The Borro, a small and ancient architectural jewel dating back to the Middle Ages (as mentioned in a document of 1039), is surrounded by a green and very well-kept agricultural area, and it is situated on the way that connects San Giustino Valdarno to Laterina.
Understanding the etimology of its name is easy. Borro is the term used to define a creek, which over the millenniums has dug a deep river bed. This definition is perfectly suited for this small Tuscan village located on a rocky spur partly surrounded by a deep ditch dug by the aforementioned creek.
Visiting the Borro means immersing ourselves into a timeless place. First of all, cars are far away and this alone already conveys that feeling of being detached from our everyday lives. This small village does not know what asphalted streets means, it only has cobblestone ones. The ancient bridge which makes it possible for us to cross the ditch and then enter the town leads us into the only and narrow little street through which we have access to this place. On its left we find the old pittoresque buildings, on its right the deep cliff. However, explaining with words the architecture, the colors and the alleys of this place that seems to be from a fairytale is not easy, the images of this web section accompanied by captions do it certainly better.
The fame of the Borro is due to several aspects. First of all to its architecture and to the shape of the area where the Borro is located. Secondly, also to the important families to which it has been related during its history. Mentioning the last two is enough: the Savoia (Duke Amedeo D'Aosta lived here) and, from 1993, the Ferragamo family (famous enterpreneurs in the high fashion sector). The Borro, from the moment it became Ferragamo's property, has undergone some profound but unnoticeable restoration works. The most part of its houses has been turn into apartments in the typical Tuscan style to host tourists that come from all over the world. Nowadays, there are also several events and occurrences held in this place. This has led to increasing the number of visitors for this fairytale place.
Moreover, there is a character highly bounded to The Borro: it is father Pasquale Mencattini, nowadays dead, who was the parish priest of this place for many years. This priest, characterised by great flair, fantasy and passion for mechanical tecniques, significantly contributed into increasing the notoriety of this small village. He designed and built one of the first mechanised nativities for The Borro (early 1950's). Later on, father Pasquale built two other great animated works: the story of Pinocchio and the representation of the ancient professions. Nowadays, these creations can be admired in three different premises. Over the years, many hundreds of thousands of people have come to the Borro in order to admire these works, results of father Pasquale's creativity, tecnique and patience, as well as of his love for this place where he was the parish priest. The Borro is also an agricultural estate of hundreds of hectars. Olive oil and wine are the jewels of the crown of this aspect and they can be purchased at the sales point. If booked in advance, it is also possible visiting the wonderful wine cellars and doing wine testing