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 Poppi
The history of Poppi is linked to the family of the Guidi Counts and their castle.Going back to medieval times means starting with their manor house which was built in the XIII cent.. Vasari attributed its design to Lapo, Arnolfo di Cambio’s “maestro”.In the courtyard, there is a complex system of stair-ways and a rich collection of coats of arms. The art works are to be seen inside the chapel with a cycle of frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi, one of Giotto’s most important followers.
Leaving the castle without having visited the library is as if half the itinerary were incomplete. The collection of books, donated by the Rilli-Orsini Counts to the Comune of Poppi, is an immense library treasure. Set in the centuries’ old pine forest is Camaldoli, one of the most important spiritual places in Tuscany. The Hermitage, founded by San Romualdo in about 1012, with its twenty cells and places for solitude and contemplation, has undergone numerous transformations. Rich in Baroque decorations it houses, in the chapel of Sant’Antonio Abate, an altarpiece in glazed terracotta by Andrea della Robbia. In front of the church is the cell of San Romualdo, the only one open to visitors.
Some kilometres further down the valley is the architectural complex formed by the monastery, the “Foresteria” ( guest rooms) and the Church of Santi Donato e Ilariano. The interior, in Baroque form, houses works by the young Giorgio Vasari.
Height: m. 437
Post-code: 52014
Km from: Arezzo 38, Firenze 58
Population: 5601
Telephone code: 0575
Useful Information
Public transport: From Arezzo private rail line which takes in Arezzo-Pratovecchio-Stia, Poppi Station. Coach service from Florence.
How to get there: Autostrada A1 exit Arezzo, then the SS 71 as far as Bibbiena, then the SS 70 via the Passo della Consuma. From Florence take the SS 70 via the Passo della Consuma; from Forlì the SS 310 via the Passo della Calla; from Cesena, the E 45 via Bagno Romagna and the SS 71 via the Passo dei Mandrioli as far as Bibbiena then the SS 70 as far as Poppi.
Information: Tourist Information Office,Bibbiena Tel/fax 0575 593098
Points of interest
On the Campaldino Plain, the famous battle between the Florentine Guelphs and the Aretine Ghibellines was fought on 11th June 1289.
Weekly market
Weekly market: Tuesday at Ponte a Poppi.
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