CNA – Artimino: In the Footsteps of the Etruscans and the Medici

Arrival and check-in at the Hotel President in Prato. Start of the trek with a tour of the area, beginning with the beautiful village of Artimino—the ancient Artemium, founded on settlements dating back to the Bronze Age. From the center of the village, where we’ll admire the old walls and the famous Porta Turrita, we’ll head toward the Villa Medicea Ferdinanda—also known as the “Villa of the Hundred Chimneys”—where we’ll admire its exterior architecture and trace its unique history. We’ll then set off toward Poggio la Malva and the Etruscan Necropolis of Prato Rosello, dating back to the Orientalizing Etruscan period, around the 7th century B.C. With beautiful views of the Arno River, we’ll reflect on recent history as we retrace the Buricchi Brigade’s 1944 ambush of a convoy carrying explosives along a short, evocative stretch of road. We’ll see the historic Porta del Barchetto and hike uphill through expansive farmlands and vineyards to the beautiful Pieve di San Leonardo, a vivid example of Romanesque abbey architecture. The hiking itinerary includes visits to: • Artimino • Villa La Ferdinanda (exterior only) • The Etruscan Necropolis of Prato Rosello • Poggio alla Malva • The Porta del Barchetto • The Pieve di San Leonardo (exterior only). For those not interested in the hike (at a reduced price), we suggest visiting Artimino and Carmignano on your own. Return to the hotel, dinner at a local restaurant, and overnight stay.

Breakfast at the Hotel President. The morning will be devoted to a marbled paper workshop on the ancient technique of paper coloring at the Associazione Scuola d’Arte Leonardo Aps. This technique, which has been in use since the 16th century in the Mediterranean basin, has been revived in recent decades thanks to its revival in the 1970s by Florentine artisans; it is also known as “Carte Fiorentina.” It is a technique designed to personalize paper with vibrant colors that create imaginative and nuanced decorative patterns. The marbled paper sheets can be used to cover objects made of wood, polystyrene, terracotta vases, and more. The technical process uses water as the medium through which color—skillfully sprayed—is transferred onto the surface of the paper sheet. The pattern formed by the splashes of color creates waves, veins, and marbled-like spots, guided—if desired—by the use of a special comb. Each participant will be able to create a marbled paper piece to take home as a memento of the experience spent amidst colors, water, and imaginative artisanal expressions. At the end of the workshop, a light lunch will be served. Alternatively: an independent visit to Poggio a Caiano, Carmignano, or Artimino for those who did not visit these sites the previous day (at a reduced price).