Acquaviva, Castellacciola, Ca’ Metrogno, Montelabreve and Gorgoscura are among the small rural hamlets where signs of human presence can still be glimpsed, and where, between bends and ascents, one can stop to admire beautiful vistas.

From the Strada della Luna, trekking and mountain bike routes set off — including the Sentiero dei Contrabbandieri (Smugglers’ Trail) and the Sentieri della Linea Gotica (Gothic Line Trails), which recount the events of the Second World War that was fought in these very lands; other routes lead to the waterfalls of the Presalino or those of the Gorgoscura valley.

(We always recommend visiting our website or contacting us for further and up-to-date information on the trails and their current conditions.)

The Via dei Biozzi is one of the transhumance routes, the easternmost in Tuscany, descending from the Tuscan-Romagnol Apennines down to the Maremma. It takes its name from the Biozzi family, the largest landowners and livestock farmers of the Upper Val Marecchia: originally from Bagno di Romagna, they held lands, herds and flocks throughout the area, but above all in the territory of Badia Tedalda, where their largest estate was located at Viamaggio. It was from the Viamaggio farm that every September thousands of sheep — along with cattle and horses — set off on a journey that would bring them to the Maremma in ten days.

The itinerary that follows this ancient route stretches for 230 km, passing through the provinces of Arezzo, Siena and Grosseto.

The woodland is home to birds such as the woodpecker and birds of prey such as the buzzard and the sparrowhawk. At dusk it is easy to encounter roe deer leaving the safety of the forest in search of grasses and shoots.

From Pratieghi, a circular nature trail sets off through the protected area, also leading to the source of the River Marecchia. The source lies on the slopes of Monte Zucca, at an altitude of 930 metres, in the midst of a dense beech forest. Before flowing into the Adriatic Sea near Rimini, the River Marecchia travels approximately 70 kilometres through the surrounding territory, lending its name to the valley and marking the geographical boundary between northern and central Italy.

From generation to generation, popular memory has passed down its “favolelli” — ironic tales in which the village’s inhabitants gently and playfully poke fun at themselves (see “Il Paese sul Paradiso”, published by Pro Loco Badia Tedalda). In 1998, Montebotolino was the focus of a conference held in Badia Tedalda, attended by authorities and representatives from Tuscan localities that share an identical tradition.

The University of Padua subsequently launched a research project into this distinctive oral culture across various European countries, known as the Arianna Programme, funded by the European Union. The project highlighted the similarities present in the collective oral heritage of peoples from the shores of the Mediterranean to those of the Baltic, specifically researching texts similar to those of Montebotolino on the theme of “simpletons” and their behaviour. Stories have so far been found in France, Denmark and Finland (see “Tutto il mondo è paese” — (Every Country is the Same)).

The technique of cooking pasta on a flat stone heated over a fire reflects the nomadic lifestyle of those who used it: finding a suitable stone slab on the spot was certainly more practical than carrying cooking vessels for boiling water. This connects naturally to the theme of transhumance — the seasonal migration of flocks which in this area moved from Sestino, Badia Tedalda and the fields around Pieve towards the Tuscan Maremma.

This journey took place at the beginning of the warm season, in search of cool areas where green pastures could be found for the livestock. At the onset of the cold season, the flocks would move once again towards the warmer lowlands. All of this took place along ancient droving paths known as tratturi (transhumance trails). The journey lasted several days, with stops at established locations known as “stazioni di posta” (staging posts), or more simply “poste”.