Anghiari
Anghiari is a medieval hilltop town in the Valtiberina, province of Arezzo, overlooking the upper Tiber valley
Updated 19 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Anghiari now
The story
The story of Anghiari
Introduction and Location
Anghiari stands on a hilltop spur in the Valtiberina, the upper valley of the River Tiber that opens between the province of Arezzo and the borders of Umbria and Marche. The town overlooks the plain below with views stretching from the Arezzo hills to the Apennine ridges beyond. Just a short drive separates Anghiari from Sansepolcro, another historic centre of the valley, and its slightly out-of-the-way position has helped the town keep its medieval layout intact, with walls, steep lanes and small gathered squares, away from the busiest tourist routes.
History and Origins
Anghiari's origins date back to the Middle Ages, when the town grew as a fortified outpost fought over by Tuscan communes and local noble families. Its name is tied above all to the battle fought in 1440 on the plain below, a clash between Florentine and Milanese forces that shaped the political balance of Renaissance Tuscany. The event, still recalled today in local memory and in an annual historical re-enactment, was also the subject of a famous fresco that Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint in Florence, now lost.
Nature and Landscape
The countryside around Anghiari unfolds across gentle cultivated hills, woodland and small streams flowing down toward the Tiber plain. The Valtiberina preserves a still-legible agricultural landscape of fields, tree rows and scattered farmhouses, with the river marking the valley floor and linking Anghiari, at least in spirit, to nearby Umbria and Romagna. The hills surrounding the town offer routes suited to walking and light hiking, with viewpoints from which the hilltop historic centre and the wide valley horizon can be admired, especially striking at sunset.
Things to Do and See
Anghiari's historic centre is best explored on foot, along stone lanes, stairways and small open spaces enclosed by the old walls. Highlights include the state museum housed in a historic palace in the town, which gathers artistic and documentary evidence of the area, and several churches preserving medieval and Renaissance artworks. Wandering the streets, visitors also come across artisan workshops still in activity, while nearby it is possible to visit other Valtiberina towns, easily reached with short drives.
Flavours and Traditions
Anghiari's cuisine reflects the rural tradition of the Valtiberina, with dishes built around meat, pulses, mushrooms and garden produce, accompanied by oil and wine from the Arezzo hills. The town is also known for a long-standing artisan textile tradition, which since the nineteenth century has continued to produce tablecloths, fabrics and linens made with time-honoured techniques. Each year the community re-enacts the 1440 battle with historical events, costumed processions and communal gatherings that bring the historic centre to life and keep alive the memory of an episode crucial to Tuscan history.
Not to be missed
- The medieval historic centre, with walls, alleys and stairways
- The state museum housed in an ancient palace of the town
- The historic churches with medieval and Renaissance artworks
- Anghiari's traditional artisan textile workshop
- The annual historical re-enactment of the 1440 battle
To see
What to see in Anghiari
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Routes in Anghiari
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