Casentino

Casentino is the high part of Arno valley, that the river covers from che il l Monte Falterona up to Arezzo, where the narrow street of Appennino ends and the river flows in the plain and goes in a smaller river towards Florence. Closed to the west by Pratomagno mountains and to the est by Alpe di Serra and Alpe di Catenaia, Casentino is a wide plain, full of turistic summer localities (Badia Prataglia, Chiusi della Verna) and winter localities (La Burraia), ancient feudal castles (Romena, Porciano, Valenzano), romanic pievi (Socana, Romena) and monasteries (La Verna, Camaldoli).

Its position to the north-west of Tuscany made it a feudal land, wanted espaecially by Florence that tried to have it from Arezzo. There is also a special beauty that characterizes this valley where San Francesco isolated himself to pray, going up to Verna and chosing it as his favourite place and where on "crudo sasso" he received stignate. Among the main places to visit in Casentino are: Stia, Camaldoli, Pieve di Romena, Castello di Poppi, la Verna, i Palazzi di Bibbiena and Pieve di Sietina.

The dishes that characterize the food from Casentino are the ancient scottiglia, a sort of "cacciucco di terra" made with different chopped bit of meat, cooked for hours and served with baked bread; acquacotta, a poor dish; tortello di patate from Alto Casentino, tortello di ricotta, soupes and meat dishes of the traditional recipes of the mountains.

Really important and appreciated is the cheese production (Caseificio di Talla), typical and affumicato (Ponte a Poppi e Pratovecchio) and honey from Alto Casentino.