The town of Stia is in the province of Arezzo at 441 m of altitude and it has a population of about 3000 inhabitants. The Castle of Porciano, the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Palago Fiorentino can be admired in this town.

Apart from its Roman origins, which are also testified by the toponym Stia, a Latin term that indicated the nearby river Staggia, the most ancient news about this town dates to 1053. This information regards the parish of Santa Maria "de Staia", as recorded in a register of the Camaldolese monks.
In 1093, also a "casale de Stia" was reported. In the Middle Ages, the town developed as a commercial centre in the County of Porciano within the jurisdiction of the Counts Guidi of Palagio.
A built-up area was born near the hilly area of Stia Vecchia, near the "Mercatale". In 1230, the Guidi built the "palagio", the luxury residence that made them earn their nickname. Their authority over the territory of Stia lasted until the beginning of the XV century. Then, in 1402, the Florentine Republic that was fighting against the Ghibelline aristocratic families of Arezzo conquered the town.
In the Modern Age, the town experienced a remarkable economic development linked to the wool industry. In particular, it was the "Casentino cloth", produced in Stia, to make its fortune. At the beginning of the XX century, 500 inhabitants of the town worked in the woolen mill of Stia. When it closed down, the town was inevitably depopulated, but, today, it benefits from a new economic resource, namely tourism.