The Direttissima and the Panoramica

Since December 23rd 2015, for the stretch between La Quercia and Aglio, it is possible to choose to take
the historic route (also called A1 Panoramica) or the pass variant (also called A1 Direttissima) which crosses the Apennines at a lower height, at about 220 meters form the historical section.
The term "panoramica" (view) refers to the stretch of the A1 that used to be the only way accessible for those who were going from Florence to Bologna or vice versa, before the opening of the variant. The name was not chosen randomly, in fact, this road section guarantees a wonderful view of the Apennines which are crossed at their core. It is to say however that, since December 2015, the Panoramica is no longer used by drivers as in the past and many prefer to take the Direttissima.
The Direttissima is more convenient not only because it is shorter, but also because it’s more comfortable to travel on, compared to the original section, due to the lack of curves.
The Direttissima (express), as the name suggests, indicates a faster route. Thanks to its 32 kilometers, it represents the A1 var highway, that is, the variant that allows all drivers to reduce their route by 20
minutes.