From Florence to Siena by bike

We start the itinerary by crossing the Arno at the Carraia bridge and continue straight ahead until we exit Florence from Porta Romana. After 100 meters we turn right and start climbing up Via delle Campora, a narrow street that unfolds among typical stone walls, historic villas and old houses.

We arrive at the hamlet of Galluzzo, dominated by the imposing Certosa, and we take the Cassia turning right to leave it after about a kilometer. We begin a 4-kilometer climb to reach Impruneta; before we continue, a small detour is a must to see the Piazza and the Basilica of Santa Maria (and also for a well-deserved second breakfast).

We go down to Ferrone, where we join Provincial Road 3 Chiantigiana, turning left toward Greve in Chianti. The road climbs gently to Passo dei Pecorai, a historic stopping point of the ancient transhumances; in fact, it is not a real pass and the name comes, more accurately, from "passage" of the sheepherders.

At the junction we make a left-hand turn towards Le Bolle and at the next junction we turn right towards Siena. We are in the middle of the production area of the Chianti Classico and, in the surroundings, ancient mansions are now home to prestigious wineries that organize tasting routes, such as the castle of Verrazzano or the villa-farm of Calcinaia.

The next stop is Greve in Chianti, ideal place for a food and wine stop in the midst of the Tuscan enchantment. After Greve begins a climb, which is steep in the first stretch, which takes us to Montefioralle, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The small village deserves a brief digression through its narrow streets, to enjoy the beauty of the stone houses embellished with terraces and flowered balconies.

We continue until we reach the center of Panzano where we make a right-hand turn toward the cemetery along a highly scenic little road that will take us to the parish church of San Leolino. After enjoying the splendid view we return to the provincial road, continuing to go down as far as the hamlet of Lucarelli.

Here the road begins to climb again, first gently and then more steeply, until we reach the junction with Regional Road 429: the detour to the left for Radda in Chianti (600 meters) is a must to visit another splendid Tuscan village and for another stop that is all ours to enjoy. Back on track, we turn left at the first junction, along Provincial Road 102 of Vagliagli. The road descends sharply to the bottom of the valley; at the end of the descent is the junction on the right for the nearby parish church of San Giusto in Salcio, a beautiful stone church dating from the 11th century.
The road continues with yet another up and downhill at the end of which we turn right in the direction of Siena and then right again, in the direction of Vagliagli.

Two hundred more meters and, on the left, we take the only unpaved stretch of the entire route. Road purists will not hold it against us, but in this way to we wanted to find an alternative to the busiest routes. We are, however, on a classic "dirt road," smooth and well-trodden. The stretch is very short, with a first part (one kilometer) perfectly flat and absolutely enjoyable, which is followed by a 100-meter hard, paved uphill stretch. The dirt road resumes for a further 500 meters until we arrive near a farm where the road finally returns to asphalt.

We continue uphill until we reach a junction in the road where we turn left following the directions for the Chianti Sculpture Park: an evocative permanent open-air exhibition of contemporary art under the open sky, surrounded by nature and landscape.

We go past Pievasciata in the direction of Siena, paying attention to the last junctions, especially the one with the directions for Vignano, which will let us reach the gates of Siena avoiding traffic.