Fornello, la stazione abbandonata del Mugello

On the whole it can be considered a complete tour even if the two descents made are never exciting except for a few passages, they have however on their side to be immersed in two beautiful environments that offer glimpses of remarkable level. For reasons of time we leave from Ronta so that we can immediately do one more descent well knowing that once the second one is over there awaits us the long transfer that from Gattaia will take us back to the starting point, which I remember having already done in the past and at the end of the tour being a continuous up and down is not really the best way to end the tour. Arriving at the Colla pass we could immediately take the first of the two descents, but since it is not very long we decide to get to Prato all'Albero, climb above the ridge, and then descend back to the road via Cai 505. Unfortunately, the trail is in very bad condition, it has been blowing strong winds in the past few days and is overgrown with a copious layer of leaves and branches that make the descent difficult and in some places risky, moreover the final part that comes out on the road turns out to be a landslide.

After this first fiasco we head for the beginning of the Alpe descent that starts just below the pass near a hairpin bend. Initially this too disappoints us and we begin to think we have made a second fiasco. Fortunately, when we arrive at the Alpe House the music changes and the trail is very pleasant, all flow in a beautiful pine forest mixed with roots and a few rocky passages.

When we arrive at Razzuolo we climb back up to the Colla Pass where we abandon the road in favor of Cai 00. Arriving at a bar we keep to the right following a nice forest road until we reach the fork for Cai 56 indicating Fornello Gattaia. Initially the trail keeps fairly wide until the Casetta where the single track begins. The trail winds along the Muccione stream, is never challenging and has several pedaled relaunches. Before arriving at the station we glimpse the Faentina railroad line, a prelude to arriving at the Station, after which we cross an old tunnel and upon exiting it we find ourselves along the tracks on the bridge that precedes the old stop, just preceded by the passage of the train, reason why we need to be very careful along the stretch beside the tracks.

The Fornello station was a railway stop (originally a movement post and then a station) serving the village of Fornello, also now uninhabited, in the province of Florence. It is located on the Faentina railroad in the area between two long tunnels near the pass/culmination of the line. The small village of railway origin, inhabited in the past by a few people and then uninhabited, has always been isolated and difficult to reach, so the train has always been the most convenient way to reach it.

The station was initially opened as a service facility placed at the end of the uphill (2.5 percent gradient) of the line coming from Ronta. This station was built to meet three needs: to make the crossings in the long and steep section between Ronta, the apex of the line and S. Crespino, to provide a water supply point for steam locomotives, and above all to allow the unhooking of locomotives that were performing the tail thrust service on the Florence side (after Fornello towards Faenza the uphill gradient dropped to 1.6%). After 1893 it was also admitted to passenger service. It was decommissioned in 1968. Having taken a few photos we continue along the trail until we arrive at the small Borgo di Gattaia.