Tiber Valley

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The high Tiber valley or Valtiberina, is the eastern most edge of Tuscany and gets its name from the river that crosses it throughout its length, to the border with Umbria. The Valtiberiva was border and at the same time point of encounter between different civilizations, the Umbrian and the Etruscan the Byzantine and Lombard. The bishops of Arezzo, the "signori" of Rimini and the Montefeltro, the hopes of Rome and finally the Florentines fought for centuries over these mountains and this valley.

sestino

The Roman patricians at the time of Augustus discovered the beauty of the area and built several villas. Then came the feudal lords and abbots who erected sturdy, bold castles and monasteries, followed by saints who found suitable sites to satisfy their mystic thirst. Michelangelo a native of these mountains, ad the gift of perceiving life in the core of a stone block just as Piero della Francesca in his birth place, Borgo Sansepolcro, had already understood the secret of light and space and translated it onto paintings in its variety of architectural styles in its uses and habits, in its craft products, in its own language Valtiberina reveals multiform influences coming from Romagna, Marche and Umbria, and contributing to the excentric character of the valley when compared to the Tuscan context. The traditional transit difficulty between the two slopes of the central Apennines as contributed to the relative isolation of this valley where Sansepolcro played the role of the city endowed with its own physiognomy and cultural autonomy. Intact walled towns like Anghiari or river centres like Pieve Santo Stefano, Camaldolesian abbeys and Franciscan convents, medieval country churches and castles narrate the history of this charming universe and point the stranger to most suggestive and varied itineraries. The Upper Tiber Valley is traversed in the its entire length by motorway "Tiberina3" and by motorway (E45) which connects Rome directly with northern Italy, crossing the Apennines just at the point where the Tiber rises. Numerous roads link the area with Arezzo, the Valdichiana and Casentino to the west, Romagna to the north and Montefeltro an the Adriatic coast to the east.

Monterchi
The medieval village stands on a spot which in Etrusco-Roman times was dedicated to the cult of Ercules. Monterchi is very well known for the greatly-prised fresco of the "Madonna del Parto" by Piero Della Francesca (15th century).

Caprese Michelangelo
Hilltop citadel, birth place of Michelangelo Inside and protected by an almost complete set of walls, the seat of local government and mayor's house, now the Michelangelo Museum.
The oldest wing of the castle, restored in modern times, as become an exhibition hall for full sized reproductions of Michelangelo sculptures. The Museum, and the green surrounding it display outstanding sculptures by the best living artists a form of homage to the greatest artist of all. In the neighbourhood, the Tifi church with a 15th century polyptych

Anghiari
West of the upper Tiber, on the slopes of the bowl of hills which encircles the valley, Anghiari's older quarter preserves its pure medieval character. A fine street on a step gradient and square lined with buildings of noble design were added in the 16th century, beyond the fortified walls.

In the Badia church, Romanesque in style and octagonal in plan, and in the medieval church of Sant Agostino and Palazzo Comunale priceless works of art are found.
The 6th century church of Santo Stefano at the foot of the hill is one of the oldest in the re

Sansepolcro
Situated at the foot of the last tract of the Tuscan Apennine, Sansepolcro dominates the high Tiber Valley as it opens in a vast and harmonious amphitheatre of hills. Probably of Roman origin, the town presents a serene and harmonic face. Inside its quadrilateral of protective walls it maintains the Medieval appearance, with splendid Renaissance and Baroque additions.

The artistic heritage is rich and is chiefly concentrated in the Museo Civico. Works of special importance include some by Piero Della Francesca, the celebrated painter born in this town early in the 15th century, in particular is polyptych of the "Madonna Della Misericordia" and is "Resurrezione". Buildings of outstanding note: the Romanesque Cathedral, the Loggia Delle Laudi (16th century), the church of San Francesco (13th century).
Events : second Sunday in September "Palio della Balestra" (traditional cross bow tournament).

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