The Park
Come in and breathe.
Leave the rest in the city—there’s no room here for honking horns, smog, or business deals. The only thing that matters, embraced and sheltered by these walls of trees, is life.
In the heart of an ancient forest
Those who reach the Casentino Forests National Park—whether by climbing the wild valleys of Upper Romagna, following the Arno River through the art-rich Casentino valley, or crossing the majestic Falterona Valley on the Florentine side—enter an ancient and profound world.
Here lies one of the oldest and most captivating forests in Europe, a continuous green mantle that blankets nearly the entire Park, enveloping visitors in lush, unbroken nature.
These forests tell a thousand-year-old story of harmony between humankind and nature.
Since 1012, with the founding of the Order of Camaldolese Monks by Saint Romuald, humankind has lived in and cared for this heritage with respect and devotion. These woods once provided valuable materials: timber for monumental scaffolding like that of Florence’s Cathedral, or for the ships of the Pisan fleet.
Today, just as in the past, the Casentino Forests captivate with their beauty: lush green in the summer, and a blaze of amber and red hues in the fall. Here, silence is deep and contemplative—broken only by the sudden sounds of nature, unexpected encounters, and emotions that linger.
Land of silence and spirituality
In the heart of the Tuscan-Romagnol Apennines lies the Casentino, an enchanted valley where nature and spirit have been intertwined for centuries. Here, the Casentino Forests are more than just a landscape to cross—they are a truly sacred forest: a place of reflection, meditation, and harmony.
Among the centuries-old trees, one can sense the presence of monks and pilgrims, of hidden hermitages and ancient paths. It is a nature that welcomes and protects, a guardian of deep spirituality that can still be felt today—alive and silent among the leaves.
