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The towns of Valtiberina.

Fifteen towns, each with its own character. Medieval fortresses, Renaissance birthplaces, mountain refuges and riverside towns — united by the ancient thread of the Tiber.

Anghiari

In 1440 Florence and Milan fought below Anghiari. According to Machiavelli, only one man died in the whole battle, and he had fallen from his horse and been trampled. He wrote it to mock the armies of mercenaries, and some estimates put the real toll at around 900. The village sits on the hill above that field.

Badia Tedalda

From Badia Tedalda you can see Tuscany, Romagna, Umbria and the Marche all at once. The village sits on the border, and the river Marecchia rises in its territory and runs down to the Adriatic. The restored Church of San Michele Arcangelo and the Palazzo Comunale keep traces of its history.

Caprese Michelangelo

The mountain birthplace of Michelangelo, surrounded by chestnut forests and ancient stones.

Citerna

In a church in Citerna there is a terracotta Madonna and Child by Donatello. The village sits on top of a hill between two valleys, and the Romans already called it Civitas Sobariae. The churches also hold works by the Della Robbia and a painting that Signorelli started and another painter finished. People who climb up here stop for photos before they even go inside.

Città di Castello

An elegant Umbrian city of palaces, printmaking traditions, and Alberto Burri's bold legacy.

Lisciano Niccone

A tiny village nestled in the green Niccone valley, among olive groves and wooded hills on the edge of Lake Trasimeno country.

Monte Santa Maria Tiberina

A medieval hamlet perched on a hilltop, the ancient marquisate of the Bourbon del Monte, with sweeping views over the upper Tiber valley.

Monterchi

In Monterchi there is a pregnant Madonna painted by Piero della Francesca. The name of the village comes from Mons Herculis, the mountain where Hercules, after defeating the Hydra, is said to have founded the first settlement. Arriving from Città di Castello or Arezzo, the village appears with the hills behind it. The Museo delle Bilance is also worth a stop.

Montone

One of Italy's most beautiful villages, the fortified home of the condottiero Braccio Fortebraccio, with medieval walls, quiet lanes and Umbrian hills.

Pietralunga

An ancient town deep in the woods, a land of truffles and mushrooms, watched over by its Lombard-Byzantine fortress above the Carpina valley.

Pieve Santo Stefano

Italy's 'City of Diaries', where the river Tiber begins its journey and personal stories are preserved forever.

San Giustino

For almost four centuries, from 1441 to 1826, a hamlet of San Giustino belonged to no state. Florence and the Papal States had drawn the border badly and Cospaia was left in between. It governed itself, and from 1574 tobacco was grown there.

Sansepolcro

In 1944 a British captain was shelling Sansepolcro with artillery. At some point he remembered a book by Aldous Huxley, who had called Piero della Francesca’s Resurrection the most beautiful painting in the world. He stopped the fire. The next day he entered the town without firing a shot.

Sestino

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Umbertide

A cheerful, spirited little town, set in the valley and enclosed by hills of remarkable elegance. The medieval walls still ring the centre, with the 14th-century Rocca now an exhibition hall. The Church of Santa Croce holds a Deposition by Luca Signorelli, while the octagonal Collegiata marks the heart of the town. Its origins go back to the Umbri, with Roman traces and a past shaped by the Goths, by Braccio da Montone, and by the Florentine siege of 1643. The current name, Umbertide, was given in 1863 in honour of crown prince Umberto of Savoy.