Poppi is a mythic place but meantime real in the Tuscan and Aretino landscape where every corner tales many pages of history since Etruscan eve to Middle Age up to nowadays.
"Puplium agri Clusentini caput..." said the famous architect from Arezzo Giorgio Vasari (Poppi is the headtown o Agricultural Casentino Valley).
The medieval village of Poppi has his castle dominating from high up above: The Castle of Conti Guidi. It is excellently preserved and it is the masterpiece of the famous family of Architects Di Cambio and the "Prototype" of Palazzo Vecchio in Firenze.
Inside it there is the "Rillian Library", rich in hundreds of books and documents and medieval manuscripts.
Another element of absolute relief is the Chapel of the Earls with a series of frescoes dated of 1300 made by Taddeo Gaddi, the disciple of Giotto.
Going down from the Castle you meet the Propositura of Saint Marco and Saint Lorenzo (18th century) that preserves the works of Ligozzi and Morandini.
In front of that, in the main square, you can see a rare example of "Tuscan Baroquet", the "Oratory of Madonna of Morbo" (17th century), a building with an exagon shaped plant with a dome made of plates.
As you follow along the Master way with porches on its both sides that allow you to visit Poppi in any weather conditions, you reach the very ancient Saint Fedele Abbey (11th century), rich in remarkable masterpieces among which the Giotto school Cross and paintings of Ligozzi, Portelli, Davanzati, Morandini and Solosmeo.
Eventually, there is the Monastery of Augustinian (16th century) where precious Della Robbia terracottas are preserved.
In the Commune of Poppi there are the Casentino touristic place of Badia Prataglia - one of the most impressive access point to Nationa Park of Casentino Forests and the Camaldoli hermitage and Monastery.
This wonderful Monastery complex is dated of 11th century and is made of a hermitage and a monastery and it lays at the slopes of the APpennino chain dividing Romagna area from Casentino.
After founding the Sacredc Hermitage, Saint Romualdo, the head of the Camaldoli monks order, founded a house to the valley to welcome the guests and pilgrims.
On the basis of that hospice then bore the actual monastery that got the actual features dated of the 16th century.
It is a great building on two floors containing 2 cloisters inside, the refectory, the guestroom and the cells of monks.
The actual church, built up on the ruins o previous sacred buildings, is dated of 16th century, it was made modern in 1700 and it preserves inside - among the others - the works by Giorgio Vasari.
Eventually, there is even the relevant Pharmacy of Monastery, built up in 1543 furnished with wonderful wardrobes in walnut wood and ancient objects used by monks to prepare pharmaceutical products and balms.
How to get there
