On the Piero Trail
Piero della Francesca, an early Renaissance master, was one of the first painters to experiment with perspective, although he was subsequently overshadowed by the giants who came after him. Despite a productive lifetime, only 22 of his works have survived, but a large proportion are viewable on this drive through the picturesque region where Piero was born, lived, worked and died. The important restoration of The Legend of the True Cross in Arezzo has created a new opportunity to see some of his major works in sequence along the Piero Trail.
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ACTIVITIES
See Piero’s astonishing frescoes and paintings in Arezzo, Monterchi and Urbino
Picnic in the park of the Medici fortress above Arezzo
Go horse riding in the countryside around Sansepolcro
Take a walk in the wild at the Bocca Trabaria Pass
Scare yourself with the mummified corpses in Urbania
Fly a colourful kite in the hills above Urbino
Monterchi in the evening sunlight, situated on an outcrop 365 m (1,200 ft) above sea level.
PLAN YOUR DRIVE
Start/finish: Arezzo to Urbino.
Number of days: 3–4 days.
Distance: Approx. 115 km (71 miles).
Road conditions: Mostly well-paved and signposted provincial roads.
When to go: Best in spring and autumn as weather is more moderate and there are many festivals. Summer can be too hot and crowded. In winter, there can be snow and bad driving conditions.
Opening times: Most museums open 9am–7pm and often close Mon and Sun afternoon, with shorter hours in winter. Churches can be unpredictable, and usually close noon–3 or 4pm.
Main market days: Arezzo: Sat; Monterchi: Sun; Anghiari: Wed; Sansepolcro: Tue & Sat; Mercatello sul Metauro: Sat; Urbino: Sat.
Specialized markets: Arezzo: Antique Market, 1st weekend of month. Anghiari: Artisan Fair, Apr–May.
Major festivals: Arezzo: Giostra del Saracino, mid-Jun & early Sep; Anghiari: Palio della Vittoria, 29 Jun; Sansepolcro: Palio della Balestra, 2nd weekend Sep; Mercatello sul Metauro: Palio del Somaro (donkey race), Jul; Urbino: Festa del Duca, 3rd weekend Aug; Kite Festival, 1st weekend Sep.
Shop selling Tuscan specialities on the Corso Italia, Arezzo.
DAY TRIP OPTIONS
The tour is in three parts: Explore Arezzo’s frescoes and the Valtiberina’s hill towns. Tour Sansepolcro, town of Piero’s birth, and walk from Umbria into Le Marche over the Bocca Trabaria Pass. Visit Urbino, where Piero taught, take in the views of Le Marche and see the mummies in Urbania. For full details.
Typical Le Marche landscape of rolling hills and outcrops near Peglio.