Villa Borghese is located in Montevettolini, a hill with a small medieval village on top, that used to be a genuine political and economic garrison dominating the whole “Valdinievole” valley area. The villa is in fact visible from the entire surrounding area and constituted a permanent symbolic presence of the prince's power even in his absence.
Montevettolini is formally a fraction of Monsummano Terme, and it’s linking the area of Monsummano with the I.G.P wine area named Montalbano, that includes prestigious wine labels as Capezzana and Antinori, as well as more than 10 among the most prestigious Tuscan olive oils, from producing farms in the area.
Monsummano Terme, as well as the close touristic small city of Montecatini Terme, is known specially for its SPA hotel, that features a unique “grotto”, loved by generations of tourist that chose the area to spend half day in this steamy cave.
Natural spring healing waters are a common element between Monsummano and Montecatini, and many places of interest can be visited in the nearby.
The Area: the hills of Leonardo Da Vinci
Former UNESCO world heritage candidate, the Montalbano and Valdinievole hills and areas constitute an interesting cultural and touristic itineray, following the story of Leonardo da Vinci, trying to understand what influence these panoramas had on his artistic production.
Why do we call these the Hills of Leonardo?
Leonardo was born (unrecognized) in Vinci on 15th April 1452, in Anchiano, where he used to live until 1469 at his Grandfather Antonio, and even when he moved into Florence, the continuous presence of the Genius back to Vinci is testified by many letters or documents, including his travelling maps around Montalbano and Valdinievole. More than others, the incredibly famous drawing called “La Valdinievole o Passaggio nel giorno di Santa Maria della Neve”, dated 5th August 1473, identifys the hills of Montevettolini, Monsummano Alto, Montecatini Alto and the Padule Marshes as a landscape of the Genius’ imaginary, that will stay with him for the rest of his artistic life.
Walking his same way: the “Leonardino road”
Situated between Anchiano and Montevettolini, few steps down the hill of Villa Borghese, the “Leonardino road” is a journey through the places associated with Leonardo, and a cultural-naturalistic-spiritual itinerary following the young Leonardo da Vinci’s footsteps. This itinerary is designed after this same first drawing of his dated 1473 with a note by his own hand, that leads to the little lovely church right down our Villa. Ask our concierge where to start walking or biking through the Leonardino: you’ll be loving it!
Driving Distances
5 Minutes Monsummano Terme, Golf Course, SPA grotto
10 Minutes Montecatini Terme, shopping, restaurants
15 Minutes Pistoia
20 Minutes Vinci
30 Minutes Florence airport, Forte dei Marmi beach, Pisa center
40 Minutes: Pisa airport, Florentinian CHIANTI Shire
1 Hour: San Gimignano, Volterra, Siena
1 Hour 30 Minutes: Pienza, Montalcino, Arezzo, the Cinque Terre, Bologna
2 Hours: Genova, Maremma (south Tuscany seaside), Ferry to Elba Island
Villages & Sorroundings
Monsummano Terme & Monsummano Alto will give you the chance to dine in perfect Tuscan style and to visit some important attractions, like the Grotto Giusti or the Parish church of St Niccolao. The close city of Larciano is home to the Fucecchio Swamps called Padule, birdwatching and nature lovers paradise, and it’s also home to the very small medieval villages of Cecina and Larciano Castello, also part of the Leonardino road. Moving towards Vinci, there is the city of Lamporecchio with some very early medieval spots like S. Maria del Pruno, an unmissable little beautiful church in the nature.
Montecatini Terme has the best restaurants in the area and also a lovely medieval art called “Alto”, reachable by a funicular red little train that kids simply adore, and it also has a thermal building that is absolutely worth a visit, named Tettuccio.
A number of other small villages on the top of seven hills one next to the others, facing (and fighting!) from a long time will lead you to discover narrow stony roads and hidden gems: you may find few services, but be sure you’ll find truly heart breaking human landscapes and valley panoramas, just driving around with your cars or motorbikes, or even biking up and down the whole circuit.
Pistoia
Located at just 12km from MonsummanoTerme, Pistoia is an incredible medieval city with over 90.000 inhabitants that has a lot to offer and to visit.
San Giovanni Fuorcivitas church, a sensational example of Florentine romanic with some incredible pieces, like the Pulpit of Fra Guglielmo and Arnolfo (1270), or the Visitation from Della Robbia; the San Giovanni baptistery with its world known silver altar nominated in all the Jacobean itineraries, or San Zeno Cathedral with the statue of Sant’Jacopo (santiago de compostela), as Pistoia is twin city to the spanish sanctuary; the Town Hall and its civic museum in the Piazza del Duomo are also worth a visit, as this square is one of the most inspiring in Tuscany, including the Bishops Palace.
For those who love Contemporary art, there are many important museums in Pistoia: Palazzo de’ Rossi and Palazzo Fabbroni, or the Marini museum.
We recommend the lovely Piazza della Sala, where a bunch of small slow-food restaurants with tiny tables serve authentic Tuscan locals.
Vinci: Leonardo’s birthplace
Leonardo's birthplace is named Anchiano, a fraction of the larger village of Vinci. Leonardo’s birthplace House in Anchiano, formerly home of the Genius and his mother’s family, was opened for the fifth centenary of his birth.
Any visit to Vinci starts from here, and many artists came to pay tribute to the biggest. The city of Vinci has recently restored the Museum dedicated to Leonardo, inside the Tower of Conti Guidi, visible from our Villa Borghese, one of the points of interests of the Leonardino road, as well as S.Lucia, Leonardo’s parish church. Or the Tower of Sant’Alluccio. Vinci is a recommended visit with kids, too: experiencing the machines of Leonardo they are stunned and amused, and there is a lot of interactivity, too.
