An old railway line coming back to life in a new form, that of sustainable tourism. The “Railway Route – Sant’Ellero / Vallombrosa” project was created with the aim of recovering the historic rack and pinion track that once connected the Sant’Ellero station to the village of Vallombrosa, converting it back into a trail equipped for hikers, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.
The ancient rack, gateway to the Forest!
The visionary Count Joseph Telfener, an engineer and businessman originally from Val Gardena in the summer of 1890 was in Vallombrosa for a summer stay. Impressed by the natural beauty of the place, he conceived the project of transforming it into one of the most elegant “health resorts” in Europe. At the beginning of 1891 he bought several pieces of land in the locality of Saltino, not far from Vallombrosa, found the support of the Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Chimirri, who was very interested in the idea of creating a summer resort in the heart of Italy. Telfener thus devoted himself to the project of a rack railway that was to connect Saltino with S.Ellero and thus with the Rome-Florence railway line. Construction of the railway and a grand hotel began on May 21, 1892. Work on the railway was completed after only 102 days, and on August 9, 1892, the line was tested. The locomotives, beautiful olive green in color with gold trim, came from the American Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, and took actual service on September 25 with a grand opening ceremony.
The rack in operation from September 25, 1892 to April 18, 1924.
The April 12, 2026, 102 years later, thanks to the reckless work of volunteers from local associations, the trail will see the light again!
Sant’Ellero once again becomes the entry point of the Vallombrosa Forest for all people who want to experience the famous Biogenetic State Nature Reserve. In fact, it is possible to walk the S.Ellero Saltino-Vallombrosa Rail Trail in the way you prefer:
🚶 by foot, 🚴 by bike (including e-bike) or🏃 by running.
Everyone at their own pace, everyone with their own way of experiencing nature.
We thank the associations and all the volunteers and volunteers involved: Vallombrosa La Foresta di Firenze, Circolo S.Ellero, Babbo Bike, Circolo Donnini, CAI Pontassieve.
A green corridor to the Vallombrosa Reserve
The trail thus becomes a green corridor, linking the Valdarno valley floor with the Vallombrosa Biogenetic Nature Reserve, turning into a true natural gateway to the forest. The trail, integrated into the CAI network, is equipped with signage, viewpoints, rest areas and e-bike charging stations, making it accessible to a wide and varied public.
History and nature along the way
Among the project’s main innovations is the installation of nine information panels, positioned at key points along the trail. These offer historical insights, period images, elements of naturalistic knowledge and technical directions, enriching the user experience and making the trail a true cultural and narrative itinerary.
Intermodality and slow tourism
The project promotes a virtuous model of train + soft mobility intermodality: thanks to the proximity of the Sant’Ellero train station, it is possible to comfortably reach the start of the route from Florence and continue on foot or by bicycle, leaving the car at home. A smart and sustainable way to discover the area.
Access to the Vallombrosa Trail Area
Once you arrive in Vallombrosa, you directly access the Vallombrosa Trail Area, a system of 11 bicycle touring trails, the Silvomuseo trails, and the trekking trails maintained by the Carabinieri Forestali. The “Rail Trail” constitutes Trail 01 of the entire system: the backbone of a network that combines nature, history and sport.
A territorial regeneration project
This is an important territorial regeneration intervention, capable of relaunching Vallombrosa as a destination of excellence for cycling tourism, hiking and sustainable mobility in the heart of Tuscany.
APPROFUNDATIONS
The history of the train
Making the railroad was more expensive than expected. The first budget in 1892, did not bring lavish profits. Then in the winter it was found that ordinary passenger and freight traffic was poor, and heavy snowfall forced service to be interrupted. The line’s productivity was almost exclusively tied to summer tourist flows. However, the influx of vacationers in the summer of 1893 was well above expectations, and the company made a good net profit. But by April 1894 the railway company had accumulated a debt of more than 400,000 liras. In early July 1894 the engine staff went on strike and at the same time rumors were spread about the poor safety of the line. The railway company in an attempt to reduce as much as possible the damage produced by the suspension of service and bad publicity fired all the drivers and replaced them with new personnel.
The general economic crisis of the late 1800s had an adverse effect on the operation of the railroad. In late June 1896 the company was unable to pay the interest due, the bank took the company to civil court, and foreclosure notices arrived. On December 26, 1896, the civil court in Florence declared its bankruptcy. Count Telfener, who had put ideas and means into the railroad and the nascent tourist station resigned as president of the company. The railway continued to operate with provisional operation. After heartfelt opposition to the bankruptcy, the court revoked the ruling at the end of 1897. On January 29, 1898, there was the first general meeting of shareholders of the reborn Railway Company, at which engineer Francesco Benedetto Rognetta was appointed president and his son, Francesco junior, director of operations. A new administration was thus preparing to run the Company for the S. Ellero – Saltino railway, but without Giuseppe Telfener, who, perhaps tested by the negative experience of the bankruptcy, died in Torre del Greco, where he was undergoing treatment, on January 1, 1898.
