Reaching the Rural Outskirts of Florence

It was a beautiful sunny winter day, calling me for an afternoon hike. The southwest of Florence was still an unexplored area on my personal map, so I went for it. About three hours on mostly flat, paved walkways and sidewalks, starting from Ponte alla Vittoria. The start of the hike was very familiar, along the southern banks of the Arno. The path is pleasant and mostly shaded, a straight shot towards Ponte dell’Indiano in a less trafficked side of the river while watching the joggers and bikers going by in Parco delle Cascine.

Reaching Parco dell’Argingrosso, I glanced at the turbid waters of the Arno one more time before entering the park. The Argingrosso is not as large nor as charming as the Cascine, but it makes for a good area to walk around. I quickly crossed it heading into the direction of the underpass of Ponte dell’Indiano, which opens up to a nondescript, industrial part of town. Bulldozers mine sand from the Arno banks around here, and it is still used for construction in town.

It is not the prettiest stretch — quiet and a bit deserted between the river and the railway — and I met the same scenery again later on the way back from Mantignano to Cintoia: an ugly part of town that, frankly, smells awful. Don’t let it put you off, though, because what lies beyond is worth it.

Mantignano is a charming, sleepy little neighborhood of small houses on the left bank of the Arno. This is Florence’s suburbia. Next comes Ugnano, and with it rural Florence: plenty of vegetable gardens and greenhouses. It is a lovely area, and on a clear day the views of Monte Morello and the Calvana to the north are really beautiful. One word of warning: I wouldn’t recommend walking here in the summer, as there is hardly any shade.

It was nice to walk through these less-explored corners of Florence — Mantignano and Ugnano — that still keep an untouched, small-village feel.

From Castelnuovo I turned back to Mantignano, and crossed the Greve river again to reach San Bartolo a Cintoia, another residential area and more urban part of the walk. It is a nice laid-back neighborhood with some scenic stops, small chapels and the church of Santa Maria a Cintoia, with its square bell tower and a lovely loggia. The scooters and regular traffic make me miss the fresh air and quiet I had just enjoyed across the river, so this is not as reinvigorating of a stretch.

The park of Villa Vogel makes for a good place to finish our stroll and people watch a bit, before heading to the tram within walking distance for the ride back to the centre of Florence – or to walk back all the way if you still have the energy. The prominent Capponi family built this estate in the 13th century, but the current name comes from a Swiss family who acquired it in 1923. The building was largely abandoned after the World Wars, and the family eventually donated it to the city, thus its present status as a municipal park.

All in all, this afternoon walk showed me a side of Florence few visitors ever see: the shaded southern banks of the Arno, the Parco dell’Argingrosso, the quiet village of Mantignano and the plowed fields of Ugnano with the Apennines on the horizon, alongside some industrial corners best walked through quickly. Pick a clear winter day, and this part of Florence will surprise you.

Bus and train timetables in Tuscany change often. If you find a line has changed or a stop has moved, please let other hikers know in the comments below!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Come back for more, and let me know what you think. Have you explored this quieter side of Florence yet?