The Casentino Valley has always been land of fights between Florence and Arezzo people. It has been also the field for the battle of Campaldino, between the historical parties of Guelfi and Ghibellini (June, 11th 1289).

Among wars and fights some people gave themselves to hermitage upon the surrounding mountain tops like San Romualdo, putting the base of the religious order of the Camaldolese monks and building up the well known hermitage.

San Francesco from Assisi went up to the rock above the villages of Chiusi (della Verna), La Beccia and Chitignano to build up the sanctuary and spread the Christian religion through the religious order that he represents, the Franciscans. On the Rock above the Sanctuary Francesco from Assisi received the stigmates, that is a symbol of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

In Poppi village you can visit a Castle dating back to 1200 and belonging to Earls Guidi, where the great poet Dante Alighieri often used to be invited. Inside the Castle there is the historical "Rilliana" Library, rich of 70.000 volumes, 600 incunabula, 800 manuscripts.

For any request regarding this service, please address to:
Comunità Montana del Casentino - CRED service Service Centre and Coordination of Museum Net Via Roma 203, Ponte a Poppi (AR) Tel. +39 0575/507272 - fax +39 0575/507230
ecomuseo@casentino.toscana.it

It involves all the communes of the district: Stia, Pratovecchio, Castel San Niccolò, Montemignaio, Poppi, Bibbiena, Ortignano Raggiolo, Chiusi della Verna, Chitignano, Castel Focognano, Talla, Subbiano andCapolona and it is divided in six still developing systems:

• SYSTEM OF THE CASTLE SOCIETY
• SYSTEM OF THE WOOD
• SYSTEM OF WATER
• MANUFACTURE SYSTEM
• AGRICULTURAL - PASTORAL SYSTEM
• SYSTEM OF ARCHEOLOGY

Centre of Documentation and Water Teaching point Capolona,La Nussa

• Information and opening time on request : Comune di Capolona - Culture Office tel. 0575/423931
• To visit the still working Watermills; - Watermills in Falciano (Subbiano), Mr. Mattesini tel. +39 0575/422138 - +39 335/5863158
• Grifoni watermill in Pagliericcio (Castel San Niccolò), still working , tel. +39 0575/572873
• Bonano watermill (Castel Focognano), Bardelli Family tel. +39 0575/597465
• Giorgini watermill (Raggiolo), tel. +39 0575-514147  

EcoMuseum of Chestnut

Agricultural and Pastoral System:  

The System of Archeology

Archeological Museum of Casentino Valley, Partina

THE MANUFACTORING SYSTEM

It is made up of all vestiges of the manufacture activity, as well as of the different kinds of buildings linked to production activity. When the Communes were born, many textile manufacturers and tanneries existed along the Arno river and its most important affluents; these manufacturers used the waters to wash the wool and for the working of several hydraulic plants: there were grain water mills, fulling-mills, sawmills, ironworks, paper mills, brick kilns, ceramic factories; all of them constituted a dense social fabric where new modern working activities would be built.

ABOUT GASTRONOMY:

The haunches, after being refrigerated for 24 hours are trimmed, massaged and corned. The knead for the salting is made of salt, garlic and other spices (pepper, hot pepper, nutmegs and milled juniper). After 5-7 days you take the salt off from the surface and massage again. Then you pass to another salting phase that lasts for further 2 weeks.

Once again you eliminate the exceeding salt and leave the ham seasoning for 40, 50 days. During this process, it was a tradition to hang the ham at the fireplace warmth: for that reason you are allowed to give the ham a light taste of natural smoke (obtained by burning oakwood, beech-wood and a minimum quantity of juniper). After seasoning, strictly lasting not less than 12 months, the ham is ready.

Another remarkably valued produce is the Red Potato from Cetica: the tuber shape is round, globose and rather regular. The skin is purple, the eyes are deep and dark violet. The flesh is white and very finely textured.

The potato is grown on loose, sandy, acid soils, rich in organic matter. The best qualities are obtained in areas where chestnut and beech trees are present.

According to altitude, sowing takes place from mid-April to end-May Maturity is rather early, at the moment production is very low.

The story of this potato is traced back to the first two decades between World War I and II so that it is thought to be a cultivar derived from the Scottish Red King Edward.

This variety, of particular interest due to its organoleptic properties, can be very well stewed, or made into gnocchi, cooks well and has a very characteristic taste.

The red potato from Cetica is at present only grown by two producers.

In post-war years this variety has been progressively supplanted by higher yielding varieties from Northern Europe.

Association for the Christmas tree promotion

The Christian Tradition referring to the Christmas tree is very old (VII century a.C.) and is linked to S. Bonifacio cult. In the month of December of many years ago, Bonifacio saved a child’s life who would be offered to the Heathen God under a sacred oak. Thus, the big tree was cut down and under that a little pine was found and given to local people as a symbol of the new life. on that occasion that tree was named" Jesus Child’s tree".

