Guide to visit Stia in Casentino, Tuscany
Stia is a small hamlet in Casentino located at the foot of the mountain range which also includes the Monte Falterona. The village grew during the Middle Ages both as a market and as textile production center. The historical centre of Stia is all around is main square, today called piazza Tanucci, where all major merchant activities of the village took place. The textile production of Stia, in particular that related to the Panno Casentino, became industrial during the 19th century when the demand for this type of fabric grew exponentially.
Things to do in Stia, what to visit:
- Piazza Tanucci
- Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta
- Museo dello Sci
- Museo del Bosco e della Montagna
- Collezione Ornitologica “Carlo Beni”
- Palagio Fiorentino
- Museo d’arte Contemporanea
As we said the historic centre of Stia is all around piazza Tanucci, a nice square characterized by a extremely elongated shape overlooked by many nice buildings with arcades. Here you can visit the Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta, one of the most important of church in Casentino. Don’t be fooled by the 18th-century facade, result of a makeover, this church is more ancient as we can see thanks to the restorations that has given back the interior to the original romanesque style. The pieve preserves some arworks as the Madonna with Child by Andrea della Robbia, the Virgin with Child and two Angel maybe made by Giotto and a tryptich, Annunciation of Mary and Saints, by Bicci di Lorenzo.
Museo dello Sci e Museo del Bosco e della Montagna
Walking along the square, on the right of the fountain an alley leads us to two museums: the Museo dello Sci and the Museo del Bosco e della Montagna. The Museum of the Ski is about the traditions of the mountain life in Casentino and on the ski both as instrument and as sport. The Museum of the Forest and Mountain focuses on the life and business operation in the mountains formerly closely linked to breeding and exploitation of the forest. Inside the Museo del Bosco e della Montagna are also exposed the specimens coming from the ornithological collection “Carlo Beni”.
Address: vicolo dei Berignoli 5
Opening hours: saturday 17.00-19.00; sunday and holidays 10.00-12.30 and 16.00-19.00
Tickets: free offer
Palagio fiorentino
Just outside the city centre, not far from the museums, there is the Palagio fiorentino, a palace built in 1908 where once was the palace of the Counts Guidi, destroyed in 1440. This beautiful neo-gothic palace is located inside a pleasant park and is characterized by a crenelled tower. Property of the municipality, the Palagio hosts the Museum of contemporary Art that exposes paintings and sculptures by artists as Pietro Annigoni, Marino Marini and Ottone Rosai.
Opening hours: only on reservation (tel. 0575 503885)
Things to around Stia, castles and hamlets in Casentino
Close to Stia is worth a visit the Castle of Porciano (2Km), the Castle of Romena (3,5Km)and the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie (4Km). Poppi is about 15 kilometres far away, while there are about twenty kilometres between Stia and Bibbiena or Raggiolo.
