Foresta Maestra Generative Festival
The generative festival of the Vallombrosa Forest, blending art, nature, and community
About Foresta Maestra
A generative festival in the heart of the forest
The Foresta Maestra Generative Festival is a cultural and naturalistic event that brings the ancient Vallombrosa Forest to life every summer, located in the Municipality of Reggello, in the province of Florence, in the heart of Tuscany. Now in its fourth edition in 2026, the festival was born from the idea of strengthening the historical bond between Florence and its forest, celebrating the culture, well-being, and spirituality of a unique place where the Benedictine Abbey and monumental trees have coexisted for centuries.
A program spread across the entire summer
Foresta Maestra is not an event concentrated in a single weekend, but a "generative" project that unfolds from June to September. The calendar alternates between opening and closing weekends and numerous appointments distributed throughout July and August, always with a keen eye on the environment and the community. The program intertwines different artistic languages:
- Live Music: The Foresta Maestra Music Fest brings singer-songwriter, experimental electronic, ambient, and jazz concerts to the Vallombrosa meadow, with sunset performances immersed in the forest's soundscape.
- Trekking and Excursions: Walks in the footsteps of charcoal burners, botanical strolls to monumental trees, visits to the Experimental Arboretum, and itineraries through the historic parks of Acquabella and Sammezzano.
- Well-being: Yoga sessions on the meadow and moments of meditation and reflection in nature.
- Sport: The mountain bike cycling rally, which crosses the forest along the trails of Vallombrosa.
- Culture and Workshops: Conferences in the Abbey's Chapter House, cyanotype workshops, seminars on nature, the environment, and artificial intelligence, and a historical exhibition dedicated to the trades and economy of the forest.
A deep bond with the territory
Organized by the Vallombrosa - La Foresta di Firenze ETS association, the festival is developed in collaboration with the Tuscany Region, the Municipalities of Florence and Reggello, the Metropolitan City of Florence, the Forestry Carabinieri, and numerous local associations. Beyond the cultural offering, the event leaves concrete benefits for the forest, such as the inauguration of new trails and the maintenance of historical paths.
Between Vallombrosa, Reggello, and Florence
The heart of the festival is the Vallombrosa Forest, with its Abbey, the meadow, and the Arboretum, but the initiatives also involve the regional capital, Florence, and the Municipality of Reggello, in a continuous dialogue between city and woodland. A formula that makes Foresta Maestra an immersive experience, where art, nature, and community meet under the great canopy of the Tuscan forest.
Foresta Maestra — edition 2026
The fourth edition of Foresta Maestra kicks off on Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Vallombrosa with a day full of events: a morning walk in the footsteps of the charcoal burners, yoga on the meadow, a conference in the Chapter House, a cyanotype workshop, and, to conclude, the evening Music Fest at sunset. The event then continues throughout the summer, with seminars, botanical excursions, and a historical exhibition on the forest's trades, until the closing weekend at the end of August, which will also be dedicated to the theme of nature and artificial intelligence and the mountain bike rally.
Programme Foresta Maestra 2026
Saturday, June 20 - Vallombrosa
- 9:30 AM - Walk in the footsteps of the charcoal burners
- 11:30 AM - Yoga on the meadow
- 3:30 PM - Conference in the Chapter House
- 4:30 PM - Cyanotype workshop
- 5:00 PM - Sunset Music Fest
Sunday, June 21 - Sammezzano Castle
- 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM - Musical aperitif in the Sequoia Park (reserved for members, by registration)
Summer (July-August): Seminars and conferences on nature and the environment, botanical excursions, historical exhibition on the forest economy, musical readings in the woods and arboretums.
Closing weekend (end of August): Meetings on the theme of nature and artificial intelligence, folk and jazz music, mountain bike cycling rally.
Highlights Foresta Maestra 2026
- Sunset concert by Teho Teardo, with his cinematic and visionary soundscapes
- Electronic and ambient live sets by No Label and edeF at the Music Fest on June 20
- Walk in the footsteps of the charcoal burners and yoga on the Vallombrosa meadow
- Cyanotype workshop using sunlight
- All events are free to attend
Prices Foresta Maestra 2026
Practical information — Foresta Maestra
How to get there
The Vallombrosa Forest is located in the Municipality of Reggello (FI). By car, take the Incisa-Reggello exit on the A1 motorway, then continue towards Saltino and Vallombrosa. By train, the reference station is Sant'Ellero (Florence-Arezzo line), from which you can continue by road.
Tickets
All festival events are free to attend. Some initiatives with limited capacity (such as musical aperitifs reserved for members) require registration via a specific online form.
Tips
Comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for trails are recommended for excursions and trekking. The altitude of Vallombrosa (over 950 meters) can make evenings cool even in summer.
Information
Associazione Vallombrosa - La Foresta di Firenze ETS, Via Dante Alighieri 11, Reggello. Email: [email protected]. Instagram: @forestamaestrafestival.
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Where does it take place — Foresta Maestra
Foresta di Vallombrosa