The Medici loved the countryside, especially when it came with hunting grounds, and Villa La Magia at Quarrata was one of their country retreats at the foot of the Montalbano hills, a few kilometres south of Pistoia. Francesco I de' Medici bought it in the sixteenth century to use as a hunting lodge, and it belongs to the World Heritage inscription for the Medici villas and gardens of Tuscany. The villa is a solid rectangular building around a courtyard, more farmhouse than palace, with a park that has become home to contemporary art installations, a rather unexpected touch for a Renaissance hunting lodge.
The Montalbano is a long, low ridge separating the plains of Pistoia and Florence from the lower Arno valley. Its slopes are covered with olive groves, vineyards and woods of oak and chestnut, and its villages perch on spurs with views across the plain. Carmignano, on the other side of the ridge, produces a red wine that was one of the first to have its production area legally defined, by a decree of Cosimo III de' Medici in 1716. Vinci, Leonardo's birthplace, lies on the southern slope, and the drive there over the hills is one of the loveliest in the area.
The riding on the Montalbano is excellent. The road along the ridge, from San Baronto toward Vinci and Carmignano, is twisty and narrow, with olive groves on both sides and sudden views across Tuscany. San Baronto is a meeting point for cyclists and motorcyclists, with a café where people gather at weekends. The surface is generally good, but there are cyclists, farm vehicles and cars driven by locals who know every bend. Summer is hot; spring and autumn are perfect, with soft light over the hills.
Quarrata, a town of about ten thousand, has a filling station and somewhere to eat; Pistoia, a short ride away, has a beautiful medieval centre and a lively market. Tuscan food here means beans, bread soups, grilled meat and olive oil from the Montalbano, which is excellent. The villa's opening times vary, so check before you go. Afterwards, ride up to the ridge, stop at a viewpoint and look down at the plain, with the Apennines to the north and the dome of Florence's cathedral on the horizon on a clear day.