Barberino di Mugello
Barberino di Mugello is a small town in the Metropolitan City of Florence, set among the hills of the Mugello area in the Tuscan-E...
Updated 19 July 2026
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What to do in Barberino di Mugello now
The story
The story of Barberino di Mugello
Introduction and location
Barberino di Mugello lies in the northern part of the Metropolitan City of Florence, within the Mugello basin, a hilly and mountainous area crossed by the Sieve river and its tributaries. The municipal territory rises toward the Apennine ridges that mark the border with Emilia-Romagna, while the A1 motorway and the high-speed railway connect it quickly to Florence and Bologna. This hinge position has always made Barberino a strategic passage between Tuscany and the Po plain, and today it is also valued as a quiet base for exploring the Mugello area.
History and origins
The origins of Barberino di Mugello date back to the Middle Ages, when the settlement developed as a fortified centre along the routes linking Florence to the Po valley through the Apennine passes. Drawn into the orbit of the Florentine Republic, it long held an administrative role for the wider Mugello area, still testified today by the Palazzo Pretorio in the historic centre, its façade decorated with the coats of arms of the families and podestà who governed the town over the centuries. The town's history is intertwined with the broader story of Renaissance Tuscany, of which the Mugello was the ancestral homeland for several important Florentine families.
Nature and landscape
The landscape around Barberino di Mugello alternates cultivated hills, chestnut and beech woods, and broad green stretches along the Sieve river. Its most distinctive natural feature is Lake Bilancino, a large artificial reservoir created to regulate the river's waters and supply the Florence area, which over the years has become a hub for outdoor activities such as sailing, canoeing and walking along its shores. Climbing toward the Apennine ridges, the scenery grows wilder, with woodland trails that turn warm autumn colours typical of the Tuscan mountains.
What to do and see
The historic centre of Barberino di Mugello can be explored on foot in a short time, among narrow lanes, remains of the old town walls and the aforementioned Palazzo Pretorio. Just outside the village, Lake Bilancino offers equipped beaches, cycling and walking paths, and water sports facilities, making it an ideal destination for families in the warmer months. For shopping lovers, Barberino is also home to a large fashion outlet visited by both Italian and international travellers. In the surrounding area, the Mugello woods invite hiking, horseback riding and cycling trips along scenic roads climbing toward the Apennines.
Flavours and traditions
The cuisine of Barberino di Mugello is rooted in the area's rural and mountain traditions: chestnuts and chestnut flour, porcini mushrooms gathered in the nearby woods, the locally grown Mugello potato, and home-produced cured meats form a simple, genuine culinary repertoire. Typical Mugello dishes, such as legume soups and first courses based on spelt or chestnuts, are often paired with pecorino cheeses and a good glass of Tuscan wine. Village festivals tied to seasonal produce remain the best occasion to taste these flavours in their original setting.
Not to be missed
- Historic centre of Barberino di Mugello with the Palazzo Pretorio
- Lake Bilancino for water sports and lakeside walks
- Woods and hiking trails toward the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines
- Fashion outlet on the edge of town
- Typical Mugello products: chestnuts, porcini mushrooms and the IGP potato
To see
What to see in Barberino di Mugello
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Barberino di Mugello
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