| A journey in the province: Mugello |
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The name Mugello appears to derive from the first inhabitants of the valley, the Ligurian Magelli, who were followed by the Etruscans and later by the Romans. A land made up of numerous feuds during the Middle Ages, it was not until the fourteenth century that it enjoyed a period of decisive economic and social growth, partly as a result of the rise of the Medici, the powerful Florentine family which originated from this area, protagonists of Tuscan history from the fourteenth to the early eighteenth century. The traces of the Medici in Mugello are numerous - villas, castles, fortifications, convents - expressions of economic power but also of cultural and artistic ferment.
The unspoilt natural environment, and the care taken by man to preserve the authenticity of his traditions, enable the ongoing production of top quality products: milk, chestnuts, mushrooms and white truffles, as well as the meat, game and cheeses which have always been at the basis of a simple, tasty cuisine. During the month of October there are a lot of local fairs where it is possible to taste and buy sweet chestnuts.
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The territory of Mugello is made up of a broad valley to the north of Florence, bordered by the Apennine mountain range to the north, by the Calvana mountains to the west and by the group of Monte Morello-Monte Giovi to the south.
