A Leopoldina and its dependence, half an hour north of Florence, in the heart of the Mugello valley. Five possible configurations, from two to fifteen guests. For families, for groups of friends, for a working stay with a view over the valley. For those looking for a Tuscany the guidebooks don't talk about.
The Mugello is not a single destination. It's a region half an hour from Florence where layers of history, sport, art and food coexist in the quiet of the hills. Pick the soul that interests you most — or let all six surprise you.
At Vespignano di Vicchio, ten minutes from here, a small boy was drawing a sheep on a stone when Cimabue passed by. From that moment Western painting changed direction. The Mugello is the cradle of the Renaissance, off the postcards: Giotto, Fra Angelico, Andrea del Castagno were all born in these valleys.
Learn more →The Mugello Circuit is a few kilometres away. Home to the Italian MotoGP Grand Prix since 1976, famously described by Mark Webber, after a Red Bull test, as a place where "ten dry laps are worth a thousand at Abu Dhabi, in terms of satisfaction".
Learn more →The ancient Flaminia Militare cuts across the Apennines from Bologna to Florence. Walkers come from across the world to follow it, one day at a time.
Learn more →Mugello cooking is rustic and generous. Valley trattorias where tortelli are still rolled by hand, roasted chestnuts on village streets in autumn, Colli Fiorentini wines in the glasses of whoever came to celebrate.
Learn more →The Mugello was a front line and a land of Resistance. Bianca Bianchi was born here — partisan, and the first Italian woman elected with more votes than Pertini. Monte Giovi, the Lavacchini Brigade, don Milani in Barbiana: memories still alive.
Learn more →The Mugello is the Tuscany that breathes slowly. Hills rolling down to the Sieve river, chestnut and oak woodlands, paths that climb to the top of Monte Giovi to see the whole valley at once. The loudest sound here is the wind through the oaks — or, in spring, the call of the cuckoos.
Learn more →Six ways to experience this valley. Your choice, our Mugello.
See all experiences →La Leopoldina, the 18th-century farmhouse of the estate, and Il Fienile, its independent dependence, now in the final stages of renovation. Two houses that open to you together or separately — depending on how much room you need for what you came here to do.
Stone archways, a large open living room, five bedrooms each with its own name and story from the Mugello. Two home offices, one of them in the tower, overlooking the valley. A spacious kitchen for cooking and entertaining.
The estate's dependence is in the final stages of renovation. Two bedrooms, its own kitchen, a private garden, independent access, and complete privacy from the Leopoldina. First bookings from September 2026 — email us now to be notified when we open.
Both houses, all the outdoor spaces, the quiet of the whole property. For a family reunion, an important birthday, a MotoGP weekend with friends, or simply to have a piece of the Mugello all to yourselves for a few days.
Not sure yet which configuration you need? Write to us. We'll figure it out together.
Peter Leopold of Habsburg-Lorraine was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790. His reforms — Enlightenment-driven, pragmatic, against the European grain of the Ancien Régime — made Tuscany the first state in the world to abolish the death penalty and torture, with the Reform of Tuscan criminal legislation of 30 November 1786.
Abolita per massima costante la pena di Morte, come non necessaria per il fine propostosi dalla Società nella punizione dei Rei, eliminato affatto l'uso della Tortura…— Peter Leopold, Reform of Tuscan criminal legislation, 30 November 1786 (original Italian text)
In the same period, on the estates of the Grand Duchy a new model of farmhouse for sharecroppers was spreading: U- or L-shaped plan, stable on the ground floor, dwelling on the first, hayloft under the roof, oven and cistern in the courtyard. They weren't established by law — there's no edict that imposed them — but they're the architectural sign of that same reformist season, built under the impulse of a new agricultural policy.
The term "leopoldine" is still used today by the farmers of the upper Mugello to designate those houses. They were workers' homes, not landlords' — the steward lived in the villa, the owner in Florence. Our Leopoldina is one of these: same plan, same sandstone walls, same functional design as two hundred and fifty years ago, restored without betraying it.
Read more on the CAI Valdarno Superiore website (in Italian) →
Each room of La Leopoldina carries the name of a voice from the Mugello. They're not just places to sleep — they are five doorways into five ways of understanding this valley. Partisans, racing drivers, painters, pilgrims, cooks: you'll find them at the door, you'll take them with you.
