San Sepolcro or Sansepolcro is a little town near to Florence, Città di Castello and Urbino. It is situated in Tuscany but at the borders to Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna. I was in this place many times befor but mostly to go shopping as it is the nearest place for when I lived in my friends house in Borgo Pace.
This time I wanted to go there because I wanted to have a look at the ‘fortezza’, the fortress. I recently read a book about the Medici and oftentimes they have been at this fortress. So: what better reason to go and have a closer look.
I had a wonderful summer morning to drive over from where I was located in the Marche. It took me a little more than two hours from Fano to the other side of the mountain range and the region of Tuscany. We found a parking place near at the shopping center I was many times before and after a coffee – and almost noon and lunch time – we had a walk into the city center.
As it was lunch time unfortunately all was closed and our walk would have been limited. But doesn’t matter, I enjoyed the silence in the streets, the smell of pasta sauces and coffee, the light chats coming out of the open windows. Summer is always very warm in Italy and so people are living with all open, windows and doors.
Sansepolcro was founded by two pilgrims coming home from the Holy Land and carrying a stone from the Holy Sepulchre. They were granted some land right here and built an oratory dedicated to Saint Leonard. Not too much later there was built a Benedictine Abbey around which in time there was born a walled commune.
The little city was ruled by from nearby Città di Castello, then a short time by the Papacy and later going to Florence. And there my book starts and my interest for the city.
It was Cosimo I de’ Medici who fixed the walls and built a fortress. And it was under the Medici the city has known a flourishing of culture and art. This is the birthplace of Piero della Francesca (famous for his painting ‘The Resurrection’), Santi di Tito (Baroque painter), Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro (teacher of Boccaccio and confessor of Petrarch), Matteo di Giovanni (Renaissance painter), Paccioli (father of accounting and bookkeeping) and Cerubino Alberti (engraver and painter in the 17th century).
I just wondered around the city and of course a had a closer look at the fortress, built by Cosimo I de’ Medici. In my book the Medici were often here and even had a lot of their painters and artist living at this side. Unfortunately I couldn’t enter the fortress and just had a look from outside. It has a strange shape at is looks like the outer towers are like the hearts of cards.
I stayed a few hours before leaving again. And no I haven’t seen the painting of Piero della Francesca. It is in the ‘Museo Civico’ which was closed at the time I was there. I had a look at the Teatro Dante which from outside doesn’t seem anything interesting.
I loved to walk in the narrow streets, I had a look in an Irish pub (not open yet) and was happy to be here and breath the atmosphere.
San Sepolcro, Tuscany/Italy:
For further information:
10 things to do in San Sepolcro
