Amid rock faces and fairies
Amid rock faces and fairies
Amid the badlands
carved by the sun and by water
we skirt
through pleasant hills and narrow gorges.
Natural
sculptures of the same craft
that Leonardo
chiseled with dedication and deft.
In the magic
trails of the Rock Faces,
once frequented by barefoot princesses
we reach the Fairies’ Mouth:
a sound for summer concerts and singing.
Still among the
crags, streams and torrents
we picture disturbing
moviments,
at the Riguzze
there’s Acqua Zolfina,
a healing metallic spring.
If Pratomagno seems faraway
stop in Galligiano
village.
Monte Diana, with chestnuts and game,
is known for the Poggio alla Regina excavations.
At the top of Montrago
we still feel the presence of a lake,
the great gift
of Eternity:
finding fungi
in the Inferno Valley.
The Soul Pass
If you glimpse
the road from Fiesole to Rome
seek out the places of faith
and be led from the Cassia Vetus
in the church-filled road.
In Santa Maria a Scò to the west
the pilgrim finds the reborn sun
and a charming church:
awesome and emotionally charged.
Renowned the complex of Soffena
the pietra serena facade in full view,
the manor house belonging to the Ubertini
and the monastery to the Vallombrosans.
The church vaunts 1400s frescoes
saved from neglect
and cement,
where the Annunciation
gives us a taste
of Masaccio’s
perspective!
In Castelfranco an Oratory
with a proud and famous appearance
is decorated in
Florentine Baroque style
for San Filippo Neri, a child here.
Roses and broom decorate the way
a homage to the Eucharist.
On Corpus Domini the colour
breaks forth, the Lord’s triumph.
The Terra Nuova
When Florence
decided to expand
Terra Nuova had to be built in
Valdarno,
between cardo and decumano the plans
by Arnolfo, that magnificent architect.
The Florentine Tower rises into the heavens,
with views over
the entire world.
Part of the walls remains in the rioni,
districts with striking old prisons.
In Cappella dei Bianchi
art and charity intertwine,
and in the silence
of the hill and hinterland
among the
chapels there’s also Campiano!
The Scent of Life
Oil, bread and
wine
have always been healthy habits
and a singular scent
is extracted
from the iris root.