Experiences in museums and nature in winter
Casentino is a quiet valley, where winter amplifies the silence of the villages and the deep connection with nature. Medieval castles, scattered museums, typical inns and nature trails tell the story of an area waiting to be experienced slowly, especially in winter, when the forests shed their leaves and the atmosphere becomes intimate and evocative. Here is an itinerary for discovering all its charm.
The itinerary around the Casentino villages starts in Poppi, one of I Borghi più belli d’Italia (The most beautiful villages of Italy) and a true architectural jewel dominating the valley from the top of the tower of the Castello dei Conti Guidi. The castle, built between the 11th and 12th centuries and remodeled in the 13th century, is linked to the history of the powerful Guidi family and the period in which Poppi became a vicariate of the Florentine Republic. Next to the façade is a bust of Dante Alighieri, commemorating the fortress's most famous guest: “the Supreme Poet”, exiled from Florence, stayed there around 1310. After visiting the castle, we naturally continue into the historic center, where you will find porticoes, churches and stone alleys.
The itinerary around the Casentino villages starts in Poppi, one of I Borghi più belli d’Italia (The most beautiful villages of Italy) and a true architectural jewel dominating the valley from the top of the tower of the Castello dei Conti Guidi. The castle, built between the 11th and 12th centuries and remodeled in the 13th century, is linked to the history of the powerful Guidi family and the period in which Poppi became a vicariate of the Florentine Republic. Next to the façade is a bust of Dante Alighieri, commemorating the fortress's most famous guest: “the Supreme Poet”, exiled from Florence, stayed there around 1310. After visiting the castle, we naturally continue into the historic center, where you will find porticoes, churches and stone alleys.
From Poppi, we move on to Stia, where we can visit other castles, like the Romena Castle in the municipality of Pratovecchio or the Palagio Fiorentino, a centuries-old residence in Stia with the Dante Multimedia Center. The village of Stia is best known for its Museo dell’Arte della Lana (Wool Museum), an important example of industrial archeology, which now lives on as a center for spreading the textile culture typical of this area. The exhibition itinerary is a true sensory experience: you can touch, smell, listen and learn, enjoying a firsthand experience of the manual nature of several gestures linked to the art of wool. In fact, weaving, knitting, crochet and many other courses are organized here for both adults and children.
From Poppi, we move on to Stia, where we can visit other castles, like the Romena Castle in the municipality of Pratovecchio or the Palagio Fiorentino, a centuries-old residence in Stia with the Dante Multimedia Center. The village of Stia is best known for its Museo dell’Arte della Lana (Wool Museum), an important example of industrial archeology, which now lives on as a center for spreading the textile culture typical of this area. The exhibition itinerary is a true sensory experience: you can touch, smell, listen and learn, enjoying a firsthand experience of the manual nature of several gestures linked to the art of wool. In fact, weaving, knitting, crochet and many other courses are organized here for both adults and children.
Another stop on the itinerary is Bibbiena with its open-air photo gallery, the first of its kind in Europe. It is an installation spread through the streets of the ancient village and includes about 50 large-scale works by the most important Italian photographers. So, while walking around the little village lanes, we may come across Nino Migliori's Il tuffatore (The Diver) (1951), Lisetta Carmi's Travestiti (Transvestites) (Genoa, 1965), reaching Sicily with Letizia Battaglia's La bambina con il pallone (The Little Girl with a Ball) and Fulvio Roiter's bicycle, with the 1953 work Sulla Strada (On the Road), or we may find ourselves abroad with the images of Gianni Berengo Gardin and Gabriele Basilico. Each photographic work is accompanied by a plaque indicating author, title and QR code that links to a page where you can listen to or read about the history of photography in both Italian and English.
Another stop on the itinerary is Bibbiena with its open-air photo gallery, the first of its kind in Europe. It is an installation spread through the streets of the ancient village and includes about 50 large-scale works by the most important Italian photographers. So, while walking around the little village lanes, we may come across Nino Migliori's Il tuffatore (The Diver) (1951), Lisetta Carmi's Travestiti (Transvestites) (Genoa, 1965), reaching Sicily with Letizia Battaglia's La bambina con il pallone (The Little Girl with a Ball) and Fulvio Roiter's bicycle, with the 1953 work Sulla Strada (On the Road), or we may find ourselves abroad with the images of Gianni Berengo Gardin and Gabriele Basilico. Each photographic work is accompanied by a plaque indicating author, title and QR code that links to a page where you can listen to or read about the history of photography in both Italian and English.
It is easy to get from Bibbiena to Raggiolo, a tiny, silent stone village where every corner is a mystery. Raggiolo is home to the Chestnut Ecomuseum - chestnuts being a source of sustenance for generations of Raggioli inhabitants - with the room of time and also an itinerary for children with artistic installations. Raggiolo is also the ideal departure point for getting to the most captivating part of the enchanted mountain between Valdarno and Casentino, namely Pratomagno. This place, protected at European level due to its elevated natural value, changes with the changing of the seasons. In winter, the meadow is brown, but the beech trees become silvery works of art standing out against the deep blue sky. Snow creates magic: the color of the mountain changes in the sunlight. Even the moon creates previously unseen sights on these meadows at night. Experiencing them is the only way to discover them.
It is easy to get from Bibbiena to Raggiolo, a tiny, silent stone village where every corner is a mystery. Raggiolo is home to the Chestnut Ecomuseum - chestnuts being a source of sustenance for generations of Raggioli inhabitants - with the room of time and also an itinerary for children with artistic installations. Raggiolo is also the ideal departure point for getting to the most captivating part of the enchanted mountain between Valdarno and Casentino, namely Pratomagno. This place, protected at European level due to its elevated natural value, changes with the changing of the seasons. In winter, the meadow is brown, but the beech trees become silvery works of art standing out against the deep blue sky. Snow creates magic: the color of the mountain changes in the sunlight. Even the moon creates previously unseen sights on these meadows at night. Experiencing them is the only way to discover them.