Poggio a Caiano and Carmignano: two Tuscan villages outside the crown of the Montealbano territory

The Tuscan territories of Montalbano are extended in the areas of Prato, Pistoia and Florence and include several municipalities. It is an area rich in typical products such as wine, honey, figs and finally the covaccino (typical thin focaccia). The places of Poggio a Caiano and Carmignano are worth a visit to discover a new Tuscany. Among the places of interest stand out the historic villas: the Medicean one of Poggio a Caiano, and the Villa Ferdinanda in Artimino. The first was commissioned by Lorenzo the Magnificent and is a UNESCO heritage site. The architecture shows how far it differed from medieval residences, Lorenzo wanted a villa for pleasure to be built, a large and decorated stately home for summer stays. Subsequently the villa passed to the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte and some structural measures are due to her such as the internal staircase and the lemon house. Not far from the villa is the Parco del Bargo, a hunting reserve for doctors, today a public park and green lung of the municipality of Poggio. Inside there is also a beekeeping oasis, a place of honey production and an educational farm.