Poppi: Castle, Churches and Casentino Culture

In Tuscany, Poppi combines medieval architecture, an unusual museum system, churches with important works of art and the landscape of Casentino. This creates a destination where culture, nature and regional cuisine do not appear as separate themes: Castello dei Conti Guidi represents the history of the town, while forests, a wildlife park and traditional specialities add further highlights.

Culture and history in Poppi

Castello dei Conti Guidi is a medieval fortress in Casentino, built in the 12th century. The fortress houses the Biblioteca Rilliana, with more than 25,000 volumes, including medieval manuscripts and incunabula. A tour lasting around one hour may include the interior rooms with the chapel, prisons, bell tower and ceremonial halls. This makes it possible to view the building from more than the outside; the tour also provides access to different areas of its historic complex. Poppi's religious history includes the Romanesque Abbazia di San Fedele. It was founded in the 10th century as the Benedictine abbey of Strumi and relocated within the walls of Poppi in the 12th century. Its crypt houses the mortal remains of Blessed Torello da Poppi. The abbey also contains paintings by Jacopo Ligozzi and a 14th-century crucifix attributed to Giotto. Further art-historical details can be found in the Propositura dei Santi Marco e Lorenzo. It combines the 13th-century Pieve di San Marco with the older Priorie di San Lorenzo, which was incorporated in 1784. Its furnishings include late Baroque altars as well as paintings by Francesco Morandini, known as il Poppi, and Jacopo Ligozzi. The Oratorio della Madonna del Morbo, also known as Chiesa della Madonna del Morbo, is another focal point; it was built between 1651 and 1659. The hexagonal religious building has a dome covered with fish-scale tiles on the outside and a starry-sky motif inside. You can explore the historic centre along its old streets with the help of QR codes and an audio guide. At Porta a Fronzola, now also called Porta Santi di Cascese, the year 1261 commemorates its construction; from there, views extend across the Casentino Valley.

Museum, nature and regional cuisine

The Ecomuseo del Casentino is not a single museum, but a museum system spread across the area. It documents and highlights the region's historical, artistic, natural-history and craft heritage. The seasonal programme includes cultural walks, tastings, educational workshops, theatre performances and film screenings. It therefore complements the permanent architectural and artistic monuments with changing event formats. If you would also like to include natural-history experiences in your plans, the Parco Zoo della Fauna Europea di Poppi is among the destinations mentioned; it covers approximately 50 hectares. The chestnut, beech, oak and fir forests of Casentino are part of the natural heritage of the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi. The regional cuisine of Casentino, which is associated with Poppi, includes truffles, mushrooms, chestnuts, potato tortelli, cheese, cured meats and ham from Casentino. For further destinations to read about, Badia Prataglia Badia Prataglia and Camaldoli Camaldoli are available to you.

For the higher-level travel overview: Arezzo.

More about the destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Poppi: accommodation and sights - travelling and staying in Tuscany (Italy).

More destinations

More places at the same destination:

Monterchi, Foiano Della Chiana, Chitignano, Ronzano, Agazzi.