Casentino Valley - Natural and Spiritual Oasis in Tuscany
Casentino
, in the upper Arno valley, is a land of castles, Romanesque
pievi (parish churches), Della Robbia terracottas, Dantesque places and spiritual spots.
A
green oasis within the Appenine chain between
Tuscany and Romagna, Casentino boasts a long artisan tradition within the fields of woodwork, wrought-iron work, stonework and "woolen cloth"; it is a special blend of charm and values in which mankind still maintains its harmonic relationship with the environment. Casentino is considered by right one of the most beautiful valleys of Tuscnay.
Its borders, marked by the mountain ridges of
Monte Falterona,
Pratomagno and the
Catenaia Alp make it look like a vast amphitheatre, in the centre of which the
Arno river flows, running throught the bottom of the valley as far as the plain of
Arezzo before heading towards
Florence
Casentino stretches for approximately 700 km² and has a population of 35,000 inhabitants. From an administrative point of view, the municipalities of Casentino, from north to south, are the following: Stia, Pratovecchio, Montenignaio, Castel San Niccolò,
Poppi Ortignano Raggiolo,
Bibbiena Chiusi della Verna Chitignano, Castel Focognano, Talla, Capolona e Subbiano.
The abundance of water and its green woods always characterized the Casentino landscape. Thanks to these natural characteristics, it became the favourite place for
monasteries and hermitages and at the same time a source of inspiration for poets and men of letters in all ages.
From the solitary wanderings of the Divine Poet to "D`Annunzio`s" idle stays near the towers of Romena, to the Romantic tours of travellers during the eighteenth and the ninenteenth centuries, up to Dino Campana`s "tormented pilgrimages".
Its peaceful and meditative atmosphere has always harmonized with the magic aura still sorrounding
castles, water sources and mountain peaks, wardens of stories where history is mixed up with myth and legend.
This intrigue of mysticism and mystery, of
intense devotion and superstition, seems to originate from this small Tuscan spot. Characters of fairies, monsters, saints and blessed souls enliven the rich heritage of anecdotes and legends from the "closed valley".
... from
Casentino Sviluppo e Turismo
| History of Casentino - The Casentino valley, being crossed by main communication roads, has always been inhabited since ancient times. Several traces of the Etruscan civilization were found, such as the votive statues of the "Lago degli Idoli" ("Lake of ldols") or the altar of the temple of Pieve a Socana, which then became a parish church ... History of Casentino
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| Holy Places - The mountains and forests in the Casentino valley have always been an ideal environment for prayer and concentration. This region, so rich in Etruscan and Paleochristian temples, presents a lot of monasteries, cloisters and pievi: treasures of Tuscan art and architecture that have earned the Casentino valley the appellation of Spiritual Valley ... Holy Places
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| Art in Casentino Valley - Casentino reached the height of its artistic and architectural splendour during the Middle Ages. Numerous pievi (parish churches) were built during the 11th century, while castles towered over the main historic roads of the valley. Sometimes erected on the remains of Etruscan and Roman temples or aleochristian churches, they still maintain their sober elegance. Spread throughout the territory, these Romanesque pievi (parish churches) represent the real jewels of this landscape ... Art in Casentino Valley
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| Pievi and Abbeys - This Parish Church is located in one of the most beautiful squares in Tuscany Inside, the sculptured capitals on monolithic columns feature sculptures having symbolical meaning and offer tourists the most evocative part of their visit to this church, containing valuable works of art by Bicci di Lorenzo, Maestro del Borgo alla Collina, Andrea Della Robbia ... Pievi and Abbeys
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| Castles in Casentino - The castle of the Guidi family was built in the 13th century. It is characterized by a façade with mullioned windows with two lights and a high tower in the centre of it; the complex is surrounded by walls with Guelph square-topped battlements and a wide moat. Having many similarities with Palazzo ... Castles in Casentino
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| Nature - The National Park stretches for over 36,000 hectares along the ridge of the Appenine chain between Tuscany and Romagna and its forests testify a centuries-old, positive relationship with mankind, which reached its acme with the settlements of the Camaldolesian monks and the Franciscan monks of La Verna. The strong and millenary bond between spirituality and nature, together with the product of the humble work of entire generations, has handed down to our modern generations large stretches of woods dominated by silver firs, beeches and ... Nature
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| Cuisine - The Presidium has recovered an ancient tradition starting from a testing on the primary product. In fact, the use of two old autochthonous breeds (Cinta Senese and Mora Romagnola hybrids) is taking place. These animals are reared through the traditional open-air system, so that feeding can be prevalently formed by grazing made of natural vegetable products. ... Cuisine
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| Handicraft - Woodwork has been for centuries one of the leading handicrafts; Badia Prataglia and Moggiona have been for years the major woodwork centres of the valley and they have carried on with this tradition up to today. Every two years (even years) the exhibition named "Le Forme del Legno" (The Shapes of Wood) is organised in Pratovecchio ... The cheap and coarse wool produced in the valley since the Middle Ages was the raw material for the production of the thick, rough, hard-wearing Casentino cloth, ... Handicraft
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