The most beautiful parks and gardens Toscane

Florence's largest park has a curious name. Cascine comes from cascio which means "cheese" in old Florentine. In fact, since the 16th century, this place had been supplying the city with fresh produce. It was developed for this purpose by Alexandre and Cosme I de Médicis for the leasing of cattle and then for the cultivation of plants. The park evolved gradually, opening to the public on special occasions, until it became totally public under Napoleon. It was then transformed to resemble the romantic ideal.

With an almost unspoilt nature, the Maremma Natural Park, created in 1975, covers nearly 10,000 hectares. This reserve, located between Principina a Mare and Talamone, is mainly composed of pine forests - including the Alberese one, which was restored in 1844 by the Lorenas. It also includes the Uccellina Mountains (covered with dense Mediterranean vegetation, pine forests and very old olive trees), the mouth of the Ombrone, and multiple towers built against pirate invasions. This preserved area includes the Palude della Trappola, a very marshy area rich in wildlife, with large colonies of marsh birds and some birds of prey. Many bird species are protected.

Immense and wild at the same time, the Parc naturel de la Maremme offers many hiking trails, with different levels of difficulty. The themes of the walks are also varied, since itineraries focused on the history of Benedictine women in the region, the life of deer, or the history of medieval ruins, for example, are proposed. It is not uncommon to encounter free-ranging animals such as wild boars, foxes, fallow deer, martens or this species unique in Italy, the maremmana, a cow with long horns (which strangely resembles buffaloes). In the distance, there are the remains of the old Abbazia di San Rabano, the only unnatural element in this untamed setting. The landscape is absolutely magnificent.