Guidebook for Monsummano Terme
Sightseeing
Birthplace of the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci. It's s a perfect place to spend a day full of culture, as well as its endless vineyards and olive groves.
There are plenty of things to see in Vinci and many of them are related to Leonardo’s life: the house in which he was born, just 3 kilometres from Vinci in the middle of the countryside, the church where he was baptised, and the museum and the library that take his name.
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Vinci
Birthplace of the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci. It's s a perfect place to spend a day full of culture, as well as its endless vineyards and olive groves.
There are plenty of things to see in Vinci and many of them are related to Leonardo’s life: the house in which he was born, just 3 kilometres from Vinci in the middle of the countryside, the church where he was baptised, and the museum and the library that take his name.
Parks & Nature
Collodi: a small town not far Monsummano Terme, you can visit the very original Pinocchio Park dedicated to the famous long-nosed marionette.
The park is set up completely outdoors. Walking inside the large garden, surrounded by the well-cared after vegetation, you’ll find all the main protagonists of the story: Pinocchio, the Fairy with Turquoise Hair, the Cat and the Fox and many other characters from the novel virtually accompany visitors and remind them some of the most relevant passages of the book.
The Park of Pinocchio is an enchanted place, with an almost retro style atmosphere. So do not expect special effects or high technology attractions . Here, the offering is to stroll among several great bronze sculptures and others works by several artists that have been added to the garden ever since it first opening in 1956 up to today.
One of the most beautiful attractions of the Pinocchio park is without a doubt the great dogfish shark that, in the story, first swallows Pinocchio’s father, Geppetto, and later the boy puppet as well. Overlooking a pretty pond, this large concrete animal emits long splashes of water at regular intervals.
You shouldn’t miss entering the shark! After a quick zig-zag between its large and "sharp" teeth, you will be straight in the shark’s belly. Then going up a few but narrow steps, you’ ll come right up to the head of the animal, where you can enjoy a beautiful view all over the garden.
A very nice corner we recommend finding is the little ivy maze, where children and playful adults can have fun competing to get out first.
Dedicated to the youngest, you’ll find some traditional carousels, didactic laboratories organized by the park’s staff, a little puppet theater, a castle of ropes, giant chess board and other games around the garden.
Inside the park is both a cafe/bar and a small picnic area, ideal for a meal, snack or short break.
Just outside the garden you’ll find the restaurant Gambero Rosso or other bars for those who prefer a quick lunch.
The entrance tickets to the Pinocchio Park are actually not that cheap (11 euros for adults and 8 euros for kids during high season), but I think the visit is very enjoyable, especially on warm, sunny days that allow to fully live the experience. Free entrance for children under 3 years old.
The Garzoni Garden and The Butterfly House
If you have time, consider combining your visit to the Pinocchio Park with two other nearby attractions: the Garzoni Garden and the Butterfly House, located a few minutes walk away. It's is one of the most beautiful gardens in Italy: manicured walkways, flower beds, fountains with traditional water games and towering statues will accompany you along a charming and, at the same time, relaxing walk.
The Butterfly House is a large greenhouse where you'll find an exotic garden populated by thousands of colorful tropical butterflies. It is open from March through October.
In high season, a special ticket allows you to visit the Pinocchio Park, the Garzoni Garden and the Butterfly Garden at the cost of 20 euros for the full ticket and 16 euros for the reduced.
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Collodi
Collodi: a small town not far Monsummano Terme, you can visit the very original Pinocchio Park dedicated to the famous long-nosed marionette.
The park is set up completely outdoors. Walking inside the large garden, surrounded by the well-cared after vegetation, you’ll find all the main protagonists of the story: Pinocchio, the Fairy with Turquoise Hair, the Cat and the Fox and many other characters from the novel virtually accompany visitors and remind them some of the most relevant passages of the book.
The Park of Pinocchio is an enchanted place, with an almost retro style atmosphere. So do not expect special effects or high technology attractions . Here, the offering is to stroll among several great bronze sculptures and others works by several artists that have been added to the garden ever since it first opening in 1956 up to today.
One of the most beautiful attractions of the Pinocchio park is without a doubt the great dogfish shark that, in the story, first swallows Pinocchio’s father, Geppetto, and later the boy puppet as well. Overlooking a pretty pond, this large concrete animal emits long splashes of water at regular intervals.
You shouldn’t miss entering the shark! After a quick zig-zag between its large and "sharp" teeth, you will be straight in the shark’s belly. Then going up a few but narrow steps, you’ ll come right up to the head of the animal, where you can enjoy a beautiful view all over the garden.
