Casentino

Castello di Romena, near Poppi

The Casentino is the lush upper valley of the Arno, encircled on three sides by the Appennines and dotted with medieval villages, castles and hermitages. The wildness and dramatic landscape of the Casentino have drawn poets, hermits and nature-lovers to it for centuries.

This is where the Etruscans once worshipped at a sacred mountain lake, where the poet Dante spent many years in exile from his native Florence, and where St. Francis of Assisi took refuge from the world in his cave at La Verna.

Today it is home to the National Park of the Casentino Forests and Monte Falterona, where wolves, eagles, wild boar, mouflon and deer still roam.  Follow this link to the National Park’s website to discover more.

Self-guided walks for seasoned walkers or guided day hikes within the Park can be arranged during your stay at Val di Pozzo.

Golden eagle, Casentino