Raggiolo, a small hamlet on the mountains of Pratomagno
Raggiolo is a small hamlet on the mountains of the Pratomagno, nestled in the green forests of Casentino. Once municipality on its own, since 1873 Raggiolo form a single municipality with the nearby village of Ortignano. Ortignano Raggiolo territory extends from the Valley of the Arno River into the heart of Pratomagno in a succession of hills growing quickly to become mountains.
The history of Raggiolo has its roots in the early Middle Ages, the village was founded around the 7th century probably by the Longobardians. Around the mid-10th century it was granted in fief by the Emperor Otto I to Goffredo di Ildebrando. Starting from the 13th entury the castle of Raggiolo was under the mighty family of the Counts Guidi. Between 1301 and 1322, an important member of the family Guidi, Guido Novello Il, moved right in Raggiolo also taking the title of count of Raggiolo. In 1440 the castle was destroyed and never rebuilt; from the structures of the ancient castle remains practically nothing. The main medieval rest in Raggiolo is the facade of the chiesa di San Michele thatcome from the ancient palace of the count Guido Novello.
What to do in Raggiolo
Included among the most beautiful villages in Italy since 2005, Raggiolo is a typical mountain village of Casentino. Who comes here is generally attracted by the hikes into the surrounding woods and a stroll through the streets of the old town.
The hamlet is a series of stone houses stacked next to each other along a series of steep and irregular roads; all around you can admire themajestic forests of Casentino.
The main things to visit in Raggiolo are:
- Chiesa di San Michele
- EcoMuseo della Castagna
Chiesa di San Michele
The chiesa di San Michele is the most important building of this small hamlet. Derivaed from the ancient palace of the counts Guidi, it retains in facade the rests of the old gothic portal of the palace and an emblem, very worn, referable to the Wool Guild. In 18th century, when it became a parish church, the church was completely remodeled. Inside are preserved two precious plaster artworks dating back the 15th century: Madonna with Child, attributed to the workshop of Donatello, and the Redeemer, attribuited to the workshop of Andrea Ferrucci.
EcoMuseo della Castagna
The EcoMuseo della Castagna (EcoMuseum of the Chestnut) shows the various stages of collection and processing of the chestnut, a product that has always been very important in local nutrition. The chestnut was so essential to the population of the place to the point of becoming part of the identity and a distinctive element of the village. In addition to the classical museum, that uses also some multimedia, the EcoMuseo is equipped with an educational workshop and another witness to the identity of the country: the Map of the Comunity of Raggiolo.
Address: via del Mulino
Opening hours:
June, July, September, October: saturday-sunday 16.00-19.00
August: tuesday, thursday, saturday, sunday 16.00-19.00
Other openings on request.
Places to visit around Raggiolo
In addition to Raggiolo, in Casentino there are numerous historic villages to visit. The most interesting are Poppi, with its marvelous medieval castle; Bibbiena, the main production center of the area; and Stia, an ancient market place located at the foot of the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines.
