Art is observation

Day dreaming in Castelfiorentino

URBAN TREKKING ROUTE FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

An excursion to discover the charm still preserved by the oldest places in Castelfiorentino. You will have the chance to visit ancient streets off the beaten tourist track, to familiarize with the characters who have animated its history poised between legend and reality, as well as the most significant buildings.
The itinerary starts from BeGo museum and it winds through the streets of the old town with the Town Hall, the College of Saints Leonardo and Lorenzo which was once a meeting room of the City Hall and the Public Square which had been chosen by Florence and Siena to sign the famous peace treaty after the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. Through the narrow streets with their atmosphere of times gone by we come across the house of Saint Verdiana, the town’s venerated patron saint, until we reach the highest point of old Castelfiorentino, where, surrounded by its Medieval Walls, the Parish Church of Saints Ippolito and Biagio has preserved its evocative Romanesque structure intact. From the Belvedere, your eyes roam over the Valdelsa, until they spot the Valdera and the impressive towers of San Gimignano. From here, the descent continues across the secondary city walls of Castelfiorentino, where we meet the legendary character of Membrino, the brave soldier who prevented the warlord Francesco Ferrucci from attacking Castelfiorentino. Then we turn into Guazza Borrana to relive the atmospheres of the ancient pilgrims and travellers who used to frequent the area. The verses by Terino, a Castelfiorentino poet who lived at the time of Dante, will accompany us down towards the historical town centre.
The excursion is guided and pleasantly commented with interesting information on the landscape, natural surroundings and historical-artistic facts by the staff of the Benozzo Gozzoli Museum.

Length of the excursion: about 1 km. Difficulty: EE (simple)
Excursion time: 2 hours
Price: 2,00 € per participant

In the footsteps of Benozzo Gozzoli, Cosimo Rosselli and Neri di Bicci – Walking on the Via Francigena

URBAN TREKKING EXCURSION FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The excursion starts from the museum where the frescoes of two monumental tabernacles painted by Benozzo Gozzoli for Castelfiorentino in the late 15th century are preserved today. By crossing the Bridge over the river Elsa as we leave the museum and following the riverbank on the left, we will enter the valley floor of Via Francigena, until finding ourselves immersed in the fifteenth century atmosphere created by small churches and local villages which, even today, safeguard precious objects of inestimable value. From Santa Maria to Lungotuono, which hosts the precious panel of Madonna del Latte (1471) by Cosimo Rosselli, we reach a little chapel known as Madonna della Tosse, where the eponymous frescoes used to be – now kept in the BeGo museum – and where even today the sinopias (underdrawings) by Benozzo Gozzoli continue to fascinate visitors. The last stretch of a short climb takes us to the small village of Castelnuovo d’Elsa, to draw breath and admire the amazing fresco painted by Paolo Schiavo in the Church of Saints Lorenzo and Barbara. The excursion is guided and pleasantly commented with interesting information on the landscape, natural surroundings and historical-artistic facts by the staff of the Benozzo Gozzoli museum.

Length of the excursion: about 6 km. Return by shuttle; difficulty: EE (simple)
Excursion time: 2 hours and a half, stops included
Price: 3,00 € per participant