Discover Gattaia

Gattaia lies along an access road that leads towards the Apennines through a narrow gorge carved by the constantly flowing Muccione. Southwest of the center, Viale della Rimembranza runs along the municipal access road, bordering the village cemetery. The landscape, local history, and culture of remembrance are reflected here in specific places and buildings.

The Muccione Valley and the history of its routes

The “La valle del Muccione in Mugello” route begins above Vicchio, after passing through Gattaia. It follows the Muccione Valley past cascades and pools where hikers can cool off. Seasonal water flow affects the character of the cascades. These pools are therefore as much a part of the landscape as the river that shaped the gorge along the access road.

Near Gattaia, the route leads to the former, now disused Fornello station on the Faentina railway and passes beneath the Valdicampi Viaduct. The railway viaduct dates from the 19th century and has two tiers of arches. A detour from the route follows an unnumbered path to an old quarry. Decauville wagons and remnants of a stone-crushing facility can still be seen there. The station, viaduct, and quarry point to different aspects of railway history and the area's former use.

Monte Gattaia and the history of the Resistance

Monte Gattaia forms a natural transition between Tuscany and Romagna. Between the 11th and 14th centuries, Gattaia was likely an important gateway to the Apennines. The fortress on Monte Gattaia is also part of this historic landscape: visible remains include retaining walls, traces of a cistern, and internal service structures.

Monte Gattaia lies near the Gothic Line and served as a place of organization and refuge for partisan groups from Mugello. Gattaia was a partisan base from the beginning of the Resistance. The memorial plaque commemorates two events from March 1944: on March 6, the partisans of Gattaia joined forces with those of Monte Giovi to liberate Vicchio after a fierce battle. On March 22, Ottorino Quiti and Adriano Santoni from Gattaia were shot by Nazi-Fascists at Campo di Marte in Florence. The plaque records their names, the place, and the date.

Churches and historic settlement

Gattaia's development into a small settlement included a church, a stately villa, a chapel, a mill, and two stone footbridges. The ancient church of Santa Felicita, in the lower part of Gattaia, is documented as a “cura d’anime” (parish) as early as 1273. At the church of Santa Felicita al Fiume di Gattaia, the recessed bell gable stands out: it has three openings on two levels, and its small bells date from 1883. Above the wooden entrance gate is also an unframed terracotta roundel depicting Saint Felicity.

Different themes come together in Gattaia: the landscape along the Muccione, traces of the railway and stoneworking, church architecture, and the history of the Resistance. These themes offer different points of reference when choosing a destination, without reducing the place to a single perspective.

Discover more destinations: Arliano, Caselle, Villore, Casole, Santa Maria A Vezzano, Molezzano.

Return to the main travel guide: Vicchio.