The Casentino
Casentino is the upper valley of the River Arno,which rises from Mount Falterona (1658 m.), in the heart of the Appennines between Tuscany and Romagna.
Bounded on the west by the Pratomagno plateau, and on the east by the ridge formed by the Alpe di Serra and the Alpe di Catenaia, Casentino presents itself as a vast basin, interrupted by small alluvial plains, and dotted by summer (Badia Prataglia, Chiusi della Verna) and winter (La Burraia) holiday resorts, ancient feudal castles (Romena, Porciano, Valenzano), Romanesque parish churches (Socana, Romena) and monastic settlements (La Verna, Camaldoli).
It is rich with centuries-old forests, as well as with dynamically expanding urban centres (Bibbiena, Poppi, Capolona, Soci, etc.).
Geography, trade, politics and culture have always contributed to maintaining strong ties between the Casentino and Florence. This explains, for example, the presence in the Casentino area of nearly fifty Della Robbia terracottas, mostly preserved in the abbey church of La Verna.