Monterchi is a ''
Comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' (Municipality) in the
Province of Arezzo
The province of Arezzo ( it, provincia di Arezzo) is the easternmost province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Arezzo. The province is bordered by the regions of Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, and the provinces ...
in the
Italian region of
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
, located about southeast of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
and about east of
Arezzo
Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...
. It sits in the northern part of
Valtiberina
Valtiberina is a valley crossed by the upper course of the Tiber (which originates from Monte Fumaiolo in Emilia-Romagna), unfolding between Tuscany, Umbria and Romagna, parallel to the Casentino.
Geography
Valtiberina is bordered to the west by ...
(The Tiber Valley), the valley where the
Tiber
The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Riv ...
river runs going from Emilia-Romagna (where it originates from the
Mount Fumaiolo
Mount Fumaiolo ( it, Monte Fumaiolo) is a mountain of the northern Apennines range of Italy located in the southernmost corner of the Emilia-Romagna region, c. 70 km from the town of Cesena. It is at the border Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. ...
) towards
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. The valley runs through
Romagna
Romagna ( rgn, Rumâgna) is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna, North Italy. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to t ...
,
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
and
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, ...
, parallel to the
Casentino
The Casentino is the valley in which the first tract of the river Arno flows to Subbiano, Italy.
It is one of the four valleys (alongside Valdarno, Valdichiana, and Valtiberina) in which the Province of Arezzo is divided. Mount Falterona, from ...
Valley.
According to census data updated on Jan. 2017, the city's population was 1,742 while the Comune covers an area of .
[All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute ]Istat
The Italian National Institute of Statistics ( it, Istituto nazionale di statistica; Istat) is the main producer of official statistics in Italy. Its activities include the census of population, economic censuses and a number of social, economic ...
.
Monterchi borders with
Anghiari,
Arezzo
Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...
,
Citerna
Citerna is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 50 km northwest of Perugia.
It has recently been noted for its beauty, as one of the winning villages in the 'Borghi più Belli d'I ...
,
Città di Castello
Città di Castello (); "Castle Town") is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Perugia, in the northern part of Umbria. It is situated on a slope of the Apennines, on the flood plain along the upper part of the river Tiber. The city is north of ...
,
Monte Santa Maria Tiberina
Monte Santa Maria Tiberina is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 40 km northwest of Perugia
Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, cr ...
.
Toponyny
The name Monterchi (Mons
Herculis
The Herculis is an annual track and field meet at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the Diamond League.
World records
Over the course of its history, five world reco ...
- "Mount of Hercules"), seems to originate from a legend stating that the half-god Hercules founded Monterchi after beating the
Hydra
Hydra generally refers to:
* Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology
* ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria
Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Hydra (constel ...
, a
mythological
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
monster with several heads. The history is still depicted in the coat of arms of the city's banner.
![Madonna del parto piero della Francesca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Madonna_del_parto_piero_della_Francesca.jpg)
The most famous cultural attraction of Monterchi is the
fresco
Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
of the ''
Madonna del Parto
A Madonna del Parto ("Madonna of Parturition") is an iconic depiction of the Virgin Mary shown as pregnant, which was developed in Italy, mainly in Tuscany in the 14th century. Examples include works by Taddeo Gaddi, Bernardo Daddi and Nardo di C ...
'' by
Piero della Francesca
Piero della Francesca (, also , ; – 12 October 1492), originally named Piero di Benedetto, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. To contemporaries he was also known as a mathematician and geometer. Nowadays Piero della Francesca i ...
, painted between 1450 and 1465 in honour of the painter's mother,
Romana di Perino da Monterchi
Romana may refer to:
People
* Romana (name), a feminine given name, including a list of people with the name
* Romana (singer) (Romana Panić, born 1975), a Serbian pop singer
* Romaña, a Spanish-language surname, including a list of people wi ...
, who was born in town and is in the Museo della Madonna del Parto di Piero della Francesca.
History
Monterchi was originally a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
town, perched on a
hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct Summit (topography), summit.
Terminology
The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally con ...
overlooking the beautiful Tuscan
countryside
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, ...
which spreads around in every direction. What remains of the great walls once surrounding the small
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
, traditionally built to protect inhabitants and assets from invasions and attacks by ravagers, let Monterchi maintain part of the suggestive appearance of a
fortified town
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
. Also some of the characteristics
alleys typical of the towns built in the
Middle ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
are still visible, and they now provide shade from the hot Tuscan sun, while they used to be safer to guard and protect than larger ones in case of attacks.
![Monterchi, porta nelle mura 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Monterchi%2C_porta_nelle_mura_04.JPG)
Unfortunately, some violent
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
s significantly destroyed the original structure of the town, among them, the most violent ones were the one in 1352 (measuring 6 on the
Richter scale) and the last one, on April 26, 1917.
This is the reason why the medieval structure of the town only partially remains today and most of the buildings were built after 1917, like the
town hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
by
Giovanni Michelucci, in the main square of the town.
The new town has developed at foot of the hill, where the main street to go either to
Arezzo
Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...
or to
Sansepolcro
Sansepolcro, formerly Borgo Santo Sepolcro, is a town and ''comune'' founded in the 11th century, located in the Italian Province of Arezzo in the eastern part of the region of Tuscany.
Situated on the upper reaches of the Tiber river, the town ...
and
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, ...
runs.
Also at foot of the hill, the Cerfone is a stream along which cultural and gastronomic festivals are held during the summer, like the
Polenta
Polenta (, ) is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. The dish comes from Italy. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. ...
Fest, which takes place in September.