A very nice corner we recommend finding is the little ivy maze, where children and playful adults can have fun competing to get out first.
Dedicated to the youngest, you’ll find some traditional carousels, didactic laboratories organized by the park’s staff, a little puppet theater, a castle of ropes, giant chess board and other games around the garden.
Inside the park is both a cafe/bar and a small picnic area, ideal for a meal, snack or short break.
Just outside the garden you’ll find the restaurant Gambero Rosso or other bars for those who prefer a quick lunch.
The entrance tickets to the Pinocchio Park are actually not that cheap (11 euros for adults and 8 euros for kids during high season), but I think the visit is very enjoyable, especially on warm, sunny days that allow to fully live the experience. Free entrance for children under 3 years old.
The Garzoni Garden and The Butterfly House
If you have time, consider combining your visit to the Pinocchio Park with two other nearby attractions: the Garzoni Garden and the Butterfly House, located a few minutes walk away. It's is one of the most beautiful gardens in Italy: manicured walkways, flower beds, fountains with traditional water games and towering statues will accompany you along a charming and, at the same time, relaxing walk.
The Butterfly House is a large greenhouse where you'll find an exotic garden populated by thousands of colorful tropical butterflies. It is open from March through October.
In high season, a special ticket allows you to visit the Pinocchio Park, the Garzoni Garden and the Butterfly Garden at the cost of 20 euros for the full ticket and 16 euros for the reduced.
LE MORETTE: This trail is particularly suitable for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.
The trail starts at the Castelmartini Visitors’ Centre that provides plenty of documentation on the wetlands: photographic exhibitions on the flora and fauna, local handiwork made from the marshland grasses and a well supplied library.
From here follow the road signs for the Nature Reserve. The route follows a panoramic road as far as the Morette Harbour, where it is best to leave your car before reaching the bridge. This harbour in the Marshes is one of the few cases of a four-sided structure built of bricks on three sides, showing how important the little port once was, serving as more than just a local berthing.
The walk through the marshland basin begins after the bridge over the Terzo Canal. In front, set in the middle of a Poplar stand, is the Criachi Hut, where a plaque commemorates the victims of the holocaust.
Continuing northwards along the banks of the canal, you will find the educational panels for the Provincial "Le Morette" Nature Reserve. Through careful management and restoration, the Province of Pistoia has recreated favourable environmental conditions for stop-over and breeding grounds for many species of birds.
After several more hundred metres stands the Green (or Biagiotti) Hut that has been refurbished into a wildlife observatory. Look through the slits of the screens for a view of the stretches of open waters inside the Reserve, with their margins protected by extensive reed beds.
Opposite the observatory, during the spring and summer months, some of the emerging bushes and the large reed thicket support the heronry, with nests belonging to seven different species of heron; in the autumn and winter the pools of water are home instead to thousands of ducks, coots and other overwintering water birds.
The best time of the year to visit the Reserve is Spring, from March to the first half of June. In the summer the best times are dawn and dusk to avoid the hottest hours of the day. From September to January the best days of the week are Tuesday and Friday (when hunting is prohibited) because the Reserve is surrounded by areas where hunting is permitted
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Centro di Ricerca, Documentazione e Promozione del Padule di Fucecchio
115 Via Don Franco MalucchiLE MORETTE: This trail is particularly suitable for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.
The trail starts at the Castelmartini Visitors’ Centre that provides plenty of documentation on the wetlands: photographic exhibitions on the flora and fauna, local handiwork made from the marshland grasses and a well supplied library.
From here follow the road signs for the Nature Reserve. The route follows a panoramic road as far as the Morette Harbour, where it is best to leave your car before reaching the bridge. This harbour in the Marshes is one of the few cases of a four-sided structure built of bricks on three sides, showing how important the little port once was, serving as more than just a local berthing.
The walk through the marshland basin begins after the bridge over the Terzo Canal. In front, set in the middle of a Poplar stand, is the Criachi Hut, where a plaque commemorates the victims of the holocaust.
Continuing northwards along the banks of the canal, you will find the educational panels for the Provincial "Le Morette" Nature Reserve. Through careful management and restoration, the Province of Pistoia has recreated favourable environmental conditions for stop-over and breeding grounds for many species of birds.
After several more hundred metres stands the Green (or Biagiotti) Hut that has been refurbished into a wildlife observatory. Look through the slits of the screens for a view of the stretches of open waters inside the Reserve, with their margins protected by extensive reed beds.
