Biogiro along the edges of the Plain of Lucca

Biogiro is a loop-shaped track in the eastern part of the Plain of Lucca which showcases its scenic beauty. Opened in 2012 thanks to an idea by former professional cyclist Michele Bartoli, the BioGiro (BioTour) is an itinerary fully marked within an exciting and poetic rural setting that starts from the Villa Reale di Marlia (Capannori), a magnificent Renaissance villa that ca be easily reached also from the town center of Lucca thanks to the bike-pedestrian promenade Puccini. From here, the road climbs gently up the hill in the direction of Matraia, which can be reached after only 4 kilometers. 

Matraia is a small village of Roman origins famous for its sandstone quarries. It is the highest point of the itinerary (300 meters above sea level) and is a hillside balcony that allows you to contemplate the wonderful view of the area below, the Plain of Lucca, and Mount Pisano before it.
We move forward in high altitute along a road surrounded by olive trees as far as the eye can see, mixed with fruit trees, vines and cypresses that make for a romantic and picturesque bike ride. 

The itinerary continues through small clusters of houses in Valgiano and San Pietro in Marcigliano, where ancient churches, farm estates and stone-built taverns, typical in these areas, but also luxury structures and on-farm tourism structures for the more demanding tourists who choose these secluded and quiet places for relaxing vacations, are clearly visible. After Valgiano, the road begins to descend encountering more small houses and farmsteads and crossing some covered wooded stretches that alternate with those exposed to the sun.

Once we reach the plain, in Capannori we easily return to Marlia, and the loop closes passing through inhabited but secondary roads posing no risk.

The complete tour is 18 kilometers long, and is ideal for those wishing to train along an ideal track and for those wishing to ride in tranquility in an evocative landscape setting rich in history. It can also be walked in the opposite direction, slightly more difficult than going clockwise, but without any particular critical point. 

Thanks to small detours, it is possible to visit two other sumptuous villas of the route of the villas of Lucca: Villa Mansi and Villa Torrigiani.