Between the tourist cities of Arezzo and Florence is the unusual erosive rock formation called ‘Le Balze of Valdarno’ meaning the Cliffs of Valdarno. The Balze are a series of large jutted rocks that rise high about the surrounding landscape in quite a striking fashion.
Stay in a beautiful holiday villa in Arezzo where you can easily travel to see this magnificent natural attraction.
Stay in a beautiful holiday villa in Arezzo where you can easily travel to see this magnificent natural attraction.
They were formed from the compressed sediment that once lay at the bottom of the Lake Pliocene that once filled the entire Valdarno area many millennia ago.
As the lake gradually drained over millions of years, the hardened sediment rock bed was exposed to the elements of air and water which began eroding it into a natural sculpture.
Erosion has transformed Le Balze into the sharp jagged rocky peaks they are today. The master Renaissance genius, Leonardo da Vinci was mesmerised by them and included them as a background in many of his painting, including his masterpiece, The Mona Lisa.
Created from compressed gravels, clays and sands, some of the peaks of the Balze reach as high as 100 metres!
As the lake gradually drained over millions of years, the hardened sediment rock bed was exposed to the elements of air and water which began eroding it into a natural sculpture.
Erosion has transformed Le Balze into the sharp jagged rocky peaks they are today. The master Renaissance genius, Leonardo da Vinci was mesmerised by them and included them as a background in many of his painting, including his masterpiece, The Mona Lisa.
Created from compressed gravels, clays and sands, some of the peaks of the Balze reach as high as 100 metres!
The River Arno and other tributary rivers have hewn their winding watery path through these cliffs of Valdarno which have resulted in deep and beautiful gorges for tourists to see.
Why not head on a guided trip to learn more about this incredible natural formation visit charming towns and villages in the area like Reggello, Terranuova Bracciolini, Pian di Sco and Laterina.
The Valdarno area of Tuscany has much to offer you by way of natural beauty and culture!
Why not head on a guided trip to learn more about this incredible natural formation visit charming towns and villages in the area like Reggello, Terranuova Bracciolini, Pian di Sco and Laterina.
The Valdarno area of Tuscany has much to offer you by way of natural beauty and culture!
Photo credits
picture 1: Burzagli / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Burzagli / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Burzagli / CC BY-SA 3.0
picture 1: Burzagli / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Burzagli / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Burzagli / CC BY-SA 3.0
