Village guide Casentino, Arezzo, Italy
Montemignaio
High under the Consuma
A small comune high on the Pratomagno side, under the Consuma pass, with a castle on the rock and beech woods above. It is one of the coolest places in the valley in August, and one of the emptiest in February.
- Comune
- Montemignaio
- Where
- Open in maps
What to see
- Castel Leone The ruined castle on its rock above the village, which is exactly as dramatic as it sounds.
- The Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta Romanesque, austere, and worth the stop for the carved capitals alone.
- The Consuma pass The old road over to Florence, still the most beautiful way out of the valley.
- The beech woods Cool, high and green, and empty on a weekday.
What to eat
Mountain food: game, mushrooms, chestnut, and the sort of soup that is a meal.
When to come
August, to get out of the heat, or October, for the woods. In deep winter it can be a genuinely wild place.
The old road over the Consuma carried wool, salt and armies between Florence and the Casentino. It is now a Sunday drive, which is a fair outcome.