Fornacette: Discover cultural history and routes

In Fornacette, cultural history and routes within the built-up area offer different starting points for a stay. You can explore the town through the Museo della Bicicletta Manolo Baggiani, historic traces of water management, and cycling and walking routes. When planning your routes, it is worth considering the respective points of reference and guidance separately.

The MU.BI on Via Amendola

The Museo della Bicicletta Manolo Baggiani (MU.BI) is located at Via Amendola 7 in Fornacette. It is a multifunctional centre established through collaboration between the Municipality of Calcinaia and Giochi in Circolo. Its full name makes its connection to bicycles clear; the centre’s wider role and the collaboration place it in a broader context than that of a single museum. The address pinpoints this cultural point of interest in the town.

Waterworks and local history

The history of water management can be traced through two dates. In 1564, Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, ordered the construction of the Arnaccio overflow channel in the Fornacette area. The Trabocco mediceo di Fornacette was built in 1568 under Cosimo I. The dates mark different events: 1564 is when construction of the Arnaccio was ordered, while 1568 is the year the Trabocco was built. This gives each structure its own place in the town’s history.

A possible origin of the name and the parish complex

The town’s name may also point to a historical connection: Fornacette could derive from Fornacelle, a word meaning “small kilns.” This derivation is only a possibility. Independently of this, brickmaking began in Fornacette between the 10th and 12th centuries. The two clues raise different questions: etymology concerns the possible meaning of the name, while the period relates to the history of production. Linguistic history and brickmaking can therefore be considered as distinct aspects of the town’s history.

Another historical point of reference is the new parish complex in Fornacette, dedicated to Regina della Pace. The church was consecrated by S. E. Mons. Plotti on 2 March 2002. For precise context, the dedication and consecration should not be confused: the dedication refers to the parish complex, while the stated date is the consecration date of the church.

Routes within the built-up area

A municipal planning document from 2023 lists an existing, unsigned cycling and walking route along Via Tosco-romagnola in Fornacette. Check its condition and signage again before using it. The plan also lists existing cycling and walking routes along both banks of the Canale Imperiale, within Fornacette’s built-up area; their condition should also be checked again before use. The points of reference differ: one is Via Tosco-romagnola, the other is the Canale Imperiale and both its banks. This distinction can help you keep the route information separate when planning.

A seasonal event in the wider Municipality of Calcinaia

The Regata Storica sull'Arno takes place in May in the wider municipal area of Calcinaia. It reenacts the former work of the Navicellai. The May date and historical reenactment give the event its own seasonal and historical significance. When planning your travel dates, you can consider this connection to Calcinaia separately from the cultural sites in Fornacette.

For the wider travel overview: Calcinaia.