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The Village of Stia in Tuscany Italy

Stia is among the most charming villages of Casentino, land of castles and Romanesque parish churches. It lies at the bottom of a valley where the limpid waters of two rivers converge, the Arno and the Staggia. The ancient road that runs through the village widens to form a piazza with an irregular, incredibly harmonious shape, defined by the lovely 17th- and 18th-century buildings that enclose it in a series of porticoes.

Here, in the characteristic Piazza Tanucci, one of the most beautiful squares of Tuscany, stands an architectural masterpiece: the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Assunta, its nave and aisles divided by monolithic columns with capitals realised in a vigorous, vital style. Although produced for decorative purposes, the mysterious carvings of these capitals are imbued with symbolic significance. Observed from all four sides, they constitute the most fascinating part of the visit to the church. Among the precious works inside are a triptych by Bicci di Lorenzo, a panel of the Assumption of the Madonna by the Master of Borgo alla Collina, a Madonna and Child by Andrea della Robbia, and an old panel of the Madonna Enthroned. Done by a Florentine artist at the end of the 13th century, this panel painting shows clear affinities with the new way of depicting figures introduced by Giotto.

To drink the water that gushes from the fountain of Calcedonia in the new spa complex located inside the park of the Palagio Fiorentino (site of an important art gallery) is to partake of a centuries-old ritual. At the visitors centre for the national park, one can view the historic ornithological collection of the Cavaliere C. Beni.

Interesting destinations for excursions are the Castle of Porciano (10th century), a remarkable example of a tower-palace, reached via a panoramic road (2 km), and the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie (4 km), with its portico and bell gable.

The one-aisled interior, richly decorated with Della Robbia bas-reliefs and friezes, contains a precious painting by Paolo Schiavo and a fresco attributed to Domenico Ghirlandaio. An excursion to Monte Falterona, from whose flanks the Arno springs, is also recommended. “The traveller who wants to understand the position of the Casentino valley and the course of the Arno, that historic river, must climb to the top of Monte Falterona on a clear, cool day. From there he can contemplate one of the most vast and famous panoramas of Italy.”

From Monte Falterona it is possible to reach, by way of charming excursion routes inside Casentino Forests National Park, the Lago degli Idoli, a veritable treasure-trove of Etruscan small bronze sculptures. Today they are preserved in some of Europe’s most important museums.

True to its long tradition, Stia is a production centre for panno casentino. On the first Sunday in September in odd-numbered years is held the Biennale Internazionale di Arte Fabbrile (metal-working fair).

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