Demographics
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Main sights
The best view of the countryside surrounding Monterchi, full of fields of
sunflowers
''Helianthus'' () is a genus comprising about 70 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae commonly known as sunflowers. Except for three South American species, the species of ''Helianthus'' are native to N ...
and
tobacco cultivation
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the c ...
is the panoramic terrace of the Rocca (the ancient
Fortress
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
), up in the old part of the town.
![Monterchi, museo della madonna del parto 021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Monterchi%2C_museo_della_madonna_del_parto_021.JPG)
The main attraction of the town is though th
Museo della Madonna del Parto di Piero della Francescawhere the
Madonna del Parto
A Madonna del Parto ("Madonna of Parturition") is an iconic depiction of the Virgin Mary shown as pregnant, which was developed in Italy, mainly in Tuscany in the 14th century. Examples include works by Taddeo Gaddi, Bernardo Daddi and Nardo di C ...
fresco by
Piero della Francesca
Piero della Francesca (, also , ; – 12 October 1492), originally named Piero di Benedetto, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. To contemporaries he was also known as a mathematician and geometer. Nowadays Piero della Francesca i ...
is displayed after being taken down from the wall of the Chapel of Santa Maria di Momentana by the local cemetery.
![Monterchi, chiesa di santa maria a momentana, 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Monterchi%2C_chiesa_di_santa_maria_a_momentana%2C_01.JPG)
Interesting is als
The Scales Museum house of one of the most important collections of
scales
Scale or scales may refer to:
Mathematics
* Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points
* Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original
* Scale factor, a number w ...
and
weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force acting on the object due to gravity.
Some standard textbooks define weight as a Euclidean vector, vector quantity, the gravitational force acting on the object. Others define weigh ...
s in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
.
![Monterchi, museo delle bilance, interno, 05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Monterchi%2C_museo_delle_bilance%2C_interno%2C_05.JPG)
Many are the churches worth a visit.
![Monterchi, san simeone 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Monterchi%2C_san_simeone_02.JPG)
Church of San Simeone, dating back to the Middle Ages. In 1830 it has been completely demolished and rebuilt and it was subsequently seriously damaged by the earthquake in 1917. It hosts a wooden crucifix and a ciborium in polychrome terracotta from the 15th century and a stone pulpit depicting Hercules killing the
Hydra
Hydra generally refers to:
* Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology
* ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria
Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Hydra (constel ...
from the 16th century.
Church of San Michele Arcangelo (
St. Michael the Archangel) is a little outside the center of town, in the hamlet of Padonchia. It hosts many paintings depicting various saints such as
St. Christopher
Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is venerated by several Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius (reigned 249–251) or alternatively u ...
and
St. Sebastian
Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbonne, Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Roman Italy, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christianity, Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional beli ...
, a noteworthy work depicting che Archangel Michael battling against the devil and ancient architectural elements such as four figured
corbel
In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...
s sustaining the
vault
Vault may refer to:
* Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards
Architecture
* Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space
* Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored
* Burial vault (enclosure ...
of the Presbitery. A Madonna and Child from the first half of the 1400s is also worth the visit.
Church dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel can be found in the nearby hamlet of Pianezze. Built in
romanesque style, the Church has a wooden ceiling and a
terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, a ...
floor. The main attraction is the
fresco
Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
painting depicting the "Madonna della Misericordia" (Holy Virgin of Mercy) from the 16th century and a "
Pietà
The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific form o ...
" in
polychrome
Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery or sculpture in multiple colors.
Ancient Egypt
Colossal statu ...
terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, a ...
.
![Monterchi-Sant'Apollinare](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Monterchi-Sant%27Apollinare.jpg)
The romanic church of St. Apollinare dates back to the 7th/8th centuries and it holds the typical romanic structure: a
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
, a semi-circular
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
and a
gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
. The latter has then been decorated in the Seventeenth century.
Church of St. Mary in Scandolaia, another hamlet near Monterchi, lies near the ruins of the Montagutello castle, on the slopes of Mount Felcino. It's maybe the oldest Church in the area, dating back to the 12th century. The
wooden sculpture of the Madonna and Child which originally decorated the Church has now been moved to the Church of Le Ville.
![Monterchi, san benedetto 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Monterchi%2C_san_benedetto_04.JPG)
Church of San Benedetto is part of a
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
that is said to have been built on the foundations of a preexisting hospital for
wayfarers and sick men. The Church was completely renewed in the 16th century after the monastery had been destroyed during a local war. In 1840 the Church was renewed again by adding the
column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
s at the entrance and the decorations on the
facade, the
plaster
Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for Molding (decorative), moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of ...
decoration of the interior and the
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
.
Church of the Madonna Bella (Beautiful Virgin Mary) is in Pocaia, and was originally built around the first half of the 16th century to be an oratory dedicated to the Holy Virgin. It hosts a beautiful
terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, a ...
in the style of
Andrea Della Robbia which is believed to protect from car accidents.
![Monterchi, comune 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Monterchi%2C_comune_01.JPG)
Coming to more recent works, a significant palace within Monterchi is certainly the Town Hall, a project by the famous Florentine architect
Giovanni Michelucci which has long been forgotten to be his creature, probably even by himself. Built right before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the paternity of the building has only recently made known to the public at large.
Churches
* Chapel of Santa Maria di Momentana
* Church of Sant'Apollinare
* Church of San Simeone
* Church of San Benedetto
* Church of San Michele Arcangelo (St. Michael the Archangel) in Padonchia
*Church of San Michele Arcangelo (St. Michael the Archangel) in Pianezze
* Church of the Madonna Bella (Beautiful Virgin Mary)
*Church of Santa Maria in Scandolaia
Museums
Museo della Madonna del Parto di Piero della FrancescaThe Scales Museum
Theaters
* Community Theater
Buildings
* Town Hall
References
{{authority control
Cities and towns in Tuscany