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Stage along the route via Vallombrosa
A journey from castle to castle, from the small yet picturesque castle of Montemignaio to the castle of Poppi, both once owned by the powerful Guidi family, a symbol not only of the village but of all Casentino.
Surrounded by chestnut groves and oak forests, the path leaves the village of Montemignaio and heads toward the Chapel of Maestà di Picche, crossing an ancient Romanesque bridge and following what in medieval times was the alternative route to reach Florence from Arezzo via the Passo della Consuma.
From fortress to fortress, another fortified village surprises the traveler around the middle of the journey: the castle of Castel San Niccolò. This small scattered municipality is home to one of the most beautiful and best-preserved castles in Casentino. Perched on a height, this fortress also belonged to the Guidi family.
Visible from much of the Casentino valley, the castle of the Guidi Counts appears, imposing and intact, just as it was when built. Also known as the castle of Poppi, the fortress rises on a hill, dominating everything around it and commemorating an important historical event: the Battle of Campaldino, the clash between the Guelphs and Ghibellines that took place in 1289 in the plain between Poppi and Pratovecchio, in which Dante Alighieri also took part.
