Poppiano Castle

In the Middle Ages Poppiano was part of the defense system of Florence, surrounded by a triple circle of walls on a hillock with a natural panoramic terrace. Built after the year 1000, it is mentioned at least since 1199, when it already belonged to the Guicciardinis, still owners. The name of the castle perhaps derives from the Roman gens Papia or Poppea . In 1359 Giovanni Acuto camped there, returning from the battle of Fosso Armonico.

Owned by the Guicciardinis for nine centuries, due to damage suffered during the siege of Florence in 1529 (as the then owner Francesco Guicciardini recalls) it was transformed into a villa in the eighteenth century. Radically renovated then in neo-Gothic style, in the nineteenth century, after an earthquake in 1812. The restoration was based on the designs of the other properties that the Guicciardini family had between Val di Pesa and Val d’Elsa, according to the eighteenth-century fashion.

The castle, located on a hill and surrounded by the ancient village, has an “L” shape, with a small tower at the intersection of the buildings. The first floor, embattled, was built in the nineteenth century in a neo-Gothic style. It is accessed by a stone staircase on the south side.

The chapel of the villa is located in the square in front of it and dates back to 1930. Under the embankment of the terrace, there is a small lemon house.