Pian dell'Isola

Pian dell’Isola lies beside the Arno in the hills south-east of Florence. The name covers both a broad flat stretch of river meadow and a small settlement within it, part of Rignano sull’Arno yet bordering Figline e Incisa Valdarno near Santa Maria Maddalena. The built-up core is made of scattered houses that cluster more closely around the town hall of Rignano. The place is best known for its industries and fashion outlets. A large industrial zone occupies the plain, while the commercial side centres on Figline e Incisa’s high-fashion district. Here Dolce & Gabbana runs its factory and outlet, drawing shoppers to the outlet village. A medieval tower stands near Rignano’s main square, one of the finest surviving military buildings in the area. Visitors walk across the old Ponte del Pian dell’Isola to reach the tower, which still rises above the scattered rooftops. The Arno’s banks offer flat paths for strolls among poplars and willows. On the Figline side the outlet arcades line a straight road, their glass-fronted shops filled with clothing and accessories.