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Poppi Castle |
 © Photo: Andrea Barghi |
| The castle of the Counts
Guidi, which has reached us intact, is talked about by
Vasari in his Lives of the Artists, when he
describes the construction of Palazzo Vecchio in
Florence. Vasari attributes the castle’s design to
Lapo, Arnolfo di Cambio’s master. The castle boasts a tradition rich in fantastic tales and legends, with encounters over military matters and encounters of the amorous type as well. The coats of arms lining the walls below the gallery are an important collection of heraldry that has come down to us through the centuries nearly intact. The Biblioteca Rilliana, one of the richest libraries in Tuscany, is composed of 25,000 volumes, including famous manuscripts and incunabula. Construction began on the castle in the Lombard period, probably prior to the 8th century. It has been altered several times. The foundation of the square tower is thought to date to some time before 1191. In the second half of the 13th century, after an alliance with the Florentine Republic, Count Simone da Battifolle transformed the castle from a fortress to a residence. The roofed wooden balconies and stairs in the courtyard are still preserved, one of few remaining examples in Italy. Inside the castle one can visit the Guidi chapel, with frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi. The depicted scenes have clear parallels, also iconographically, in the scenes painted by Giotto in the Peruzzi Chapel of the Church of Santa Croce in Florence. |
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