The Landscape Narrated / Nights of Archaeology

A summer festival blending nature and memory

The Landscape Narrated, held in conjunction with the Nights of Archaeology, is the summer cultural festival of the Municipality of Vaiano, in the Province of Prato (Tuscany). Now in its third edition, it offers a calendar of free evening events from late June to early August, inviting you to rediscover the Val di Bisenzio territory and the Calvana hills through guided walks, historical talks, and archaeological insights.

Organizers

The festival is promoted by the Municipality of Vaiano together with the CDSE Foundation (Historical-Ethnographic Documentation Centre), an institution established by the Union of Val di Bisenzio Municipalities dedicated to preserving and promoting the area's historical and ethnographic heritage. The events feature scholars, archaeologists, local associations, and keepers of local traditions.

The 2026 Program

The 2026 edition consists of five evenings spread across the villages and hamlets of the municipality:

• June 24, 7:30 PM – "Along ancient paths on the night of Saint John, among springs, fireflies, and legends of the Calvana": an evening walk starting from the Church of Fabio towards Savignano, led by Alessia Cecconi and Luisa Ciardi, with a social gathering at the Agriturismo Il Ponticello.
• July 2 – "From the Arno to the Nile (and back). Tuscany and the fabulous rediscovery of ancient Egypt": a meeting with archaeologist Leonardo Fioretti in the garden of the Schignano Rectory.
• July 9 – "A passion for the ancient": the Buonamici collection and the archaeological travels of English writers and the Spranger family, at Villa San Gaudenzio in Sofignano, with Diletta Pizzicori and Leonardo Fioretti.
• July 29 – "The recovered diary": the history of the village of Schignano and its school in the post-war period, presented by Luisa Ciardi in the garden of the Schignano Rectory.
• August 5 – "Calvana of yesterday, Calvana of today": summit meadows, reforestation, and post-war transformations, at the Circolo Arci Le Fornaci in Sofignano, with Federico Maetzke, Annalisa Marchi, and Franco Calamai.

A journey through the history of Val di Bisenzio

Each evening is designed as a narrative of the landscape: from the legends of the night of Saint John to the allure of ancient Egypt rediscovered by Tuscan travelers, from 19th-century collecting to post-war school memories, and the environmental changes of the Calvana. These walks and meetings allow you to read the territory like an open-air book, where nature, archaeology, and popular traditions intertwine.

Free participation

All events are free. For walks and meetings with limited capacity, mandatory booking is required via the visitvalbisenzio.it portal. It is a unique opportunity to experience the summer evenings of the Municipality of Vaiano, immersed in the landscapes and history of the Tuscan Apennines.