Ecomuseo Trekking: itinerary from Le Piastre to Pontepetri, easy walking along a fascinating route 10-km long
The itinerary, which was inaugurated in 2015, is equipped with signage and connects – by a two hours long walk – to two points of the Ecomuseum of the Pistoiese Mountain. These points are the “Ghiacciaia della Madonnina” (Madonnina ice-house) in Le Piastre anche the Museum of Iron in Pontepetri. It follows ancient road layouts in the woods, completely avoiding traffic. It measures around 10 Kilometers which can be divided into parts, and it is situated on the ridge in between the Reno Valley and the Pistoia plain.
This itinerary is also easy to walk through and hides unexpected delights: Santa Maria Novella and the Campanile di Giotto (Giotto’s belfry) and on the other side the Corno alle Scale massif can be seen by the naked-eye. It is possible to reach the trail either by public transportation (Copit Blubus line 54, departing from the railway station of Pistoia and bound for San Marcello) or by car (on the SR66 from Pistoia towards Abetone, stopping at the public parking area in Le Piastre, right on the crossroads to Prunetta).
It partially retraces the Romea Longobarda Road (also called Nonantolana) which was frequented by pilgrims coming from Central and Central Eastern Europe.
An interesting site to see in Le Piastre is the Ghiacciaia della Madonnina (ice-trail) which is an edifice with a straw-made roof that was built at the end of the 19th Century in order to conserve natural ice; in Pontepetri is located the Didactic Garden (Iron Trail), where one can find two big wooden wheels driven by water.
TESTO
Manuela Geri
FOTO
Nicolò Begliomini