Opposite the observatory, during the spring and summer months, some of the emerging bushes and the large reed thicket support the heronry, with nests belonging to seven different species of heron; in the autumn and winter the pools of water are home instead to thousands of ducks, coots and other overwintering water birds.
The best time of the year to visit the Reserve is Spring, from March to the first half of June. In the summer the best times are dawn and dusk to avoid the hottest hours of the day. From September to January the best days of the week are Tuesday and Friday (when hunting is prohibited) because the Reserve is surrounded by areas where hunting is permitted
Shopping
There is a local market every Monday morning, in the main square, where you can find vendors selling all kinds of goods: from clothing to food.
The market is kind of a tradition. Certain vendors have been there since last generation. People in the village come here to buy fresh food and vegetables for the whole week.
Piazza Giuseppe Giusti
Piazza Giuseppe GiustiThere is a local market every Monday morning, in the main square, where you can find vendors selling all kinds of goods: from clothing to food.
The market is kind of a tradition. Certain vendors have been there since last generation. People in the village come here to buy fresh food and vegetables for the whole week.
Getting Around
Montevettolini is a charming medieval village.The walls steeped in history retain the charm of streets, alleys, views, palaces and ancient churches, and you’ll be catapulted into the past. Walking through the narrow streets you can enjoy superb views. It seems that time has stopped.Everything is well preserved: the Town Hall, the Church of San Michele Arcangelo dated XII-XIII with the Bell Tower. The center of the town was the seat of power and it remains intact in every detail.Throughout the year, many events are organized in Montevettolini, such as the well known Medieval Feast. During this feast the village comes alive with characters such as fire eaters, musicians and minstrels.Also cultural associations organize amazing falconry shows
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Montevettolini
Montevettolini is a charming medieval village.The walls steeped in history retain the charm of streets, alleys, views, palaces and ancient churches, and you’ll be catapulted into the past. Walking through the narrow streets you can enjoy superb views. It seems that time has stopped.Everything is well preserved: the Town Hall, the Church of San Michele Arcangelo dated XII-XIII with the Bell Tower. The center of the town was the seat of power and it remains intact in every detail.Throughout the year, many events are organized in Montevettolini, such as the well known Medieval Feast. During this feast the village comes alive with characters such as fire eaters, musicians and minstrels.Also cultural associations organize amazing falconry shows
Buggiano Castello, a medieval village of just one hundred and fifty inhabitants.Their presence in the village is due to the breath of particular warm currents of air, which create a unique microclimate. They watch over the intimacy of local gardens, which aren’t called secret by chance. Small plots of land cultivated with love by the owners are hidden in enclosures within the walls of the houses. The gardens are revealed only once every two years, when they are opened to the public during the festival called “the countryside within the walls” (this year on the first and the eighth of May). On those days a sort of competition arises between the owners: each garden is decorated and the guests are greeted with soft music and themed foods, accompanied by the warm wind, the scent of flowers, the smell of oranges and lemons, and the sound of musical instruments and chatter.
Its walls, pierced only by two small doors, hide a rich history and the charm of bygone times. Steep cobbled streets lead visitors into the atmosphere of another era: the crown of this peculiar medieval village lies in the beautiful Piazza Pretoria and the parish churches of St. Nicolao and St. Lorenzo. Even more particular are the citrus fruits, which almost make you feel lost, since they are rarely found at these latitudes.
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Buggiano Castello
1 Piazza PretorioBuggiano Castello, a medieval village of just one hundred and fifty inhabitants.Their presence in the village is due to the breath of particular warm currents of air, which create a unique microclimate. They watch over the intimacy of local gardens, which aren’t called secret by chance. Small plots of land cultivated with love by the owners are hidden in enclosures within the walls of the houses. The gardens are revealed only once every two years, when they are opened to the public during the festival called “the countryside within the walls” (this year on the first and the eighth of May). On those days a sort of competition arises between the owners: each garden is decorated and the guests are greeted with soft music and themed foods, accompanied by the warm wind, the scent of flowers, the smell of oranges and lemons, and the sound of musical instruments and chatter.
Its walls, pierced only by two small doors, hide a rich history and the charm of bygone times. Steep cobbled streets lead visitors into the atmosphere of another era: the crown of this peculiar medieval village lies in the beautiful Piazza Pretoria and the parish churches of St. Nicolao and St. Lorenzo. Even more particular are the citrus fruits, which almost make you feel lost, since they are rarely found at these latitudes.
