Description: The history of Poppi is linked to the family of the Guidi Counts and their castle.Going back to medieval times means starting with their manner house which was built in the XIII cent.. Vasari attributed its design to Lapo, Arnolfo di Cambio's maestro .In the courtyard, there is a complex system of stair-ways and a rich collection of coats of arms. The art works are to be seen inside the chapel with a cycle of frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi, one of Giotto's most important followers. Leaving the castle without having visited the library is as if half the itinerary were incomplete. The collection of books, donated by the Rilli-Orsini Counts to the Comune of Poppi, is an immense library treasure. Set in the centuries' old pine forest is Camaldoli, one of the most important spiritual places in Tuscany. The Hermitage, founded by San Romualdo in about 1012, with its twenty cells and places for solitude and contemplation, has undergone numerous transformations. Rich in Baroque decorations it houses, in the chapel of Sant'Antonio Abate, an altarpiece in glazed terracotta by Andrea della Robbia. In front of the church is the cell of San Romualdo, the only one open to visitors. Some kilometres further down the valley is the architectural complex formed by the monastery, the Foresteria ( guest rooms) and the Church of Santi Donato e Ilariano. The interior, in Baroque form, houses works by the young Giorgio Vasari.