Casentinesi

Casentinesi is the plural adjective referring to Casentino, a historic and geographical region in eastern Tuscany, Italy. The area centers on the Casentino Valley along the upper Arno River and extends into the Apennine mountains, encompassing landscape of forests, ridges, and cultivated hills. The name is used for both the people of Casentino (Casentinesi) and things associated with the region.

The region includes medieval towns such as Poppi, Bibbiena, Stia, and Pratovecchio-Stia, with notable monuments and castles. It is also home to important religious sites, including the Camaldolese Hermitage at Camaldoli and the sanctuary of La Verna, associated with Saint Francis. The Casentino has a long history from ancient Etruscan and Roman times through the medieval period.

In 1993, the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna was established to protect the area’s beech forests and high-altitude ecosystems. The park covers a large portion of the Casentino and preserves habitats for a variety of wildlife, including large mammals and numerous bird species, as well as extensive networks of hiking trails.

The Casentinesi area remains a destination for nature tourism, religious pilgrimage, and cultural visits, offering scenic landscapes, historic architecture, and forest landscapes that characterize the eastern Tuscan Apennines. The term Casentinesi continues to be used in reference to the people, landscapes, and institutions linked to Casentino.