Bibbiena

Lying on a low hill north of Arezzo, Bibbiena offers small town life in a lovely setting. The old medieval town center retains its appeal and outline, with buildings in stone and stucco neatly tended. Tucked in among the narrow streets are restaurants, shops and cafes to enjoy.

Bibbiena is the Casentino Valley, near Arezzo, close to the mountains at the border of Emilia Romagna region. The town had Etruscan roots and then a Roman settlement, where villas for that civilization were found. The Foreste Casentinesi is a vast expanse of woods. The town gained ground in the Middle Ages, and during the battles between Guelph and Ghibelline sided with Arezzo and the Ghibelline cause.

There are 12,000 residents but a sense of life and vitality, with a "new" town outside the old protective walls, while maintaining the historic center as well. Decorated palazzi and art-embellished churches are found here. The sanctuary of Santa Maria del Sasso has a cloister and portico, with works by Della Robbia and Fra Paolino da Pistoia inside. The sanctuary was built where a miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary occurred in 1347. The neoclassic church of San Francesco is a small temple-like structure while the church of San Lorenzo is attractive and also has beautiful examples of Della Robbia's art. Piazza Tarlatil is the central hub, distinguished by its tall stone bell tower.

The town hosts a major food festival every June, bringing together specialties from all the surrounding villages for a day and night of fun, food and entertainment.