From Ravenna to Florence along the places that inspired Dante

The first day of riding is almost entirely along the river and flat till Castrocaro in a mixture of gravel on the river levee and asphalt terrain which will never be technical then it will climb lightly to get to Castrocaro. Along the way we will ride first to Classe where you can visit the Basilica of Sant Apollinare in Classe , a mosaic masterpiece, then we’ll continue through  Forlì, where Dante lived twice during his exile. The trip moves to Terra del Sole, a jewel of Renaissance town planning commissioned by Cosimo de’ Medici in 1564 as an example of perfect urban planning, Terra del Sole was also a fortress defending the northern borders and Castrocaro with its fortress and spa. 

Light lunch along the route, I would leave this on their own as it can happen easily either in Forli’ or Castrocaro, depending on their speed.  

 Distance 57 km / elevation gain  + 254  mt  

From today no more flat terrain but good climbs. From Castrocaro, we climb through vineyards and olive groves along the ridge of the spungone (literally ‘sponge’) a special geological formation typical of the area that was used in the construction of the imposing tower of the Castle of Guido Guerra, a member of the Guidi family who was mentioned by Dante in the 16th canto of the Inferno. The tour later on climbs to a ridge that leads to the famous Vulcanello of Monte Busca, a burning fountain of methane gas that comes out of the subsoil and is constantly combusting. From here, a pleasant descent on asphalt leads to the overnight stop, the lovely Portico di Romagna, known for its characteristic humpback bridge.

Distance 39 km/ elevation gain  + 1066 mt  

The tour goes into the Tuscan-Romagna Appennine “selva oscura” [Dante’s dark forest] characterized by thick woods and hidden hermitages.                                

Then the tour continues into other forests climbing the Appennine and then descending towards San Benedetto in Alpe, a town known for its Abbey. If you like here you can leave the bikes and walking up to to the Acquacheta falls (9km round trip) whose beautiful scenery was described by Dante Alighieri in his Divine Comedy. The tour continues discovering the territory of Casentinesi Forests National Park where an alternation of steep ascents and descents leads to Campigna with its century old forest. Most of the time we will be immersed in the forest with beautiful overviews over the valleys below!

Distance 41 km /elevation gain + 1300 mt

The first stage of the tour is the Sacro Eremo of Camaldoli, where we’ll get to through a thick forest. The ancient monastery is still inhabited by monks. The tour continues along a steep descent on asphalt and then still down but more gradual and off road to the plains of Pratovecchio. It is worth the  climb for 5km to the Abbey of Romena built in 1152 and the nearby castle that hosted Dante in his first years of exile (optional) . Another short diversion leads to Porciano Castle, where Dante was a guest of the Guidi family. During his stay he wrote three of his famous Latin epistles. The route continues along the river towards Poppi which is a must-see on a route through Dante’s places. Poppi is dominated by the Castle of the Guidi counts, near which the famous battle of Campaldino took place. Dante fought in this battle on the Guelph side. His participation is remembered by the “Column of Dante” in Poppi. 

Distance 53 km / elevation gain + 1089  mt 

Today we cycle up the slopes of Pratomagno (meaning grand meadow) where will enjoy the amazing views over the beautiful meadows overlooking the plains of Florence and Arezzo. We’ll  get closer and closer to Florence by stopping at the dominant Vallombrosa Abbey surrounded by forests of beech and firs. The monastery is open to tourists and its “Antica Farmacia” sells local products such as herbal teas and  liqueurs made following antique recipes. Among these is the rare and legendary Dry Gin of Vallombrosa.  

Distance 38  km/elevation gain + 1200  mt 

Today’s is our last  ride leading  towards Dante’s birthplace, Florence. We’ll start enjoying a rather long and thrilling descent through the ‘Polverosa’ path, a pretty famous gravel  itinerary which leads down to the Sieve Valley where, having reached the Arno river, the challenging ups and downs are resumed between vineyards and olive groves to then finally reach the city of Dante, Florence.

Distance  51 km/ elevation gain + 600  mt 

In Florence a lot of corners and places recall Dante’s life, first and foremost the House where he was born near “Torre della castagna”, we recommend visiting it after breakfast (closed on Mondays).

End of the tour and of this unforgettable adventure.

See you next time!

You can return to Ravenna by train or with us booking the return trip as an extra service.