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The Village of Montemignaio in Tuscany Italy

The village of Montemignaio is perched on the wooded north-east slopes of the Pratomagno range, between Monte Secchieta and the Consuma mountain crossing. To those arriving from lower Casentino, Montemignaio offers a view of the tower of the old Castel Leone and steeply terraced fields.

The Church of Santa Maria Assunta (second half of the 12th century) is one of the most noteworthy Romanesque edifices of Casentino, repeating the same motives in its nave and aisles and single semicircular apse. The builders who worked on the church must have been the same ones whose work can be seen in upper Casentino. Inside, however, is a series of columns and piers unlike those of any other church in Casentino. Plastered and frescoed as was usual in the late 13th century, the piers introduce more recent ex-votos. On the right aisle is a glazed polychrome Della Robbia terra-cotta of a Virgin and Child. On the left is a panel tempera depicting a Madonna and Child, attributed to Rossello di Iacopo Franchi, from the nearby Oratory of Madonna delle Calle. The oratory stands on the left bank of the Fosso Tiglieto and has a large open gallery with three frontal arches and two lateral ones, topped by a double-pitch roof. It was used as a hermitage up until the late 18th century.

From Montemignaio, access to the Pratomagno is particularly easy. The Pratomagno separates Casentino from the Mugello district and the Arno Valley and is topped by broad grasslands as far as Monte Lori, where the spurs begin to flatten out towards the Arezzo plain. Vegetation is restricted by strong winds that keep the beeches and other trees from developing much beyond shrub size.

Walks on the Pratomagno afford stupendous panoramic views over central Italy. It is possible to reach Vallombrosa and many characteristic mountain villages. The easy access to the Pratomagno, the natural beauty, the woods with their beeches and chestnuts, the trout-filled mountain streams, all make this a popular spot for tourists in the summer months.

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