Near the Outlet in Leccio, on the hillside of Pratomagno, there is the stunning Abbey of Vallombrosa. It is hidden in a luxuriant forest of 1280 hectares, stretching from 550 to 1430 m of altitude. Since 1977 the forest has been considered national bioenergetic natural reserve.
Its origins date back to nearly thousand years ago: in the 11th century some Benedectine monks took shelter in that isolated mountain area, at the time called Acquabella, where there were chestnut, spruce and beech woods. Taking care of these woods were an essential job for the monks, since wood were one of the main source of income.
Everything you can see now comes from a simple little wooden church. Already in 1058, the monks of Vallombrosa built a stone church, then they expanded it, adding the convent and the big cloister. Between 15th and 18th century the Abbey began to take the current magnificent appearance. Many important artists – such as Perugino, Andrea del Sarto and the workshop of Andrea della Robbia – enriched the Abbey with wall paintings, canvas and many other kind of works of art.
Nowadays the monks are committed to hospitality and to the production of specialties, that you can find in the Liquoreria or in the Antica Farmacia inside the Abbey.
Strolling through the Vallombrosa forest you can catch sigh of deer, wild boars, hares, hedgehogs, squirrels, foxes and various types of birds, among them woodpeckers and owls.