Mulinaccio di Scandicci

Tuscany is the beautiful region in Italy well known for its rolling hills, vineyards and wineries. Many visitors to the region are unaware of the beautiful ruins of the water mill at Mulinaccio di Scandicci. It is virtually ignored by almost every guide book of the region. Located about 30 minutes from Florence, Italy, the ruins of Mulinaccio are definitely worth a visit. Due to being relatively unknown, you might even get the chance to have the area all to yourself.

The drive to Mulinaccio takes you through the Tuscan countryside past many villas and fields of grapes. The roads are very narrow and at many times only wide enough for one car to pass. Be very careful around the curves as it could be hard to see oncoming traffic. As you approach Mulinaccio, there is no signage or parking lot to indicate where the trail to the ruins begins and can easily be overlooked. You will have to park on the side of the road and walk about a quarter-mile to find the ruins. The ruins are hidden in an area of thick vegetation and can not be seen from the road. From the road, you will follow a path that is lined by fields of grapes on both sides. Once you reach an area thick with trees and vegetation, the ruins will come into view. There is a path on each side of the mill that leads down the embankment to the bottom of the mill. The path is quite steep leading to the bottom, so take care and watch your footing as it can be slippery.

Mulinaccio di Scandicci first started out as a dam along the Masseto Borro in 1634 to create an artificial lake for a nursery. A few decades later, a mill was added to the dam and became operational in 1653. According to the archives in the municipal of Scandicci, the mill ceased operations in 1736. By the 1830s, this place was called "ruined mill" and took on the name Mulinaccio. A few years later, the lake was drained after the tragic drowning of two brothers. Today much of the mill is still intact, but there are parts of the mill that are badly degraded or collapsed. The mill is comprised of three layers and multiple arches. Two waterfalls are created from water flowing through the structures. The area surrounding the mill is quite lush with vegetation. There are vines and moss covering the trunks of the trees. The moss also covers many of the stones used in the construction of the mill.