high medieval times to patrol the Arno and the valley.

At the end you reach, going down Compiobbi.

All of this is part of Sentiero 1 Cai Firenze. Settignano To Compiobbi. Hiking in Tuscany.

Compiobbi back to Settignano, hiking in Tuscany

Compiobbi Back to Settignano.

Me lost in the woods

Once I arrived in Compiobbi the path signs disappeared and I missed a turn ending lost for a while.

My phone was down and my map was too large to understand the area in details as I need it.

I found the path and crossed through some private houses. Nobody knows how private these roads are.

I think mostly became private roads without any rights to be private, but if nobody stops them they will keep on closing roads avoiding hikers to walk through.

Hey as a member of the Cai Firenze I have pointed this to the club and I’m waiting for their news.

So I started hiking through woods, and in winter it is easier. No bugs, no snakes, no spiders, just woods.

While I was wondering to find my way cutting through the forest I found many holes and spring water. The holes in the ground were very unusual and I know in the area there were Etruscans and their tombs. Maybe I have discovered something or maybe it’s just my little archaeology soul inside me to fantasticate about it.

Anyway I told some experts to see if we can go together to find out more.

Continuing about the hike, I managed to escape from the deep woods and I saw 5 fallow deer with their whitish skin.

Arriving back on the track I walked down from Poggio Bagazzano towards Terenzano again and continued along the same path I took on the way to Compiobbi but this time towards Settignano.

Back in settignano I definitely enjoyed a cold beer in a bar in the square.

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