In the hill of Fattucchia, in Grassina (Bagno a Ripoli), hides a small architectural pearl of the sixteenth century, which has made magic its main reason for notoriety: the Fonte di Fata Morgana,famous healing sorceress. This timeless place is an ideal destination for fans of the esoteric world who, on an out-of-door trip a few kilometers from Florence, will discover the mysteries related to this site.
Known by most also as "Casa delle Fate",it was built by Bernardo Vecchietti in Giambologna, as a garden structure that, it is said, was connected by an underground tunnel to his villa. It has a typical "elle" architecture, with pink bricks that contrast with the plinths and finishes of white Albanian stones. But what most characterizes the source, from the architectural point of view, is the interior floor, made of mosaic with black and white pebbles that make up the inscription "Fata Morgana".
What makes this place most fascinating and magical is the water that flows from a fountain inside, where originally a marble statue of the sorceress was placed: legend has it that it has miraculous healing properties, if not even immortals. It is also told of parties and bacchanals in the middle of the night and of sudden apparitions and disappearances of young and beautiful nymphs and fairies: there are those who think that the hypothetical underground tunnel served to lead them directly to the villa of the Vecchietti.
In short, between mystery and magic, reality and fiction, the Fonte di Fata Morgana represents one of the many hidden and mystical places of the Florentine countryside that is worth visiting!
Image source: echianti.it
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