Take a dip in Tuscany
The term ‘Tuscany’ invokes ideals of vineyards and mountainous scenery, well-coiffed locals in crisply ironed linen sipping local wines and dining on some of the best food the world has to offer.
This is the home of the Renaissance, which produced famous art works and breath-taking architecture dating back throughout the mind-bogglingly long and rich history of the area.
For this reason, just 20km north-west of the Florence city center, in the famed wine-producing Mugello region, it is quite a surprise to come across a site that does not quite fit with the postcard perception of the rolling Tuscan hills lined with Villas shielded by rows of cypress trees.
This is a place, breathtakingly beautiful, and yet not depicted in any of the famous artworks nor mentioned in any of the thousands of historical poems and novels set in Tuscany.
I refer to the Lago Bilancino, a man-made lake nestled in the Tuscan hills with a surface area of 5km.
Completed in 1995, it was originally constructed as a damn intended to increase water supply to Pistoia, Prato and Florence.
But the local wildlife had other ideas. And as such, the area is richly populated by exotic animals and plants, such as pink flamingos, storks and cranes. And of course, which body of water would be complete without the skwark of seagulls overhead?
As the area is also abundant with a wide array of brightly colored and headily perfumed plants and flowers, Lake Bilancino now features zones designed to develop and protect its wildlife and flora.
But real nature lovers will also want to visit this area for the other natural wonder it has to offer: the Tuscans who flock to the area to swim and sun bake on its shores!
There are the more popular areas along the shoreline, where you will pay to rent a beach chair and umbrella. Complete with on-shore bars to ensure one is never too far away from an express shot of caffè or a glass of the famed local wine, these are populated by locals who are often fully made-up and highly coutured Tuscan beauties (men and women alike).
Along the other parts of the radius of Lake Bilancino, you will find areas populated by families, with young children happily squealing and splashing each other as they run along the water’s edge. The next group of beach chairs may be populated by teenagers adding final bronzing touches to naturally olive skins, whilst grandmothers, taking a few precious moments from the pasta-making, backstroke out from the calmly lapping shore.
Stepping into the water brings a surprise to the toes – the base of the lake is covered with oozy mud that squishes and sucks in your digits. This is explains why all the locals are wearing plastic water shoes whilst swimming!
And swimming in the water is just blissful. The water temperature during the summer months is refreshing without being startling, and swimming only a short distance out from shore brings an idyllic isolation.
The presence of fish in the water is a good sign as to the health of the lake, it can be quite a surprise to have your calves kissed by curious and friendly fish!
As the temperate waters ripple across skin warmed by the famed Tuscan sun, the sound of birds mimicking the delightful squeals of playing children, it is just a dream to look across the expanse of water and see yourself surrounded by the smooth-walled muted-citrus colored Villas cradled on crests of almost each of the rising hills in the distance.
Some of these properties are the historical residences of the Medici family, who originated in this area and were extensive property owners here. The nearby Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo, constructed in 1454 as a Medici castle by Lorenzo il Magnifico, is one of the few such properties that is open to tourists.
One of the reasons that not many tourists are found on these shores is that is an area generally requiring a car and good local knowledge to get to, heading towards the edge of Tuscany towards the Emilia-Romagna region. The closest train station is San Piero a Sieve, still some distance away from the lake itself. In fact, Lago Bilancino is not even mentioned in many of the most popular Tuscan guide books!
There are also stretches of shoreline dedicated to play on the water by way of wind surfing, canoing and sailing. Higher up, there are small planes used for flight lessons and sight-seeing by the local aero-clubs. On land, the surrounding area is also well known amongst bike riding and mountain trekking enthusiasts.
Plans for further development of the region include adding more plant-life, such as the plantation of shrubbery along the shoreline, and also creating a a Giardino delle farfalle – a Butterfly Garden! There is also the Frutti dei Medici, a garden project aimed at producing and protecting all the fruits and vegetables used by the Medici family whose recipes are still in existence today!
Lago Bilancino, with its stunning surroundings and abundance of wildlife and plants, is a breathtakingly and surprising way to pass your time Under the Tuscan Sun. It is also a great place to mix with the locals at play!
In this way, Lago Bilancino is therefore living up to its name, with the word ‘Bilancino’ meaning to balance out.
