In the green bowl of the Mugello, north of Florence, the Medici family kept a house long before they ruled the city. Cafaggiolo was an old family property, and around the middle of the fifteenth century Cosimo the Elder had the architect Michelozzo transform it into a fortified country villa, with battlements, a tower and a moat, a cross between a castle and a farmhouse. Lorenzo the Magnificent spent time here as a boy, and the villa became a favourite retreat for hunting and escaping the plague in the city. It is one of the Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany listed by UNESCO, and visits depend on current restoration and opening arrangements, so check before you arrive.
The Mugello valley around it is a broad, fertile basin ringed by the Apennines, with fields, vineyards, chestnut woods and small towns. Scarperia, a few kilometres away, has been making knives for centuries, and its palace is decorated with coats of arms. San Piero a Sieve sits right below the villa, and Borgo San Lorenzo is the main town of the valley.
For riders the Mugello is sacred ground. Just outside Scarperia lies the Mugello circuit, home of the Italian MotoGP race every spring, when the hills fill with fans and the sound of engines echoes across the valley. Even without a race, the roads around are a joy. To the north, the Passo della Futa and the Passo del Giogo cross the Apennines towards Bologna with endless bends, climbs and descents through woods and pastures, and on a fine Sunday they are full of bikes. The Futa road was once part of the Mille Miglia race. Near the top of the Futa stands a vast German war cemetery from the Second World War, a sobering sight.
The roads are well surfaced, but traffic can be heavy on weekends, police controls are common, and tight bends can catch you out. In winter, frost and ice are possible on the passes, and the weather can turn quickly in the mountains.
Fuel is available in San Piero a Sieve, Scarperia and Borgo San Lorenzo. For lunch, look for tortelli di patate, potato-filled pasta typical of the Mugello, served with meat sauce or butter and sage, and a glass of Tuscan red, preferably after the riding is done.