East of Sansepolcro
These, who came to Arezzo only for the paintings of the della Francesca, the route leads to the east, to Sansepolcro, the artist's birthplace. A little over 15 km south of Arezzo lies the village of MONTERCHI, usually a key stop on the Piera della Francesca trail, because in the cemetery chapel on the outskirts there is his Madonna del Parto, the only Renaissance Pregnant Madonna. As in Arezzo, the fresco is currently being restored, but also to be ready already in 1992 r.
CAT bus from Arezzo, passing near Monterchi, arrives at SANSEPOLCRO in about an hour, modest city, which maintains itself as a lace manufacturer and, more lucrative, Buitoni pasta. (There is no train connection between the two cities, alternatively, you can use the Temi-Perugia line).
Piero della Francesca was born here in the second decade of the fifteenth century., to return to it in the seventies, completely abandoning painting, and devote most of his time to writing treatises On the Perspective of Painting and On the Five Regular Bodies. The greatest treasure in the Museo Civico (codz. 9.30-13.00 i 14.30-18.00; 3000 L) is unreal Resurrection — image, on which more bizarre enunciations have been written than about any other painting della Francesci. Kenneth Clark's fiery description has at least the advantage of being provocative: "This country idol, formed in the grayness of the morning, when humanity is asleep, has been revered since, when man knew, that the seed in the winter soil is not dead, but it will break through the steel shell.". An earlier masterpiece della Francesci, Madonna della Misericordia, embodies the graceful seriousness of his work. Other eye-catching works in the museum include works by Pontorm and Luc Signorelli, who was a pupil of della Francesca.
Minor art monuments can be found in the Duomo, Romanesque-Gothic construction, where are the two tables of Matteo di Giovanni, which once flanked the Baptism of Piero della Francesca, currently in London's National Gallery. And finally, in the church of San Lorenzo is the Entombment of Ross Fiorentino, painted in half a century after the last works of della Francesca, but impressive coming from another world.
If you want to stay in Sansepolcro overnight — and after seeing the Resurrection there's no right thing for — there's usually a place in one of the half a dozen hotels in the city.. Cheapest, with doubles after 22000 L, is a one-star Lisina (0575/735139) via Piero della Francesca 64. The last bus back to Arezzo leaves at 20.00.