castello dei conti guidi

Established by at least the 1100s, with the fall of the Carolingian Empire, the Poppi Castle was ruled for centuries by the Guidi Counts until forced to abdicate by more powerful rulers from Firenze. The castle has a commanding view of the countryside and is decorated with numerous coats of arms and centuries-old frescoes. It also boasts a library with thousands of manuscripts and records

After my week long visit to Sanctuario La Verna, given that we were late and had missed the train to Arezzo, my friend Marco decided that culture was more important than lunch so off we went to Castello dei Conti Guidi in Poppi.Our encounter with the bust of Dante was a great beginning to what was a remarkable visit. It was made better still in that it included an introduction to a friend of his, Roberto, who is fortunate to be one of the guardians of this remarkable piece of history. With knots everywhere, it's my desire to return, this time with permission to visit what is clearly an the outrageous library, looking for patterns that are related to my work in the pages of illuminated manuscripts.Loathe to admit to my terror of heights and small enclosed places, I put on a brave face and followed Marco to the top of the tower where the view was of course, its own reward. If you do the same, take care! It's not someplace for children or the overly faint of heart, especially that the bells ring on a regular basis!While having an sound-track guide, my recommendation is forget this and make sure you either speak Italian or have a good pocket guide!

An hour from our villa near Arezzo,after a beautiful drive through picturesque countryside, we arrived at the wonderful little town of Poppi. Easy, free parking and a short walk through well preserved medieval streets we came upon the castle. The views from the grounds of the castle and its cafe are exceptional. Coffee and panini at the cafe were excellent. A small entrance fee for the castle also provides you with free audio guide....just ask for it. Guide was entertaining and informative. The castle is extremely well preserved and any reconstruction done is very authentic eg. The frescos. This town and castle are far away from the usual tourist sites and that means few other tourists! If you have a car, don't miss Poppi!!

My wife and I visited this castle several times over the course of years, partly because it is such a landmark in the Casentino valley and partly because it houses an interesting permanent exhibition about Dante. Recently we organized a Dante-tour of the Casentino and spent some time there with our group. The participants were very pleased with the visit, as the castle offers something for everybody - for gorgeous views from the tall tower to the characteristic ambience and from a well-furnished bookshop to an exhibition.

The castle has a great view from the top of the tower (with working bells, so be careful when entering the tower). The exhibit and interior is also very interesting and worth a visit! The drive to the town through the mountain is gorgeous (coming from Florence). Next to the castle there is a nice little cafe as well as a restaurant.

Well preserved small castle in a beautiful setting overlooking the Casentino valley. Entrance fee is €5 and is well worth it. Kids will enjoy exploring the various levels, dungeon and bell tower. Nice exhibits inside and a great little cafe in the square outside. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

A very well preserved castle, with very interesting history. I would recommend that you visit it if you find yourself there. Also has a very nice cafeteria in the front where you can sit outside and enjoy your coffee.

Lovely castle in a beautiful town off the beaten track. Well worth a visit, and then relax in the outdoor cafe in front of the castle. Be sure to explore Poppi while you are there!

Not too big, nor the most important of all the monuments you can encounter in Tuscany, but still well kept and very interesting if you like to learn about medieval battles. The entire village is worthy a visit.

A walk through - and up and down - this castle gives you a real feel for medieval Italian life, Much more on a human scale than the major castles with their inaccessible grandeur. It's possible to imagine life as it was lived here.

If you want to find a Classic Tuscany medieval hilltop town to add to your tour I can recomend this gem . Easy to find, easy to park great views, history and unlike Florence/Senna/Pisa etc.it's not jam packed with coach loads of tourists.

This 12th century castle is located in the center of the small town of Poppi, near Arezzo.in excellent condition, you can visit the entire castle and climb to the top to see the panoramic view. visit also the Conti chapel with the fresco's while in Poppi and if you have young children, visit the zoo too.

We'd done three days in Florence, a day split between Siena and San Gimignano, and an afternoon in the Chianti hills where we were staying. All very splendid and you have to do them. But then we dived into into the wilder, high green hills and hairpin bends of the Casentino region, via Regello, Vallombrosa and a detour to the top of Monte Secchieta. Of this a cycling website wrote " Monte Secchieta, with its highest point at 1421 m and a climb of 34.89 km is a race bike friendly route." Only if your name is Bradley Wiggins, I fear. We drove. But I digress. Carry on to Poppi - the place is not as twee as the name suggests, so don't think you are in a tourist trap. High up, views, arcaded main street, terrace - and the castle.Okay, they say the trip up to the top of the castle's tower is not for those with vertigo, so i sent husband up there to admire the panoramic views of the Casentino and beyond. You can roam all over this perfect little castle with its decorated rooms, and excellent animated diorama of the battle of Campaldino. There is a small guide in English to help you. A lot of work has been done to renovate the castle and there has also been a big project by schoolchildren and others to connect with their own past, one that modern globalisation has rendered alien. We didn't have time to see everything, and my Italian isn't very strong when it comes to listening an speaking so I would not have appreciated some of the audio material. Outside the castle is an open area with a cafe/bar where we stopped for a coffee and a pastry. Here the local teenagers had gathered in numbers, but no bellies hanging out, no muffin tops bulging, no arms covered in tattooes, no drunkenness or sullen pouting. They sat laughing and drinking coffee or beer and taking photos of themselved, and they just looked happy, friendly and relaxed.

Lovely castle really well maintained with some interesting new material developed by local schools. Quite a lot to see. The library was extraordinary, amazing collection of books on view.Great view over the countryside

A genuine Italian castle, with interesting rooms. It's too bad it only opens at 10:00, as quite a few people were hanging around outside, obviously wanting to get in quite a bit earlier and get on with the arduous task of sightseeing. Some of the rooms contain some interesting exhibits prepared by local high school students, and the tower is not a difficult climb. It's too bad that it's not possible to visit the kitchen or servants' quarters, both of which I assume existed, to get a feel for day-to-day life in the castle. The castle and its town are worth a visit, as they are both wonderful examples of medieval Italy.