Hidden engravings in Florence, stuff that tourists don't see

I expected another quiet walk in the hills above Florence. Instead, I stumbled across three unsettling stone carvings hidden beside a woodland path on a boundary rock: one of a naked woman or angel, two grotesque faces with gaping mouths, and no obvious clue as to who carved them or why.

The first one was of a woman lying down, or a fallen angel.

At the entrance to Fiesole woodland stands a line of enormous boulders. The first one is a beautiful carving of a woman (or fallen angel?), along with two grotesque faces with gaping mouths further round the side of the same stone.

I've walked past this boulder countless times and only just noticed these talented engravings!

Was this anatomical study, a scary warning to those venturing into the woods, or engraved to ward off evil spirits?

At the entrance of the woods.

Whatever, it's creepy! Towards the back of the stone just under shrubbery, there is also a deeply carved image of a face with its mouth wide open. I wondered if this art signifies death, terror, suffering, a choir boy in mid-song, or an effigy for protection. The face carving sits to the right of the naked lady/angel lying face down, carefully sculpted into the same huge granite boulder.

One detail makes the carvings even more intriguing: Renaissance and later artists generally trained on metal plates, woodblocks, wax, clay or prepared stone, not random boulders in the woods.

All the carvings are substantially weathered, making them difficult to date. They could be anything from around a century to more than four hundred years old. I searched for information but couldn't find any record of either the carvings or the sculptor responsible.

The final engraving.

Oddly, there is a third one on the same stone, an apparently unfinished one from what I can make out. It resembles the former face depiction, with gaping mouth partially formed. Just as I spotted it, a mountain biker was heading into the woodland. I couldn't resist pointing it out to him, but he wasn't remotely interested. My son laughed at me, and rightly so.

The absence of sharp, well-defined features suggests that they could all be of considerable age.

Here is a photo of a gateway just down the same road. It weighs lighter on the soul of the passerby than the menacing stone art.

Love the climbing plants with lilac and rouge flowers, draped down the gate and garden walls.

Faces with wide-open mouths carved into stones and sometimes featured on buildings in and around Florence are generally called mascheroni (large masks) or grotesque masks. They ward off evil, though are the embodiment of it, in my opinion! Strange to see them on a country path, and my guess is that someone a couple of hundred years ago was practising their art and not in the slightest intending to scare future dog walkers. Or perhaps they were intended for nearby Vincigliata Castle.

Orly and me, strolling in Fiesole countryside, checking out the views of the Catedrale Santa Maria del Fiore and Vincigliata Castle.

Vincigliata Castle belonged to John Temple Leader, an English politician and connoisseur who bought the ruined castle in 1855 and rebuilt it in a mostly romantic Gothic Revival style, with architect Giuseppe Fancelli. He added gateways, heraldic carvings, inscriptions and other medieval style features throughout the estate. (Wikipedia)

Not easy to get access to, but a great venue for private functions such as weddings, gala dinners and corporate events.

Vincigliata Castle was heavily renovated in the 1800s.

This too belongs to the Castle, but it's found down the road.

It marks the boundary of one of the estates associated with it or its surrounding woodland. In the 19th century, estates often had stones carved with abbreviated names rather than full inscriptions. (IE It's not a milestone, though I thought it was at first).

Huge candle holders are cemented to the walls outside the castle, and are very neoclassic in design.

Three big candle holders are on one of the roadside castle walls. Romantic Gothic in style, imitating the medieval period and likely to have been installed circa. 150+ years ago by John Temple Leader.

Got distracted by a car parked up fully wrapped in a Leonardo Da Vinci design.

Distinctive design, celebrating one of the greatest Italian Renaissance polymaths (1452−1519).

Florence City was Leonardo da Vinci's artistic and intellectual school despite him being born in the nearby village of Vinci. Wonder whose car this is?

It's parked on a single white line, but I doubt it will get a ticket in this friendly suburb! Fortunately, once we'd left the car behind, at least the fortress we visited further south (past Arezzo) later that day was accessible to us plebeians, and the nearby Roman archaeological dig site was a bonus find.

Unlike Vincigliata, the Rocca del Leone "Lion's Rock" medieval fortress is open to the public, and its vast interior contains an entire village of cafés, shops and hotels within its defensive walls. Construction began in the 12th century under Frederick II before later expansions transformed it into one of central Italy's most impressive lakeside fortresses.

A dandy Frederick II with the Giglio of Florence in his hand, and the symbolic Eagle to his left. Contemporary portrait from the "Manfred manuscript".

Built to protect a strategically important defensive point on the route between Rome and Florence .

Wondering if they are tar marks down the turret from historical battle defence. Probably not.

Here is the path on the way to this stunning castle in Castiglione del Lago. The lake view is incredible, and almost coastal in feel. As we got there mid-morning, we enjoyed a coffee and pastry lakeside before taking the ten minute walk to the castle grounds. Aperitivo in the castle itself then back to the car, because by 3PM it was too hot to sit around or walk in.

Picturesque path to the Rocca del Leone castle

The highlight of the trip wasn't only the castle and the village hidden within its walls, but the active archaeological excavation we stumbled across on the walk back to the car. Roman and Etruscan remains are still being uncovered, with ancient walls and the bathing complex of a villa emerging once more into daylight.

Did not expect to witness on-going archaeological dig on the way home. Sadly, no-one was there because it was far too hot to work, though we stayed behind the site's cordon tape and read the informative signs they'd put up.

Some are kindly written in English too.

Ancient walls and a large Roman mansion with bathing facilities being excavated.

Despite this dig site being well explained, I'll probably never know who carved the mysterious figures into that giant boulder in Fiesole woods, or when they were created.

Perhaps they were a sculptor's abandoned practice pieces, or maybe they once formed part of John Temple Leader's grand vision for nearby Vincigliata. Whatever their story (which is possibly religious), they turned an ordinary woodland dog walk into an unexpected ~ and delightfully spooky, mystery.

That's the joy of wandering rural Tuscany. You set out expecting little more than a scenic walk, only to stumble upon forgotten carvings, admire spectacular seasonal flora, wonder about romantic castles closed to the public, explore mighty fortresses like Rocca del Leone, and even come across an archaeological dig site, uncovering ancient Etruscan remains and a wealthy Roman's lakeside villa.

The best discoveries are rarely the ones you plan, they're the ones you almost walk straight past.