Reggello
Reggello is a Tuscan municipality in the province of Florence, stretched between the upper Arno valley and the slopes of the Prato...
Updated 21 July 2026
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What to do in Reggello now
The story
The story of Reggello
Reggello: between the Pratomagno and the Valdarno
Reggello lies in the province of Florence, Tuscany, spread across the western slopes of the Pratomagno massif, the Apennine ridge that divides the upper Arno valley from the Casentino. Its municipal territory, extensive and scattered across many hillside hamlets, overlooks the Arno valley from above, offering views that stretch from mountain woodlands down to the vineyards and olive groves of the plain below. Just a short distance from Florence and from the main town of the Valdarno, Reggello balances rural life with easy access to major cities, set within a classic Tuscan landscape of hills, old villages and wide green horizons.
History and origins
Reggello's origins date back to the Middle Ages, when the territory was dotted with castles, parish churches and fortified settlements linked to the routes connecting the Valdarno to the Casentino and eastern Tuscany. The Vallombrosan monastic order, founded by Saint John Gualbert, played a leading role, choosing the woods above Reggello as the site of its mother house and creating a spiritual and economic centre that shaped local communities for centuries. In later centuries, noble Florentine families built villas and residences across the surrounding countryside, some of which still survive today as evidence of a rural, aristocratic past.
Nature and landscape
Reggello's landscape is shaped by the contrast between the Pratomagno mountain, covered in beech and fir woods, and the gentler Valdarno countryside planted with olive trees and vineyards. The Vallombrosa forest, largely protected as a nature reserve, is one of Tuscany's best-known woodland areas, historically studied for forest management and valued today for its hiking trails, cool summer air and vivid autumn colours. Climbing toward the Pratomagno ridges opens up wide views over the Arno valley, while the lower part of the municipality softens into the cultivated hills typical of the upper Valdarno.
Things to do and see
Among the area's best-known destinations is Sammezzano Castle in the hamlet of Leccio, famous for its orientalist interiors richly decorated in Moorish style, ranking among Tuscany's most striking and widely photographed buildings. At Vallombrosa, the ancient Vallombrosan abbey, still home to a monastic community, can be visited together with the surrounding woods and historic buildings tied to its forestry tradition. In the hamlet of Cascia, the Museo Masaccio d'Arte Sacra, housed in the parish church of San Pietro, holds paintings of real interest for art lovers. Numerous hillside hamlets complete the picture, worth exploring slowly among churches, villages and old parish churches.
Flavours and traditions
Reggello's cuisine reflects the rural tradition of the Valdarno and the Pratomagno slopes, built around extra virgin olive oil, Tuscan bread, legumes and garden produce, alongside dishes made with chestnuts gathered in the hillside woods each autumn. Olive growing is one of the area's historic activities, favoured by the hillsides' exposure toward the Valdarno, and many local mills still produce oil using traditional methods. In the autumn months, communities in the mountain hamlets celebrate their bond with the forest through festivals and markets dedicated to chestnuts, mushrooms and local produce, simple occasions to experience the rural life of the Pratomagno up close.
Not to be missed
- Sammezzano Castle in Leccio
- Vallombrosa Abbey and forest
- Museo Masaccio d'Arte Sacra in Cascia
- Trails and ridges of the Pratomagno
- Olive mills and extra virgin oil tastings
To see
What to see in Reggello
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Routes in Reggello
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