The construction of the Cistercian Abbey of San Galgano (72 metres long by 21 metres wide) began in 1218 and was completed almost a century later. First the religious part was completed and then the gigantic monastic complex. The shape of the Abbey is Romanesque with the classical Latin cross influenced by the Gothic style of French importation. Both for construction and for daily needs, the complex was self-sufficient, as evidenced by the forges, glass and brick kilns, and the hydraulic mill for reducing iron ore brought to light by archaeological excavations. What to see at the Abbey of San Galgano Near the Abbey, after the death of St Galgano, a chapel, known as lHermitage of Montesiepi, still in excellent condition. The Hermitage, consecrated in 1185 is also called La Rotonda because it consists of a circular church, interrupted only by the small apse, the chapel with frescoes by Lorenzetti and the entrance pronaos. The roof is a beautiful hemispherical dome with alternating colour bands. Inside the Hermitage, in the centre of the Rotunda, is the famous sword of San Galgano, which has been embedded in the rock for over 800 years. La Rotonda The original and simple elegance of the dome of the Hermitage is given by the rows of white stones alternating with the rows of red bricks and echoing the appearance of the Etruscan-Roman tombs of Cerveteri or Vetulonia. This magnificent dome is not noticeable from the outside and to enjoy its beauty it is necessary to enter the Hermitage. In addition to the Etruscan references, details taken from Celtic and Templar sites can be seen in the decorations, such as the hemispherical dome with concentric circles, the alternating line design of the outer walls, even the site on which it is built, Mount Hedgesrecalling a wooded site suitable for a pagan, rather than religious, altar. The Sword in the Stone Legend has it that Galgano Guidotti, the only son of a wealthy family of Chiusdino, born in 1148, spent the first years of his youth marked by disorder and lust, repented and converted. Young Galgano's conversion came after two visions in which St Michael the Archangel prophesied his destiny to change his life and become a Knight of God. After a long preaching period in and around Siena, Galgano retired to prayer in a hut in a wood on Monte Siepi. which was to become his hermitage. Blessed and encouraged by Pope Alexander III, defying the ridicule of his young friends, he began the construction of an Abbey for the greater glory of God, close to his hermitage. St Galgano performed his unique miracle by driving his sword deeply into the rock, transforming an object of death into a symbol of salvation and peace: a cross. Away from the world, Galgano continued his life as a hermit, feeding on wild herbs and sleeping on the bare earth until his death on 3 December 1181, leaning on his sword: he was only 33 years old.

THE FORTRESS OF GIRIFALCO

The ancient fortified fortress was completely renovated in the 16th century, during the Medici era. We are at an altitude of 651 metres above sea level in an area that dominates the entire Valdichiana below and whose occupation has continued since Etruscan-Roman times, first as a sacred and defensive area, then as a zone of control and defence only. We know from documents that as early as 1258, the first example of a fortress stood here, of which only sporadic views remain in 15th- and 16th-century paintings, especially in the tondo by Luca Signorelli preserved in the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca, and sporadic remains of masonry in the basement of the tower of the present-day keep. 

The Renaissance building has a four-sided base with a trapezoidal shape and stands on four angular bastions of different shapes to better adapt to the ruggedness of the terrain Currently, the fortress, owned by the municipality, is open to the public during the summer and is on its way to becoming an important centre for contemporary art as well as a space used for cultural events and exhibitions.

THE BASILICA OF SAINT MARGHERITA

he sanctuary is dedicated to the figure of St Margaret, patron saint of Cortona and Franciscan tertiary, and to the subsequent cultural and spiritual activity of the Observant Franciscans. When the saint died (22 February 1297), it was decided to build a church in her honour, next to the ancient church of San Basilio that Margaret herself had restored after choosing it as a place of penance and prayer. By 1304, the sacred building had already been constructed, but it continued to be embellished with important frescoes throughout the 14th century. Only a few fragments of this mural cycle have come down to us, preserved in the Diocesan Museum, but there is evidence of it in a 17th-century codex documenting with twenty-one watercolour scenes the mural paintings that were lost in 1653 when they were defaced due to their poor state of preservation. Analysis of the surviving fragments leads us to date them around 1335 and attribute them to the workshop of one or both Lorenzetti brothers. In 1385, the church was entrusted to the Olivetan monks, who were replaced in 1389 by the Observant Friars Minor, who still take care of it today and welcome visitors. In August 1927, it was elevated to the dignity of a minor basilica.

40 km from Arezzo, easily reached by car

The medieval village of Poppi, in the beautiful Casentino valley, is unique thanks to the imposing castle of the Conti Guidi family, which dominates the entire old town and much of the valley below.

The castle dates back to the 13th century and is one of the most visited monuments in the province of Arezzo. The chapel inside the castle preserves the fresco cycle of the 'Stories of the Gospel' by Taddeo Gaddi, Giotto's main pupil.

The castle displays a miniature model of the Battle of Campaldino, which took place on 11 June 1289, with 4302 figures in tin and lead. The ancient building is also home to the Municipal Library, divided into 2 sections: the historic Rilliana, named after the founder Count Rilli-Orsini, with 25,000 ancient books from the medieval period, and the modern Vettori with around 30,000 books.

The village, surrounded by imposing walls, has a beautiful and interesting architectural harmony that makes the visit particularly pleasant.

One breathes an enchanted place, with an atmosphere suspended in time.

Poppi is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.