23 May Poppi: It’s all about the climb
Settled in the middle of the rolling picturesque hills of Tuscany, the small village of Poppi is a place with more character and life than imaginable. The short time that I spent in Poppi was one of the most relaxing times of the entire trip.
Poppi is a small village established around the twelfth century and this is also when its name started to appear in important documents. Poppi is a still-existing medival town that includes the Castello dei Conti Guido which is an extremely well preserved castle built in the twelfth century. This particular castle is interesting because it contains some of the oldest manuscripts and books in the history of Poppi, dating back to the early 1000s. On the tour, I was able to actually witness an old choral book and see the pages and the artwork that conveyed beautiful religious principles. These religious figures were painted with care using bright hues of blue, red, demure purple, and the accents of gold which made the pages pop. This early choral book only used a 4 line staff as Mary pointed out, and had many early musical attributes that gave away its age. I was also able to see some of the oldest encyclopedias in Italy from the Rilliaba Biblioteca. Our tour guide informed us that these books were banned for a very long time because of the reality of the topics. Despite this, many individuals such as monks in the area realized the importance of these texts to encourage the spread of knowledge, and they found ways to print them “under the table.” In some ways, it is horrible that this type of publishing had to happen in the first place, although it is great that there were those who wanted to ensure preservation of knowledge.
Along with the interesting historical aspects of Poppi, there was also a natural side to this village as well. The sheer beauty of the town’s placement between the hills and mountains of the Tuscan countryside made one breathtaking view. This coupled with the small-town flair and the friendly local residents made Poppi one of the most relaxing and genuine places thus far.
I will definitely be back to Poppi, whether in the near future or in many years to come–to experience its history, character, and quiet beauty once again.
