In the footsteps of Medici

The green hills and broad valleys that characterize the area of Mugello have hosted in the past a prestigious Florentine family, the Medici family. Advancing in the villages of Mugello, in fact, you can encounter castles and fortresses with impressive looking, a tangible sign of the glorious past of the Medici.
The Mugello also, with its woodlands and its wide open spaces, is home to one of the most famous racetracks in the world, the Mugello circuit. The circuit, without a doubt, helped make this part of Italy known all over the world offering to fans of motor sports a wonderful place to stay maybe a few days. The importance of the Mugello track is due to its investments in technology and security, especially after the acquisition by the Group Ferrari: escape routes, service roads for emergency vehicles and differences in height that make the track one of the most suitable for tests and trials. On the asphalt of this race track ran motorcycling and Formula 1 champions and, with their victories, have consecrated the Mugello track in memory of fans.The Mugello, from a sporting perspective, it is a land full of surprises: beyond the racetrack, other relevant peculiarities are those of the lake of Bilancino, which hosts national events to sailing and boating, and the Poggio dei Medici Golf Club.
A reality equally attractive is Scarperia, place of historical and cultural interest, which is also included in the Mugello region. Known as "il paese dei ferri taglienti" (the country of cutting knives), the town of Scarperia was involved, in the past, by the spread of craft shops dedicated to the production of agricultural tools and knives. 
The activity of the cutlers, although marked by hard times because of the laws that prohibited the marketing and use of certain types of knives, has survived and has contributed to the revitalization of the area. 
Famous is also the Diotto of Scarperia, a Palio of ancient origins that takes place on September 8th: the feast commemorates the transfer of power from the outgoing to the new Vicar that took place in 1545. The reconstruction of the event is handled by a costumed procession parading from the Palazzo dei Vicari up to the square. In memory of this historical episode, are organized five races that determine the winning team among the participants. The moment of representation follows the events of "Renaissance days", beginning on the first Sunday of September and seeing the passage, in the streets, of characters like ladies, knights, musicians and cutlers.