Top 15 Castles around Castel San Niccolò

Great views and resting areas all around the castle.

I recommend a stop with a visit to understand the battle of Campaldino

Castello dei Conti Guidi, beautiful stone village. Wonderful view.

The origin of the Montemignaio castle is linked to the passage through the area of the ancient Roman road which, from Florence ... led to Arezzo. The ancient route was still widely used during the Middle Ages and this generated the development of the Castle, located in a dominant position, at the top of a buttress overlooking the Fiana torrent valley. The first written document proving the existence of the settlement dates back to 1103, it is a papal bull in which the authority over the Pieve di Montemignaio was confirmed to the Bishop of Fiesole. Already in the following years and throughout the 12th century the area was remembered among the dominions of the Guidi counts... It was the Guidi family who built the castle on site, also known as 'Castel Leone' or simply 'Castiglione', which remained in their possession until the revolt of Castel S. Niccolò with whose inhabitants the Montemignanesi made common cause against the abuses of the last descendant of the feudal family, Count Galeoto. In 1440 the same inhabitants submitted to the Municipality of Florence and were aggregated to the Podesteria of the Montagna Fiorentina. The remains of the castle walls still partially surround the town. To the right of the main access door the mighty tower still stands out, which also served as a bell tower, to the left a second tower, probably originally the twin of the other, is today significantly reduced in height. The two towers are joined by a mighty curtain wall in which opens the beautiful round arched door that leads into the heart of the castle. Once through the entrance on the left, the majestic remains of the palace rise, first the residence of the counts and then of the Florentine Podestà, and of the square-shaped keep. In the curtain walls you can still see the walled shape of what was once the door that led into the courtyard of the Palagio. Today, to access the splendid courtyard, with a beautiful well in the centre, you need to go around the outside of the walls from the right of the main door. The original small church of the castle still stands immediately behind the bulk of the keep. The whole, rather well maintained, is one of the best examples of a fortified medieval Tuscan mountain village. (Source: https://castellitoscani.com/castel-leone-montemignaio/ )

Quota di Poppi is a small but delightful medieval village located on the slopes of the Pratomagno pre-Apennine massif at approximately 437 meters above sea level. This village is the last bastion that you come across when climbing the panoramic road of Pratomagno from the town of Poppi, of which it is a hamlet. The village is truly a gem: in summer the alleys are decorated with many varieties of flowers and plants in a mix of colors that bring joy... Quota, originally called Coita, was built as a castle by the Guidi Counts in the 13th century and remained under their dominion for about two hundred years, governing much of the Casentino territory. The strategic position of Quota was ideal for the control of the two important cities of Castel Focognano and Bibbiena, which in that period were under the influence of Arezzo. The Quota Castle represented an important military garrison in the Casentino and was a fundamental control point on the communication routes between Florence and Arezzo. Its location on the top of a hill allowed a complete view of the surrounding area, making it a fortress that was difficult to attack. (Source: https://borghi.toscana.it/cosa-vedere/quota-di-poppi/ )

The arrival at the Castle of the Guidi Counts is immediately announced by a bronze statue depicting Dante Alighieri, which overlooks the Casentino valley and the Campaldino plain, where in 1289 Dante himself, among the ranks of the Florentine Guelphs, fought against the Arezzo Ghibellines. (Source: https://www.centrostoricopoppi.it/attrazioni-turistiche/#castello-e-piazza-delle-armi)

Poppi Castle is the main monument of the Casentino. Unlike all the other castles and medieval architecture in the area, it has not been ruined by time and men, having always been used as the residence of the local political or administrative power, in fact the Municipality of Poppi is still located there today. Since its origins, the history of the castle has been closely linked to that of the largest feudal family in Casentino who placed Poppi at the center of its large properties and inhabited this manor for almost four hundred years: the Guidi counts. Although the first written news of the existence of the castle dates back to 1191, its architecture and the fact that the Guidi family were already owners of vast possessions in Tuscany and Romagna at the time lead us to assume that its foundation was two or three years earlier. centuries, dating back to the period between the Lombard and Frankish invasions in these territories. ... (Source: https://castellitoscani.com/poppi/ )

The climb to reach the castle will initially make you regret not staying in the valley, but the square, the gardens, and the view over the Arno valley and the mountains of the Casentinesi Forests will repay the effort. The castle has a square tower and can also be visited inside, where it houses a library, a chapel and a historical museum.