THE FIRST RECORDS OF CASTELLO DI Poppi date back to 1169, when it was run by the Abbey of San Fidele de Strumi. By the 1190s, the castle had passed into the hands of the Conti Guidi, in which it would remain for hundreds of years.

It is thought that two architects were responsible for the design and build of the castle: Lapo di Cambio and Arnolfo di Cambio. The latter would later design the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, and the Castle of Poppi can be seen as its prototype.