Bibbiena in the Casentino - Tuscany

You can consider Bibbiena the chief town of the Casentino, as it is the biggest and most densely populated village. Bibbiena has ancient origins; this is testified by the recovery in the area of Etruscan settlements and of Roman villas. The village has also had an important medieval history, but today the vestiges related to this period are reduced because of the several sieges, lootings and devastations that Bibbiena suffered up to the end of the XV century.
Today the urban architecture that is to be seen in the historical centre of the village is essentially Renaissance. Bibbiena is set on the top of a hill. In the upper point you find Piazza Tarlati, with the beautiful bell tower and Palazzo Bruni that was residence of the Bishop Tarlati. Here you also find the church of the Santi Ippolito and Donato; indoor important works of art are preserved. From Piazza Tarlati through a difficult small stair you can go down to the Oratory of San Francesco, in Via Berni, a building with neoclassic façade and inside in Baroque style. In the same road you find Palazzo Niccolini, today seat of the Municipality. Continuing then in Via Dovizi, in front of the homonym building, you can visit the Church of San Lorenzo, where two glazed terrecottas of Andrea Della Robbia are preserved. One kilometre away from Bibbiena, you find the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Sasso, that shows a refined Renaissance architecture and where beautiful mostly sixteenth-century works of art are preserved.
Not only the historical centre of Bibbiena, but also the whole municipal territory is interesting, as it offers, besides beautiful landscape foreshortenings, interesting places and centres that can be already object of a first visit through the photographic gallery of this page.