After the EcoMaratona Pratese: Poggio a Caiano

The Route: Cascine di Tavola → Poggio a Caiano → back Logistics: A taxi or a local bus, about 15 to 25 minutes. Buses are less frequent on a Monday, so check the times and the last return. A taxi is the fallback. Marathon Month: October Duration: Day trip

Cascine di Tavola ──(taxi or bus, 15 to 25 min)──> Poggio a Caiano ──(walk)──> Medici villa and gardens

The Medici family liked their villas. Lorenzo the Magnificent commissioned this one in the late fifteenth century from the architect Giuliano da Sangallo, and it is often described as one of the earliest villas to take a classical temple front, with a pedimented portico on a raised arcaded base. It sits on a low hill, and its ramps and lawns are the sort of gentle gradient a runner can cope with the day after the race.

Poggio a Caiano is a short drive from the Cascine di Tavola and on the edge of the countryside that the race uses. The town is small and easy to see in a morning.

October in Poggio a Caiano: daytime temperatures are typically 13 to 21 °C, and the villa's gardens turn to autumn colour. Rain can close the gardens, and gravel paths turn sticky. Opening hours change with the season, and the villa closes one day a week that varies, so check before you go.

The day

The villa is the point of the trip. Its main hall has a frescoed frieze in the manner of the sixteenth century, and the rooms hold a small museum of still life painting. The interior has fixed visiting times and often needs a booked slot. Check the times, ticket prices and any restrictions.

The gardens around the villa are laid out with lawns and old trees, and paths circle the house. The paths are flat on the ground floor and steeper on the terraces. Walk them slowly and use the benches.

Below the villa, the Medici stables, the Scuderie Medicee, are a low brick building in the town. Check whether they are open.

For lunch, the town has a handful of trattorie serving Tuscan dishes such as pappa al pomodoro, a thick bread and tomato soup, and grilled meat. Many close on Monday evenings, so ask your hotel to call ahead.

Getting back

Take the bus or a taxi back to the park area, Prato or the station. Check the last bus of the day and allow a buffer.