Arezzo
The city of Arezzo is located at the confluence of three of the four valleys that make up the province. Casentino is in the north of the city.
Subbiano
The country still retains the old castle overlooking the river , which is accessed through a gate tower that invites in a narrow paved road and running all around the Tower , there is a beautiful door with a pointed arch , which allows to discover among the ancient stone recesses of hatches and gates that lifted a heavy door . At the end of the sixth century the Subbiano area was manned by a strong appropriation of the Roman - Byzantine forces faced for a long time with those Lombard . After breaking the imperial defenses the Lombards in the first half of the seventh century they fortified themselves in the southern limit of the Casentino valley , building , among others, the castle Subbiano.
capolona
The name derives from "Caput Leonis" (or "Campus Leonis") . The town's origins are remote and poorly understood : some people believed that there was located a former convent of which perhaps today you are untraceable . Today Capolona is a quiet village in the Tuscany where you can still feel the smell of the old and where old ladies still wash clothes in the SOURCE (public fountains = wash) and spend the summer afternoons under the big nuts of Marcella to make hats and wool socks for the winter.
castelnuovo
The mouth of the great valley that opens into Casentino and above the group of houses of Castelnuovo is the eponymous castle. Castelnuovo the name conjures up an older building called Castelvecchio. From an imperial diploma , which Henry II granted in 1022 to the Abbey of Saints Flora and Lucilla in Arezzo , it is revealed to have been near this castle a Vico that drew as Sesto , a name perhaps derived from the silk of Arezzo milestone.
valenzano
Valenzano has only 90 years old. It is 8km from Subbiano and lies on the slopes of the Alpe of Catenaia . It was rebuilt on the ruins of the ancient castle from which they took their name from the noble Umbertini Valenzano, relatives of those from Chitignano , one of which in 1221 gave to the Abbey the Selvamonda giuspadronato of the Church of Santa Maria located outside of Valenzano castle and the church of San Niccolò placed inside the castle.
rassina
The first residents of the area are the ancient Etruscans , whose presence is testified by the many monuments in the area .
During World War II , which caused many casualties among the civilian population , Rassina become an important center of refuge for the partisans and for American soldiers retreating from the fighting on the Casentino hills . In 1946 , with the advent of the Republic , the economic development of the municipality resumes ; in the years of economic boom , Rassina is the center of large investments to give life to one of the most important industries for the extraction and processing of football in Europe . The cement plant , built in the 60s / 70s , become the economic engine of the area giving life to an economic activity more and more flourishing.
bibbiena
The first settlements in the territory “bibbienese” probably date back to Etruscan times , although the founding date of the country is located in 979 A.D. During the fight between Guelfi ( Florence ) and Ghibellines ( Arezzo ) , Bibbiena sided with Ghibellines . Following the defeat at the battle of Ghibelline in the plain of Campaldino, Bibbiena suffered a ruinous of eight-day by the Florentines , who conquered the city and sacked . The plebiscite of 1860 for the annexation of Tuscany to Sardinia, the" yes " did not receive a majority of eligible voters ( 761 of 1,570 ) , annexation opposition symptom.
poppi
It is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, is at the center of the Casentino at 437mt , the first valley of Arno between the provinces of Arezzo and Florence.
vallombrosa
In the locality of Vallombrosa it has hosted the eponymous Reserve, as well as a renowned arboretum and a large lawn, very popular in summer especially by the people of Florence in search of refreshment. The best-known monument is the abbey of monks Vallombrosani, which can also be accommodated: the distance is only 35 km from Florence, well worth exploring. By Giovanni Gualberto it was formed a community committed to follow the teachings of the Apostles and Fathers of the Church ; simplicity, poverty, meditation, work: these are the points on which converged their daily lives.
la verna
The franciscan sanctuary of La Verna, located at few kilometers from Chiusi della Verna ( Arezzo’s Province ), is also in the National Park of Casentino Forests, mount Falterona and Campigna. It is famous for being the place where St. Francis of Assisi would have received “stigmata” the 14 September of 1224. Built on the south side of Mount Penna at 1128 meters high, the Sanctuary - the destination of many pilgrims - is home of numerous chapels and places of prayer and meditation, as well as several points of considerable religious importance.
anghiari
The 29 of 1440 the plain in front of Anghiari was the scene of a famous battle, passed into history just as the Battle of Anghiari, between Fiorentini allies of the Holy See, on the one hand, and the Milanesi on the other. Few were the victims, but the Tuscan victory had resulted in the reduction of the Lombard territorial ambitions. Leonardo da Vinci, at the request of the government of Florence and competing with Michelangelo, began a mural depicting the battle at the Salone del Cinquecento in Florence.
