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Medieval Villages and Monasteries
Cultural tourism in Casentino: The Poppi
Castle
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The Poppi Castle is the principal monument
of Casentino.
Contrary to other castles and Medieval architecture of the area,
it has not been ruined by time or man. From the beginning of its
origins it has been extremeley tied the largest feudal family of
Casentino who placed Poppi on the center of its great estate and
kept it this way for almost 400 years: The
Guidi Counts.
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| The Poppi Castle |
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The original center point of the castle was made up of a square
tower, that today stil dominates the rest of the construction
and most of the skyline. Today's aspect is not primitive, in fact
in the 1800's it was transformed and
partially destroyed after being struck by lighting while going under
reconstruction. The tower must have been much taller and complete
with an apparatus that pointed out like spikes.If it was true then
it probably was taken as an example from Arnolfo di Cambio for his
work on the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, luckily still intact. Four
metres of the base are actually underground, keeping one from seeing
the frame where the tower was, completely protected by the epoch's
sealing techniques.
The lack of openings present in the walls cause on to think that
the walls are original. Then a fortified wall was built around the
tower and additions were built on to it.
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The complex only had two doors. One was a large door facing the
valley towards Ponte a Poppi with a steep access ramp and a smaller
door on the opposite side towards the weapons plaza. After the great
restoration of the castle in 1470, the
afformentioned door became the principal entrance and was named
Porta del Leone.
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| The castle was expanded
with the construction of a rectangular block placed to the right of
the tower(looking from the weapons plaza). This was the makeshift
jail house made with lower levels, comprised of a jail, depository
and habitation. Even though today it is connected to the tower by
a courtyard wall, originally the two constructions were seperate connected
only by high level draw bridges, so that each could be individual
and eventually be protection for eachother. In thegreat hall of the
upperlevel of the jailhouse the Guidi counts rendered their accounts
to the Florentine Republic in 1440. |
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| Panorama of Poppi |
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Almost contemporarily, the construction of the other wing of castle
was started on the other side of the tower. This part was completed
only to the first floor when the jailhouse was finished, which worked
out because it gave way to an internal courtyard that can be admired
still today, rich in stone coat of arms of the florentine family
who later gave the vicariate to the castle.On the side of the castle
facing Ponte a Poppi the courtyard is confined by the Chapel. A
great part of this work must be attributed to Count Simone Guidi,
author of the first great restruction that began in 1274,
that raised the rank of the surrounding social residences.
Another great work was carried out before 1470.
This was of great interest to the internal courtyard with the construction
of a splendid stone staircase that gave access to the various floors
of the building and the external stairwell.The floor plan was made
for the seperation between the castle and the weapons plaza and
a anti-door was constructed on the external frame which was practically
a made to protect the inner door. The "Munition door"
was also given a draw bridge that today does not exist. The castle
was by then a beautiful residential palace. The latest restoration
of this last century, with the remodelling of a series of ornamentation
of the facade and the reconstruction of corners and other parts
of the brickwork, gave the castle a splendid aspect.
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