Monterchi
Monterchi | ||
---|---|---|
Comune di Monterchi | ||
ISTAT code 051024 | | |
Saint day | October 8 |
Monterchi is a Comune (Municipality) in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region of Tuscany, located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southeast of Florence and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Arezzo. It sits in the northern part of Valtiberina (Tiber Valley), the valley where the Tiber river runs going from Emilia-Romagna (where it originates from the Mount Fumaiolo) towards Rome. The valley runs through Romagna, Tuscany and Umbria, parallel to the Casentino
According to census data updated on Jan. 2017, the city's population was 1,742 while the Comune covers an area of 28.7 square kilometres (11.1 sq mi).[3]
Monterchi borders with Anghiari, Arezzo, Citerna, Città di Castello, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina.
Toponyny
The name Monterchi (Mons
The most famous cultural attraction of Monterchi is the fresco of the Madonna del Parto by Piero della Francesca, painted between 1450 and 1465 in honour of the painter's mother, Romana di Perino da Monterchi, who was born in town and is in the Museo della Madonna del Parto di Piero della Francesca.[4]
History
Monterchi was originally a
Unfortunately, some violent
The new town has developed at foot of the hill, where the main street to go either to Arezzo or to Sansepolcro and Umbria 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 Fest, which takes place in September.
Demographics
Main sights
The best view of the countryside surrounding Monterchi, full of fields of
The main attraction of the town is though the Museo della Madonna del Parto di Piero della Francesca where the Madonna del Parto fresco by Piero della Francesca is displayed after being taken down from the wall of the Chapel of Santa Maria di Momentana by the local cemetery.
Interesting is also The Scales Museum, house of one of the most important collections of scales and weights in Europe.
Many are the churches worth a visit.
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 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 and St. Sebastian, a noteworthy work depicting che Archangel Michael battling against the devil and ancient architectural elements such as four figured corbels sustaining the vault 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 floor. The main attraction is the fresco painting depicting the "Madonna della Misericordia" (Holy Virgin of Mercy) from the 16th century and a "Pietà" in polychrome terracotta.
The romanic church of St. Apollinare dates back to the 7th/8th centuries and it holds the typical romanic structure: a nave, a semi-circular apse and a gable. 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.
Church of San Benedetto is part of a
.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 in the style of Andrea Della Robbia which is believed to protect from car accidents.
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, 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
Theaters
- Community Theater
Buildings
- Town Hall
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- Istat.
- Dow Jones & Company, Inc.Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- Core.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- ISSN 1938-2057.