In the years between 1898 and 1901, the company’s balance sheets continued to close at a loss. The company, however, still had good opportunities for development, as the Vallombrosa-Saltino health resort had established itself as a fashionable summer resort such that it stimulated various entrepreneurs to build new hotels and other residential buildings in the area. On August 20, 1902, a fire, probably arson, broke out in the laundry rooms of the Grand Hotel. The fire found easy fodder in the furnishings and wooden beams. General panic, disorganized rescue efforts, and lack of water prevented the flames from being fought, and the Grand Hotel became an immense brazier that burned for an entire day. Two insurance policies had been taken out on the property, and the Railway Company was thus able to begin its reconstruction. The hotel was reopened to the public on July 23, 1902. The destruction of the hotel was a severe blow, and the company’s budgets were only lifted by the good performance of the 1904-1907 summer seasons. Between 1908 and 1913, however, tourist movement in Vallombrosa began to decline and as a result the company also made less profit.
With Italy’s entry into the war in May 1915, the railway company faced other unforeseen difficulties. The cost of coal was prohibitive and operating costs were cut. Those who suffered were the employees. In March 1916 rail service was discontinued and some 20 workers laid off. In the summer of 1916 a subscription was opened among the Saltino operators to find funds with which to cover part of the costs of running the railroad. Thanks to this operation the company was able to guarantee the operation of the railroad until October 31, 1916. But in 1917 the company preferred to postpone the reopening of rail service as long as possible. Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, a frequent visitor to Vallombrosa and Minister of the Interior, interested the Ministry of Public Works in the matter, with the task of providing on authority for the restoration of operation. Having begun government management, the company could do no more than begin negotiations with employees and the state, which lasted about three years. The government representative managed the railway line basically limited to ensuring its smooth operation during the summer period.
The company did not resume operation of the line until September 8, 1919 conditions had not improved. Bankruptcy loomed, but the Bank was willing to write down its claim and issue new company stock. The company was thus able to resume operations while containing expenses related to rail service and personnel. In October 1919, however, rail service was again discontinued temporarily because of a dispute with employees over back pay. By the summer of 1920 the matter had still not been resolved, which prevented the railroad from operating. In June 1921, the Società italiana trasporti automobilistici (S.I.T.A.), which had already begun providing daily bus service from Florence in the summer of 1913, increased the number of runs. The railroad company, realizing that S.I.T.A.’s automobile service would challenge its monopoly on transportation to Vallombrosa, was forced to create its own and reactivate the railway line, hindering potential competitors in every way. The financial statements for the years 1921-1923 closed at a loss like the previous ones.
In June 1924, during some inspections, the line was found not to be in efficient condition, and the company was allowed to reopen operation only after the most urgent work was done. The company was unwilling or unable to secure the line, and at the end of July laid off the traction staff. The failure to operate the railway caused much controversy among the hoteliers of Vallombrosa who feared for the economic survival of the resort and a consequent decrease in the number of vacationers. An attempt was therefore made to confront the Railway Company with its responsibilities. A public debate was organized on August 30, 1924, from which the railway director, Francesco Rognetta Jr. could not escape. Cornered, he tried to hold as conciliatory a line as possible in order to stall for time. The railroad workers having already had evidence in the past of the company’s bad faith, in order to obtain payment of back wages, sent a request for help to the Minister of Public Works.
Toward the end of September 1924 the company granted the laid-off workers a check that in its intentions was a settlement. Those still in service, however, were granted only part of the back pay. The former accepted the sum as a down payment; the others refused it. In early 1925 the Minister of Public Works was informed of the matter and promised to personally study the case. However, the minister’s promises were lost in the labyrinths of bureaucracy, and the railway service was replaced by a bus service that was entrusted to the management of the S.I.T.A. The Railway Company was forced to apply to the state for termination of the concession, which was subsequently approved retroactively from April 18, 1924, and made enforceable only in 1937. The procedure of alienation of the buildings, facilities, rolling and operating equipment that constituted the line and its dependencies was begun. Passenger service had long since ended with the last run made on October 30, 1923. In July 1937 all that remained was auctioned off and awarded for 518,000 liras to a Milanese firm specializing in scrap salvage, which obtained about 1,000 tons of iron.
