Casentino Valley, Tuscany for Ancient Crafts, Regional Food & Unspoilt Beauty

The Casentino Valley for Regional Food

The Casentino Valley in Tuscany, Italy is a magical place of hills thickly cloaked with chestnuts and oaks, where you will find artesans still practising ancient crafts including stonemasonary, ironmongers, cheese makers and millers where you can find a 17th century mill still producing flour from chestnuts and cereals.

The Casentino extends from Capalona in the south, just beyond the boundaries of Arezzo,  through to Stia in the north and is just one of the four valleys that make up the Arezzo province. The other valleys being the Valdarno, the Valtiberina and the Valdichiana.

The Valley is renowned for its regional food. As a result there is now a special gastronomic route called the Strada dei Sapori Casentino. This food route winds for more than 200 kms along the valley floor, the hillsides and through the National Park of the Casentino Forest where you can experience locally produced food. Among the regional specialities are honey, pecorino cheese, the "grigio" Casentino ham, spelt or "farro" as it is known in Italian  which is a very ancient grain, zolfini beans, chestnuts and the red potatoes grown only in Cetica, Tuscany.

Food Festivals

In Tuscany people are very proud of their culture and heritage and of course the regional food is part of that. People throughout Italy are proud of their regional food, but particularly Tuscany.  As a result you will find many food festivals celebrating their food and food traditions.

In October, held in every even years in Pratovecchio is "The Taste of Casentino" held in Pratovecchio in October, even years, one can go on a 3 day gastromic journey learning about the produce of the Valley. You can taste and buy the products, taste the famous potato ravioli, acquacotta (a soup made of bread), grilled pork Casentino, and many traditional desserts.  This year, in 2010 the festival was held on the 8th, 9th and 10th October, and the next one scheduled for 2012.

Organic Farmers' Markets

If you are looking for organic produce try The Haystack Farmers' Market at Ponte Poppi. This is the town just below the old town of Poppi on the main road. Here, every Tuesday morning you can shop at the farmers market that sells a range of good, healthy organic produce from farm to fork. Find fruit, vegetables, eggs, cheese, jams and honey, among other produce.

Italian Recipe for Authentic Italian Food: Castagnaccio

A local recipe from the Valley is Il Baldino Also known as Castagnaccio. It is great if you are looking for a  no dairy, no gluten recipe.  

(Serves 6)Ingredients:
400 g chestnut flour
100 g sultanas (pre-soak in some water)
50 g pine nuts
50 g walnuts
2 T sugar
sprig rosemary
salt
olive oil

Method:
Take a large pan and add the flour, sugar, pinch of salt and about half a litre of cold water. Mix well until smooth, making sure that there are no lumps. Add 2 T of olive oil and all the sultanas that were pre-soaked.  Mix together and pour into an oiled baking tin. The tin should be large enough so that the batter is about 1 cm deep. Heat the oven to 200 C. Sprinkle the pine nuts, chopped walnuts and rosemary over the batter mixture, plus the 2 T of olive oil. Cook for about 30 minutes.

Art and Religious Sites in the Casentino Valley

The Casentino Valley is also an area of great religious and artistic significance. The valley was home to St. Francis of Assisi, Michaelangelo and Guido d'Arezzo, also known as Guido Monaco who invented the musical notation.

The capital town of the Casentino Valley is Arezzo, also the capital city of the Province of Arrezo where the Casentino Valley lies. Arezzo is famous for its goldsmiths in both times past, and in the present, its wonderful monthly antique fair, the many festivals such as the Saracen Jousting Festival, as well as it Medieval architechture.

One should see many ancient churches and monasteries that exist in the Casentino Valley.  One such church not to be missed is the wonderful Medieval church built in Romanesque style called San Pietro a Romana, (picture left).  The church oozes with history and when you enter the church you feel a real presence. Its interior is uncluttered and plain, but that is its beauty. The atmosphere is palpable and you can almost imagine a Medieval lord or lady stepping out from behind its huge stone columns.

Another church worth seeing is the San Antonio at Socana with its rare Etruscan altar. Another favourite of mine is the Sanctuary of San Maria del Sasso in Bibbiena. It is a little out of the town along a lower road but as you come across it, you see how peaceful it must have been in its day with lovely hills and valleys surrounding it. This is the church where St. Francis received his stigmata, along with the hermitages at Camaldoli and Chiusi della Verna.

Castles in The Casentino Valley

One should visit a couple of places in this region which are still a testament today of the uncertainty of times past in the many castles and forts that dot the valley, the most well-preserved being Poppi Castle (see right)  which has been in existence since the 12th century, and has always been used by those in local power.

The Valley, as I have just said, saw some turbulent times, and one of the most famous and bloody battles was the Battle of Campoldino fought on the plains of the valley not far from Poppi Castle.  If you go into the castle there is a replication made to scale of the battle and the troops and a lot of information displayed.

Other interesting castles can be found in the area, such as the imposing castle, the Castel San Niccolo, Porciano, Romena, Castle of the Fioraia near Subbiano, the Castle of Chitignano and Valdarzano. Valdarzano is now an hotel, restaurant and wedding venue which is not far from Bibbiena, another ancient and interesting little town with some surprisingly good restaurants.

The Casentino Valley for Kids' Travel

Children love castles, and there are enough of them for them to visit in this area.  However, there is also a wonderful Parco Zoo not far from Poppi where the kids can see European animals. This is not your zoo with animals behind bars. Instead it is a nature reserve where the animals have been placed in a safe environment in their natural habitats. The Parco Zoo  is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to sunset. Prices as of 2010:  Adults 6 euros, and children from 2-10 at a reduced rate of 5 euros.

The Casentino Valley is also home to one of the largest National Reserve at Sasso Frantino. It covers part of the Appennines and there are many animals and birds to be seen here. During the months of September and October it is mating season for the deer and so a greater chance of seeing these often elusive creatures.  Other animals in the forest besides deer are wild boar, mouflon, foxes, hares, hedgehogs, badgers, porcupines, beech martens, squirrels, dormice, pine martens  and a few wolf of about 30 - 40 in number.

Getting There:

From Arezzo: Motorway A1 exit Arezzo, simi-ring road link towards the city center, then signs for Bibbiena - Casentino take the SR 71.
From Forli: Follow the SP 4 which crosses Civitella, Galeata and Santa Sofia as far as the Passo della Calla then continue onto Stia.
From Florence: Motorway A1 exit Firenze Sud, after 1 km turn right for Pontasseive (SP34 for 10 km) then roundabout, right (SS67 for 3 km) Again righ in Via Aretina (SR69) and after about 350 m. turn left for SR70 taking the Passo della Consuma road, the follow the signs for Montemignaio, Poppi or Pratovecchio.
From Sansepolcro: Continue for Anghiari, then SP43 for Libbia as far as Chiassa Superiore then right for Subbiano.

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For Photos of the Casentino Valley have a look at our Pictures of Italy page.