Eastern Tuscany - Florence and Tuscany - page 494

SANSEPOLCRO

POP 16,100
The term 'hidden gem' is bandied about with gay abandon in travel brochures and books,
but this is one place that truly deserves the description. Dating from the year 1000,
Sansepolcro (called 'Borgo' by locals) reached its current size in the 15th century and was
walled in the 16th century. Today, its historic centre remains blessedly untouched by devel-
opment or tourism - something that can't be said of many other Tuscan towns.

Sights

The historic centre is littered with palazzi and churches - look out for the Chiesa di
Sant'Antonio Abate (cnr Via San Antonio & Via del Campaccio; 8.30am-1pm & 3-6pm) , which
houses a processional banner painted by Luca Signorelli in 1505; the deconsecrated 16th-
century Chiesa di San Lorenzo (cnr Via di San Croce & Via Lucca Pacioli) , where you'll find the
Rosso Fiorentino masterpiece Deposition of Christ dating from 1528 (ring the bell at 2 Via
di San Croce for entrance); and the16th-century Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie (Piazza Beato
Ranieri; 8.30am-1pm & 3-6pm) , built by members of the Fraternity of Death (men who cared
for plague sufferers) and home to the Madonna delle Grazie (1555), a painting of a preg-
nant Madonna that may slightly predate Piero's Parto in Monterchi. The artist was Raf-
faellino del Colle, a member of the fraternity, who included a skull at the Madonna's feet as
a reference to the fraternity's sombre work.

MUSEUM

Museo Civico
( www.museocivicosansepolcro.it ; Via Niccolò Aggiunti 65; adult/reduced/child €8/5/3; 9.30am-1.30pm
& 2.30-7pm mid-Jun-mid-Sep, 9.30am-1pm & 2.30-6pm mid-Sep-mid-Jun) The town's flagship mu-
seum is home to a small but top-notch collection of artworks, the highlights of which are
three Piero della Francesca masterpieces: Resurrection (1458-74), the Madonna della
Misericordia polyptych (1445-56) and Saint Julian (1455-58). Piero's authorship of a
fourth work, Saint Louis of Toulouse (1460), is disputed by some art historians - see what
you think.
The museum also holds paintings by Raffaellino del Colle, Matteo di Giovanni and Santi
di Tito. In the main exhibition room, look out for two works by the studio of Andrea della
Robbia: a polychrome terracotta called The Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds (1485)