Bianca Bianchi was born in Vicchio del Mugello in 1914. A teacher and partisan courier, she smuggled weapons to the Lavacchini Brigade and saved wounded Allied soldiers. In 1946 she was elected among the twenty-one mothers of the Italian Constituent Assembly — with more votes than Sandro Pertini, her running mate.
"I think of grandfather Angiolo, and how right he was when I was about to take up this work: you are a woman." — Bianca Bianchi
Emilio Materassi was born in Borgo San Lorenzo in 1894. A rope-maker's apprentice, a bus driver fired for speeding, he became a Bugatti driver and won the 1927 Targa Florio. Turn 4 of the Mugello Circuit bears his name today.
"Ten dry laps at Mugello are worth a thousand at Abu Dhabi, in terms of satisfaction." — Mark Webber, after a Red Bull test at Mugello (2012)
At Vespignano di Vicchio, ten minutes from here, a small boy was drawing a sheep on a stone when Cimabue saw him. Giotto di Bondone went on to become the father of Western painting. His birthplace is still standing, and it can be visited.
"Among the stones of Vespignano walked a young shepherd boy who drew on the rocks." — Giorgio Vasari
The Flaminia Militare was a Roman military road built in 187 BC to connect Bologna to Arezzo across the Apennines. Abandoned for centuries, it was rediscovered in 1979 by two mountaineers from Castel dell'Alpi. Today it's the heart of the Via degli Dei — a five-day walk that every year brings thousands of travellers across the mountains. The Mugello stretch is one of the most beautiful.
The name comes from a family nickname, affectionate and Mugellan. It's the room of the well-laid table: potato tortelli rolled by hand, Mugello IGP chestnuts roasted on the fire, Mugello maccheroni with Sunday ragù. The cooking here isn't folklore — it's the language we speak at home.
"The hypocritical world pretends that eating isn't important; but no feast, civil or religious, takes place without a laid table and the attempt to eat as well as one can." — Pellegrino Artusi, 1891
And at Il Fienile, two more rooms will tell another story still: that of peasant work, in the Fattori and Garzoni rooms. Opening expected September 2026.
Notify me when Il Fienile opens →Two distinct home offices — one on the first floor of La Leopoldina, one in the tower with a view over the Sieve valley. Two people can work at the same time without disturbing each other. Quiet here is the default, not an exception.
Designed for those who come for a week, or a month, or anyone who wants to try what it feels like to write an email with the window open on the woods. Thirty minutes from Florence, if you need a city. Zero minutes from the woods, if you don't.
FTTH fibre, Wi-Fi 6 mesh network with roaming across all the rooms.
IKEA MITTZON electric standing desks, LÅNGFJÄLL chairs, external monitor.
No traffic noise. Only the wind through the chestnut trees, and the occasional cuckoo.
Dedicated rates for stays of 7+ nights, outside peak season.
Home office in the tower,
arched windows over the valley.
You work better when the view from the window isn't a parking lot. — Podere Ovosodo
Podere Ovosodo is our family home, and now yours too when you're here. Manuel and I look after every stay personally — no property manager, no middlemen, no call centre if something needs attention.
We looked after this place because we believed in it, and we keep looking after it every day. If you have questions before you book, if you want a recommendation for dinner in the valley, or if you need something during your stay, write to us. We answer ourselves.
For anything at all: ciao@podereovosodo.com — we reply personally.
In-person check-in always — either us or a trusted local collaborator meets you on arrival.
Thorough cleaning between stays, attention to the small things that make a stay comfortable.
Local advice, small requests, and any issue handled immediately.
You can book through Airbnb or Booking, whichever you prefer. Or write to us directly if you'd like to talk it over before deciding.
Real-time availability, secure payment, AirCover protection included. Check dates and prices in a few clicks.
Go to Airbnb →Same calendar, same conditions. Flexible cancellation policies and Booking support if you need it.
Go to Booking →Advice on the right configuration, special requests, events. We reply within 24 hours.
ciao@podereovosodo.com →Not sure yet whether this is the right place for you? Write to us anyway. We're good at helping those who aren't sure.
