In Pratomagno with fog in the valley floor

Three hours in Pratomagno between plays of light and fog

If summer is the period that sees the greatest number of people frequent the Pratomagno (lovers of trekking and short walks, those who want to have snacks and dinners surrounded by nature), it is in the other seasons that the great massif offers the most beautiful shows , the most suggestive and exciting situations. In spring, the soft green of its meadows mixes with a multitude of colors donated by the many varieties of flowers that grow on the ridge. In autumn, the very long meadow and the thick beech woods first turn yellow, then orange which turns red in the light of sunset. For most of the winter period the Pratomagno flattens out, in terms of colors and shapes. But when it gets covered in snow, everything changes. On sunny days it becomes a blinding environment. The great luminosity of the snow makes our pupils constrict, so the blue of the sky appears much darker and more intense.
In this snowy mountain situation there are two moments of incredible beauty of the large meadow which has become a very long white stripe: the first light of the morning and the sunset. In the first case it is tinged with a very delicate pink, like the sky. In the second situation it first turns yellow, then orange, then almost red.
Another winter scenography to see is when, in conditions of high pressure, therefore with a clear sky, the valleys adjacent to the Pratomagno are covered in fog. A situation that is not difficult to find, but the one we enjoyed on Epiphany 2023 is something much rarer. In three hours in the afternoon spent moving between the hill of the cross, Poggio Pianellaccio and Poggio delle Portacce we have witnessed not to sets, but to extraordinary choreography. All in continuous movement and in a progressive chromatic mutation which over time has moved towards the warm colors of the sunset. At first a sea of fog covered only the Valdarno, but a very high fog that with its "waves" reached just below the hill of the cross and Poggio Pianellaccio, the two highest peaks of the Pratomagno. Then, suddenly, a very high wave of fog climbed over the mountain, obscuring even the very strong sun for about ten minutes. When clarity returned, even the Casentino was filled with fog. Only the highest peaks emerged, like islands in a white sea. That fog was constantly moving, just like the waves of the sea. At times it was lower so that other peaks could be seen, then it rose, like the tide.
Meanwhile the sun was going down on the fog of the Valdarno and the colors were getting hotter and hotter, but even before sunset, a wonderful surprise: a big full moon has risen over the fog of the Casentino. A yellow circle on white, pink, orange, blue stripes.On the opposite side the Valdarno fog had turned orange, as well as that limited part of the mountain that emerged.
More than words, the images in the photo gallery will show us what Pratomagno gave us for the Epiphany 2023. Only images, no captions that could distract us from this show.