Poppi
An arcaded village on top of a hill in the Casentino, dominated by the castle of the Guidi counts, which looks like a small-scale Palazzo Vecchio.
The story
On 11 June 1289, on the Campaldino plain below Poppi, the Guelphs of Florence defeated the Ghibellines of Arezzo in one of the bloodiest battles of medieval Tuscany. Among the Florentine knights in the front line was a young Dante Alighieri, who writes about it in the Purgatorio. The castle holds the Rilliana library, with manuscripts and early printed books.
Why go
You climb through the castle's halls, look down on the battlefield and are half an hour from the monasteries of Camaldoli and La Verna, in the forests of the national park.
In the itineraries
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Weather forecast
The forecast for the next 7 days at this spot: sky, temperatures, rain and wind.
Forecast by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), from the models of national weather services. Your browser downloads it directly from Open-Meteo, and only when you ask. In the mountains and at sea the weather changes quickly: check the official forecast as well before you set off.
Getting there
- By train. The nearest station is Poppi station, 1.1 km away (about 20 minutes on foot). Alternatively: Memmenano station, 2.2 km away.
- By air. The nearest airport is Florence Airport (FLR), about 46 km away.
- Parking. There are many signposted car parks within a kilometre; the nearest is 300 m away.
- ZTL. Many Italian historic centres are limited traffic zones (ZTL) monitored by cameras: if you arrive by car, leave it outside the centre and check opening times and permits on the town council's website (your hotel may be able to register your plate).
Stations, ports, airports and car parks from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); distances as the crow flies. Timetables and connections change: check them before you travel.
Climate month by month
The most pleasant months for weather are from May to June and from September to October, with average highs between 18 and 29 °C. From July to August it is hot: average highs exceed 30 °C. The wettest month is November (about 92 mm), the driest July.
| Month | Temperature | High / low | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | from 1 to 9 °C | 9° 1° | 56 |
| Feb | from 2 to 11 °C | 11° 2° | 64 |
| Mar | from 4 to 13 °C | 13° 4° | 59 |
| Apr | from 6 to 17 °C | 17° 6° | 54 |
| May | from 11 to 22 °C | 22° 11° | 62 |
| Jun | from 16 to 29 °C | 29° 16° | 36 |
| Jul | from 19 to 34 °C | 34° 19° | 22 |
| Aug | from 19 to 33 °C | 33° 19° | 40 |
| Sep | from 15 to 26 °C | 26° 15° | 60 |
| Oct | from 11 to 21 °C | 21° 11° | 75 |
| Nov | from 6 to 14 °C | 14° 6° | 92 |
| Dec | from 3 to 10 °C | 10° 3° | 73 |
Averages for 2015–2024, estimated for an altitude of 357 m. Air: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), corrected for the altitude of the place; rain: average monthly total. These are indicative values: the weather on any given day can be very different, so always check the forecast before you go.