Home Cuisine Landscape and nature Architecture and art Sport Accommodation Visiting Gadget Learning Arts and Crafts The way we were Organized tours Home Cucina Paesaggio e natura Arti e Mestieri Sport Accoglienza Visitare Gadget A scuola di... Architettura e arte Come eravamo Tour organizzati
Italiano
English
Visiting
Visiting
Visita il Mugello, culla dei Medici, a due passi da Firenze e le bellezze toscane
 

Visiting Tuscany

 

 
 

Abetone

Town web Hotels Farmholidays Restaurants

Inhabitants in 1991: 758

The municipal territory extends for 31,26 square kilometres on the two slopes of the Abetone Pass in the Tosco-Emiliano Appennino mountains. Originally made up part of the community of Cutigliano and part of that of Fiumalbo (Modena), it is an autonomous municipality since 1936.

The capital was born following the construction of the road connecting Toscana to the Estense territory, as a post and commercial station (1766-1779); the occasion is today recalled by the two stone pyramids placed there in honour of Francesco III of Modena and Pietro Leopoldo I of Toscana. But the road did not help to reach the desired commercial increase and after the Unification of Italy it dwindled even as a transit route. It was therefore only in the last forty years that the municipality, thanks to tourism, has progressively developed.

Abetone is a well-known mountain resort in the Pistoia Appennines situated 1388m above sea level. It takes its name from a massive fir (abete) tree that was cut down when the Lorraine and the Este ordered the building of the Trans-Appennine road linking the Duchies of Modena and Tuscany. For a long time it has been popular as a retreat from the heat in summer and for skiing in the winter. The 3700 hectares of the Abetone forest extend from 1100m to 1800m; criss-crossed by roads and paths, it has the typical flora of the Appennine mountains - maple, beech, larch, and Scotch fir.
At 1315m there is also the Orto botanico forestale, a forest botanical garden, which forms part of the Eco-Museum of the Pistoia mountains. Close to Abetone, if you descend three kilometres on the Emilian side of the mountain and then climb the Val di Luce, there is the chair-lift which takes you to the Alpe Tre Potenze at 1940m, which marked the boundary between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy of Modena, and the Duchy of Lucca.

Places to visit:
The State forest of Abetone, made up of formations of long trunked trees, prevalently centuries old beech and silver fir. It extends for 3,700 hectares and of 950-1930 m altitude, and is a landscape of great impact.

Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford
Picture by Sandro Santioli

 
 
 
   
 
return to top of page
   
       
  Terra di Toscana

© All rights reserved Polimedia di Laura Fumoni
Via Landucci 39 - 50136 - Firenze - P.IVA 06790950486 - REA C.C.I.A.A. FIRENZE N. 656544
Press registration n. 5528 10/11/2006 - Editor Polimedia

 
  Advertising | About us | Contacts | Site search | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie policy