The Buriano Bridge and Penna Reserve

The Buriano Bridge and Penna Reserve

A walk in the lands painted by Leonardo da Vinci

The ancient Buriano Bridge and the natural reserve called the Ponte Buriano and Penna Reserve are just outside the city of Arezzo at the point where the three valleys of the Casentino, Valdarno and Val di Chiana come together. It’s a Tuscan landscape full of biodiversity, with a great link to history. 

You can take a walk in the large green fields and surrounding woods, with herons passing in flight. There are accessible pathways that follow along the Arno riverbed for about seven kilometers until they end at the Penna dam. The trek allows you to reconnect with nature and find inspiration by visiting sites like the Rondine City of Peace. In this town, you can meet young people from different conflict areas around the world who live and study there. You can stop in the small village of Monte Sopra Rondine to admire the spectacular view of the Arno river. 

The true gem of the natural reserve of Buriano Bridge and Penna is the Buriano Bridge itself, also known as the Bridge of Gioconda. The bridge has seven stone arches that have remained intact from medieval times until the present day, having survived bombs and flooding. The Buriano Bridge was much loved by Leonardo da Vinci who placed it in the background of his most-loved masterpiece: La Gioconda.