Hard to imagine that any corner of Tuscany could ever escape attention of tourists but the Casentino Valley, a rural area a mere 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Florence has managed to remain mainly ignored by visitors. Wedged into the densely forested foothills of the Appenine Mountains, the valley rose to prominence in the Middle Ages when it remained for 500 years the private fiefdom the Guidi Counts. They built a number of great fortresses to guard their domain before they were finally annexed by Florence in 1440. Three of these Castellos, in Poppi, Porciano and Romena still dominate the valley, although the later has been for centuries merely a foreboding ruin chiseled against the misty Castentino sky.
Poppi
Main street of medieval village of Poppi.
The ancestral seat of the Guidi Counts, the medieval village of Poppi is considered one of the best-preserved fortified villages in Italy. It is dominated by its majestic castle by Arnolfo di Cambio, which is regarded as the prototype for his latter design of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The entire castle is open to visitors, from the prison cells to the bell tower. The chapel contains well preserved frescoes attributed to Giotto’s star pupil Taddeo Gaddi, and the library holds one of the richest collections of medieval manuscripts and scrolls in the country.
Porciano
The hilltop hamlet of Porciano is a quaint rural retreat.
Surrounded by a hamlet of picturesque stone cottages build into the original fortification walls, the privately owned Castello di Porciano has been painstakingly restored starting the 1960’s. Its imposing six story (35 meter/115 foot) high keep has retained its battlement. The tower now includes a small museum. The top three stories are a private residence. The residence as well as some of the cottages are available for short-term rental and offer a unique opportunity to experience rural Tuscany at its relaxing best. The entire village is blessed with commanding views of Casentino Valley.
Arezzo
Arezzo Piazza Grande and Vasari Loggia.
Piero della Francesca’s msasterpiece in the San Francesco Basilica.
Another under-visited bit of Tuscany, just 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Poppi is Arezzo. One of the main settlements of the Etruscan League (circa sixth century B.C.), it flourished well into the middle ages before falling to the Florentine hegemony in 1384. Consequently its historic center is mainly medieval, with its sloping Piazza Grande edged on the north side by the flat Mannerist façade of the Vasari Loggia (yes, by native son Giorgio Vasari of Ponte Vecchio Vasari Corridor fame) and fine view of the elaborate Romanesque apse of Santa Maria della Pieve. Arezzo’s most notable artistic treasure is La Leggenda della Vera Croce (Legend of the True Cross) by Piero della Francesca is in the chancel of the San Francesco Basilica.
A Few Souvenirs