The Christmas trees grow up as any other ornamental tree and they constitute a cultivation that respects the environment and contributes to ameliorate the hydro-geological system of the hills and the terracings where they grow; besides, they allow the safeguard of the valley floor. The fields cultivated with pines are often areas that once ago hosted traditional mountain cultivations, as cereals or fodder that are obsolete today. Thanks to the cultivation of Christmas Trees (pines), the negligence that would cause hydro-geological problems in those areas with such a delicate biological balance like the Central Appennino Chain is avoided.

Qualified personnel resident and working in Casentino has been cultivating these trees for more than 30 years with experience and professionality. This cultivation starts with the replantation of little plants coming from nurseries specialized in the propagation.

Then some usual cultivating cares are taken as the containment of weeds by cutting them or by superficial intervention, and the pruning to modify the leafage: even in that sense the cultivation requests less use of technical devices for it is ecological.

As the little trees reach the 5th or 6th year of age, you proceed in uprooting it an trading it. For protecting the activity the producers work together in the: Association for th Casentino Christmas Tree Promotion" (C.A.N.C. Ass.).

The recipes

Stia’s Acqua Cotta

Four people ingredients: 5 thin-ringed cut medium onions fried in the bacon-fat (or butter) and cooked after adding liquid (water and broth even if it’s soup cube). Salt and Pepper as much as you wish and wet lightly roasted slices of bread by that broth, directly on the dishes. To satisfy the Stia people’s tastes, flavour the Acqua Cotta by adding 300 gr of chicken liver and a shaken egg per people added eventually. The livers, quickly fried in the oil flavoured with garlic have to be chopped and added to vegetables with which they have to cook for no more than 10 minutes. At that point you add the shaked eggs (not whisked); you quickly mix everything as a whole to avoid any curdling and you pour it still boiling onto the roasted bread.

Tortelli di patate (Potato Tortelli)

Ingredients: 1 kg potatoes, 2 eggs, 1 knob of butter, 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, salt, nutmeg.

Pasta: 400 grams of flour, 50 grams of granulated flour, 4 eggs.

Preparation: Cook potatoes in salted water, peel a strain through vegetable strainer, put in bowl and add egg, butter and Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and salt. Sift two flours, together and make crater in middle and add egg. Knead together well and leave to rest. When rested roll dough and make strips. Add spoonful of potato mixture to pasta strip. Add another strip on top and cut into triangles. Press around each triangle with fork to seal. Place in salted boiling water, cook 15 minutes and drain. Serve with butter and margarine.

Insalata di Farro (Emmer Salad)

Ingredients: 2-1/4 lbs (1 kg.) hulled spelt 3-1/3 lbs (1.5 kg.) frozen green beans 2-1/4 lbs (1 kg.) baby shrimp chives, salt, carrot, celery, parsley, extra vergine olive oil

Preparation: Cook the spelt like rice in boiled, salted water for 20-25 minutes and then let cool. Cook the green beans in salted boiling water, immersed while frozen to maintain their color, then drain and chop. If the baby shrimp are frozen, immerse in boiling water for a moment, then cover with cold water. Mix the spelt, shrimp, beans and chives with olive oil, salt, pepper, aromatic herbs and serve add room temperature with a drop of olive oil. Suggested wine pairing: San Angelo Pinot Grigio or Fontanelle Chardonnay

Scottiglia

Ingredients: 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, handful of parsley, some basil leaves, 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1chili , 1 kg calf meat, 1 kg chicken meat,, 1 kg rabbit, 1kg pig, 1kg, goose, 1kg pigeon, glass of red or white wine, 500 grams pureed tomatoes, 250 grams beef broth, 6 slice stale bread, 1 clove garlic, salt and pepper.

Preparation: Dice finely onion, 1 clove garlic, parsley, basil and fry and add whole chili. When vegetables are fried add all meats, which have been diced, turning often. Add wine and evaporate liquid, add beef broth and finish cooking meat. Toast bread and rub with clove of garlic. Place in dish and add sauce, This can be served as a second meal without the bread.

Baldino (Chestnut cake)

Ingredients:  600g chestnut flour. 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Salt. 70g raisins. 40g pinenuts. 40g walnuts. Rosemary.

Preparation: Sift the chestnut flour into a mixing bowl and gradually add 800ml of water, whisking continually to avoid lumps forming, until you have a smooth paste, neither too runny nor too thick, but forming ribbons when it falls from the spoon. Soak the raisins and squeeze out the excess water. Add two tablespoons of oil, a pinch of salt, the raisins, pinenuts and shelled walnuts to the batter. Pour the mixture into a shallow, greased baking tray (the cake should only be about 1cm high), sprinkle some rosemary leaves on top and drizzle a tablespoon of oil over. Put in the oven for thirty minutes. Leave aside for about half an hour before serving as the cake should be eaten either tepid or cold. For many centuries chestnuts were part of the staple diet in mountainous and hilly areas and for the poorer classes in general as they provided an inexpensive form of nutrition. The original, Florentine version of castagnaccio, which is also known as migliaccio (black pudding) in some parts of Tuscany, had only pinenuts in it. This recipe is a combination of traditional recipes from both Pistoia and Lucca which I find slightly tastier.