All About Anghiari



The Milanese have a bad memory of Anghiari. Here, on 29 June 1440, Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, gave up all of his expansionist claims to the Italian Peninsula when he was defeated in a bloody battle by Florentine, Venetian and Papal Confederate troops. This battle is commemorated in a lost painting by Leonardo da Vinci, at times referred to as "The Lost Leonardo", which some commentators believe to be still hidden beneath one of the later frescoes in the Salone dei Cinquecento (Hall of the Five Hundred) in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. 

 

During the Lombard period, Anghiari developed as a centre, a compact elliptical cliff-top town overlooking the Tiber valley. A feature of the area called “ruga della Croce”, meaning ‘furrow of the Cross’, is a six kilometre straight stretch of road joining Anghiari to Sansepolcro. It was commissioned by Bishop Guido Tarlati at the beginning of the 14th century. Convents and commercial establishments were later established along the line of the furrow and at the top of steep slope at the road’s terminus is the porch of the sixteenth century Church of the Cross.

 

What Not To Miss...

 

Piazza Baldaccio – formerly known by the name of Mercatale – links the post-14th century urban structure, defined by the furrow, with the older part of the town. It was also the place of trade and it was for this reason that, in 1889, on one side of the square, the Magi Gallery was built to form a sort of town living room in similar fashion to the famous glass and steel galleries to be found in Milan and Naples.

By the Via Trieste steps, you enter the old town worthy of the best Tuscan tradition with the flagged pavements of the side streets and ramps of steps, the facades of homes whose colour changes with the passing of the sun and the herring-boning of brick tiles The road passes in front of the provost church, dedicated to Our Lady of Grace, which, though built in the 18th century, conserves older works of art such as the long painting depicting the Last Supper by Giovanni Antonio Sogliani of 1531.

The nearby Piazza del Popolo is dominated by the Praetorian Palace, embellished with coats of arms and sandstone rich in frescoes. In the lobby you notice a large fresco of Justice dating back to the 15th century, perhaps the work of Antonio d’Anghiari. At the top of the square stands the large structure considered to be an adaptation of the Camaldolese convent. This is the church of the Badia and its curious asymmetry is due to its location on a previous rupestrian place of worship. Treasures to be seen include a wooden crucifix of the late 13th century and the fourteenth century wooden Madonna by Tino da Camaino. From the church it is easy to get around the walls to enjoy the view over the Tiber Valley.

 

The highest point of the town is marked by the Clock Tower, originally constructed in the 13th century but rebuilt in the 17th century.In Borghetto, stands the Taglieschi Palace, to which, after the annexation of the town in the 15th century to Florence, new, highly prized architectural and decorative elements were added. Now the seat of the State Museum, the palace houses a remarkable collection of architectural fragments, paintings, sculptures and frescos from all over the Tiber Valley.

 

The atmosphere of the town is enlivened throughout by the many festivals throughout the year, and particularly in the summer. The annual Tovaglia a quadri (chequered tablecloth) event, where residents and guests are able to enjoy a delicious four-course dinner accompanied by stories narrated by actors and musicians, is unique to the town.

 

Anghiari Festival & The South Bank Sinfonia 

 

Every July, Southbank Sinfonia – comprising some of the world’s most outstanding young musicians – makes its home at the Anghiari Festival. Each day, orchestral, choral and chamber music abounds from every piazza, church and cloister. The festival is renowned for its friendly informality, spectacular setting away from the tourist trail and the chance to enjoy a great range of classical music up close every day.

 

With something to suit every musical taste, and taking in the historic setting of both Anghiari and its surrounding towns and villages, the Anghiari Festival is truly one of the highlights of the Southbank Sinfonia year.

 

In 2015 the orchestra will be joined in Anghiari by the world famous Allegri Quartet, plus choral music from the ever popular Vox Musica and members of the UK Parliament Choir.