Between Florence And Bologna Is A Medieval Town In The Tuscan Countryside With Artistic Charm And Delicious Food

While Florence's Renaissance beauty has drawn travelers for centuries, those seeking an under-the-radar escape should venture to a charming town outside of the city. Technically within the boundaries of the greater metropolis of Florence, Vicchio covers over 50 square miles in the rural Mugello valley, a lush and undulating Tuscan countryside dotted with farms and forests. The heart of broader Vicchio is its eponymous town, which was founded in the 14th century near the Sieve River. Set amidst this idyllic landscape, the medieval hub is anchored by a main piazza, which rises in the shadow of its ochre-hued facades and lofty clocktower. 

While you'll have to visit Florence to see iconic artistic masterpieces such as Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" or Michelangelo's "David," Vicchio is also famed for its role in art history. Vicchio was the birthplace of two of Italy's most important artists: Giotto in the mid-13th century and Fra Angelico in the early 15th century. Giotto's revolutionary natural painting style helped usher in the Renaissance, while Fra Angelico was known for his religious frescoes that are masterpieces of the early Renaissance. Today, Vicchio boasts an art museum named for Fra Angelico, and Giotto's farmhouse is also now a museum overlooking the surrounding Mugello valley. This lesser-known region of the Tuscan countryside is especially green and fertile and produces the area's agricultural and viticultural bounty. Therefore, in Vicchio, you can enjoy delicious and hearty Tuscan cuisine, especially the local pasta specialty of Tortelli Mugellani, and regional wines.

Vicchio is about an hour's drive from Florence and a 1.5-hour drive from Bologna, an underrated city with some of the world's best pasta. If you're flying in, Florence's Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR) is a 50-minute drive away. The best time to visit Vicchio is between June and September when temperatures hover between 76 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit, and there's little rain. 

While Florence was voted Europe's best city to visit in 2026, it can also be incredibly crowded as 7 to 8 million tourists also visit each year, according to Lonely Planet. In Vicchio, you can experience a medieval town and learn about Italian art history on a smaller scale. Begin in the Piazza Giotto to see the statue of Giotto that marks the square, as well as the clocktower of the Palazzo Pretorio and the central San Giovanni Battista parish church, which was originally built during the 15th century. A short walk from the main square is Museo di Arte Sacra Beato Angelico, named for Fra Angelico. While you'll have to venture to Florence to see Fra Angelico's frescos painted at the former Convent of San Marco, which is now a museum, this Vicchio museum showcases sacred art collected from local parish churches. Throughout the museum, you'll find centuries-old religious masterpieces that emphasize the Mugello region's nurturing of art, culture, and faith.

About 2.5 miles outside of Vicchio's historic heart you can visit the Casa di Giotto, also referred to as the Giotto House Museum, where the Italian master was said to be born in the mid-13th century. This rustic medieval farmhouse sits amid the stunning panoramas of the Mugello valley with its lush hills and farms in the shadow of green mountains. Renovated in 2008, it now serves as a museum with copies of his famous works and exhibits such as a recreation of Giotto's studio. Here visitors can learn more about Giotto's fascinating life and pioneering career that set the stage for the Renaissance while basking in the beauty of the serene Tuscan countryside.

Set amidst the Mugello countryside, Vicchio is renowned for its delicious Tuscan cuisine. The most famous local specialty is the Tortelli Mugellani, raviolis stuffed with cheesy, garlic potatoes and topped with either a hearty meat sauce or a simple brown butter-sage sauce. One of the best places to sample this is at Residenza di Campagna Montelleri, which is Vicchio's top-rated restaurant on Tripadvisor and earned a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice award for 2026. Another top-rated Vicchio eatery is the family-owned La Casa del Proscuitto, which occupies a scenic setting on the banks of the Sieve River, overlooking the ancient stone Ponte di Vicchio that was built in the late 13th century.  La Casa del Proscuitto is a charming, local grocery store and trattoria selling cuts of meat, cheese, and other Italian provisions like wine, and serving plates of pastas, main courses of wild boar, rabbit, and steak, and cakes. 

Around the town of Vicchio unfolds the Tuscan countryside of the Mugello Valley, composed of verdant hills, chestnut tree groves, vineyards, farms, and elegant villas. After spending time in Vicchio proper, enjoy some of the area's bucolic charms, such as tasting the regional Pinot Noir wine at nearby wineries, horseback riding on rural trails, or following Mugello's Milk Route to sample the area's famous fresh milk at dairy farms. If you want to stay close to Vicchio in the Tuscan countryside, book a stay at Villa La Commenda Concordia, a 19th-century villa set atop a hill surrounded by gracious lawns and woods. Now a boutique hotel with just 14 rooms and suites, the property also features an outdoor swimming pool and an on-site restaurant Nascosto that offers elevated Tuscan specialties, from local suckling pig to handmade tagliatelle. After stopping in Vicchio, explore more of Tuscany on this Tuscan countryside road trip route that leads through hills, medieval cities, and vineyards.