A Stroll Through Lucardo: A Hidden Medieval Gem Near Florence

Hello my dear friends,

Once again today, I would like to share with you some photos I took in a very interesting place, located just a few kilometers from Florence. In fact, we are still within the metropolitan area of the most important city in Tuscany.

This place is Lucardo, a hamlet of the municipality of Montespertoli, in the heart of Val d'Elsa, a place I’ve already mentioned many times in my posts.
I visited this place in particular because, being very passionate about villages, a dear friend of mine had told me that quite a few years ago, a project had started here to restore and enhance the historical heritage of this place. Projects were launched to make the village more accessible and, therefore, more attractive both to tourists and residents. As you may have noticed in other posts I've shared, one of the problems with living in these places is that they are often not easily accessible for everyone from a mobility standpoint.

Lucardo is located on a hill, and if it's a nice day, you can even see Florence. Naturally, I began my exploration on foot, as usual, and the first cultural attraction I encountered was the Church of Saints Martino and Giusto. Unfortunately, I couldn’t visit it as there was a ceremony inside, so it was not open to visitors.

I walked around the area, and once again, I noticed that many houses are for sale. I lingered in certain courtyards of some houses, where there was a spectacular view. It must really be a blessing to wake up every morning and be able to see such a sight.

I walked through one of the gates of the ancient walls that once surrounded the village. Yes, because the roots of Lucardo date back to the medieval period, and as you can imagine, this is immediately apparent from the architectural features that can be seen and that I shared in my photos.

Actually, I didn’t notice any work being done to make the village more accessible, but I did notice some renovation work, which I think was being carried out by some property owners.

Still, it's always quite moving to touch these ancient walls and stones. Who knows how many people passed through here, and how many battles from the medieval era these walls have witnessed.

In the end, I didn’t leave this place feeling satisfied because it doesn’t seem very accessible at all, and I was also looking for a shop. My friend had told me that a soft cheese made from sheep's milk, called Marzolino di Lucardo, is produced here, and I would have loved to taste it, but I didn’t have the chance.

I hope you enjoyed the photos of the place. To be honest, it’s not a place I would recommend visiting. I’m just being sincere. See you in my next post, and I wish you all a great day!