During the Christmas season, the Casentino valley is enriched with proposals: excursions, cultural visits, winter sports and lots of fun.
It is not hard to believe that its places, dense with tradition can be unique and evocative at any time of the year, and it is enough to move among the small villages to realize that, at this time more than ever, the first valley of the Arno river rediscovers itself even more alive.
To fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere and tranquility, increasingly distant from the hustle and bustle of our daily reality, Casentino offers a rich calendar of activities.
Initiatives are planned both in the villages and in the protected area of the Casentino Forests National Park. Precisely because the villages are only a short distance from each other, it is easy to move around and be able to visit multiple historic centers while participating in events and happenings.
Contents
1.
Markets and activities for families
2.
Visit to Montemignaio, the village of Christmas Trees
3.
In Poppi, the exhibition "Michelangelo Kidnapped"
Markets and activities for families
Christmas in Casentino
In December, the small communities of Casentino come alive in a return to simplicity by celebrating the time of Christmas; nativity scenes and decorations appear in the alleys. Numerous are the Christmas markets in the villages, among whose stalls you can discover, step by step, handicrafts and traditional recipes, poor, but at the same time delicious. Also, in Strada in Casentino comes the Santa Claus House with workshops for children on December 3, 9, 16 and 24 and with the Tombola of the Befana on January 6. Nature lovers can explore on foot the centuries-old forests that jealously enclose the Hermitage and Monastery of Camaldoli and on the way back stop in one of the villages for a well-deserved hot chocolate. To celebrate the New Year, don't miss the traditional snowshoe hike on January 1, departing from Camaldoli.
Visit to Montemignaio, the village of Christmas Trees
Montemignaio - Credit: Comune di Montemignaio
Today, Casentino is one of the most important production areas nationwide for the Christmas tree. There are dozens of manufacturing companies that carry out nursery activities specializing in the production of fir trees, with professionalism and deep respect for the environment. The small town of Montemignaio represents an excellence of this reality that has its roots in the early 1940s, when the first fir trees were planted. The hilly mountain climate, suitable for the growth of this species, has favored its development so much so that many companies are now in their third generation. To date, nearly 50,000 trees a year are produced in the Montemignaio area.
It can be reached from either Strada in Casentino or Consuma, two roads immersed in a beautiful natural landscape. It is the landscape that is the main attraction of Montemignaio. The town is dominated by the castle, known as Castel Leone, which stands proudly as a reminder of its past, around which stone houses gather and narrow streets with picturesque views wind their way.
In Poppi, the exhibition "Michelangelo Kidnapped"
Poppi Castle - Credit: Mattia Marasco
Until January 28, 2024, you can visit the exhibition Michelangelo Kidnapped, at Poppi Castle. The event reconstructs the rescue of the Florentine artistic heritage during World War II, with loans from the Uffizi and images of the most important paintings and sculptures sheltered in the Poppi manor and Camaldoli monastery. These include the lost Mask of Faun attributed to Michelangelo. The mask, stolen by the Nazis from the Guidi Counts Castle in Poppi and never found, had in fact been placed in safekeeping in the ancient manor, along with hundreds of masterpieces from the Uffizi and Florentine museums, to escape the bombing.
