Piazza della Chiesa, 1, Vernio

The cluster is in the northern Prato Apennines, on the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine ridge. The Bisenzio valley runs through the area, with wooded slopes, small upland hamlets and the reservoir of Lago di Santa Maria just to the north near Vernio. Part of this mountain area falls in the Monteferrato and Calvana protected system to the south-east, while the higher ridge toward Montepiano and Monte Tavianella is the everyday landscape here. The nearest ski area is Doganaccia above Cutigliano, roughly an hour or more by road depending on the hamlet. Prato is the nearest city of size, with full services, rail links and a substantial historic centre; Bologna is also practical via the Apennine road and rail corridor. The area is known for chestnut woods, sandstone villages and the old Apennine routes between Tuscany and Emilia.