Villa Montalvo Urban Park and Ragnaia
An oasis of peace in the Villa Montalvo Urban Park, brimming with rich animal life and vegetation
The Villa Montalvo Urban Park is located just outside the town of Campi Bisenzio and takes its name from the 14th-century villa that it surrounds, where the town library is located.
Just like it was designed to be, starting in the ‘90s, the large garden has been a fundamental meeting place for the community, which uses the space every day as a place of relaxation, for playing sports and for hosting events of all kinds. Even the villa holds events such as exhibitions, concerts and performances, making the site an important gathering place, especially in the summer.
Amidst the 19 hectares of greenery, there’s a particular oasis, the Ragnaia woods, that unfolds along the banks of the Marina stream. It was the historic owner of the property, the Spaniard Ferdinando Montalvo, a hunting enthusiast, who designed the space in 1760 for capturing birds in special nets hanging from the trees. There were many Florentine noblemen who frequented the park over the centuries for both hunting and escaping the summer heat in the city.
This forest is currently home to oak, ash, elm and black poplar trees, where many birds live, including starlings and chaffinches.
