Surroundings & Routes - Sansepolcro

Here we are in Tuscany, in a crossroads with three other regions: Marche, Emilia Romagna and Umbria, in the marvellous High Tiberine Valley in a privileged land for its artistic beauties and for the richest of its nature. Let's dwell upon Sansepolcro.

The city of Sansepolcro (Arezzo), which is the extreme part of the Tuscany and which is adjacent to Marche and Umbria's regions, takes place at the foot of the central Appennine, in the high Tiberine Valley , or rather, where The Tevere comes out from the mountains. This Valley takes its name from a myte of foundation which says the Valley were built around an oratory created by two pilgrims who came back from the Saint Land.

Its origin dates back to X-XI century.But its present and prevalently rinascimental phisionomy is the result of an active and stimulating history.By now it spreads out on the valley floor , thanks to an entrepreneurial and well integrated vocation in a tradition of high-craftmade level,documented by Biennal Exhibitions of the art of the goldsmith and of the lace.

In addition to these demonstrations, the public image of the city increases with the Crossbow's Palio, which is the rievocation of an ancient competition against the city of Gubbio.(People always get dressed with old costumes.

The historical centre of this auteur city (as it was defined), is surrounded by Medicean walls.They are interrupted in the NE-corner by a cinquecento fortress, which is an ancient buildings of the natives of Florence, who took possession of Sansepolcro in 1441 as pawn of 25000 Fiorins(which had been lended to the Pope Eugenio the 4th by the people of Florence and which were never returned to them).
Into the city there are narrow and medieval roads which sre often lighted by a space of a roof garden.There are also many Mansion Houses with classic mouldings in clear stone together with a harmonious and colouristic tone typical of Tuscany.
The heart of the village is a case of art. In order to make you understand how important are our richests we recall "The Resurrection" and "The Madonna's Mercy" by Piero Della Francesca (Civic Museum) and a very ancient wooden statue of the "Saint Face"(Cathedral). It is posslble also to admire the works of other famous artists, as Matteo di Giovanni, L.Signorelli, The Perugino, The Rosso Fiorentino. Some of them, like Piero Della Francesca, were born in Sansepolcro; in this city also the great mathematic Luca Pacioli and other renowned names in many fields of human activities were born. They made very famous the name of Sanspolcro also out of the frontiers of Tuscany and Italy.