In the heart of Tuscany, about 30 kilometers from Florence, there lies a hidden gem that has for centuries served as sanctuary for those who venture through the fir tree forest to find it: Vallombrosa. Vallombrosa was founded with its eponymous Abbey–which encompasses a world unto itself.

The Abbey and the tiny borgo around it, is nestled in the Apennine mountains, in what has now become the Vallombrosa Nature Reserve, a serene spot that seems lightyears away from the chaos of Florence’s city center.