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Origins of the Abetone Pass and Early Trade Routes

The Abetone Pass, at an elevation of 1,388 meters above sea level, sits astride the Apennine Mountains and has been a crucial mountain corridor since medieval times. As the natural border between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Duchy of Modena, the pass was first formalized in the 16th century when Ferdinand I de’ Medici ordered the felling of a massive fir tree—known locally as “Abetone,” meaning “big fir”—to mark the new frontier. Merchants and pilgrims traveling between the Tyrrhenian coast and the Po Valley relied on mule tracks that wound through dense woodlands, alpine meadows, and rocky outcrops. The strategic importance of Abetone Pass for commerce meant that early custom houses and guard posts were established by the Medici as revenue checkpoints, collecting tolls on salt, wine, and olive oil bound for markets north of the Apennines. These routes would later evolve into carriage roads that laid the groundwork for modern roadways connecting Pistoia Province to Emilia-Romagna.