Excursion out of Florence - The Burraie and the Madonna's Roses

Half an hour by car or bus from Florence, above the Santa Brigida Village, you will find the "Ring of the Burraie", a 16-kilometer equipped trakking route through woods, meadows, rocks and beautiful landscapes. Along the path you will meet many “burraie” in excellent condition. But what are the “burraie”? They are small stone structures in the mountain woods  around Florence, 700 - 1000 meters high, near springs or streams, half buried in the earth. Small buildings, used until 1940, built by shepherds and designed to always maintain a cool temperature, even in summer. Inside a stone basin, where the milk containers were kept immersed, and a long shelf with a channel in the middle where the water always flowed and the butter loaves and cheese blocks were placed. The area is also famous for the presence of the Cistus Laurino (Cistus Laurifolius), called Rosa della Madonna, an evergreen plant that is found only in this area. It is a real botanical rarity and blooms with beautiful white flowers for only one week at the end of May. The very short blooming always attracts a large crowd, but the roses belong to the Madonna and cannot be picked!