Vallombrosa is a

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

which indicates both a

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

and a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'', located within this forest, in the territory of the Commune of Reggello, in the

Metropolitan City of Florence The Metropolitan City of Florence ( it, Città Metropolitana di Firenze) is an administrative division called Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city in the Tuscany region, Italy. Its capital is the city of Florence. It replaced the Provin ...

, in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

region of

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

. The village of Vallombrosa ("shaded valley") lies among forests, and was originally the location of a hermitage dedicated to Santa Maria d'Acquabella. Later, the large

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

Vallombrosa Abbey Vallombrosa is a Benedictine abbey in the ''comune'' of Reggello (Tuscany, Italy), about 30 km south-east of Florence, in the Apennines, surrounded by forests of beech and firs. It was founded by Florentine nobleman Giovanni Gualberto in ...

was built and remains a major landmark of the region. The Reggello Vallombrosa meteorological station is located there. In the Vallombrosa area lies a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

of the same name, as well as the renowned Vallombrosa Arboretum and a vast lawn, very popular in the summer period, especially by the inhabitants of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

looking for rustic relaxation.

Vallombrosa as a tourist destination

The fame of the Vallombrosa-Saltino complex as a health resort was born in the second half of 19th century, and reached its peak at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks in part to the railway Sant'Ellero-Saltino, long since abandoned. Italy's annexation of

Trentino Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...

following WWI led to a decided loss of interest for Vallombrosa and Saltino, as Italian vacationers preferred the new Alpine destinations, relegating those two vacation spots to a local interest. Despite this constant decline, the town seemed to find, starting in 1960, a tourist revitalization with the construction of a

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...

on the peak of the neighboring Monte Secchieta. The natural ski area that was created allowed Vallombrosa, thanks to its proximity to

, to offer an elitist tourist image compared to other mountain tourist resorts in Tuscany. The closure of the ski facilities, which took place in 1988, was not followed up, partially due to lively controversy over the environmental damage that might result from invasive plant species. The closure left the site without the possibility of offering alternatives to tourists in the winter period.

The forest

After the creation of the Kingdom of Italy, the Vallombrosa forest was transferred to the State and in 1977 it was declared a Biogenetic Nature Reserve. Until 2016, it was managed by the State Forestry Corps and subsequently by the Biodiversity Department of the Vallombrosa Carabinieri. Today is a Protected Natural Area of 1,279 hectares where there are numerous hiking trails many of which are also suitable for horseback riding or mountain biking. The trail network is connected with the paths of the Forest of Sant'Antonio, with the bottom valley of the Upper Valdarno and with the Park of the Casentino Forests. The Reserve hosts the Experimental Arboretums and the tallest tree in Italy, a 62.45-meter tall Douglas fir called "The Italian Tree King."

In art

* Pala di Vallombrosa,

Pietro Perugino Pietro Perugino (, ; – 1523), born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael was his most famous pupil. Ea ...

(1500) *Wall

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

in Grossi Florentino, executed by students of Napier Waller under supervision

References

External links

* *
Visit Reggello
Reggello Forests of Italy Nature reserves in Italy {{Tuscany-geo-stub

Vallombrosa as a tourist destination

The forest

In art

See also

References

External links