The itinerary in the steps of Piero della Francesca and his works moves from Arezzo and the Valtiberina to Sansepolcro, the artist’s birthplace, and to Monterchi, his mother Monna Romana’s birthplace.
In the city of Arezzzo visit the XIV cent. Gothic Basilica of San Francesco. In the High Chapel is the fresco cycle of The Legend of the True Cross, his masterpiece, (1452-1466).
Then visit the Gothic Cathedral, late XIII- mid XVI cent. At the end of the left aisle, nearly hidden by the XIV cent. sculptured cenotaph of bishop Guido Tarlati, is the fresco of Mary Magdalen (1460).
From Arezzo go towards
the hilly village of Monterchi in the Valtiberina, on the border with Umbria. (From Arezzzo take SS 73 as far as Le Ville and turn right to Monterchi). Here Piero della Francesca painted the fresco of the Madonna del Parto, ca. 1465. After various misfortunes, in 1991 the fresco was detached from the small chapel near the cemetery and moved to a building owned by the comune in the historic centre.
Then reach Sansepolcro, the artist’s birthplace, which
houses four works of his in the Museo Civico.
Room 1, dedicated to Piero della Francesca: The polyptych of the Misericordia commissioned to him by the local confraternity of the Misericordia (1445). Room 2: two small frescoes of St. Giuliano and St. Ludovico and on the central wall the large fresco of the Resurrection which has been considered both the most enigmatic and mysterious of his works and the spiritual and natural expression of Christ’s rebirth. |
