It is useless to think about it: our country hides corners with a poetic profile, territories that, due to their harmony, seem even touched by the hands of a skilled artist, as well as the result of the narration of the verses of some writers. An example of this is Avenue of the Cypresses which for its incredible elegance was even praised by the great poet Giosue Carducci.
Where is Cypress Avenue?
The Viale dei Cipressi, classified as provincial road 16d SP 39-Bolgheri, comes to life in all its distinctive sinuosity in the municipality of Castagneto Carducci, stretching from east to west.
Therefore, it is located in a corner of the Italian territory nicknamed Maremma de Livorno which takes place between the wonders of the Etruscan coast and the dream towns of the interior.
How long
This magical path is almost five kilometers long and connects the oratory of San Guido, which is located along the via Aurelia, in the historic center of Bolgheri.
It is an evocative straight path, adorned with gentle ups and downs, that contains a deep identity, that of Tuscany, whose cypresses are a symbol now known to all.
A hymn to poetry
As we mentioned earlier, this straight line inspired the writing of the famous ode written by Giosuè Carducci, "Davanti San Guido" and it is not surprising: 2540 ancient trees They were the backdrop to the passage and ideas of the poet and many other illustrious personalities of the past.
A very long row of towering trees that are very close together, to the point that the wonderful surrounding landscape is almost never visible. It is no coincidence that Carducci spoke about it precisely in these terms:
“The cypresses that stand tall and erect in Bólgheri
They come from San Guido in double file,
Young giants almost running
"They jumped up and looked at me."
With the aim of commemorating the Italian Nobel Prize winner who lived for a long time in these areas, in 1908 Giuseppe Della Gherardesca He had a small obelisk erected in his honor right at the beginning of the Avenue, more precisely near the oratory of San Guido.
The history of the Avenue.
The origins of this incredible avenue date back to the 19th century, when the Via Imperii (current Via Aurelia) was rebuilt, with the creation of a series of streets perpendicular to it.
It was precisely on this occasion that the road leading to Bolgheri Little by little it was embellished with a double row of cypress trees, although it is fair to say that poplars were used in the initial phases.
The current wonderful appearance is the one that arose between the 1954th century and the early XNUMXs, while we had to wait until XNUMX to see this paved road.
The oratory of San Guido
Cypress Avenue connects theOratory of Saint Guido in the village of Bolgehri. It goes without saying, therefore, that it is an attraction that you should not miss if you decide to travel this renowned path, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the world.
It is a small sacred building that, in one way or another, became famous thanks to the poetry of Giosuè Carducci. Built in 1703 by order of the Della Gherardesca family with the aim of remembering their ancestor Guido, it has a door with a curved pediment that is in turn topped by a white marble commemorative plaque.
Inside there is an altar made of stone, white marble and stucco that has been attributed to Romolo Della Bella (12th century). Nearby is the obelisk erected in memory of Giosuè Carducci a year after his death. A not so lucky place: on the morning of October 2019, XNUMX, a car crashed into him, causing him to collapse to the ground. Today, fortunately, it has been rebuilt.
Visit Bolgheri
If you intend to travel along the Viale dei Cipressi, you cannot miss visiting Bolgheri. Inhabited by just over a hundred inhabitants, it is a true cradle of one of the most precious Italian products of all: wine. Suffice it to say that such a concentration of globally important labels in such a small area is more unique than rare.
But there is another excellent news: Bolgheri also enchants its guests with the small streets of the center, its beautiful castle and the numerous attractions located in an extraordinary natural landscape.
Walking down Cypress Avenue, the first wonder the visitor encounters at the end of the road is the majestic Castillo Bolgheri, medieval building owned by the Della Gherardesca family.
It is impossible not to notice its crenellated tower, under which the entrance door of both the manor and the town is located. Enclosed within the walls, it is spread over three floors, one of which also houses a medieval church. The access door, on the other hand, is adorned with a pointed arch on which stands a rotunda decorated with floral motifs and weapons. Being a private house, you cannot visit it whenever you want, but you can only access it once a year: on July 16, the day on which the patron saint's day is celebrated.
It is also very interesting Church of Saints James and Christopher which faces Piazza Teresa, that is, immediately after the main entrance door. Small and very old, it was restored at the beginning of the 20th century and today has a gabled façade. The interiors are no less special, as they have been reconstructed in keeping with the medieval style.
Finally, in Bolgheri it is worth visiting thewildlife oasis founded in the late fifties. A place that should not be underestimated, since it was the first Italian private natural oasis, although it has been part of the WWF Oases since 1968. Throughout its entire length it is possible to see a large swamp with reed beds, juniper forests, oaks, pines and ash trees. As for wildlife, however, you will have the pleasure of encountering roe deer, rabbits and squirrels, as well as peregrine falcons, owls and mallards.
Visit Castagneto Carducci
If the Viale dei Cipressi is developed in the municipal territory of Castagneto Carducci, it seems pretty clear that the town itself is also worth a visit. At fortourslovers we are sure that you will not regret it since it is a place with a charming center and given its position it also offers an impressive landscape.
The town is located on a hill less than 10 kilometers from the clear Tuscan sea and, in addition, is developed around an imposing medieval castle built at the highest point of the city.
While your gaze is lost on the horizon between vineyards, olive groves and fragrant fields that reach the coast, it is possible to find yourself in the presence of numerous and beautiful sites of interest such as the Palazzo Comunale which is located in a dominant position, at the beginning of Via Marconi, a road that descends towards the coast offering a very suggestive point of view.
Then again the St. Lawrence Church which, along with the Castle currently used only for events and ceremonies, is the oldest building in the town. She is also very pretty Church of the Holy Crucifix where a wooden crucifix from the 15th century is preserved.
Finally, the house that belonged to Giosuè Carducci and that today houses the Casa Carducci Improvement Center, open to visits to discover the rooms where he lived along with an archive of poems and documents.
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