Visitors to Florence in the Winter can warm themselves with a coffee in one of the city’s famous historical bars, many of which have rich Risorgimento or avant-garde traditions. One can almost feel the rebellious spirit of the Futurists, or the melancholy air of the poets and the artists who made these bars so famous. At dusk the flowing water of the Arno is illuminated by street lamps. Upstream of Florence are San Giovanni, Terranuova and Montevarchi. These ‘Terre Nuove’ were built by the Florentine Republic to protect and guard the city from the Ghibellini of Arezzo. Arezzo, like Siena, was an enemy of Florence – just as Petrarca is the rival of Dante in schools today.
Arezzo is known as the city of gold and it is here that every month, among the historic, aristocratic buildings, an antiques fair is held. Arezzo is situated right on the main highway to Rome and marks the end of the Chiana Valley, home to the famous Chianina breed of cows. These cows provide us with the much sought-after bistecca Fiorentina, or Florentine steak. To the north of the town is the wide Casentino Valley with its typical and characteristic castles. For example, there are the battlements of the castle in Poppi, where Dante spent his time in exile. There’s also Pratovecchio (an ancient harbor on the Arno) and Stia. Further north are the church and castle of Romena, both of which are haunted by secrets and myths. However, the most interesting part of the Casentino area is undoubtedly the more mountainous part. Much of the forest here is protected as part of the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi (the National Park of the Casentino Forests). This area has always been a little off the beaten track and so over the centuries it has managed to preserve its hermitages and castles incredibly well. To visit this part of Tuscany is to take a step back in time.
The short Winter days are brightened up by the lively colors and sounds of Viareggio’s world famous Carnival. The enormous satirical floats which parade the seafront are like an explosion of sheer joy. In the Winter, the mountains of Pistoia are at their best, offering great skiing on numerous pistes and an excellent network of ski lifts. The forests here are rich with fir trees, larch and pine. In the Summer these slopes are great for hiking, whereas in the Winter they provide the perfect backdrop for sports such as cross-country skiing.
The Apuane Alps have a different history altogether. Their peaks are white both for the snow and for the famous marble which has been mined here for centuries and which helped make Michelangelo famous. From the top of the Apuane Alps, visitors can go down to the Lunigiana region which has been called ‘little Scotland’, and where it’s possible to sample delicious testaroli pasta with pesto. The city of Lucca, with its ancient monumental walls, is also not far from here.