It's a sweet little medieval hamlet with special nooks and cranies just waiting for you to discover their secreets.
If the weather is beautiful, you may just find a bit of difficulty to park the car in the city center because this is a place that doesn’t only attract visitors from beyond the borders of Italy but it is also a place where the locals come to admire the magnificent view of Valdinievole.
Set on two hills, Montecatini Alto, sits proud and invites you to explore. On one side you will find the Rocca di Castello Vecchio, the Church of St. Peter (the original church of Montecatini) and the Tower of Campanaria. Instead, on the opposite hill you will find the Torre dell’Orologio and the Church of the Carmine in a distinct Baroque style.
To wander around Montecatini Alto translates into a sensory pleasure for both the eyes as well as the palate. The main sqaure, in fact, is rich with restaurants and little place where you can taste a good wine while dining on dishes made with traditional Tuscan recipes. This is just the place that lends itself to a brisk winter afternoon for a comfortable environment and a deliciously warm cup of hot chocolate (like I have done so many times!)
If you prefer, starting the week before Easter till the 31 of October, you can take a CABLE CAR to the top of the hill. It was inaugurated in 1898 and connects the historic part of the town (the Station Monte) to the thermal waters before (the Station Valle). There are two cable cars called, Gigio and Gigia, which will carry you back and forth in just 8 minutes. Pulled up by a steel cable, these carts even once carried the great composer Giuseppe Verde to the very top so that he could enjoy the quiet environment and spend a little bit of free time with his friends in the little piazzas that characterize the center.
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Montecatini Alto
It's a sweet little medieval hamlet with special nooks and cranies just waiting for you to discover their secreets.
If the weather is beautiful, you may just find a bit of difficulty to park the car in the city center because this is a place that doesn’t only attract visitors from beyond the borders of Italy but it is also a place where the locals come to admire the magnificent view of Valdinievole.
Set on two hills, Montecatini Alto, sits proud and invites you to explore. On one side you will find the Rocca di Castello Vecchio, the Church of St. Peter (the original church of Montecatini) and the Tower of Campanaria. Instead, on the opposite hill you will find the Torre dell’Orologio and the Church of the Carmine in a distinct Baroque style.
To wander around Montecatini Alto translates into a sensory pleasure for both the eyes as well as the palate. The main sqaure, in fact, is rich with restaurants and little place where you can taste a good wine while dining on dishes made with traditional Tuscan recipes. This is just the place that lends itself to a brisk winter afternoon for a comfortable environment and a deliciously warm cup of hot chocolate (like I have done so many times!)
If you prefer, starting the week before Easter till the 31 of October, you can take a CABLE CAR to the top of the hill. It was inaugurated in 1898 and connects the historic part of the town (the Station Monte) to the thermal waters before (the Station Valle). There are two cable cars called, Gigio and Gigia, which will carry you back and forth in just 8 minutes. Pulled up by a steel cable, these carts even once carried the great composer Giuseppe Verde to the very top so that he could enjoy the quiet environment and spend a little bit of free time with his friends in the little piazzas that characterize the center.
Entertainment & Activities
Enjoy the hot spring pools of the Grotta Giusti thermal spa.
The main swimming pool is 750 m² in size, and features some of the latest fixtures to help you relax and unwind, including a series of four-spout hydro-massage jets and the natural waterfall massage.
The water set at a calming 34°C, is rich in bicarbonate, sulphate, calcium and magnesium, which is beneficial to the body. It also features 40 hydro-massage stations for a relaxing massage around every corner.
Experience also the unique thermal cave bath, a marvel of nature that stretches for more than two hundred meters below the resort. Divided into three distinctly named areas called Heaven, Purgatory and Hell, there’s a wonderfully exciting experience.
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Grotta Giusti
1411 Via della Grotta GiustiEnjoy the hot spring pools of the Grotta Giusti thermal spa.
The main swimming pool is 750 m² in size, and features some of the latest fixtures to help you relax and unwind, including a series of four-spout hydro-massage jets and the natural waterfall massage.
The water set at a calming 34°C, is rich in bicarbonate, sulphate, calcium and magnesium, which is beneficial to the body. It also features 40 hydro-massage stations for a relaxing massage around every corner.
Experience also the unique thermal cave bath, a marvel of nature that stretches for more than two hundred meters below the resort. Divided into three distinctly named areas called Heaven, Purgatory and Hell, there’s a wonderfully exciting experience.