The route ows its name to a distinctive group of trees located on a ridge, from which you can enjoy a 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside and cities.
The route is an ancient trail that had commercial functions, in fact it connected Vinci with the Empoli market, reaching the banks of the Arno river. The first evidence of the Cypress Road is found in “Piante di popoli e strade” a map of the second half of the 16th century.
The trail, about 6km long, starts from the Santa Maria a Petroio Church and ends near the San Donato in Greti Church.
Along the route you find:
- The Santa Maria a Petroio church, that keeps a venerated wooden sculpture of the Virgin with Child, ascribable to the 14th century. Every year in December, set up around the church, there is a one-of-a-kind crèche, among the most evocative of the area. Bigger than 250sqm, it has a meticulous attention to detail and hosts over 100 moving figures.
- The San Donato in Greti Church, rebuilt in the 19th century over a preexisting 13th-century church, has been closed for many years and is therefore visible only from the outside. It is part of the places of the heart of FAI, the Italian Environment Fund.
