Last October 1, in the occasion of the IV edition of the National Assembly of Igers Italia, the community that puts together all the national Instagramers and to whom also Insolita Italia participated, three days were organized to discover three localities, with the aim to enhance the Tuscan territory.
The second tour stopped in the zone of the Casentino/Valdarno.
Geographically, the Casentino is one of the four main valleys of the province of Arezzo. Located at north of the province, it is known to have been the seat of the first railway station of Italy. It is also the valley where the first part of the river Arno flows, which rises from the mount Falterona.
Peculiar characteristic of this zone is surely the high number of castles, towers and fortifications, even if many have been destroyed.
Among the best conserved ones, there is undoubtedly the castle of Poppi, one of the stops of the tour of Igers Italia and Insolita Italia in the zone, which dominates in central position the valley from the upland on which the hamlet of Poppi rises.
The medieval hamlet of Poppi is located on the top of a hill and is unmistakable for the presence of its castle. The village, still surrounded by the ancient walls, is characterized by a particular architectural harmony.
Its castle, also called Castle of the Counts Guidi, is a building dating back to the XIII century and is one of the most visited monuments of the entire province of Arezzo. Of particular interest in this castle, there are the Library Rilliana that stores 25,000 ancient volumes, the party hall, the high tower that offers incredible views and the chapel of the Counts Guidi decorated with fourteenth-century frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi, Giotto’s apprentice.
Castle of Poppi – Ph. ilarysgrill
Other important tourist destination of Poppi is the Abbey of San Fedele, a church dating back to the XIII century, known for its valuable artworks like Virgin and Child of the end of the XIII century.
Soon after, there was a visit to the hamlet ‘Il Borro’.
Il Borro – Ph. claudia_mei
Il Borro, little and ancient architectural jewel of the Middle Ages, stays along the road that joins San Giustino Valdarno to Laterina, surrounded by a green and well preserved rural context.
The particularity of this hamlet is its magical atmosphere, a place that seems out of the time, made of paved streets and of an ancient bridge that allows entering the village.
Its fame depends on the particular architecture, but also on the important families to which during the history it has belonged and belongs, among which the Savoy and, from 1993, the Ferragamo family.
In this special hamlet, it has not lacked a visit to Il Borro, an exclusive Relais and Chateaux in the heart of Tuscany located in a castle of one thousand years ago. In this wonderful context, the members of the tour could enjoy a tasting in the cellar and an exquisite lunch.
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